Good Shabbos Gen. 23:1
- 25:18
On Sunday
evening will be the 20th anniversary of the passing of my mother of
blessed memory. This issue is dedicated to the memory of Charlotte Jacqueline
(probably Chana) Bas Yosef HaLevi.
There are
many good things with copy and paste but when one is his own writer-editor, one
can make a mistake if one gets a phone call or some other distraction. That is
what happened to me. Last week was Gen. 18:1 - 22:24 and not as I directly mailed out. The contents were correct
only the heading was wrong. I corrected a bit late in other places like the
blogspot and Facebook.
Parsha Chayei Sarah
We have
been discussing Avraham and Sarah and the lack of a child/children. Last week,
we see that she became a mother miraculously at the age of 90.
23:1 And
the life of Sarah was a hundred and seven and twenty years; these were the years
of the life of Sarah.
In Hebrew
it is 7 and 20 and 100 years. When she died at 127, she was as pure as a seven
year old girl. Sarah was a beautiful as a twenty year old when she was the age
of one hundred and with sins like a 20 year old [under the age of 20, sins are
not counted or upon reaching twenty is without sin].
2 And Sarah died in Kiriatharba--the same is
Hebron--in the land of Canaan; and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep
for her.
The Pshat
from the Akedah of Yitzchak last week was that after the sacrifice of the Ram
in his place, Avraham and Yitzchak return to live many days in Beer Sheva.
The Drasha
is that Avraham and Yitzchak went to Har Ha Moriah. Sarah is informed that
Avraham is going to sacrifice Yitzchak. She hurried toward Har Ha Beis via
Chevron. When she arrives in Chevron, she hears that Avraham has place Yitzchak
on the Mizbayach (Altar) to slaughter him and gets a massive heart attack or
stroke and dies.
In Kiriatharba. lit. the city of the four. So
named because of the four giants who were there: Ahiman, Sheshai, Talmai, and
their father (Gen. Rabbah from Num. 13:23). Another
explanation: Because of the four couples that were buried there, man and wife:
Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob and Leah (Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer , ch. 20). and Abraham
came. from Beer-sheva. to eulogize Sarah and
to bewail her. The account of Sarah’s demise was juxtaposed to the binding of
Isaac because as a result of the news of the “binding,” that her son was prepared
for slaughter and was almost slaughtered, her soul flew out of her, and she
died. — from Gen. Rabbah 58:5]
3 And Abraham rose up from before his dead, and
spoke unto the children of Heth, saying: 4 'I am a stranger and a sojourner
with you: give me a possession of a burying-place with you, that I may bury my
dead out of my sight.' 5 And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto
him: 6 'Hear us, my lord: thou art a mighty prince among us; in the choice of
our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his
sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead.'
His
righteousness was well known in the whole area. The Hittites would be honored
to be buried near or next to such a righteous man.
7 And Abraham rose up, and bowed down to the
people of the land, even to the children of Heth. 8 And he spoke with them,
saying: 'If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear
me, and entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar, 9 that he may give me the
cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the end of his field; for the
full price let him give it to me in the midst of you for a possession of a
burying-place.' 10 Now Ephron was sitting in the midst of the children of Heth;
and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the children of Heth,
even of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying: 11 'Nay, my lord,
hear me: the field give I thee, and the cave that is therein, I give it thee;
in the presence of the sons of my people give I it thee; bury thy dead.'
The story
of the Machpelah is the Pelah or wonder. A righteous person would enter the
cave and see a pathway to heaven. A wicked man would enter and see a pathway to
more negative places like purgatory or limbo. I once saw a YouTube video and
somebody unsealed the way to the real deep tomb of Avraham in the cave under
the current building and within the cave was even a lower cave.
Ephron is
either using a negotiating tactic or would donate the worthless to himself
hellish cave. Or this is how the Hittites sold their land as free but what is a
mere so and so amount between you and I.
12 And Abraham bowed down before the people of
the land. 13 And he spoke unto Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land,
saying: 'But if thou wilt, I pray thee, hear me: I will give the price of the
field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead there.' 14 And Ephron answered
Abraham, saying unto him: 15 'My lord, hearken unto me: a piece of land worth
four hundred shekels of silver, what is that betwixt me and thee? bury
therefore thy dead.'
There are a
number of schools of thought. Ephron wanted to show how valuable the field and
cave were. Or perhaps Ephron wanted to show how large he was to value the land
he was giving away.
16 And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and
Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the hearing of the
children of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the
merchant. 17 So the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before
Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were
in the field, that were in all the border thereof round about, were made sure
18 unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth,
before all that went in at the gate of his city. 19 And after this, Abraham
buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre--the
same is Hebron--in the land of Canaan.
Avraham
paid for the cave and the field so that there should not be a dispute. However,
each and every place bought Schem by Yacov, Har HaBeis by Dovid and here the
Machpelah are in dispute until this day. Land conquered has no dispute.
20 And the field, and the cave that is therein,
were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a burying-place by the children
of Heth.
Avraham bought it, but the Yishmaelim that
did not inherit it claim it as does the children of Esav. But essentially only
the children of Yacov inherited it.
24:1 And
Abraham was old, well stricken in age; and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all
things. 2 And Abraham said unto his servant, the elder of his house, that ruled
over all that he had: 'Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh. 3 And I will
make thee swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that
thou shalt not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among
whom I dwell.
Swear on my
holy Bris Mila. Aka hold the place of the holy covenant.
