Good Shabbos Gen. 6:9 - 17:27
https://rabbipauli.blogspot.com/2026/10/parsha-noach-parsha-lech-lecha-5.html
Parsha Vayera
Last week,
we saw that Avram at the age of 99 years circumcised himself. He is now on the
third day after circumcision and in pain. He is talking with HASHEM.
18:1 And
the LORD appeared unto him by the terebinths of Mamre, as he sat in the tent
door in the heat of the day; 2 and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, lo,
three men stood over against him; and when he saw them, he ran to meet them
from the tent door, and bowed down to the earth,
He is
talking to HASHEM but takes his leave from the L-RD to make a Kiddush HASHEM to
these three Goyim (Rashi describes them as looking like Arab Idol Worshippers).
Avraham wants to spread them the word of HASHEM and monotheism.
3 and said: 'My lord, if now I have found favor
in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant. 4 Let now a little water
be fetched, and wash your feet, and recline yourselves under the tree. 5 And I
will fetch a morsel of bread, and stay ye your heart; after that ye shall pass
on; forasmuch as ye are come to your servant.' And they said: 'So do, as thou
hast said.'
One
idolatry was worshipping the dust of the earth and by washing their feet, he
would wash away the dust.
6 And Abraham hastened into the tent unto
Sarah, and said: 'Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and
make cakes.'
The morsel
of bread turns into cake of the finest flour.
7 And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a
calf tender and good, and gave it unto the servant; and he hastened to dress
it. 8 And he took curd, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it
before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat. 9 And they
said unto him: 'Where is Sarah thy wife?' And he said: 'Behold, in the tent.'
10 And He said: 'I will certainly return unto thee when the season cometh
round; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son.' And Sarah heard in the tent
door, which was behind him.—
How did the
three strangers know that his wife was Sarah? I assume that at this point the
three Goyim had revealed themselves as Angels and that Rafael cured Avraham
from the pain of the Bris and Sarah’s infertility.
And they said to him. Heb. אֵלָיו. There are dots over
the lettersאיו in the word אֵלָיו. And we learned:
Rabbi Simeon the son of Eleazar says: “Wherever the [undotted] letters are more
than the dotted ones, you must expound on the [undotted] letters, etc.” And
here, the dotted letters are more than the [undotted] letters, and you must
expound on the dotted [letters]. [The meaning is that] they also asked Sarah,
“Where (אַיוֹ) is Abraham?” (Gen. Rabbah 48:15) We learn that a person should ask in his lodging place
of the husband about the wife, and of the wife about the husband (B.M. 87a). In Bava Metzia (ad loc.) it is said: The ministering angels knew where our
mother Sarah was, but [they asked in order] to make known that she was modest,
in order to endear her to her husband. Said Rabbi Joseph the son of Chanina: In
order to send her a cup of blessing (i.e., the cup of wine upon which the Grace
after Meals is recited). Behold in the
tent. She is modest. — [from B.M. ad loc., Mid. Ps. 128:3]
11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, and well
stricken in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.-- 12
And Sarah laughed within herself, saying: 'After I am waxed old shall I have
pleasure, my lord being old also?' 13 And the LORD said unto Abraham:
'Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying: Shall I of a surety bear a child, who am
old?
When
Avraham laughed, it was of joy but Sarah laughed as she was 90years old and
past child bearing but also because Avraham was old.
14 Is any thing too hard for the LORD. At the
set time I will return unto thee, when the season comes round, and Sarah shall have a son.'
He noted
the angle of the shadow on the sundial.
15 Then Sarah denied, saying: 'I laughed not';
for she was afraid. And He said: 'Nay; but thou didst laugh.'
A person
being caught in lie tries to deny it but this did not work.
16 And the men rose up from thence, and looked
out toward Sodom; and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way. 17 And
the LORD said: 'Shall I hide from Abraham that which I am doing; 18 seeing that
Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of
the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I have known him, to the end that he
may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the
way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that the LORD may
bring upon Abraham that which He hath spoken of him.' 20 And the LORD said:
'Verily, the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and, verily, their sin is
exceeding grievous. 21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done
altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto Me; and if not, I
will know.'
This is
sort of a test for Avraham. Will he accept the Gezaira (what is ordained) on
Sodom in a Noach like fashion or will he plead their case for life. Avraham,
knowing the size of the city, will have to plead their case if there are
righteous in the city.
22 And the men turned from thence, and went
toward Sodom; but Abraham stood yet before the LORD. 23 And Abraham drew near,
and said: 'Wilt Thou indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24
Peradventure there are fifty righteous within the city; wilt Thou indeed sweep
away and not forgive the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? 25
That be far from Thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the
wicked, that so the righteous should be as the wicked; that be far from Thee;
shall not the Judge of all the earth do justly?' 26 And the LORD said: 'If I
find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will forgive all the
place for their sake.' 27 And Abraham answered and said: 'Behold now, I have
taken upon me to speak unto the LORD, who am but dust and ashes. 28
Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous; wilt Thou destroy
all the city for lack of five?' And He said: 'I will not destroy it, if I find
there forty and five.' 29 And he spoke unto Him yet again, and said:
'Peradventure there shall be forty found there.' And He said: 'I will not do it
for the forty's sake.' 30 And he said: 'Oh, let not the LORD be angry, and I
will speak. Peradventure there shall thirty be found there.' And He said: 'I
will not do it, if I find thirty there.' 31 And he said: 'Behold now, I have
taken upon me to speak unto the LORD. Peradventure there shall be twenty found
there.' And He said: 'I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake.' 32 And he
said: 'Oh, let not the LORD be angry, and I will speak yet but this once.
Peradventure ten shall be found there.' And He said: 'I will not destroy it for
the ten's sake.'
Avraham
bargains with the L-RD until he gets down to a Minyan. He can plead for the
city. This is the Torah ruling a city is defined as one containing ten men who
learn Torah all day in Kollel is a city. This Chashmonaim with a population of
perhaps 5000 has two or more Kollelim, it is a city while Peking with millions
is not.
33 And the LORD went His way, as soon as He had
left off speaking to Abraham; and Abraham returned unto his place.
There were three angels. Rafael cured
Avraham from his Bris and Sarah from her barren condition. An Angel is given
one mission at a time.
19:1 And
the two angels came to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom; and Lot
saw them, and rose up to meet them; and he fell down on his face to the earth;
One to save
Lot and family and the other to destroy Sodom. The names are not given. I can
take an educated guess. Michael to save Lot for Ruth will come from him and be
a progenerator of the Moshiach. Gavriel participate on who would life and die
during the first destruction of the first Beis HaMikdash (Temple) as describe
in Sefer Yehezkel (Ezekiel).
2 and he said: 'Behold now, my lords, turn
aside, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash
your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your way.' And they said:
'Nay; but we will abide in the broad place all night.' 3 And he urged them
greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made
them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.
Lot had
learned hospitality from Uncle Avram as he may or may not have heard of the
name change. He treated the strangers properly even though the people of Sodom
were against hosting strangers. Unleavened bread because the Angels visited
Avraham a year before Yitzchak was born and it would be the first day of Pesach
in the future. The Pshat is that Lot hurried to back unleavened bread as it was
late and darkness was setting in.
