Kahane Was Right!

FALL-WINTER SCHEDULE AT YESHIVAT HARA'AYON HAYEHUDI IN JERUSALEM!

2009-10-11T12:09:00.000-07:00

BS"D

YESHIVAT HARA'AYON HAYEHUDI
Jerusalem, Israel
HaRav Yehuda Kreuser SHLIT"A, Rosh Yeshiva

English Classes

Every Tuesday Evening at the Yeshiva - STARTING THIS TUESDAY 25 Tishrei/13 October:

5:00 PM Levi Chazen - Parsha with Rabbi Kahane's Commentary

5:45 PM Lenny Goldberg - TaNach

Not to be missed - Don't say you did not know!

*Refeshments will be served!*

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FAITH IN G-D AND SAMSON WEAPONS

2009-03-07T14:16:00.000-08:00

“K A H A N E”
The magazine of the authentic Jewish Idea

Nissan -5737 April-1977

FAITH IN G-D AND SAMSON WEAPONS

The men of little faith fear Washington far more than the All Mighty. The descendants of the Jews who turned in fear and prostration to Egypt to save them from Assyria and who turned as some beggar standing in a doorway to Assyria for succor from Babylon, today raise their eyes unto Washington and from Plains, Georgia shall come their salvation…

The key to the Jewish redemption lies in the deep and abiding faith in G-d that is as strong as the situation is bleak. In the face of darkness and danger, the Jew trusts all the more in the All Mighty and the threats of finite flesh and blood fade into insignificance if trust in the infinite King of the Universe is real and unbending. “Israel, trust in the L-rd,” is more than a topic for a temple rabbi’s sermon. It is the foundation of Judaism, that upon which rest all the 613 commandments. “And the righteous shall live by his faith.”

What does a Jew do when the United States attempts to strangle Israel by demanding betrayal of the land to the Arabs or risk losing American weapons and support? He first prays to the All Mighty and affirms his faith in Him. He vows not to violate the commandment that forbids giving up Jewish land. He realizes that retreat is insanity and that it will lead not to peace but to disaster. He knows that each bowing to Washington will lead only to more demands. And so he prays and has faith.

And then he turns and says: You have the choice of selling us conventional weapons (and what a ludicrous term that is and when did cluster bombs and missiles and napaim become “conventional”?) or not. But know that if you do not, we will develop and if need be use the unconventional nuclear, chemical and biological weapons that can destroy not only Arabs but their Soviet allies. And then he opens the New York Times and Washington Post of March 21 and reads:

“The Pentagon is quietly upgrading its ability to wage war with nerve gas, a weapon that can cause agonizing death from spasms and convulsions if only a drop or two gets on a person’s skin. The reason is a growth in the Soviet Union’s chemical warfare capability… ‘We underestimated the threat and it got us into trouble,’ said a chemical warfare expert.”

And the same day the times quotes Dr. Alexander Langmuir, the former top civilian epidemiologist as saying that he devoted one fifth of his time to military biological warfare studies “because he regarded biological warfare as a serious threat to the United States.”

The United States is permitted to develop biological and chemical weapons because it is threatened. Israel is not? The United States is allowed to have an atomic arsenal that is awesome and can destroy the world many times over, because of fear of the Soviets? Israel – threatened daily with extinction by the Arabs – can do no less. Faith in G-d and fear of neither enemies nor allies. That is the Jewish way.

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NO TO GUILT FOR ISRAEL

2008-12-26T00:47:00.000-08:00

K A H A N E

The Magazine of the Authentic Jewish Idea

Spring 5744 – 1984

NO TO GUILT FOR ISRAEL

There is a specter haunting Israel and its American Jewish supporters. It is called guilt. Guilt over the “repression of Palestinian human rights.” Guilt over the refusal to remove “the main obstacle to peace in the Middle East, the “occupation of Arab land seized in 1967.” Guilt over the unwillingness to give the “Palestinians” their own state in the “occupied lands.” And now, guilt over the killing of “Palestinians” and “innocent civilians in Lebanon.”

It is a powerful weapon, this guilt; Jews have a difficult time coping with it. A people that has been the most debased of losers for 2,000 years finds it difficult to cope with victory. It finds it extraordinarily difficult to remain normal. It inherits insecurities, complexes, guilt. It begins to believe its enemies slander. It loses its self-respect and longs for the love of a hating world. It is important that those who have retained their self-esteem and some Jewish survival speak out against the disease of guilt and moral insecurity.

No guilt. Are the lands of 1967, “occupied” by the Jews, the main obstacle to peace? Is the year 1967 the origin of the conflict? How peaceful it must have been in 1966, when Sinai and Gaza were in Egyptian hands and the Golan was possessed by the Syrians to shell for 19 years the Jewish settlements below, and when Judea-Samaria (the “West Bank”) and East Jerusalem were in the hands of the “moderate” King Hussein. Why did they all go to war? What did they want then? When one has East Jerusalem and attacks Israel, can it be that he desires, West Jerusalem? And Tel Aviv?