4 But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my
kindred, and take a wife for my son, even for Isaac.' 5 And the servant said
unto him: 'Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this
land; must I needs bring thy son back unto the land from whence thou camest?' 6
And Abraham said unto him: 'Beware thou that thou bring not my son back thither.
7 The LORD, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house, and from the
land of my nativity, and who spoke unto me, and who swore unto me, saying: Unto
thy seed will I give this land; He will send His angel before thee, and thou
shalt take a wife for my son from thence.
Therefore,
you shall not risk my son by bring him to unclean area. I can think of an
example: Even though my son-in-law and my daughter grew up in Petach Tikva,
they would not want their children one of their children or grandchildren living
in a mixed religious and non-religious city like Petach Tikva, Modiin or Haifa.
But rather Kiriat Sefer, Bnei Brak or a similar place which is Charedi.
8 And if the woman be not willing to follow
thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath; only thou shalt not bring my
son back thither.'
Look honestly
for a bride. But if you cannot find one except making him go to her, then you
shall be exempt.
9 And the servant put his hand under the thigh
of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.
Eliezer has
been a servant from at least 30 years before Yitzchak was born and another 40
years since. He has been with Avram – Avraham for at least seventy years and
had two Canaanite Daughters but the family background was not for Yitzchak.
10 And the servant took ten camels, of the
camels of his master, and departed; having all goodly things of his master's in
his hand; and he arose, and went to Aram-naharaim, unto the city of Nahor.
He had been
with Avram at the Bris between the pieces and when he left Haran so he knew the
way.
11 And he made the camels to kneel down without
the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time that women go
out to draw water.
It seems
that the custom or law was that one must ask permission to use a well belonging
to a family, group of families or town.
12 And he said: 'O LORD, the God of my master
Abraham, send me, I pray Thee, good speed this day, and show kindness unto my
master Abraham. 13 Behold, I stand by the fountain of water; and the daughters
of the men of the city come out to draw water. 14 So let it come to pass, that
the damsel to whom I shall say: Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may
drink; and she shall say: Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also; let the
same be she that Thou hast appointed for Thy servant, even for Isaac; and
thereby shall I know that Thou hast shown kindness unto my master.'
Eliezer
made a simple prayer but what would have happened if the woman was deaf, dumb,
blind, lame, of ill repute, etc. What would happen if the woman did not offer
as in the prayer? Why thy camels also?
The answer
comes from the behavior of Avraham. Chessed Le Avraham. He would give
compassionately whole heartedly hospitality. He wanted a woman that would make
his master happy.
15 And it came to pass, before he had done
speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel the son of
Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher upon her
shoulder. 16 And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had
any man known her; and she went down to the fountain, and filled her pitcher,
and came up.
It was the
right well for the right family background and the woman was nice to look at
and a virgin. Being good looking helps with a Shidduch.
17 And the servant ran to meet her, and said:
'Give me to drink, I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher.' 18 And she
said: 'Drink, my lord'; and she hastened, and let down her pitcher upon her
hand, and gave him drink. 19 And when she had done giving him drink, she said:
'I will draw for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.' 20 And she
hastened, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well
to draw, and drew for all his camels. 21 And the man looked steadfastly on her;
holding his peace, to know whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or
not. 22 And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took
a golden ring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten
shekels weight of gold;
Why the
gold before ascertaining if she could be the one for Yitzchak?
23 and said: 'Whose daughter art thou? tell me,
I pray thee. Is there room in thy father's house for us to lodge in?' 24 And
she said unto him: 'I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she
bore unto Nahor.' 25 She said moreover unto him: 'We have both straw and
provender enough, and room to lodge in.'
I am from
the right family for Yitzchak to marry into. We have room and board for you and
even a place to lodge and feed your camels.
26 And the man bowed his head, and prostrated
himself before the LORD. 27 And he said: 'Blessed be the LORD, the God of my
master Abraham, who hath not forsaken His mercy and His truth toward my master;
as for me, the LORD hath led me in the way to the house of my master's
brethren.'
Like
Avraham had said, “G-D will send his angel before you.”
28 And the damsel ran, and told her mother's
house according to these words. 29 And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was
Laban; and Laban ran out unto the man, unto the fountain. 30 And it came to
pass, when he saw the ring, and the bracelets upon his sister's hands, and when
he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying: 'Thus spoke the man unto me,'
that he came unto the man; and, behold, he stood by the camels at the fountain.
31 And he said: 'Come in, thou blessed of the LORD; wherefore stand thou
without? for I have cleared the house, and made room for the camels.'
The Pshat
is that Bethuel and Lavan wanted to host the servant of Avraham as Avraham
hosted people. The Midrash is that Lavan wanted to get the guard down of the
men to murder them and take the goods. I view Bethuel as a good man and perhaps
Lavan was not as wicked as he ended up in the future. For when Leah and Rachel
were to be married, he wanted Yacov to take care of them. Only after Yacov was
there, did he have sons per the Midrash.
32 And the man came into the house, and he
ungirded the camels; and he gave straw and provender for the camels, and water
to wash his feet and the feet of the men that were with him.
I believe
that either it was the custom of Terah or Avram that they followed the water to
wash the feet of the men.
33 And there was set food before him to eat;
but he said: 'I will not eat, until I have told mine errand.' And he said:
'Speak on.'
Midrash:
Lavan wanted to poison the servant but the portion was smaller than his father.
Bethuel switched the portion that was poisoned and the eat it and died.
34 And he said: 'I am Abraham's servant. 35 And
the LORD hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great; and He hath
given him flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and men-servants and
maid-servants, and camels and asses. 36 And Sarah my master's wife bore a son
to my master when she was old; and unto him hath he given all that he hath.