4 But before they lay down, the men of the
city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both young and old, all
the people from every quarter. 5 And they called unto Lot, and said unto him:
'Where are the men that came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that
we may know them.'
The men of
Sodom had become so wicked that they wanted to have relations with the “men”
aka Angels until they died.
6 And Lot went out unto them to the door, and
shut the door after him. 7 And he said: 'I pray you, my brethren, do not so
wickedly. 8 Behold now, I have two daughters that have not known man; let me, I
pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes;
only unto these men do nothing; forasmuch as they are come under the shadow of
my roof.'
This custom
exists to this day of Arabs protecting their guests under their roof. A number
of years ago two men who owned a restaurant in Tel Aviv went to either Tulkarm
or another border town to buy clay jugs for display. They decided to go and eat
at a local place. That gave a terrorist time to develop a plan to murder them.
The owner told the terrorist they are under my roof but did nothing to call the
Palestinian or Israel Police. As soon as they left, they were murdered. Lot at
least acted some way better but not morally offering his two daughters instead
of the men.
9 And they said: 'Stand back.' And they said:
'This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs play the judge; now will
we deal worse with thee, than with them.' And they pressed sore upon the man,
even Lot, and drew near to break the door. 10 But the men put forth their hand,
and brought Lot into the house to them, and the door they shut. 11 And they
smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and
great; so that they wearied themselves to find the door.
The Midrash
says, they opened their sleeves and a light like the sun blinded the men of
Sodom that they became blind and lost their way.
12 And the men said unto Lot: 'Hast thou here
any besides? son-in-law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whomsoever thou
hast in the city; bring them out of the place; 13 for we will destroy this
place, because the cry of them is waxed great before the LORD; and the LORD
hath sent us to destroy it.'
Angels were
known as men of G-D and Lot was used to them from his uncle. He was given the
option to save his immediate family including sons-in-law but they laughed him
off.
14 And Lot went out, and spoke unto his
sons-in-law, who married his daughters, and said: 'Up, get you out of this
place; for the LORD will destroy the city.' But he seemed unto his sons-in-law
as one that jested. 15 And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened
Lot, saying: 'Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters that are here; lest
thou be swept away in the iniquity of the city.'
He prepared
to leave the city not as Avraham with haste to sacrifice Yitzchak but
reluctantly.
16 But he lingered; and the men laid hold upon
his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two
daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him. And they brought him forth, and
set him without the city.
They had to
press him.
17 And it came to pass, when they had brought
them forth abroad, that he said: 'Escape for thy life; look not behind thee,
neither stay thou in all the Plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be swept
away.'
They either
wanted him to climb towards Arad where the ruins of Zoar is at the foot of the
mountain or Zoar was on the other side of the Dead Sea near the mountains of
Yarden where the two daughters went.
18 And Lot said unto them: 'Oh, not so, my
lord; 19 behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast
magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shown unto me in saving my life; and I
cannot escape to the mountain, lest the evil overtake me, and I die.
The Hebrew
uses Na (Nun Aleph) or 51 in Gematria. Zoar was in its 51st year. It
was when Avraham was 99 or the 52nd year after the Tower of Bavel.
It was a younger town by a year with one less year of sinning. For this reason
the word Na is used and the Angels accepted that and saved Zoar where he fled
into the cave. My father told me that he thought that the glow from the Angels
was a collection of radioactive material that the people of Sodom collected and
in the morning, the material reached the critical mass setting off an atomic
bomb of fire and brimstone turning Mrs. Lot into a pillar of salt or like
Hiroshima a shadow.
20 Behold now, this city is near to flee unto,
and it is a little one; oh, let me escape thither--is it not a little one?--and
my soul shall live.' 21 And he said unto him: 'See, I have accepted thee
concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow the city of which thou
hast spoken. 22 Hasten thou, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till
thou be come thither.'--Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.—
For I will not be
able. [This expression is] in the singular. From here you learn that
one was to overturn [the cities] and one was to save [Lot and his family],
because two angels are not sent for one mission. — [from Gen. Rabbah 50:2] Therefore, he named
the city Zoar. Because of [the words] “and it is small” (מִצְעָר).
23 The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot
came unto Zoar. 24 Then the LORD caused to rain upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah
brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;
Contrary to
my father’s belief, the Pshat here sounds more like a meteor strike on the
city, but no evidence of a massive crater exists in the area or the extension
of the dead sea is the crater.
25 and He overthrow those cities, and all the
Plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the
ground. 26 But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of
salt.
And his wife looked from behind him. from behind Lot. — [from Zohar,
vol. 1, 108b] and she became a
pillar of salt. She sinned with salt, and she was punished with salt. He said to
her, “Give a little salt to these guests.” She replied, “Also this evil custom
you wish to introduce into this place?” - [from Gen. Rabbah 50:4]
27 And Abraham got up early in the morning to
the place where he had stood before the LORD. 28 And he looked out toward Sodom
and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the Plain, and beheld, and, lo, the
smoke of the land went up as the smoke of a furnace. 29 And it came to pass,
when God destroyed the cities of the Plain, that God remembered Abraham, and
sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in
which Lot dwelt. 30 And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and
his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar; and he dwelt in a
cave, he and his two daughters. 31 And the first-born said unto the younger:
'Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us
after the manner of all the earth.
What about
great uncle Avram and his servants? It was a few cities that was to be
destroyed not the whole planet like in the flood. Where was their logic?
32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and
we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.' 33 And they
made their father drink wine that night. And the first-born went in, and lay
with her father; and he knew not when she lay down, nor when she arose. 34 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the first-born said unto
the younger: 'Behold, I lay yesternight with my father. Let us make him drink
wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve
seed of our father.' 35 And they made their father drink wine
that night also. And the younger arose, and lay with him; and he knew not when
she lay down, nor when she arose. 36 Thus were both the
daughters of Lot with child by their father.
From here
one can learn the importance of a good and proper religious education. For had
they be taught and educated in Haran, they would never have done such a deed.
But the educational system in Sodom had corrupted them inside and out.
37 And the first-born bore a son, and called
his name Moab--the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day.
She had the
audacity to call her son “from my father”.
Moab. This one, who was immodest, publicized that he was from her
father (מוֹאָב-מֵאָב), but the younger one named him
euphemistically (בֶּן עַמִּי, the son of my people) and was rewarded in the time of Moses,
for it is stated concerning the children of Ammon (Deut. 2:19): “You shall not
involve yourself in strife with them” at all, but concerning Moab, He warned
them only not to wage war with them, but He permitted them [the Israelites] to
cause them pain. — [from Nazir 23b]
38 And the younger, she also bore a son, and
called his name Ben-Ammi--the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto
this day.
She was younger and more modest and called
the boy “from my nation”.
20:1 And
Abraham journeyed from thence toward the land of the South, and dwelt between
Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar. 2 And Abraham said of Sarah his
wife: 'She is my sister.' And Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah. 3
But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him: 'Behold,
thou shalt die, because of the woman whom thou hast taken; for she is a man's
wife.'