And what did they wish in 1947 when they rejected the “Palestine” state offered them by the United Nations and went to war, killing fully 1 percent of the population? And what did they wish in the riots of 1936-38 when there was no country called Israel and they murdered more than 500 Jews? And in 1929 when no “Zionist occupation troops” were in Hebron, why did the “Palestinians” rise up to murder 67 Jews in one day? And why the pogroms in Jerusalem and Jaffa in 1920 and 1921?

What troubles the Arabs is the very presence of large numbers of Jews in the land, Israel of any size, Zionism. That is what troubles the Arabs. That is the obstacle to peace. Let us inscribe that on our hearts lest we open the doors to a repetition – on – a grand scale – of that which the Arabs have done to Jews since 1920. And the bearers of guilt would do just that.

No guilt. There is one sublime reason why we should not give up a centimeter of land: It belongs to us!

If we have no right to Judea-Samaria, then we indeed have no right to Tel Aviv. Abraham did not walk on Dizengoff Street, nor did our ancestors live in the Israeli cities that were built in the 20th century. But Abraham, who lived in Hebron, and Jacob in Shechem, now Nablus, and David in Bethlehem are the ‘sole legitimate reasons that Jews can lay claim to a Tel Aviv and the kibbutzim of the guilt-ridden left. The land belongs to us because the G-d of Israel, Creator and Titleholder of all lands, gave it to us.

No guilt. There is no such thing as a “Palestinian people.” They are Arabs, part of the Arab nation, possessors of 21 lands. Let them live in peace in any or all of them. but, there are no “Palestinians.”

It was the Roman emperor Hadrian who, after the Jewish revolt against the Romans, angrily erased the name of the state, Judea, and invented the name “Palestine,” after the Philistines. In every normal case, an existing people gives its name to a land. The Franks named it France and the Angles, England, and the Germanics, Germany. Only in this ludicrous case does a Roman invent a name, give it to a land, and the arriving Arab trespassers become “Palestinians.” One presumes that had Hadrian not changed the name, Israel would today be fighting Yasir Arafat and the Judean terrorists.

No guilt. The “Palestinians” civilians in Lebanon cheered and supported every Palestine Liberation Organization murder and shelling of Jewish towns. They are united in hatred of Israel. It would be nice if they were not mingled with the P.L.O., but they are. And if the only way to destroy the terrorists is by shellings and bombings that take the lives of people who cheer our death, we have no choice. I wonder how many mourned and protested the killing of German civilians during World War II bombings of Berlin, Hamburg and Dresden? And Gen. Yekutiel Adam was gunned down and murdered by a 14-year-old “innocent Palestinian child.”

No guilt. There is nothing ethical about dying or anything moral about another Holocaust. There is nothing immoral about winning and nothing necessarily noble in a loser. Let us cast off the chains of guilt and reject the accusations of its bearers. The greatness of Judaism is its spirit, but no spirit can survive without a living body.

No guilt. Rather faith, pride, strength and the love of Jews rather than the enemy who would destroy them. That is sanity, that is Judaism.

Anyone reading this Rav Kahane article and is not on my personal list to receive the weekly articles written by Rav Kahane and would like to be, please contact me at:

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Barbara Ginsberg

The Jew Who Hesitates Is Lost By: David J. Heimowitz

2008-12-18T07:53:00.001-08:00

The ideas that we are today living in the end of the days, as well as, that the war of Gog and Magog is fast approaching, are in no way farfetched. It is already simple to picture several possible scenarios for that war. We are living in an era in which the Muslims have once again declared war on the “infidels” in general, and on Jews in particular. Although the leaders of the western countries, including the state of Israel, refuse to think in terms of holy war, they do so at their own peril.

Ahmadinejad means it when he says that he intends to destroy Israel. He will inevitably try to do so and he will invariably fail, because G-d, the G-d of Israel, will prevent Ahmadinejad from having his way. Ahmadinejad, however, will not stop with Israel, he will also try to destroy the Christian countries of the west. Once he has his bomb he will bring the world to the final frontier, he will be vanquished, and the Lord, G-d of Israel, will be recognized by all nations still existing, to be the one and only G-d.

Because Ahmadinejad will attack the U.S., as well as the European Christian countries, he will destroy all Jews who have chosen to remain in exile in the many different Christian countries. He, along with his allies, will attack Israel and after a bloody war which will last nine months and in which many more Jews will be killed, he will be totally vanquished by G-d, the Lord G-d of Israel.

Or, Israel, without the knowledge and consent of the U.S., will attack Iran and negate Iran’s ability to destroy her, which will so anger the U.S. that the U.S., along with her allies, will attack Israel. As a result, the Jews who have chosen to remain in exile in the many different Christian countries will be completely destroyed and, after a bloody war which will last nine months and in which many more Jews will be killed, the U.S. and her allies will be totally vanquished by G-d, the Lord, G-d of Israel.