Yitzchak
will inherit the vast wealth of Avraham.
37 And my master made me swear, saying: Thou
shalt not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose
land I dwell. 38 But thou shalt go unto my father's house, and to my kindred,
and take a wife for my son. 39 And I said unto my master: Peradventure the
woman will not follow me. 40 And he said unto me: The LORD, before whom I walk,
will send His angel with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife
for my son of my kindred, and of my father's house; 41 then shalt thou be clear
from my oath, when thou come to my kindred; and if they give her not to thee,
thou shalt be clear from my oath.
The LORD, before whom I walk, will
send His angel with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for
my son of my kindred, and of my father's house; - and so it appears to me to be so.
42 And I came this day unto the fountain, and
said: O LORD, the God of my master Abraham, if now Thou do prosper my way which
I go: 43 behold, I stand by the fountain of water; and let it come to pass,
that the maiden that cometh forth to draw, to whom I shall say: Give me, I pray
thee, a little water from thy pitcher to drink; 44 and she shall say to me:
Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels; let the same be the woman
whom the LORD hath appointed for my master's son. 45 And before I had done
speaking to my heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her
shoulder; and she went down unto the fountain, and drew. And I said unto her:
Let me drink, I pray thee. 46 And she made haste, and let down her pitcher from
her shoulder, and said: Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also. So I
drank, and she made the camels drink also.
The family
background plus the prayer convinces Eliezer that G-D has guided him to Rivka
from Avraham’s blessing and prayers.
47 And I asked her, and said: Whose daughter
art thou? And she said: The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore
unto him. And I put the ring upon her nose, and the bracelets upon her hands.
Before
somebody else comes and snatches her. She accepted in private without the
blessing of Bethuel or witnesses.
48 And I bowed my head, and prostrated myself
before the LORD, and blessed the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who had
led me in the right way to take my master's brother's daughter for his son. 49
And now if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me; and if not,
tell me; that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left.' 50 Then Laban and
Bethuel answered and said: 'The thing proceeds from the LORD; we cannot speak unto
thee bad or good.
Lavan and
Bethuel answer. Since when does the brother speak before the father? Either the
arrangement is like Mohammed Ben Salman who is basically the ruler of the Saudi
Kingdom under the guidance of his father or something else.
And Laban and Bethuel answered. He [Laban] was wicked and jumped
to reply before his father.
The Medrash
says that Bethuel was poisoned by Lavan and therefore he was dying and Lavan
took over.
51 Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take her,
and go, and let her be thy master's son's wife, as the LORD hath spoken.'
We approve
of the marriage or we shall not stand it the way of the marriage.
52 And it came to pass, that, when Abraham's
servant heard their words, he bowed himself down to the earth unto the LORD. 53
And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and
raiment, and gave them to Rebekah; he gave also to her brother and to her
mother precious things. 54 And they did eat and drink, he and the men that were
with him, and tarried all night; and they rose up in the morning, and he said:
'Send me away unto my master.' 55 And her brother and her mother said: 'Let the
damsel abide with us a few days, at the least ten; after that she shall go.' 56
And he said unto them: 'Delay me not, seeing the LORD hath prospered my way;
send me away that I may go to my master.'
I am a
Shlaich Mitzvah and do not want to delay the good fortune.
57 And they said: 'We will call the damsel, and
inquire at her mouth.' 58 And they called Rebekah, and said unto her: 'Wilt
thou go with this man?' And she said: 'I will go.'
They were
hoping that she would delay and Lavan was plotting robbery but Rivka knew her
brother was far from what he was showing his guests on the surface. The quicker
she and the men escaped from him, the better off everybody was.
59 And they sent away Rebekah their
sister, and her nurse, and Abraham's servant, and his men. 60
And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her: 'Our sister, be thou the mother of
thousands of ten thousands, and let thy seed possess the gate of those that
hate them.'
A very
powerful blessing that would come true but only if the seed would continually
be righteous.
61 And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they
rode upon the camels, and followed the man. And the servant took Rebekah, and
went his way. 62 And Isaac came from the way of Beer-lahai-roi;
for he dwelt in the land of the South. 63 And Isaac went out to
meditate in the field at the eventide; and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and,
behold, there were camels coming.
Mediate. He
was praying the afternoon prayer. Avraham instituted the morning prayers.
Yitzchak the afternoon prayers and Yacov the evening prayers.
64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she
saw Isaac, she alighted from the camel. 65 And she said unto the
servant: 'What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us?' And the
servant said: 'It is my master.' And she took her veil, and covered herself.
and covered herself. וַתִּתְכָּס is in the reflexive form, as in (below 35:8) ַותִּקָּבֵר (and she was buried);
(I Sam. 4:18) וַתִּשָּׁבֵר (and it was broken).
Rashi is
explaining the Hebrew Grammar. The Pshat is that up until now, she was like an
unmarried woman and in front of the servants had no need to cover her face.
Like the modern day Bedouin, Taliban, etc. a married woman would cover her
face. Haran is in Turkey and was under control of what we call Iraq today
during the time of Nimrod and the influence was strong.
66 And the servant told Isaac all the things
that he had done.
And the servant told. (Gen. Rabbah 60:15) He revealed to him [Isaac] the miracles that were
wrought for him, that the earth had shrunk for him and that Rebecca had come to
him providentially as a result of his prayer.
The earth
shrunk meaning that the time he traveled at amazing speed and what should have
taken days to reach Haran was done in a short time period.