Similar to
the case of Pharaoh as it was easy enough for Avimelech to come and kill with
his soldiers Avraham and take the beautiful Sarah but here he received a
warning dream.
4 Now Abimelech had not come near her; and he
said: 'LORD, wilt Thou slay even a righteous nation?
And Abimelech had not come near to her. The angel stopped him, as it is
said: “ I did not let you touch her.” - [from Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer , Ch. 26] Will You kill even a
righteous nation. Even if he is righteous, will You kill him? Is that Your way, to
destroy the nations for nought? You did so to the Generation of the Flood and
to the Generation of the Dispersion. I too will say that You destroyed them for
no reason, just as You threaten (lit. say) to kill me. — [from Gen. Rabbah 52:6]
5 Said he not himself unto me: She is my
sister? and she, even she herself said: He is my brother. In the simplicity of
my heart and the innocence of my hands have I done this.'
Even she. This is to include her servants,
camel drivers, and donkey drivers.“ I asked them all, and they said: He is her
brother.” -- [from Gen.
Rabbah 52:6]
6 And said unto him in the dream: 'Yea, I know that
in the simplicity of thy heart thou hast done this, and I also withheld thee
from sinning against Me. Therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.
I know that, etc., with the innocence of your heart. It is true that you did not
intend at first to sin, but you cannot claim purity of hands [because…]- [from Gen. Rabbah 52:6; Tan. Buber, Vayera 25] I did not let
you. It was not due to you that you did not touch her, but I
prevented you from sinning, for I did not give you strength, and so (below
31:7): “and God did not let him (וְלֹא נְתָנוֹ);” and so (Jud.
15:1): “but her father did not allow him (וְלֹא נְתָנוֹ) to come.” - [from Gen. Rabbah 52:7]
7 Now therefore restore the man's wife; for he
is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live; and if thou
restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are
thine.'
Rashi “He
is a prophet and will know that you did nothing”, he will pray for you. Meaning
then you shall be healed of your condition for he will know that you could not
touch her.
8 And Abimelech rose early in the morning, and
called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears; and the men
were sore afraid. 9 Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him: 'What
hast thou done unto us? and wherein have I sinned against thee, that thou hast
brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that
ought not to be done.' 10 And Abimelech said unto Abraham: 'What did you see,
that thou hast done this thing?' 11 And Abraham said: 'Because I thought:
Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my
wife's sake.
There are
some spots on this planet that today I would not want to visit. One of them is
the city of my birth, New York, along
with Los Angeles, Chicago, London, Paris, Antwerpian for even though there are
religious Jews and have Minyanim and Yeshivos there, the who atmosphere of the
city is rife with antisemitism, violence, murder, etc.
12 And moreover she is indeed my sister, the
daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and so she became my
wife.
My sister, the daughter
of my father. And the daughter of one’s father is permitted to a Noahide [for
marriage], for a gentile has no father (i.e., his lineage is not traced from
his father). And in order to justify his words, he answered him in this way.
Now if you ask: Was she not the daughter of his brother? [The answer is that]
grandchildren are considered like children (Tosefta, Yev. 8:8; Talmud Bavli,
Yev. 62b); therefore, she was (considered as) Terah’s daughter. And so did he
say to Lot, “For we are kinsmen” (אֲנָשִׁים אַחִים) [lit. men, brothers]
(although, in fact, Lot was his brother Haran’s son). - [from Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer, Ch. 36] but not the daughter of my mother. Haran was [born] of a different
mother [than Abraham].
13 And it came to pass, when God caused me to
wander from my father's house, that I said unto her: This is thy kindness which
thou shalt show unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me: He is
my brother.'
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If you
read this carefully you will also understand why the generals of Saddam
Hussein would divorce their wives if he looked too much at the particular woman.
And it came to pass, when [God] caused me to wander,
etc. Onkelos rendered as he rendered: [And it came to pass, when
the peoples went astray after the work of their hands, that God brought me
near to His fear from my father’s house.] However, it can also be interpreted
in a more appropriate manner, according to its structure [as follows]: When
the Holy One, blessed be He, took me out of my father’s house to be a wanderer,
roaming from place to place, I knew that I would pass through places where
there are wicked people, and [therefore] “I said to her: This is your
kindness, etc.” When God caused me
to wander. [The verb הִתְעוּ is] in the plural.
But do not wonder at this, because in many places, words denoting Godliness
and words denoting authority are expressed in the plural, (e.g.,) (II Sam.
7:23): “whom God went (הָלְכוּ) (to redeem)”;
(Deut. 5:23): “the living (חַיִּים) God”; (Josh.
24:19): “a holy (קְדֹשִים) God.” And all references to Godliness or to authority are in
the plural, as for example (below 39:20): “And Joseph’s master (אֲדוֹנֵי) took”; (Deut.
10:17): “the Lord of (אֲדוֹנֵי) lords”; (below
42:33): “the lord of (אֲדוֹנֵי) the land,” and so
(Exod. 22:14): “if its master (בְּעָלָיו) is with it”; (ibid
21:29): “and if its master was warned (בִּבְעָלָיו).” Now if you ask,
why is the expression הִתְעוּ used here? [The
answer is that] anyone who is exiled from his place and is not settled is תּוֹעֶה, as in (below
21:14): “and she walked and she wandered” (וַתֵּתַע); (Ps. 119:176): “I
wandered (תָּעִיתִי) like a lost sheep”; (Job 38:41): “they wander (יִתְעוּ) for lack of food,”
meaning that they go forth and wander to seek their food. say about
me. [The meaning of לִי is] “about
me.” Similarly (below 26:7): “And the people of the place asked לְאִשְׁתּוֹ,” meaning “about his wife.” Similarly
(Exod. 14:3): “And Pharaoh will say לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל,”
meaning “about the Children of Israel”; (Jud. 9:54): “Lest they say of me (לִי): a woman killed him.” Thus until
this day, if an Arab man is killed in battle by a woman, he cannot become a
Shachid. |
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14 And Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and
men-servants and women-servants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him
Sarah his wife. 15 And Abimelech said: 'Behold, my land is before thee: dwell
where it pleases
thee.' 16 And unto Sarah he said: 'Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand
pieces of silver; behold, it is for thee a covering of the eyes to all that are
with thee; and before all men thou art righted.' 17 And Abraham prayed unto
God; and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maid-servants; and they
bore children. 18 For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of
Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham's wife.
Only at this point we learn that the women
in the kingdom of Avimelech were suffering in labor and could not give birth
until Avraham prayed.
21:1 And
the LORD remembered Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as He had
spoken. 2 And Sarah conceived, and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the
set time of which God had spoken to him. 3 And Abraham called the name of his
son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac.
In those
days, mankind did not show signs of aging [From Creation until Avraham] and
Yitzchak was his spitting image.
4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he
was eight days old, as God had commanded him.
As
commanded.