One of the above scenarios, or a different scenario similar to them, will surely come to pass unless Jews, of their own volition, will immediately return to their G-d, the one and only G-d. If the Jews in the exile will make aliyah and if the Jews in Israel will throw out their blasphemous, hypocritical and corrupt leadership and replace them with G-d fearing Jews, then the redemption will come without the loss of 80% of our People. The redemption will come quickly and with great splendor. There is still time, albeit, precious little of it. The time to act is now.

14/12/08

The writer, who made aliyah 30 years ago, was, and still is, a student of the late Rabbi Meir Kahane.

DOWN WITH CHANUKAH – December 15, 1972 Rabbi Meir Kahane Writings (5732-33) (1971-73)

2008-12-17T22:03:00.000-08:00

If I were a Reform rabbi; if I were a leader of the Establishment whose money and prestige have succeeded in capturing for him the leadership and voice of American Jewry; if I were one of the members of the Israeli Government’s ruling group; if I were an enlightened sophisticated, modern Jewish intellectual, I would climb the barricades and join in battle against the most dangerous of all Jewish holidays – Chanukah.

It is a measure of the total ignorance of the world Jewish community that there is no holiday that is more universally celebrated than the “Feast of Lights”, and it is an equal measure of the intellectual dishonesty and of Jewish leadership that it plays along with the lie. For if ever there was a holiday that stands for everything that the mass of world Jewry and their leadership has rejected – it is this one. If one would find an event that is truly rooted in everything that Jews of our times and their leaders have rejected and, indeed, attacked – it is this one. If there is any holiday that is more “unJewish” in the sense of our modern beliefs and practices – I do not know of it.

The Chanukah that has erupted unto the world Jewish scene in all its childishness, asininity, shallowness, ignorance and fraud – is not the Chanukah of reality. The Chanukah that came into vogue because of Jewish parents – in their vapidness – needed something to counteract Christmas; that exploded in a show of “we-can-have-lights-just-as-our-goyish-neighbors” and in an effort to reward our spoiled children with eight gifts instead of the poor Christian one; the Chanukah that the Temple, under its captive rabbi, turned into a school pageant so that the beaming parents might think that the Religious School is really successful instead of the tragic joke and waste that it really is; the Chanukah that speaks of Jewish Patrick Henrys giving-me-liberty-or death and the pictures of Maccabees as great liberal saviors who fought so that the kibbutzim might continue to be free to preach their Marx and eat their ham, that the split-level dwellers of suburbia might be allowed to violate their Sabbath in perfect freedom and the Reform and Conservative Temples continue the fight for civil rights for Blacks, Puerto Ricans and Jane Fonda, is not remotely connected with reality.

This is NOT the Chanukah of our ancestors, of the generations of Jews of Eastern Europe and Yemen and Morocco and the crusades and Spain and Babylon. It is surely not the Chanukah for which the Maccabees themselves died. Truly, could those whom we honor so munificently, return and see what Chanukah has become, they might very well begin a second Maccabean revolt. For the life that we Jews lead today was the very cause, the REAL reason for the revolt of the Jews “in those days in our times.”

What happened in that era more than 2000 years ago? What led a handful of Jews to rise up in violence against the enemy? And precisely who WAS the enemy? What were they fighting FOR and who were they fighting AGAINST?

For years, the people of Judea had been the vassals of Greece. True independence as a state had been unknown for all those decades and, yet, the Jews did not rise up in revolt. It was only when the Greek policy shifted from mere political control to one that attempted to suppress the Jewish religion that the revolt erupted in all its bloodiness. It was not mere liberty that led to the Maccabean uprising that we so passionately applaud. What we are really cheering is a brave group of Jews who fought and plunged Judea into a bloodbath for the right to observe the Sabbath, to follow the laws of kashruth, to obey the laws of the Torah. IN A WORD EVERYTHING ABOUT CHANUKAH THAT WE COMMEMORATE AND TEACH OUR CHILDREN TO COMMEMORATE ARE THINGS WE CONSIDER TO BE OUTMODED, MEDIEVAL AND CHILDISH!

At best, then, those who fought and died for Chanukah were naïve and obscurantist. Had we lived in those days we would certainly not have done what they did for everyone knows that the laws of the Torah are not really Divine but only the products of evolution and men (do not the Reform, Reconstructionist and large parts of the Conservative movements write this daily?) Surely we would not have fought for that which we violate every day of our lives! No, at best Chanukah emerges as a needless holiday if not a foolish one. Poor Hannah and her seven children; poor Mattathias and Judah; poor well meaning chaps all but hopelessly backward and utterly unnecessary sacrifices.

But there is more. Not only is Chanukah really a foolish and unnecessary holiday, it is also one that is dangerously fanatical and illiberal. The first act of rebellion, the first enemy who fell at the hands of the brave Jewish heroes whom our delightful children portray so cleverly in their Sunday and religious school pageants, was NOT a Greek. He was a Jew.