67 And Isaac brought her into his mother
Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her. And
Isaac was comforted for his mother.
This is not like Prince Charming and Snow
White but the Jewish way of viewing marriage. The wife was replacing his mother
as woman of the house. After he took her in and the initial infatuation they
became a couple and then he loved her. Of course it is nice love at first sight
but partnership and being together one dependent on the other is a more mature
love.
25:1 And
Abraham took another wife, and her name was Keturah. 2 And she bore him Zimran,
and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. 3 And Jokshan begot
Sheba, and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and
Leummim. 4 And the sons of Midian: Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abida, and
Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.
After
Avraham has married off Yitzchak, he became lonely for another wife and took
Keturah. Some say this was Hagar but the 56 years since Yishmael was born would
make her too old to bare children without a miracle. Rather I view her as a new
and different woman.
5 And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac.
Yitzchak
was to inherit Avraham.
6 But unto the sons of the concubines, that
Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts; and he sent them away from Isaac his son,
while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country.
Midian
would be close by and the others in Iraq and most likely from A-Braham the
Brahmans of India. They have a family purity, astrology that Avraham was a
master of and more.
7 And these are the days of the years of
Abraham's life which he lived, a hundred threescore and fifteen years. 8 And
Abraham expired, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and
was gathered to his people. 9 And Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the
cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which
is before Mamre; 10 the field which Abraham purchased of the children of Heth;
there was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife. 11 And it came to pass after the
death of Abraham, that God blessed Isaac his son; and Isaac dwelt by
Beer-lahai-roi.
We see
Yishmael in contact with Avraham on the way to the Akedah and it seems as the
half brothers matured there was contact between Yitzchak and Yishmael. Enough
to have him come from where he lived to the funeral in Chevron.
12 Now these are the generations of Ishmael,
Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's handmaid, bore unto Abraham. 13
And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to
their generations: the first-born of Ishmael, Nebaioth; and Kedar, and Adbeel,
and Mibsam, 14 and Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa; 15 Hadad, and Tema, Jetur,
Naphish, and Kedem; 16 these are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their
names, by their villages, and by their encampments; twelve princes according to
their nations. 17 And these are the years of the life of Ishmael, a hundred and
thirty and seven years; and he expired and died; and was gathered unto his
people.
All these
names are given so that we can see where Esav takes himself a wife.
18 And they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur that
is before Egypt, as thou go toward Asshur: over against all his brethren he did
settle.
Jewish
Beauty, spy and inventor Hedy Lamarr
She sat at dinner tables with Hitler and Mussolini, smiling
politely while memorizing weapons technology. The world saw only her face.
Nobody noticed the mind behind it.
In 1933, an Austrian actress named Hedwig Kiesler scandalized
cinema in a film called Ecstasy. Louis B. Mayer called her "the most
beautiful woman in the world." But she was the daughter of a Viennese
banker, raised on mathematics and science. When she married Friedrich Mandl,
one of Austria's wealthiest arms manufacturers, she found herself surrounded by
Europe's most dangerous men—listening, calculating, absorbing every technical
detail they spoke aloud, assuming she was merely decorative.
She despised everything they represented. In 1937, wearing her
maid's clothing and carrying hidden jewellery, she fled to London and
reinvented herself as Hedy Lamarr, Hollywood's newest star. But those dinner conversations haunted
her. She knew the Allies were losing ships because enemy forces could jam the
radio signals guiding torpedoes.
In 1942, at the height of her fame, she sat down to solve the
problem. The existing technology sent signals on a single frequency—easy to
detect, easy to block. Her solution was to make the signal jump across multiple
frequencies in a pattern only the sender and receiver knew. She partnered with
George Antheil, an avant-garde composer, and together they adapted his player
piano synchronization mechanism to radio signals.
On August 11, 1942, the U.S. Patent Office granted them Patent
Number 2,292,387 for "frequency-hopping spread spectrum" technology.
The Navy dismissed it. Too complicated, they said. A Hollywood actress and a
composer couldn't possibly understand military technology.
The patent sat unused for decades. Then, in the 1960s, engineers
rediscovered her work during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The technology was
finally implemented. And as wireless communication exploded, her
frequency-hopping concept became foundational to everything that followed.
Every time you connect to Wi-Fi, pair your Bluetooth headphones, or
use GPS navigation, you're using technology built on what Hedy Lamarr invented. The smartphone in your pocket exists because a young
woman once sat silently at a Nazi dinner table, pretending not to understand,
while memorizing every word.
She was finally recognized late in her life. In 1997, she received
the Electronic Frontier Foundation Pioneer Award. In 2014, she was inducted
into the National Inventors Hall of Fame—14 years after her death.
History called her a beauty, a star, a scandal. But she was
something far more important: a brilliant mind who helped build the wireless
world we live in, while the world was too busy staring at her face to notice
her genius.
He could
not act but … Semper Fidelis
When a world-famous director told a military advisor that he
lacked the acting ability to play a drill instructor, the man sat in front of a
camera and delivered a fifteen-minute tirade of unscripted insults without
repeating a single word.
The director sat in silence, completely stunned, and handed him
the role on the spot.
His name was R. Lee Ermey.
Born in 1944 in Kansas and raised in Washington state, Ronald was
a loud, restless teenager constantly on the verge of serious trouble. At
seventeen, after a judge gave him a choice between criminal consequences or
putting on a uniform, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps.