5 And Abraham was a hundred years old, when his
son Isaac was born unto him. 6 And Sarah said: 'God hath made laughter for me;
every one that heareth will laugh on account of me.'
A woman
without children, especially as she ages, cries that nobody will remember her
[or say Kaddish for her] or take care of her if her husband passes before she
does.
7 And she said: 'Who would have said unto
Abraham, that Sarah should give children suck? for I have borne him a son in
his old age.' 8 And the child grew, and was weaned. And Abraham made a great
feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.
On the day
that Yitzchak was weaned, Sarah gave suckle to many babies to show that she did
not have a surrogate in her place.
9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian,
whom she had borne unto Abraham, making sport. 10 Wherefore she said unto
Abraham: 'Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman
shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.'
making merry. Heb. מְצַחֵק. An expression of idolatry, as it is said (Exod. 32:6): “and
they rose up to make merry” (לְצַחֵק) . Another
explanation: An expression of illicit sexual relations, as it is said (below
39:17): “to mock (לְצַחֶק) me.” Another explanation: An expression of murder, as it is
said (II Sam. 2:14): “Let the boys get up now and sport (וַיִשַׂחֲקוּ) before us, etc.” -
[from Gen. Rabbah 53:11]
11 And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's
sight on account of his son.
Avraham
loved Yishmael whole heartedly.
12 And God said unto Abraham: 'Let it not be
grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all
that Sarah saith unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall seed be
called to thee. 13 And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation,
because he is thy seed.' 14 And Abraham arose up early in the morning, and took
bread and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her
shoulder, and the child, and sent her away; and she departed, and strayed in
the wilderness of Beer-Sheba. 15 And the water in the bottle was spent, and she
cast the child under one of the shrubs. 16 And she went, and sat her down over
against him a good way off, as it were a bow-shot; for she said: 'Let me not
look upon the death of the child.' And she sat over against him, and lifted up
her voice, and wept. 17 And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of
God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her: 'What ails thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath
heard the voice of the lad where he is.
And G-D
hear Yi-Shema-KEL (K added as not to use a NAME).
18 Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him fast by
thy hand; for I will make him a great nation.' 19 And God opened her eyes, and
she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and
gave the lad drink. 20 And God was with the lad, and he grew; and he dwelt in
the wilderness, and became an archer. 21 And he dwelt in the wilderness of
Paran; and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.
He lived as
a Bedouin in the wilderness.
22 And it came to pass at that time, that
Abimelech and Phicol the captain of his host spoke unto Abraham, saying: 'God
is with thee in all that thou do. 23 Now therefore swear unto me here by God
that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son's son;
but according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto
me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned.' 24 And Abraham said: 'I will
swear.'
Avimelech
made a treaty for three generations.
25 And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of
the well of water, which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away. 26 And
Abimelech said: 'I know not who hath done this thing; neither didst thou tell
me, neither yet heard I of it, but to-day.'
I don’t
think that he was feigning but most likely not informed of the misbehavior of
some of his subjects. In modern times with better communications it would most
likely be feigning but back then with a long donkey or camel trek from Yavne or
even Ashkelon to Beer Sheva, the journey would have been difficult and not done
so quickly.
27 And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave
them unto Abimelech; and they two made a covenant. 28 And Abraham set seven
ewe-lambs of the flock by themselves. 29 And Abimelech said unto Abraham: 'What
mean these seven ewe-lambs which thou hast set by themselves?' 30 And he said:
'Verily, these seven ewe-lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that it may be a
witness unto me, that I have dug this well.' 31 Wherefore that place was
called Beer-sheba; because there they swore both of them. 32 So they made a
covenant at Beer-sheba; and Abimelech rose up, and Phicol the captain of his
host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.
We learn
from here a few things. Shiva is seven and Sheva is swearing. The king and his
army was more powerful than Avraham so he had this swearing of a peace treaty
that he well was his. Avraham did not realize that after the incident with
Avraham when they first met and the backing from G-D that Avimelech and his
army feared Avraham.
33 And Abraham planted a tamarisk-tree in
Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God.
Tamar is
date.
34 And Abraham sojourned in the land of the
Philistines many days. 22:1 And
it came to pass after these things, that God did prove Abraham, and said unto
him: 'Abraham'; and he said: 'Here am I.'
Every time
we see Vayehi something bad is about to happen. Last time we saw it, there was
a famine and Avram went to Egypt. Now we see this in relation with the
sacrifice of Yitzchak and even with Yosef about the famine after plenty or
Parsha Vayehi where Yacov is about to die. Vayehi in the days when Judges
Judged and there was a famine (Ruth 1:1) or Vayehi in the days of (Ahasuerus
Megillah Esther 1:1).
2 And He said: 'Take now thy son, thine only
son, whom thou love, even Isaac, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and
offer him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I will
tell thee of.'
Your son –
which one? Your only son – which one? Whom you love – which one? Now comes the
clarifier – Yitzchak. He is going to become a burnt offering before G-D. This
goes against all that Avraham had talked about the disgusting practice of human
sacrifice and now it was his turn to do so and destroy a life time of working against.
3 And Abraham rose early in the morning, and
saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and
he cleaved the wood for the burnt-offering, and rose up, and went unto the
place of which God had told him.
Avraham
does not dawdle but arises and moves quickly at dawn break to fulfil this
command as one would to bring a sheep for a peace offering.
4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes,
and saw the place afar off. 5 And Abraham said unto his young men: 'Abide ye here
with the ass, and I and the lad will go yonder; and we will worship, and come
back to you.'
If Avraham
was to disclose the real purpose of his going up to Har Moriah, perhaps his
servants would have thought him senile or Yitzchak might run away. There for he
says, “Wait here and we shall return”.
6 And Abraham took the wood of the
burnt-offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took in his hand the
fire and the knife; and they went both of them together.
Right now
is 137year old Avraham and 37year old Yitzchak going up the mountain.
7 And Isaac spoke unto Abraham his father, and
said: 'My father.' And he said: 'Here am I, my son.' And he said: 'Behold the
fire and the wood; but where is the lamb for a burnt-offering?' 8 And Abraham
said: 'God will provide Himself the lamb for a burnt-offering, my son.' So they
went both of them together.
G-D will
provide the lamb and Yitzchak believes these prophetic words with perfect
faith.
9 And they came to the place which God had told
him of; and Abraham built the altar there, and laid the wood in order, and
bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, upon the wood.
and he bound. his hands and his feet behind him. The hands and the feet tied
together is known as עִקֵידָה (Shab. 54a). And that is the meaning of עִקֻדִים (below 30:39), that their ankles were
white; the place where they are bound was discernible (Bereishith Rabbathi).
10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and
took the knife to slay his son.
There is no
explanation how Avraham managed to bind Yitzchak to be a Korban but he
succeeded and was on his way to slaughter him.
11 And the angel of the LORD called unto him
out of heaven, and said: 'Abraham, Abraham.' And he said: 'Here am I.'
Avraham was
so intent on slaughtering Yitzchak that he had to be called twice.