When the enemy sent its troops into the town of Modin to set up an idol and demand its worship, it was a Jew who decided to exercise his freedom of pagan worship and who approached the altar to worship Zeus (after all, what business was it of anyone what this fellow worshipped?) And it was this Jew, this apostate, this religious traitor who was struck down by the brave, glorious, courageous (are these not the words all our Sunday schools use to describe him?) Mattathias, as he shouted: “Whoever is for G-d, follow me!”

What have we here? What kind of religious intolerance and bigotry? What kind of a man is this for the anti-religious of Hashomer Hatzair, the graceful temples of suburbia, the sophisticated intellectuals, the liberal open-minded Jews and all the drones who have wearied us unto death with the concept of Judaism as a humanistic, open-minded, undogmatic, liberal, universalistic (if not Marxist) religion, to honor? What kind of nationalism is this for David-Ben-Gurion (he who rejects the Galut and speaks of the proud, free Jew of ancient Judea and Israel)?

And to crush us even more (we who know that Judaism is a faith of peace which deplores violence), what kind of Jews were these who reacted to oppression with FORCE? Surely we who so properly have deplored Jewish violence as fascistic, immoral and (above all!) UN-JEWISH, stand in horror as we contemplate Jews who declined to picket the Syrian Greeks to death and who rejected quiet diplomacy for the sword, spear and arrow (had there been bombs in those days, who can tell what they might have done?) and “descended to the level of evil,” thus rejecting the ethical and moral concepts of Judaism.

Is this the kind of a holiday we wish to propagate? Are these the kinds of men we want our moral and humanistic children to honor? Is this the kind of Judaism that we wish to observe and pass on to our children?

Where shall we find the man of courage the one voice, in the wilderness to cry out against Chanukah and the Judaism that it represents-the Judaism of our grandparents and ancestors? Where shall we find the man of honesty and integrity to attack the Judaism of Medievalism and outdated foolishness; the Judaism of bigotry that strikes down Jews who refuse to observe the law; the Judaism of violence that calls for Jewish force and might against the enemy? When shall we find the courage to proudly eat our Chinese food and violate our Sabbaths and reject all the separateness, nationalism and religious maximalism that Chanukah so ignobly represents? …Down with Chanukah! It is a regressive holiday that merely symbolizes the Judaism that always was; the Judaism that was handed down to us from Sinai; the Judaism that made our ancestors ready to give their lives for the L-rd; the Judaism that young people instinctively know is true and great and real. Such Judaism is dangerous for us and our leaders. We must do all in our power to bury it.

Anyone reading this Rav Kahane article and is not on my personal list to receive the weekly articles written by Rav Kahane and would like to be, please contact me at:

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Barbara Ginsberg

Michael Savage quotes Rabbi Meir Kahane "Every Jew a 22"

2008-12-11T23:27:00.000-08:00

Michael speaks about the Mumbai Massacre, the importance of self-defense for American Jews and Americans in general, and the state of gun rights in the US.

LISTEN WORLD, LISTEN JEW (1978)

2008-12-10T11:13:00.000-08:00

INTRODUCTION

I sit here, in the Land of Israel: Jerusalem; Home. It is night and the stars twinkle with fierceness and a multitude of heavenly lights such as I have not remembered for many years. Across the valley sleep the hills of Benjamin and the lights of Ramalla shine directly across from me as to the left I strain to see Nebi Samuel, the grave of the Prophet Samuel. The night is totally quiet, carrying with it a stillness not born of the fear of other urban areas where people cling to their dwellings in the concrete jungle, but rather the gentle, peaceful quiet that affords tranquility to the soul and pause for thought to the mind.

I am home in Jerusalem and inside sleep my children who have returned with me. Tomorrow they will go to school, climbing the hills that forever bear the footprints of those who preceded them here so many years ago–their ancestors. They will walk the hills of Jerusalem, tread its streets, mingle with their brothers and sisters from Riga and Casablanca, pray at the wall and shyly–and then not so timidly–touch its craggy surface, add their lip prints to those who preceded them for twenty centuries and then joke in Hebrew with the bus drivers, drink their Jewish grapefruit juice as they read their Jewish newspaper and exult in their Jewish city.

“Our feet are standing within thy gates O Jerusalem,” and they will never leave. This is Zionism, and the United Gentiles call it “Racist” and debate how to take my city away from me. Foolish world; sooner will the sun fail to rise tomorrow. The Jews have come home to their Zion and have welded their city together with a fierce tightness that none-least of all the humor that is the United Nations-can sunder. A people which patiently bides its time for millennia will not easily-ever-give up its state and capital. A nation stubborn enough to awaken for centuries at midnight to weep for Zion and so obstinate as to pray in the North, the South, East and West, three times daily, four times on Sabbaths and holidays and five times on Atonement for the day when the Divine Presence will return to the Holy City, will surely do little more than yawn when the haters thunder about “Zionist hooligans.”