In the military, the boy whom the town had written off found the
discipline and purpose he had lacked all his life. He deployed to Vietnam and
served as a drill instructor at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego,
wielding a booming, commanding voice to shape raw young recruits into Marines.
Then, in his late twenties, his military life came to a sudden,
crushing end.
Severe physical injuries forced a medical discharge, stripping him
of the only identity and family he had ever known. Disoriented and searching
for direction, he drifted to the Philippines, where director Francis Ford
Coppola was filming Apocalypse Now.
Ermey was hired as a technical advisor to teach actors how real
soldiers walked, talked, and carried weapons. Along the way, he landed a small
role as a helicopter pilot, cracking open a door to a world he had never
considered.
In 1985, director Stanley Kubrick hired Ermey to serve as the
military advisor for his Vietnam War masterpiece, Full Metal Jacket. Ermey
desperately wanted to play the role of Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, but Kubrick
was doubtful that a non-actor could deliver the dramatic intensity required on
screen.
Ermey set out to prove him wrong. He recorded a audition tape of
himself screaming relentless insults for fifteen unbroken minutes, improvising
continuously without pausing or repeating a single line.
Astonished by the sheer authenticity and raw power of the tape,
Kubrick cast him immediately and allowed him to write much of his own iconic
dialogue.
Even a brutal car accident during production that broke his ribs
could not stop him. After months of recovery, Ermey returned to set and
delivered one of the most unforgettable performances in cinema history, earning
a Golden Globe nomination and launching a second career.
In 2002, the Marine Corps honored the injured veteran it had once
been forced to discharge, officially promoting him to Gunnery Sergeant, making
him the first retired Marine in U.S. history to receive an official rank
promotion.
When R. Lee Ermey passed away in 2018 and was laid to rest at
Arlington National Cemetery, his journey came full circle. The troubled Kansas
teenager who had been forced out of the military by a broken body had walked
onto a movie set to help, and walked out a legend.
Choose Table or Shelf by Rabbi Yerachmiel Tillis
https://ascentofsafed.com/Stories/Stories/5787/1508-09.html
A Rav [a level higher than 'Rabbi'] in Bnei Brak who goes to a nearby city
every Erev Shabbos [Friday] to answer halachic [Torah Law] questions in the
beit din [rabbinical court] of the community, always travels there by taxi. One
week, his taxi driver turned out to be a new baal tshuvah ['returnee' to
mitzvah observance], and he was listening to a religious radio station.
The Rav liked to use this time in a car to study Torah, but the radio
disturbed his concentration. He thought to ask the taxi driver to turn it off,
but then he figured that the newly religious driver might benefit from or even
be inspired by the encouraging words of the program, so he decided not to ask
him to turn off the radio.
He heard a listener call in, and say, "Today is the 24th of the
Jewish month of Tevet, which is the yahrzeit of the Tzadik [holy man], Rebbe
Moshe-Mordechai of Lelov. Therefore, in honor of the occasion, I want to share
a wonderful story of his ruach HaKadosh ['Divine inspiration'] and his superb
middos tovos [good character traits] that I heard with my own ears and saw with
my own eyes."
When the Rav heard this introduction, he put down his Sefer [Torah book]
and focused on what the person was saying.
The man began. "Once, when I was still a student in yeshiva, I and a
few other students went to Rebbe Moshe Mordechai's Shabbat Friday night Tisch ['open table' -- at
the end of a Shabbat or Festival meal]. After a while a man entered and
remained near the door; he was someone who never before. had come to Lelov, a
regular there told me. Immediately the Rebbe signalled to the surprise visitor
to approach him. When he did so, the Rebbe whispered something in the man's
ear. The man nodded, turned away and rushed outside.
"My friends and I wanted to know what this was all about, so we
followed the man. We asked him to tell us what the Rebbe told him. He didn't
want to say. But we persisted, and this is what he told us:
"'My wife and I have a raging debate regarding where to light the
Shabbos candles. I say that it is better to light them on a shelf in the dining
room,[1] , while my wife wants to light the candles on the Shabbos table
because that's what her mother does too.
"'Every week, I prepare the candles on the shelf before I go to shul.
And every week, she removes them from the shelf, places them on the table, and
lights them there. It makes me very angry.
"'This week, before I left, I told her that if I come home from shul
and find the candles on the table, I won't make Kiddush, and I won't eat the
Shabbat meal[2].
"'Tonight, I came home and saw the lit candles on the table. I
immediately left the house and went to a shul and opened one of the holy books.
As I sat there, I heard joyous singing coming from Reb Moshe Mordechai of
Lelov's Tisch. I decided to go
there. Why should I remain by myself?
"'The Rebbe immediately called me over and whispered in my ear.
"The purpose of lighting the Shabbos candles is for the sake of peace. If
you make a machlokes [quarrel] over it, the purpose is forfeited."
"'I am stunned by the Rebbe's ruach HaKadosh. How did he know what I
was thinking and exactly the answer I needed to hear? Before you stopped me, I
was on my way to establish peace in my home.'"
The taxi reached the destination, and the Rav left to go to the Beis din. He was glad
that he heard this inspirational story of ruach HaKadosh, which teaches us to
avoid quarrels and arguments.
That day, as the Rav sat in the Beis din, a man came in, presented to him
his dilemma and requested a clear halachic ruling. His words shocked the Rav:
"I have a long-standing debate with my wife regarding where it's
better to light the Shabbos candles. I say that it's better to light the
candles on a shelf attached to the dining room wall, and my wife insists
lighting the candles on the table, just like her mother does. What does your
honor say? Where should we light the candles?"