12 And he said: 'Lay not thy hand upon the lad,
neither do thou any thing unto him; for now I know that thou art a God-fearing
man, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from Me.' 13 And
Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in
the thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up
for a burnt-offering in the stead of his son.
Now the
prophecy of “G-D will show us the ram” came to fruition.
14 And Abraham called the name of that place
Adonai-jireh; as it is said to this day: 'In the mount where the LORD is seen.'
This place
shall be called the “Fear of the L-RD”.
15 And the angel of the LORD called unto
Abraham a second time out of heaven, 16 and said: 'By Myself have I sworn,
saith the LORD, because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy
son, thine only son, 17 that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying
I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is
upon the seashore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; 18 and
in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast
hearkened to My voice.'
The Angel
of the L-RD blesses Avraham and explains why he deserves the blessing for
harkening to G-D’s verbal commandments.
19 So Abraham returned unto his young men, and
they rose up and went together to Beer-sheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beer-sheba.
The Pshat
is that Avraham and Yitzchak returned to Beersheva.
20 And it came to pass after these things, that
it was told Abraham, saying: 'Behold, Milcah, she also hath borne children unto
thy brother Nahor: 21 Uz his first-born, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the
father of Aram; 22 and Chesed, and Hazo, and Pildash, and Jidlaph, and
Bethuel.' 23 And Bethuel begot Rebekah; these eight did Milcah bear to Nahor,
Abraham's brother. 24 And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, she also bore
Tebah, and Gaham, and Tahash, and Maacah.
The five Pasukim from 20 to 24 is only
given to us that we should know of the birth of Rivka for next week’s Shidduch
for Yitzchak and the contracted marriage.
HASHEM has
been good to me. I had a number of sources over the years. One source was that
of M. Wolfberg from Monsey NY. Every week he would publish his “Good Shabbos
Story” of Chassidic Rebbes and/or Chassidim. One year the Rabbis came out
against the internet and they bullied people to stop. He, Danny Shoemann in
Halacha and more. Chabad, Project Genesis aka Torah.org, myself and others
working in bring people closer to G-D would not be bullied. We worked for the
sake of heaven to spread Torah. I am happy to see below Artscroll Publishers
doing the same.
There is
Bitul (wasting) Torah on the internet. I take my time to wish people a happy
birthday on Facebook. But maybe some of them will look and learn something
positive about Israel in my news update or about G-D from my Drasha. This week
I picked up another source for stories that I may or may not bring down in the
future as
G-D has
sent a lot of miracles in war and I unfortunately see another round with Iran.
Generally,
I ask permission to publish, but as you see these are public
Information
and an advertisement for the Art Scroll Book.
Just one
Shabbos from Flashes of Hope by Rabbi Shlomo Landau
I got my
hands upon the “Artscroll Shabbos Table”. The story was there and I wanted to
copy and paste it from the internet. The regulars at a London vasikin minyan
were a devoted, tight-knit group, so when an unfamiliar Yid began attending,
everyone noticed. Quiet and reserved, he arrived before davening and left
immediately afterward. He seemed to be well-learned, but no one knew anything
about him — not even his name.
R’
Mordechai,* one of the regulars, invited him to learn together, hoping he would
eventually open up. Their learning revealed a man of extraordinary depth and
brilliance. His identity, however, remained a mystery. He never shared any
information about himself — not even his name.
Finally, one
day, the stranger shared his story.
“I grew up
in Israel in a traditional home but wasn’t frum. After serving in the army, I
joined the Mossad. Following grueling training, I carried out sensitive missions
around the world.
“Once, a
colleague and I were sent to eliminate a dangerous terrorist in Zurich. We
rented separate apartments and avoided contact to prevent exposure. Every
evening at eight, the terrorist left a restaurant and turned right at a particular
corner, and a Friday night was chosen for us to intercept him from opposite
sides at exactly eight o’ clock.
“That
morning, I went to a supermarket. A smiling Jew approached me. ‘Shalom achi!
Are you from Israel?’ “I was stunned. Nothing about my appearance suggested
that. I tried to brush him off, but his warmth slowly penetrated my defenses.
Eventually, I admitted that I was Israeli.
“He invited
me for Shabbos dinner. Somehow, I agreed, explaining that I had an important
meeting and would have to leave early.
“The house
smelled of fresh challah and chicken soup. Candlesticks and polished silver
gleamed on the white tablecloth. Three little boys and two girls greeted
their father
with a joyous, ‘Good Shabbos!’ He answered them with such tenderness.
“I had never
experienced anything like it. The Kiddush, the delicious food, the father
singing with his children — everything radiated warmth and holiness. I lost
myself in that beautiful world.
“Then I
glanced at my watch and saw that it was five minutes to eight! “My partner was
already in position, and I had no way to contact him. I quickly left but
arrived twenty-five minutes late, finding the street eerily quiet and my
partner nowhere to be seen.
“Later, I
learned that our mission had been compromised. They knew when and how we were
coming. Every step we thought we were taking in secrecy had been anticipated.
They had laid a carefully coordinated trap and were waiting for us.
“My partner
had been murdered.
“Had I
arrived on time, I would have walked straight into the same trap,” he said,
wiping away a tear.
“I couldn’t
recover. Eventually, I was discharged with a generous pension. But I couldn’t
forget that Shabbos meal — the meal that saved my life. I kept seeing the
father, his children’s shining faces, the peaceful beauty of their home.
“I yearned
to experience it again and signed up for a Shabbos retreat. That was the
beginning. Just as I once pursued excellence in the Mossad, I now strive to
grow
spiritually.”
He continued
describing the home and the scene of the Shabbos table when R’ Mordechai
suddenly asked, “Did your host have a medium-length beard?
Was there a
large wall clock facing the table?”
“Yes! How
did you know?”
“We’ve met
before,” he whispered. “Your host was my late father. That was our home. I was
one of those three boys. The girls were my sisters.”
The two men
sat in awed silence. One Shabbos had saved a life and transformed it. Years
later, Chashgacha had brought them together again. https://blog.artscroll.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/artscroll-shabbos-newsletter_lechlecha5787-pgs.pdf
Liebele’s
Question (same source R’ Shlomo Landau)
In 2004, an elderly Jew named R’ Leib Yadovin passed away in Karmiel. About ten years earlier,
he
had left an
unforgettable impression on the members of a local shul.
The following story was shared by R’ Avraham Tzvi Margalit. One Erev Shabbos, an elderly Yid entered the central shul in
Karmiel. He placed his trembling hand upon
the mezuzah, adjusted his woollen
cap,
and took a seat facing
the Aron Kodesh.
Between Kabbalas Shabbos and Maariv, the Rav rose to speak.
Suddenly, the old man began searching the
walls
with his eyes. His
gaze finally settled upon a bookcase filled with
sefarim.
He hurried toward the shelves, stretching out his hand before he even reached them. Tears gathered
in
his eyes as his
fingers gently caressed the bindings, one Sefer after
another. Then he reached the volumes of Shas Bavli.
The Vilna Shas!
A glow spread across his face. He embraced the large volumes,
searching until he found Maseches Yoma. With trembling hands, he removed
the Gemara, pressed it
against his heart, and sat down. Tears streamed down his cheeks as his fingers raced across the
pages,
frantically searching
for something.