For two thousand years we wept for the Zion they tore from us with blood and fire; today it is returned to us and never again will it leave our possession. For centuries we were forced to visit as strangers at the sufferance of those who mocked and reviled us; today we sit as balel-batim, possessors and holders of title to our possession and never again will that title be effectively challenged. For a score of years no Jew could tread on the doorstep to the Holy Mount and place his slips of pleadings in the crevices of the Wall because Jordan was busy keeping the area Judenrein even as it was using the Jewish tombstones on the Mount of Olives to line latrines. Today a thousand Jews and more will pray at the Wall even as all others can pursue their own faiths with no one to prevent them. Never again will all the haters with all their lackeys and running dogs of Jew-hating imperialism, return us to the horrors that once were.

My first Sabbath in Jerusalem was the occasion for the reading in the Law of the words of the Prophet Isaiah: “For the sake of Zion I will not be quiet and for the sake of Jerusalem I will not hold my peace.” Let the world hear and the politicians remember. A people whose G-d keeps His word is not to be trifled with; a L-rd whose people is so determined is not to be taken lightly. “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem,” for if an alien hand attempts to seize it again it will surely be cut off. Pray for the peace of Zion because if there will be war over it, the whole world will be plunged into a holocaust-and in the end it will remain Jewish. In blood and fire did Zion rise again-never again to sink to its knees. This is surely the promise we give the world, and the guarantors whom we bring as surety are the same ones our ancestors once brought before the Almighty at Sinai-our children. They walk the streets of Zion and their Jerusalem and with the strength of their young and mighty arms will they assure that those streets and stones and hills and homes will continue to be Jewish ever more.

A certain resolution on Zionism has been passed at the United Nations. In reality, it is a resolution on Judaism. It is important that a reply be given. It is important that the world know precisely what Zionism is and what the Jewish people are.

It is important that the nations hear our proclamation: “Listen world; I am a Zionist, I am a Jew!”

And listen, too, Jew. Listen so that you will understand yourself who you are and what and why. For there is no escape from it even if one should be so foolish as to desire to flee, the greatness and majesty of the Jewish destiny. Listen so that you will be able to stand proud and tall and know what to reply-with dignity and not hesitant defensiveness. So that you will know from where you came and to where you go, since without the former it is impossible to know the latter.

And so, listen Jew as we speak to a world that understands as little as you about the eternity of the Jewish people. Listen, as the Jewish Idea is proclaimed. Listen, and learn. Listen and return.

Listen world, listen Jews.

Anyone reading this Rav Kahane article and is not on my personal list to receive the weekly articles written by Rav Kahane and would like to be, please contact me at:

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Barbara Ginsberg

But It Is MY Ox! January 19, 1990 - 22 Teveth 5750

2008-11-30T12:42:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time, there was a man who owned several beautiful oxen. They were strong and well-mannered and just a delight. He had a neighbor, however, who was a bad man and very jealous of the beautiful oxen, because the bad man’s oxen were ugly and ill-tempered. And the jealousy of the bad man gave him no rest, so that one day he deliberately let his ill-tempered oxen into the field where the beautiful oxen were grazing and they gored one of them, killing it. The owner of the dead ox was angry at this terrible and deliberate outrage that, in the middle of the night, he entered the field where the ill-tempered oxen were and killed one of them.

The neighboring villagers and cattle people were very moral and ethical people and they were aghast at the man who had taken revenge on the ill-tempered ox and its bad owner. Their leader, Mr. Morality, was especially indignant. “What you did was very immoral,” he told the poor man. “You cannot sink to his level. And you cannot enter someone else’s field even if there is a dangerous ox there. You cannot take the law into your own hands.”

In vain did the poor fellow protest that someone had to teach the bad fellow a lesson and that unless that were done, he would do it again. Nothing helped. Mr. Morality was adamantly ethical: “You do not take the law into your own hands; you do not enter other people’s property; you do not sink to his level.” And with that, Mr. Morality and his merry band of ethical cattlemen walked off, heads high and breasts filled with a sweet sense of righteousness.

The poor man was so beaten that he could not bear the thought of continuing as before. He was so depressed that he decided to sell the rest of his beautiful oxen to anyone who would buy them. To be sure, there was no lack of buyers and, in the end, it was Mr. Morality himself who offered the highest price. Beaming, he took possession of the beautiful, quiet, well-mannered and delightful oxen.

But the change in ownership had not changed the way the bad man felt. Every time he would see the beautiful oxen, he was blinded by jealousy and envy. And so, one night, when he could no longer contain his jealousy, he sent his ugly and ill-tempered oxen into the field of Mr. Morality and they again killed one of the beautiful oxen.

When Mr. Morality heard of what had happened, his anger knew no bounds. And without a second thought, he took a number of his merry ethical friends, entered the field of the bad man and killed not one, but two of his oxen.

When the original owner of the oxen heard of this, he hurried over to Mr. Morality. “I do not understand. What did you do? When I did the same thing, you told me that one does not take the law into one’s own hands; one does not enter other people’s fields and one does not sink to their level. What happened now?”