The Rav was astounded by this manifestation of Chashgacha Pratis [Divine
Supervision] in our lives[3]. It was the same question that he heard in the
taxi!
He told the man that he doesn't know any source in Jewish Law regarding
where it is best to light the Shabbat candles, as long as they are placed where
they can provide sufficient illumination for the Shabbat meal. Different
communities have different customs.
"However," he quickly added, "I do know that the purpose of
Shabbos lights is for peace in the home, and therefore that factor should be
considered primary and be given great consideration."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Source:
Freely adapted, annotated and supplemented by Yerachmiel Tilles from the
teachings of Rav Elimelech Biderman (a grandson of the Rebbe in the story).
Why This Week? Candle lighting as a mitzvah
is not mentioned anywhere in the written Torah. There is, however, a hint to it
near the end of this week's Torah reading (Gen. 24:67 + Rashi from the
Midrash).
Biographic note:
Rabbi Moshe-Mordechai Biderman (1903 - 24 Tevet 1987), sixth-generation Rebbe
of Lelov, lived in Tel Aviv for many years, but then moved to Bnei Brak in
1964. In addition to his own Chassidim, he was accepted also by many Karliner
chasidim as the new Rebbe after the passing of Rabbi Yochanan of Karlin-Stolin
in 1956. When the sacred Kotel [Western Wall] was recaptured in 1967, he
visited it the most of all the Chassidic Rebbes. His prayers there lasted most
of the day. Because of his attachment to the Kotel, he moved back to Jerusalem
and remained there until 1981, at which time he became too weak to visit the
Kotel and returned to Bnei Brak. He is the author of Kedushas Mordechai.
[His second son and successor in Bnei Brak, Rabbi Shimon Nosson-Notte Biderman,
lived most of the year in Tsfat, due to health reasons, where he was beloved by
his chasidim as well as many others who came to seek advice from him. One of
his daughters has long been married to Rabbi Yissachar-Ber Leifer, the current
Nadvorner Rebbe of Tsfat.]
Footnotes
1]Because then there will be more room on the table. Also, there will be fewer
halachic questions related to the licht and to muktzeh.
2]Obviously, by doing so, he will only be depriving himself. But that is the
nature of quarrels and arguments; one harms himself more than he harms anyone
else.
3]Everything that happens is part of G-D's plan, even if it seems like a
coincidence
Inyanay Diyoma
Oct. 31th and Nov. 1st
Day
1121 and Day 1122
since Oct. 7th Roaring Lion Day 222 and Day 223 start of week 161
https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/us-iran-war-trump-israel-strait-hormuz-10-31-26
Friday it was reported
that some of USAF F-35’s landed at two Negev Air Bases and this probably
explains more patriot missiles. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-913312
The
White House believes Mohsen Rezaei, one of the Iranian regime’s
staunchest hardliners, could be the key to an agreement that would prevent
renewed war between the US and Iran, Washington
Post columnist David Ignatius reported Thursday
evening. https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-913355
The United States military has deployed air
defense systems near President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach,
Florida, as part of heightened security measures aimed at protecting the
president from potential aerial threats.
According to NBC News, the deployment includes
Avenger air defense systems equipped with Stinger missiles, designed to
intercept low-flying aircraft, helicopters, and unmanned aerial vehicles. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435406
https://www.timesofisrael.com/police-fire-tear-gas-clash-with-demonstrators-as-hundreds-of-thousands-protest-in-france/ French Jihadists clash.
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-913348
https://www.algemeiner.com/2026/10/29/iran-delays-salaries-irgc-under-weight-us-pressure/
300,000 wasted votes. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/sjjh87gtmg
Intel and Nvidia lose
in Friday’s trading. https://www.ynetnews.com/business/article/ryivnsmazl
A government backed by
Arabs is morally bankrupt.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435394
https://www.israelhayom.co.il/magazine/hashavua/article/21736546
Rabbis against Deri. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435396
Witkoff’s son proposes
in Yerushalayim. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435426
Three years after
husband murdered in Egypt, widow passes away.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435411
The
IDF on Thursday struck in the Nuseirat area and eliminated Ihab Jamil Abu
Taqiya, a squad commander in the military wing of the Hamas terrorist
organization, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit confirmed on Friday. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435409
Two Hamas weapons
depots destroyed. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435404
Democrats have
normalized Jew Hatred. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435397
The
Lev Tel Aviv - Shir L'Neria Hesder Yeshiva on Friday morning asked the public
to pray for the wife of a yeshiva student currently serving as an IDF officer,
who was seriously injured Thursday evening in a traffic accident.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435402
Humvee missing from IDF
Base. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435395
Arabs trapping song
birds captured. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/crime-in-israel/article-913324
Ukraine temporarily
halts strikes of Russian Refineries. https://www.jpost.com/international/article-913316
Swiss looking to buy
Israeli Defense System. https://www.jpost.com/defense-and-tech/article-913189
Eisenkot lays out 4
principles. https://www.jpost.com/israel-election-2026/article-913413
A
California man pleaded guilty on Friday to attempting to provide material
support to a designated terrorist organization after pledging allegiance to the
Islamic State terrorist organization
(ISIS) and plotting to kill a man he suspected to be an IDF soldier. https://www.jpost.com/international/islamic-terrorism/article-913404
Nov. 2nd
Day
1123
since Oct. 7th Roaring Lion Day 224
Trump: Iran at some
point, we will give them the hammer. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435499
Op-Ed RFK jr. The
dangers of the Muslim Brotherhood. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435494
4 more terrorists
eliminated. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435514
$190M contract to
Elbit. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435515
Arab Israeli indicted
for joining ISIS sent to a place the Arabs call Kalabush. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435522
Left surprised that