After davening, the elderly Yid approached the Rav and apologized for leaving his seat during the
derashah. He explained that he had arrived that very Friday from Vitebsk, in the former Soviet Union, and
had
immediately searched
for a shul.
“But I simply could not hold
myself back,” he said.
Sensing a story, the people
gathered around him. Speaking in thick Russian Yiddish, he began.
“Sixty-five years ago, when I was a young child, my parents sent me to a melamed who secretly taught Torah in a basement somewhere in Soviet Russia.
“I loved my Rebbe. He had a white beard and a shining face, and all
he
wanted was to teach us
Torah. We learned Gemara, and I had, how should I say it, a gutte kup. (good
head)
“One day, I asked a difficult
question. My Rebbe began turning his large yarmulke around, as he always did when thinking deeply. Then he
smiled.
“‘Ah, Leibeleh, what a wonderful question!’
“But before he could answer, we heard heavy footsteps
approaching. It was the NKVD, the Soviet
secret
police!
“They smashed through the doors and dragged us out by force. As
they
took my Rebbe away, he
shouted after me, ‘Leibeleh! Leibeleh! The
answer
to your question is in
Maseches Yoma, on daf...’
“And from that day onward, I
never
again saw a Gemara.
“The years passed. I became a doctor. Slowly, I drifted away from Torah and Mitzvos.
“And then, tonight, during the derashah, it all came rushing
back.
Little Leibeleh’s
question! The question whose answer was waiting somewhere in Maseches Yoma!”
He turned toward the Rav, tears pouring down his cheeks.
“Do you understand, taiyere
(dear/valuable) Rav?
I waited sixty-five years to hear
the
answer to my question!
Could I possibly wait even one more second?
“I suddenly realized that this
shul
must have a Shas, and
somewhere inside Maseches Yoma lay the
answer
to the question of a
little boy who once learned Torah with his Rebbe.
“How could I possibly remain
sitting in my seat?”
And with those words, R’ Leib Yadovin burst into bitter tears.
Sixty-five years earlier, the
NKVD
had dragged a Rebbe
away before he could answer a young boy’s
question. They had succeeded in separating that boy from his Rebbe, his Gemara, and the life he might
have
lived.
But there was one thing they could never take away. Little Leibeleh’s burning desire
The Rebbe and the Professor by Rabbi
Yerachmiel Tillis
https://ascentofsafed.com/Stories/Stories/5787/1507-08.html
Reb Mendel related a story that he heard in his childhood directly
from the one to whom it happened, when the man himself told it publicly at his
brother's wedding.
Rabbi Shmuel Segalowitz, when he was a youth, was one of the students in the
Tomchei Tmimim Yeshiva in Lubavitch in the early 1900's . At one point, he
became very ill and suffered from severe, persistent headaches. The local
doctors were unable to determine the cause of the pain or offer any effective
treatment, so young Shmuel traveled to Minsk to be examined by a renowned
professor.
The professor, and his son who was also a doctor, examined him thoroughly. Both
reached the same alarming diagnosis. A tumor was growing inside Shmuel's head.
They said that if he wanted to live, he would have to undergo urgent surgery to
remove it.
Of course, a chasid does not schedule an operation without first asking the
Rebbe. So Reb Shmuel traveled to Lubavitch and had a yechidus [face-face
private meeting] with the Rebbe Rashab in which he described the doctors' diagnosis
in detail and asked if he should proceed with the surgery.
The Rebbe placed his hand on Reb Shmuel's head and said that in his opinion
there was no need for an operation. He instructed him instead to cook flax in
water and apply a flax-water compress to his head.
Then the Rebbe told him to travel to Kharkov, accompanied by his father, to be
examined by Professor Fabrikant, emphasizing that he should inform the
professor that the Rebbe himself had sent him.
Dr. Fabrikant was widely known and highly sought after. Securing an appointment
could take a very long time, as patients flocked to him from all over. However,
Reb Shmuel's mother's sister lived in the city and had influential connections.
With considerable effort and expense, she managed to arrange an examination in
a short time.
Shmuel and his father entered the examination room together. After a careful
evaluation, the professor concluded that based on all medical findings,
immediate surgery was necessary.
Reb Shmuel responded, "That is what the other doctors said as well. But
the Rebbe ruled out surgery and sent me to hear your opinion."
When the professor heard this, he asked them to wait. He went into an inner
room and began reviewing medical texts.
After a considerable time, he returned, visibly moved. "I reviewed many
medical books," he said, "and initially found nothing conclusive.
Then I came across a work dealing with medical jurisprudence. It explains that
while these symptoms typically indicate a tumor requiring emergency surgery,
there is an exceedingly rare condition, perhaps one case in ten thousand, in
which similar symptoms are caused by a different type of growth in the brain.
In such cases, surgery is not only unnecessary; it can result in the patient's
death.
"That, by the way, is why the case appears in a book of medical
jurisprudence; to clarify that if a patient dies during such a procedure, the
physician cannot be held responsible, since the condition is extraordinarily
rare."
The professor paused and then continued:
"Since the Rebbe sent you to me and you emphasized that he opposes
surgery, I assume that you are that rare case. My revised diagnosis is that you
do not require surgery at all. Instead, you should travel to a place with
therapeutic mineral springs and bathe there repeatedly. That will be your
cure."
Filled with joy and relief, Reb Shmuel left the professor's office with
absolute certainty that the Rebbe's advice had saved his life.
They checked into the matter and discovered a therapeutic spring next to the
village of Ponevezh that matched the professor's recommendation. Shmuel
traveled there and underwent the prescribed treatments. After a time, he
recovered completely, just as the Rebbe had said. No surgery was necessary.
"I saw on my own body," Rabbi Segalowitz later declared, "that
the Rebbe's advice is always perfect. The Rebbe saved my life."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Source: Modified and supplemented by Yerachmiel Tilles from the book, "The
Mashpia, Rav Mendel Futerfas".
Why this Week? This Shabbat, the 20th of the Jewish month of Mar-Cheshvan, is
the anniversary of the birth of the Rebbe Rashab in 1860.
Biographical note:
Rabbi Sholom-Dovber Schneersohn [20 Cheshvan 5621 - 2 Nissan 5680 (Oct. 1860 -
April 1920)], known as the Rebbe Rashab, was the fifth Rebbe of the Lubavitcher
dynasty. He is the author of hundreds of major tracts in the exposition of
Chasidic thought. In 1915, after 102 years of Chabad Rebbes living in
Lubavitch, he transferred the center of the movement to Rostov-on-the-Don.