Mr. Morality looked with pity on the poor, uncomprehending man. “I see that you really don’t understand, poor fellow. Let me explain. There is a difference between your going into his field and my going into his field. In your case, you really should not have done such a thing. In this case, it was my ox…”

I wallow in glee over events in Panama and Romania. O, Panama! O, Romania! I watch as the United States troops go into someone else’s field, invade a foreign country with 25,000 troops, shoot up its capital city, kill some 70 Panamanians, and install their own government.

And then I remember Israel’s invasion of Lebanon after years of attacks on Jewish towns from that country; after scores of Jews were murdered by attacks launched from that land; after life was made a living hell for the Jews of Kiryat Shmona, one third of whom fled the city. And I remember Israeli troops reaching Beirut and installing their Lebanese as President in order to put an end to murder and attacks upon Jews.

And I remember Messrs. Morality! ALL of them! President Reagan, Vice-President Bush, the State Department, the Defense Department and all the merry, ethical Americans (and British and French and, and, and, ad infinitum. Ad nauseum). How they condemned and how they railed and how they moralized and how they ethicalized! Merrily. “You do not sink to the level of the PLO. You do not enter someone else’s field (land). You do not take the law into your own hands.” Messrs. Morality, Post Office Box One Million, Washington, DC.

And so now there is Panama. And should any simple-minded type ask President Morality, High-minded Bush of morality, why he did everything he told Israel it should not do – he would give a sympathetic nod to the poor simpleton who really does not understand, and the answer would be: But it is my ox…

I remember Israeli troops entering the field of Lebanon to capture a Moslem Sheikh who was leader of a group of Moslem Shiite thugs holding Israelis as hostages; and President Morality and his merry ethical State Department cattlemen with their shouts of condemnation! And now I see the same moralists invading the field of Panama to try and catch a thug named Noriega because he deals in drugs that harm Americans and because he tweaks America’s nose. And I finally understand the difference and can even hear President Morality say it: But it is my ox…

And I remember the outcry by all the democrats and anti-racist equality types demanding that William Nakash be extradited from Israel to France and rising up in righteous indignation over the thought that just because someone is a Jew, he should not be extradited. After all, all human beings are equal and being Jewish is no reason to refuse to hand him over to strangers. And what would the world say to any such tribalism! And then I read that under Panamanian, law, a Panamanian cannot be extradited to a foreign county and I understand the difference: But it is my ox…

I watch as, in Romania, the dictator is captured and he and his wife are shot in secret trial, with summary justice dealt out within less than two days and no appeal allowed. And I know that Israel did not give the death penalty to any murdering terrorists and goes through elaborate procedures of “justice” in order that terrorists sit and eat and drink at our expense until they are exchanged for hostages. And I know what the outcry from Romania and other ethical nations would be if Israel would do to murdering terrorists what Romania did to its former President. But I have already learned the difference; THIS IS MY OX…

And having said all that, I do not – as so many professors and intellectual doers on the right – merely weep, complain and wring my soul. I have no intention of wasting a precious few moments of my finite life in the House of Eternal Kvetching, in which so many of the right-wing spend their lives. The lesson for me in this morality lesson of Whose Ox is gored? is not that there are hypocrites in this world. Boker Tov! Good morning! There are hypocrites in the world! Surprise…

For me, the only lesson here is that there is, indeed, a difference. Not the one that the moralists of hypocrisy give, but the objective and eternally true one of divine Torah Law. There is a difference, the one that cannot be grasped unless one has knowledge and sense. In the words of the rabbis, “Im ein da’at havdala minayin?” “If one has no knowledge, how can he differentiate?”

The lesson is that there is objective good and objective evil, objective truth and objective falsehood, and the same action taken against the one is good while the same act done against the other is wrong and evil. Yes, it is good and right and a mitzvah to go into Panama to eliminate the slime named Noriega and yes, how much more so was it right and a mitzvah to enter Lebanon and eliminate the PLO and other Moslem terrorist swine. And yes, it was wrong and evil for the Russians to do exactly the same in Afghanistan and for the Chinese to invade Tibet. Yes, the German bombing of Coventry and London is not the same as the Allied bombing of German cities and yes, the hanging of evil criminals is good and that of decent people, bad, and anyone who does not understand this havdala, differentiation, needs a good grounding in knowledge. Divine knowledge. Torah knowledge.

Until then, at the very least, let the Jew learn the simple message of normal gentiles who – when their basic interests are threatened – do not hesitate to enter strange fields and to kill evil oxen. It is time the Jew learned there is nothing for which to apologize or retreat when his people are killed and his interest threatened. It is time that he learned to tell President Morality and any other merry ethical type: “But it is my ox and no one touches it; understand?”

Anyone reading this Rav Kahane article and is not on my personal list to receive the weekly articles written by Rav Kahane and would like to be, please contact me at:

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Barbara Ginsberg

So Easy To Forget

2008-11-23T11:07:00.000-08:00

THE NEW YORK TIMES - Monday, June 16, 1975
By Rabbi Meir Kahane

Time is always on the side of the tenacious. Conversely, it is the enemy of the weary and pushes tired men into the search for compromises that are often more the product of despair than of common sense. This is precisely what is occurring today in Eretz Yisroel, the Land of Israel.