base voted for Netanyahu. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435510
Violent
attack at University of Michigan:
Conservative political commentator and pro-Israel content creator Liz Benichou,
known on social media as Based in Malibu, was attacked on Sunday during an
event on campus. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435523
Charedi newlywed
arrested to military prison and released after MK’s make a scandal.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435517
Netanyahu wants to keep
Shas. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435519
Plane crash in S. FL. https://www.jpost.com/international/article-913515
Mines explode on two tankers
in Hormuz. https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-913514
Police disperse
protestors. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-913516
Plans in place for new
Iran War. https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-913493
According
to Israeli security assessments, Iran currently possesses approximately 1,700
ballistic missiles capable of reaching Israeli territory. Its arsenal also
includes an estimated 80,000 drones, including systems designed for military
use, as well as thousands of short- and medium-range missiles. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435488
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/union-boss-stuns-major-republican-endorsement-election-nears
Antisemitic and
anti-Zionist graffiti spray-painted onto four Jewish school buses in
Williamsburg, New York, on Monday. https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-913629
She turned her back on
being a Charedi to serve with IDF Spokesperson. Now she betrays both. Ayelet
Kreuzer, who grew up in the haredi community and served in the IDF
Spokesperson's Unit, announced on Monday that she is taking up the position of
spokesperson for the far-left organization Breaking the Silence.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435548
Israeli Singer attacked
in Athens. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435550
Shin
Bet Chief David Zini and Attorney General Gali Baharav Miara are locked in a
fierce confrontation over the investigation into alleged meddling by foreign
entities in the elections for the Knesset. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435553
Disturbing
footage emerged on Monday from the evacuation of the "Ura Yisrael"
hilltop outpost near Ariel, after security forces arrived at the site, located
near the Palestinian Authority town of Salfit, earlier in the morning to
demolish structures erected there. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435541
CA man guilty of
Islamic Terrorism. https://www.jpost.com/international/islamic-terrorism/article-913404
Yisrael
Beytenu Chairman Avigdor Liberman revealed at a press conference on Monday that
the Palestinian Authority was among the foreign entities that allegedly
transferred funds to the Arab Joint List. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435529
From Hong Kong to
mother of seven in Israel. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435526
Op-Ed Jonathan Pollard
Use an EMP strike on Iran. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435530
Halevi speaks out about
Oct. 7th. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435486
Pro-Israel
advocacy group StandWithUs on Sunday blasted Saturday Night Live co-host
Michael Che, after he took advantage of his platform to poke fun at the
elections in Israel. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435497
Charedim have a door
open to support Eisenkot. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435479
Troops
of the 769th Brigade, under the command of the 91st Division, are operating in
the Security Zone in southern Lebanon to remove threats to Israeli civilians.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435475
Tel Aviv University
honor Witkoff. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/culture/article-912381
Former Mossad calls
Saudi Crown Prince not mature enough. https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-913593
Boy George meets Pres.
Herzog and museum of tolerance. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-913599
Some Hamas Officials
are not being killed to keep Gaza running. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-913484
Nov. 3rd
Day
1124
since Oct. 7th Roaring Lion Day 225
Note that there will be
less news if any from Motzei Shabbos to Tuesday, I will be quite busy Sunday
night to Monday Night is dedicated to the memory of my mother, of blessed
memory, who passed away 20 years ago on 29th of Mar Cheshvan.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/stores-freezer-goods-spoiled-by-apparent-cyberattack-in-several-european-countries/ After the attack on Europe,
Israel warned. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435542
https://www.timesofisrael.com/el-sayed-aipac-antisemitism-and-israel-5-us-midterm-races-to-watch/
In January, Iran
murdered 221 children. https://www.algemeiner.com/2026/11/02/782140/
Op-Ed Sabine Sterk https://www.algemeiner.com/2026/11/02/109-years-after-balfour-why-is-jewish-sovereignty-still-on-trial/
https://www.algemeiner.com/2026/10/30/two-men-arrested-jewish-researcher-brutally-attacked-rome/
Trump made a deal with
Netanyahu no longer a need for $4Billion in aid.
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/sjvjpppagl#autoplay
Op-Ed Rami Simani about
Abbas: The Jewish people have finally begun to understand that
coexistence, as presented by Israel's Arab political leadership, is merely
another version of the Palestinian strategy of stages, known as tadrijiyya. Its
close relative is taqiyya, an Islamic legal concept associated with concealing
one's beliefs under certain circumstances, which critics interpret as a license
to deceive an enemy and lull him into complacency. https://www.ynetnews.com/opinions-analysis/article/sybmtrwame
Bomb threats on
Euro-airlines. https://www.ynetnews.com/travel/article/bybatsppze
As
at other international arms exhibitions hosted by France over the past three
years, Israeli defense companies participating in Euronaval, the naval defense
exhibition opening Tuesday in Paris, face stricter oversight than their
international competitors. The Israeli companies are permitted to display
defensive systems only. https://www.ynetnews.com/business/article/rjzrmrw6zl
Doctors thinking of leaving the UK. More
than 130 physicians considering aliyah gathered at MedEx UK in north London on
October 25, seeking answers to questions that could reshape their careers and
lives. Would their medical licenses be recognized in Israel? Where could they
find work? How much Hebrew would they need? And what would it mean to leave
behind the lives they had built in Britain? https://www.ynetnews.com/health_science/article/bkbt8qp6fe#autoplay
Op-Ed Ben Dror Yemeni.