Footnotes:
1]The yeshiva was founded in 1897. It was moved from Lubavitch to Kremenchug in
1918, due to the shifting realities of the war and the Russian Revolution. [chabad.org]
2]Dr. Moses ("Moisei") Fabrikant (1864-1951) was an outstanding
surgeon and one of the fathers of plastic surgery in Ukraine. [from ukrainianjewishencounter.org/]
Milestone: Baruch
Asher, 90, Baruch Asher (Boris Kochubievsky), one of the
first Prisoners of Zion and a pioneer of the struggle to free Soviet Jews, has
passed away at the age of 90. He was laid to rest at Yarkon Cemetery. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435055
Milestone; Sheffi Paz,
74, let the fight against illegal immigration. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435169
Milestone: Walter
Koenig, 90, Ensign Chekov in the original Star Trek. https://www.timesofisrael.com/walter-koenig-ensign-chekov-on-the-original-star-trek-series-dies-at-90/
Milestone: Judge Alvin
Hellerstein, 92, judged Trump/Maduro case. https://www.timesofisrael.com/judge-alvin-hellerstein-who-oversaw-trump-maduro-9-11-cases-dies-at-92/
Inyanay Diyoma
Oct. 24th
Day
1114
since Oct. 7th Roaring Lion Day 215 start of
week 160
Erev Shabbos for a
change, I sent out my blogspot with news early in the morning. However, the
terrorists had other plans at Yehuda Junction in the Chevron area and two
soldiers were gunned down and three civilians injured. The
IDF Spokesperson's Unit cleared for publication that Staff Sergeant Ron Yonatan
Roytman, aged 23, from Ashkelon, a squad commander in the Ari Battalion (775),
Search and Rescue Brigade, and Sergeant Yuval Shai Svilem, aged 20, from Hod
Hasharon, a combat soldier in the battalion, fell in combat during the shooting
attack on Friday morning at the Judea
Junction. https://www.timesofisrael.com/5-injured-2-critically-in-west-bank-shooting-idf-believes-gunmen-planned-larger-attack/ https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435060
The action was caught
on camera. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435056
The bullet hit my
helmet and I ducked. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435049
Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Friday afternoon, during a visit to the
scene of the terrorist attack near Hebron, that the IDF will adopt a new
operational strategy in the neighborhood from which the terrorists emerged. The
plan includes evacuating residents, conducting house-to-house searches,
locating weapons and demolishing terrorist infrastructure. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435057
COS the soldiers
prevented a worse attack. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435048
60% of Israelis want a
unity government. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435047
Paris a shooting attack. https://www.timesofisrael.com/gunman-kills-one-wounds-four-near-paris-french-prosecutors-suspect-terrorism/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/france-britain-stage-first-joint-nuclear-air-strike-simulation/
https://www.foxnews.com/us/erika-kirk-rips-absurd-2029-trial-timeline-charlie-kirks-alleged-assassin
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/supreme-court-blocks-student-ids-voter-identification-new-hampshire
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ilhan-omar-not-minnesota-congresswoman-real-name-sources
https://www.israelhayom.com/2026/10/23/netanyahus-remark-hints-at-when-he-might-step-down/
https://www.israelhayom.com/2026/10/23/now-is-the-time-to-strengthen-jewish-zionist-identity/
Female Intel Officers
on the Syrian Border. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-912622
Arrested
in Iraq in 2015 and subsequently sentenced to death, Canadian-Israeli Benjamin
Hassin endured more than a decade of imprisonment. Now, he speaks to The
Jerusalem Post about
his ordeal, the people who did not abandon him, and his arrival in Israel. https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-912616
The
antisemitic and pro-Hamas indoctrination of Gazan students has a “profound
impact” that extends far beyond the classroom, a Gaza-based UNRWA
teacher told The Jerusalem Post on
Saturday, after school administrators threatened her with scissors for
confronting extremist rhetoric being pushed onto young girls. https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-912660
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435087
Senior Sephardic Rabbi
calls to boycott elections. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435090
Op-Ed Rabbi Yacov
Menken Nobel Peace Prize turned upside down. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435085
CENTCOM has plans after
the mid-terms. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435095
The
possibility of an even earlier American strike was
raised Friday by Tom Barrack, the US
Ambassador to Turkey and Trump's special envoy for Syria and Iraq.
The
IDF Spokesperson's Unit announced overnight Saturday that, in accordance with a
situational assessment, it was decided that, starting on Sunday and through
Monday, Palestinian Arab workers will not be permitted to enter Israeli
communities in Judea and Samaria and the Jordan Valley for work, with the
exception of industrial zones and a limited number of other approved areas. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435094
Democrats
in the US House of Representatives are pushing to impeach Defense Secretary
Pete Hegseth and may begin the process if the midterm elections prove
successful for the party, according to a Friday Wall
Street Journal report.
https://www.jpost.com/american-politics/article-912723
23year old attacked
Bennett’s bodyguards. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-912722
Antisemitic and
socialist country also sees riots. https://www.jpost.com/international/article-912724
Oct. 25th
Day
1115
since Oct. 7th Roaring Lion Day 216
Netanyahu starts losing
it as he is under great political pressure from polling behind. He should know
better both as a former finance minister and excellent at foreign affairs but
he sort of cracked on this: https://www.timesofisrael.com/top-economists-gravely-concerned-at-netanyahu-touting-crypto-to-beat-sanctions/
Hundreds
of family members, friends, and others arrived on Sunday at the Hod Hasharon
Military Cemetery to pay final respects to 20-year-old Sergeant Yuval Shai
Svilem, who fell in battle during the shooting attack at Judea Junction near
Hebron.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435126
Rabbi
Eli Sadan, head of the pre-military academy in Eli, has expressed support for
Ofer Winter's Amcha Yisrael Party crossing the electoral threshold, despite a
visit to his home last week by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Religious
Zionist Party chairman Bezalel Smotrich aimed at encouraging Winter to withdraw
from the Knesset race. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435123
Two German Citizens
arrested. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435115
Beit Shean accident 2
dead 3 injured. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435110
Two terrorists funders
eliminated. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435112
The
IDF is on high alert across all fronts two days ahead of the elections, amid
concerns about a possible security escalation and attempts by Iran and
terrorist organizations to launch a surprise attack or carry out attacks.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435107
In two separate
incidents Shachidim crossed the yellow line.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435079
Iraq
is on edge over the prospect of renewed fighting with Iran after Tehran carried
out some 1,000 strikes on the Kurdistan Region in northern Iraq. Additionally,
Iranian-backed militias launched roughly 600 attacks inside Iraq, most of them
on US diplomatic facilities. https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-912785
When the IDF spokesman
won the day. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-912841
Refused to attack Iran
before the election. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-912842
Oct. 26th
Day
1116
since Oct. 7th Roaring Lion Day 217
Katz says report
untrue. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435166
https://www.timesofisrael.com/jordan-arrests-three-suspects-over-deadly-shooting-attack-on-church/
Election Day: Israel
is expected to experience a sharp change in the weather over the coming days,
with falling temperatures, local rainfall, thunderstorms, and a risk of flash
flooding in the south and east, according to the Israel Meteorological Service.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435161
Woman arrested in
stabbing Jew. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435158
Montreal police
arrested a man for wave Israeli Flag, waver sues. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435157
Three
terrorists were arrested during police operations at several locations in Judea
and Samaria, during which two hunting rifles, ammunition, and military
equipment were seized. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435165
Mysterious tunnel found
in Chevron. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435178
Soldiers
from Battalion 202 operated at numerous locations throughout the area. During
the operation, the forces raided more than 50 locations and conducted searches
for weapons. 5 Jihad Terrorists
captured.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435171
Lawyer was in contact
with foreign agent. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435179
The Sephardic Party Color
Black is designed to take votes away from the Charedi Parties and will burn in
hell according to the Gadol Rav Dov Lando. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435173
Three days before Oct.