Eight years after 2.6 million Jews were saved from extinction, and less than two years after the near-catastrophic Yom Kippur war, larger and larger numbers of those who were almost slaughtered seek to return again to the moment of truth.

Forgotten is the insanity of ments from Cairo, Damascus, Amman, Beirut, Baghdad and Fatah. Forgotten are the pledges to throw us into the sea, wash Tel Aviv clean with Jewish blood and eliminate the “gangsterstate” of Israel.

Forgotten are the insanity of borders that saw the coastal strip with its million Jews under the guns of Arab armies just miles away. Forgotten are our own projections of tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians dead.

Forgotten are the borders that saw settlements on the plain lying naked beneath the Golan Syrian guns; the Sinai with its Egyptian armada within spitting distance of our cities. But most often forgotten are the hatred, the solemn pledges of extermination, the school textbooks with their poisonous venom, the days of May and early June, 1967, when the mobs were lashing about in an agony of anticipation of the great Jihad, about to begin.

What were the demands in those days when there were no June 5, 1967 borders to which to return? What were the Arabs marching to war about then? Forgotten is the reality of Arab refusal to recognize an Israel that is even one dunam square. Forgotten is the never-changing reality of Hebronism.

What is Hebronism? It is the Arab policy of extermination of the Jew who seeks to live in his own land. It is the reality of that summer day of 1929 that saw Jewish men, women and children slaughtered in the streets, homes and shops of Jewish Hebron. Hebronism is the Arab policy that would be the rule for us every Monday and Thursday could our enemies only accomplish it.

We are inundated with all kinds of illusions and elusions. Let us return this land or that and we will have peace. Let us not dare to settle Jews in Eretz Yisroel lest it anger the Arabs and jeopardize peace. Let us recognize the existence of a Palestine people, for that will bring peace. Let us reach peace and brotherhood with the Arabs by territorial concessions and by giving them electricity and indoor toilets.

What kind of a Jew believes that he can buy Arab national pride with an indoor toilet? What Jew does not, after all these years, recognize that the Arab will not compromise on that which he considers to be his land, and who views every Jewish kindness as a weakness to be exploited?

Our enemy, in the long run, is weariness. It is against this that we must struggle, against the weariness that rises to a crescendo with the frustrating cry of : When will it finally end?

Only weak people surrender to time. Strong and tenacious people know that there may never be an end to the struggle and the sacrifice but they also look about and see what their refusal to surrender has accomplished.

There is now a state – and today a big one – in much of our Eretz Yisroel; a Jewish state with nearly three million souls and many more to come. None of this would have come about had we listened to the intellectual precursors of our modern-day “doves.” In the name of peace there would be no Jewish state; in the name of morality there would be no free Jewish nation.

Eretz Yisroel, the Land of the Jewish people exists. Perhaps peace will come some day, but until that time let us not listen to delusions. Strength, tenacity and trust in G-d; this and this alone assures Jewish survival.

Anyone reading this Rav Kahane article and is not on my personal list to receive the weekly articles written by Rav Kahane and would like to be, please contact me at:

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Barbara Ginsberg

Rabbi Kahane: For Truth's Sake

2008-11-19T23:28:00.000-08:00

by by Tzipora Liron

(IsraelNN.com) “I have done justice and righteousness - leave me not to those who oppress me.”

For a long time, I stare at the words in my little Tehillim (Psalms) book. Something about them touches me.

Only recently I began to learn about the life and teachings of Rabbi Meir Kahane. It was at a lecture last Shavuot, about the sanctification and desecration of G-d's name. The lecturer quoted from a book by Rabbi Kahane. At that point, about half of the audience suddenly got up and left.

This reaction fascinated me, so I stayed until the end and listened intently. Then, I scraped together all my courage and asked the lecturer to lend me the book. It was Listen World, Listen Jew. I've read some more of Rabbi Kahane's books since and warmly recommend them all, by the way.

Actually, that was not my first contact with the rabbi's ideas. When I converted to Judaism overseas, one day our teacher suddenly drove us to a shooting range.

There, he just said: "I will not let any one of you go to the conversion Beit Din unless you learn to shoot a gun first. You want to be Jewish, fine. A Jew has to know how to defend himself. And if you say you can't do this because you are afraid or a pacifist or whatever, I demand from you that you do it, for me and my family that was murdered by the cursed Nazis.”

I never forgot that lesson. Our teacher sometimes mentioned Rabbi Kahane's name, but, thanks to pressure from the synagogue's establishment, he never went into the details. Because of the establishment's reaction, I always thought that “Kahane” meant something unspeakably radical, a taboo topic beyond any range of normal discourse, something one best stayed far away from.