Israel must brace for a hostile Congress. https://www.ynetnews.com/opinions-analysis/article/syx8vputmx
Hilltop Youth organize
riots get intel before raids. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435573
For
six-year-old Yuval Tova, a Jerusalem girl living with a life-threatening
allergy, that encounter helped inspire the establishment of a major new medical
allergy facility
at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435574
Hendel refuses to give up on
elections. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435565
Nov. 4th
Day
1125
since Oct. 7th Roaring Lion Day 226
In two countries the voters have spoken. The Israeli
results are certified and the left somehow is not bothered by Charedim not
serving in the army. In the US all the people that moved from NY and CA brought
enough left wing politics to TX and FL that the Republicans that won by 20
percent in the last election squeaked through in FL for governor and senate but
in TX lost both. It was a repudiation for Trump in SC, KS, OH and other States.
The Jewish vote was
crucial in defeating Dixon in FL with her antisemitic attitude but could not
stop the Muslim Brotherhood in MI. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/el-sayed-mocks-trump-vance-rogers-gloating-victory-speech-signaling-combative-tone-senate
NH voters split their
ballot. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/republican-governor-defies-dem-enthusiasm-tough-political-climate-win-reelection-key-swing-state
https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-teen-discovers-3300-year-old-egyptian-amulet-during-israel-tour/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/french-businessman-buys-tel-aviv-property-for-nis-119-million/
https://www.algemeiner.com/2026/11/03/tens-thousands-march-peru-support-israel-against-antisemitism/
Nov. 5th
Day
1126
since Oct. 7th Roaring Lion Day 227
Trump lost because he
neither finished the Iranian War or made peace.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israir-weighs-takeover-of-debt-ridden-local-rival-airline-arkia/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/jerusalems-historic-bishops-house-sold-for-nis-59-million/
https://www.israelhayom.com/2026/11/05/boy-george-tel-aviv-concert-israel-solidarity/
https://www.israelhayom.com/2026/11/05/haifa-man-indicted-wife-murder-ali-masouda/
https://www.israelhayom.com/2026/11/05/pending-weapons-orders-complicate-aid/
UTJ decides not to
recommend anybody to the President. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435704
Houthis demand $51B
from the Saudis to stop the attack but will they? https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435700
Flu season starts with
complications. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435703
Criminal conspiracy
targets Charedi Yeshiva Students. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435709
https://www.israelhayom.com/2026/11/05/pending-weapons-orders-complicate-aid/
Zelensky wants more
aid. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/hjbn8lttzx
The pilot
program in Lebanon is increasingly looking like a failure, with potentially
serious security consequences for Israel. More than 100 days have passed since
the IDF handed control of three villages in southern Lebanon to the Lebanese
army, but Hezbollah is gradually returning to the areas it evacuated. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/by96jytpze
Security scare at Ben
Gurion. https://www.ynetnews.com/travel/article/hyqi4rtagl
Fleisher: The ceasefire
not the war cost Trump. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435692
Border
Police bomb disposal experts and IDF troops on Tuesday located and destroyed an
explosive device that had previously been planted in the Nur Shams area, within
the Ephraim Brigade's sector. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435647
Op – Ed Gary Willig
Chuck Schumer sold his soul now it is complete. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435676
On
Sunday, two days before the election, Schumer accused former Rep. Haley Stevens
of a “despicable betrayal" because she dared to criticize Abdul El-Sayed,
who, to Schumer’s, the Democrats’, and America’s great shame, will now be able
to spew his hate for the Jewish people and the United States from the halls of
Congress.
25 bomb threats in
Europe. https://www.ynetnews.com/travel/article/bk8ifaypfl
The made-up case
against Netanyahu: Judges overseeing Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu's corruption trial said Thursday they had considered
summoning Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to court to discuss the future of
Case 4000, acknowledging unusual circumstances in the proceedings and
expressing frustration over the lack of direct dialogue with the official
ultimately responsible for the prosecution. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/ryjlb0t6me
Knesset Speaker to
change: https://www.ynetnews.com/article/bjunej5agg
Melania Trump gets the highest
Ukrainian Award. https://www.jpost.com/international/article-913874
Trump can work with
Democrats. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435663
He held Omer Shem Tov
now eliminated. The IDF and Shin Bet struck in Gaza
City and eliminated Jamal Abu Saeed, Head of the Operations Department in
Hamas' military wing. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435663
Schumer vows to end the
Iran War. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435687
Iranians burn images of
Trump & Netanyahu. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435690
Jefferies preparing to
be Speaker of the House. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435685
Will the Chassidic
section split? https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435684
Shas: Eisenkot will get
rotation deal. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435689
The Comptroller of Israel.
Netanyahu’s candidate withdraws. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435691
IDF issues warning to
Hezballah. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435668
Shabbos times: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/shabat/
It appears that more
times in the US are sundown times but Israel is OK.
Reservist who posed as
doctor gets 30 months behind bars. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435731
Anti-Israel
activists in Philadelphia
have scheduled a bicycle boycott ride targeting Jewish-owned and
Israeli-associated local businesses, with the demonstration deliberately set to
take place on November 8, falling on the eve of the anniversary of Kristallnacht,
the 1938 Nazi-orchestrated pogrom targeting Jewish communities, homes, and
businesses in Germany and Austria. https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-913855
Have a healthy, restful and peaceful
Shabbos,
Rachamim Pauli