7th Ben Gvir warned. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435177
Elbit
Systems Ltd. announced Monday that it was awarded contracts in an aggregate
value of approximately $200 million from a country in Asia-Pacific for the
supply of airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and
Reconnaissance (“ISTAR") and Training solutions. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435174
British Jews want out
fast. “I’ve been in the business of aliyah for many, many years, and I’ve
never seen the sense of urgency that we’re seeing right now,” said Deganit
Sanker-Lange, director-general of Israel’s Ministry of Aliyah and Integration.
“Basically, it’s an earthquake.” https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/b1j3kjp3zx
https://www.israelhayom.com/2026/10/26/texans-for-a-safer-israel-judea-samaria-tourism/
Anthropic
made its US IPO filing public on Monday, edging toward what could be the first
stock market debut by a frontier
AI lab and laying out the promise, costs, and risks of building AI
meant to transform the global economy. https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/tech-and-start-ups/article-912936
Oct. 27th
Day
1117
since Oct. 7th Roaring Lion Day 218 Israeli Election Day
https://www.israelhayom.com/2026/10/27/ramat-gan-man-94-dies-after-voting-knesset-election/
National Tephillin
Campaign. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435243
After the polls close,
all the different public opinion polls will publish all the numbers from each
channel. So far the elections look like the biggest in 50 years. The Charedi
Parties did not get out the population. The small parties are in danger as they
will need from 165 to 180,000 votes to make it into the Knesset. Over 5,500,000
74.3% voted.
No to extended voting
hours. https://www.jpost.com/israel-election-2026/article-913050
Kathy Hochul vs.
Netanyahu. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435245
Right gets out to vote.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435248
Terrorists want Ben
Gvir to lose and the Arab Vote is much higher. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435239
Three arrested over
vote buying scheme. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435228
IDF
forces on Tuesday morning demolished a monument in the Samaria village of
Madama that had for decades glorified terrorists who murdered Jews.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435225
Egyptian National
crossed into Israel – terror? https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435233
3 Shachidim emerge from
tunnel. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435189
The Central
Election Committee (CEC) denied on Tuesday a Likud formal request for voting
hours to be extended, citing congested polling stations nationwide. https://www.jpost.com/israel-election-2026/article-913050
There was a few
assults. https://www.jpost.com/israel-election-2026/article-913005
The sample vote results
as follows:
Netanyahu and the Likud
and the current gov. Arabs Eisenkot & Opposition
Channel 11 &
13 25 total 50 17 21 or 23 total 53
Channel 12 24 total 50 18 22 total 52
Channel 14 30 total 60 17 21 total 43
The two smaller parties
could not make the cut.
Take it or leave it the
three main polls show stagnation the 4th shows the right
Oct. 28th
Day
1118
since Oct. 7th Roaring Lion Day 219
Election Results 71%:
Likud/Netanyahu 27, Eisenkot 20, United Arab 13, Bennett 12, Democrats
(Socialists)/Golan 8, Russian Immigrants/Lieberman 8, Aguda-Degel (Charedim
Ashkenazim) 7, Shas (Sephardim Charedim) 8, Ben Gvir 7, Raam/Arab 6, Religious
Zionists 6
https://www.timesofisrael.com/trump-takes-credit-for-netanyahus-election-boost-after-endorsement/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/after-losing-election-bolsonaro-said-to-flee-brazil-for-united-states/
Adam Brody another
self-hating Jew.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/adam-brodys-tv-mother-tovah-feldshuh-pushes-back-on-genocide-comment/
46 dead in train
collision. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435292
Another terrorist who
held a captive eliminated. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435280
Segal attacks failed
opinion polls. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435281
Woman injured in rock
attack. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435229
Oct. 29th
Day
1119
since Oct. 7th Roaring Lion Day 220
Did Qatar bribe the Arabs to vote? https://www.timesofisrael.com/election-committee-chief-instructs-shin-bet-to-probe-suspicion-of-foreign-influence-on-vote/
https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/us-iran-war-trump-speaks-strait-hormuz-10-28-26
Terrorist, who held
Nimrod Cohen, and two more eliminated. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435280
https://www.israelhayom.com/2026/10/29/why-is-israel-still-heading-for-political-deadlock/
The
leader of the Ger Hasidic dynasty, Rabbi Yaakov Aryeh Alter, 87, arrived at
Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem on Sunday afternoon for a prearranged
medical procedure, marking the beginning of a series of dialysis treatments
scheduled for the coming weeks. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435135
https://www.algemeiner.com/2026/10/28/coalition-rabbis-calls-el-sayed-denounce-antisemitic-ads/
https://www.algemeiner.com/2026/10/28/houthis-strike-yemens-aden-airport-evacuation-warning/
Shabbos Times. Note
Miami has sunset not candle lighting so be careful. Candle lighting is a
minimum of 18 minutes early. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/shabat/
Star Trek fans saw this
week the passing of Ensign Chekov (Jewish Actor) above and Thurs. saw the
passing of Captain Picard aka Patrick Steward, 86. https://www.aol.com/articles/patrick-stewart-legendary-star-trek-195053000.html
The
Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) is investigating suspicions that funds were
transferred from foreign sources, including entities in Qatar and Turkey, to
organizations working to encourage voter turnout among Israel's Arab
population.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435335
Hendel vows to continue
fight. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435349
Lieberman “No to
Netanyahu, no to Charedim or Arab Parties. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435349
On Sunday new gasoline
prices. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-913302
Houthis claim to have
attacked Saudi Refinery. https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-913300
Oct. 30th
Day
1120
since Oct. 7th Roaring Lion Day 221 end of week 160
Tension is rising as
another Patriot Battery sent to Israel. Earlier in the week there was a
murder-suicide of two brothers but never reached the internet edition.
Raam denies Qatari
interference. https://www.jpost.com/israel-election-2026/article-913196
US
Central Command (CENTCOM) chief Admiral Brad Cooper met with President Donald
Trump at the White House on Thursday to discuss military options involving
Iran, as Washington considers resuming major combat operations against the Islamic
Republic, The Wall Street Journal reported. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435374
Officials
in the haredi United Torah Judaism (UTJ) party are examining a new political
option: a minority government led by Gadi Eisenkot, which the Haredim would
support without joining the coalition, Channel 12 reported on Thursday. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435364
Netanyahu – Eisenkot a
possible rotation deal. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/435332
https://www.israelhayom.com/2026/10/29/israels-2026-election-results-released/
https://www.israelhayom.com/2026/10/29/trumps-quiet-ultimatum-to-israel-form-a-unity-government/
Have a
healthy, peaceful and restful Shabbos,
Rachamim
Pauli