I'm glad that now, after my Aliyah, I got a second chance to learn more about the life and teachings of a man who literally gave himself to his people. He upheld Jewish pride into the face of a world that, for 2,000 years, had shamelessly persecuted and murdered Jews. He taught disaffected, lost teenagers that “Jewish is beautiful”. He fearlessly fought anti-Semitism and challenged anyone daring to harm Jews, from American neighborhood bullies to the Soviet Union and Arab terrorists. He went to jail again and again on behalf of his people; often enough jailed even by his own people. Could there be a more intensive way of living Ahavat Israel?

And Ahavat HaShem. For years, I had been saying the Sh'ma Israel prayer day after day, but I never really understood what it means when it says, “...with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your resources. Let these words that I command you today be on your heart.” It was only from Rabbi Kahane's teachings that I understood that this really means placing G-d's will above our own, to transform it into our own; that you can't keep anything for yourself because your life is not your property, but a deposit from G-d. Accepting Ol Malchut Shamayim ("the Yoke of Heaven") - I never before understood how beautiful this concept is.

Rabbi Kahane lived it. He loved G-d and held up the Torah uncompromisingly. He acted not out of personal considerations, but in order to fulfill G-d's will and to restore the Jewish people to their task as G-d's chosen nation on Earth, destined to live in a society of Divine holiness in Eretz Israel.

Last Sunday, on the 18th of Cheshvan, was Rabbi Kahane's 18th yahrzeit. I had the honor to attend the graveside ceremony held at Har HaMenuchot and the assembly in Jerusalem after that. At the assembly, Rabbi Yehuda Kroizer, dean of the Yeshiva of the Jewish Idea, encouraged the audience to spread knowledge about Rabbi Kahane's teachings, especially his major work Ohr HaRaayon - The Jewish Idea. He said that “like there is a Chabad house in every city, you should make your house a 'house of the Jewish idea' wherever you are... and learn, even with just one study partner.”

Well-known right wing activist Baruch Marzel, in his speech, called out to the audience: “If Rabbi Kahane was with us today, he surely wouldn't want us to waste an entire evening on a memorial ceremony. He would get up and say what needs to be done tomorrow morning.” Marzel then did exactly this by reminding the audience of the urgent need to prevent the impending expulsion of the Jewish families living in the Shalom House in Hevron and announcing the planned march with Israeli flags through the Israeli-Arab village of Umm el-Fahm, which is scheduled to take place in about two weeks.

Rabbi Kahane's teachings live on among the Jewish people and what he did has left a lasting impact beyond the close circle of his followers. I'm convinced that many around the country feel that he was right and admire him, even if they don't dare to admit it openly. They are afraid. Given the hate campaign by the media and some government officials against the right-wing and the settlers of Judea and Samaria, that's no wonder. A huge, precious and dedicated part of our own people, and among them especially the followers of Rabbi Kahane, are slandered, harassed and even, absurdly, depicted as a greater threat than Arab terrorism. All this in order to embrace the real deadly enemies, for the sake of unrealistic peace accords and the next “disengagement” under the watchful eyes of America and Europe.

What if that's not how we want things to be? One aspect of countering this detrimental development is indeed education and outreach. Of course, it's not the only aspect, but it is important as a foundation. It is precisely the people standing outside, drenched in the “rain” of the left-wing media hate campaign who need to be reached. They need to know the alternative. Authentic Jewish values have to be brought back into the mainstream - and that's a task for all who care about Israel, not only the followers of Rabbi Kahane. It can succeed even by simple means.

If a single, well-prepared lesson on a few clear Jewish concepts worked wonders on me, it can work on others, too. Perhaps I'm too optimistic, but something inside me doesn't want to give up and doesn't want to return to obediently swallowing the media propaganda stew, and to silently watching Israel undermining it's very existence.

I look back at my Tehillim booklet, at the outcry of King David: "I have done justice and righteousness - leave me not to those who oppress me."

Let the voice that dared to speak the truth not be silenced. Rabbi Meir David Kahane gave everything for the Jewish people; may G-d avenge his blood.

Israel – There Are No Moderates (excerpts from Kahane - The magazine of the authentic Jewish Idea May-June 1989 Iyar-Sivan 5749 )

2008-11-19T07:02:00.000-08:00

“Moderates.” “Moderates.” There are no Arab moderates. There are only clever Arabs and stupid ones. The stupid ones say exactly what they mean: eliminate Israel. The clever ones (and more and more are becoming so) mean exactly the same thing but they are clever. After defeats in four wars and numerous clashes they have learned the secret: say nice, moderate things to guilt-ridden Jews, and they will love you. They will throw money at you. And the Sinai. And hopefully, the “occupied lands”…

There are no Arab moderates. And one salutes in awe the ability of Arafat the arch-murderer, to persuade the Jews of lemmingism of his “change of heart,” of his “moderation.” He must surely be a candidate for the Nobel Prize for not laughing, for not rolling on the floor in hysteria.

He has renounced “terrorism?” Of course, but he firmly maintains that to attack the Zionists who “occupy his country” is not terrorism, but rather a war of national liberation. He accepts UN resolutions 242 and 338? To be sure, but within the context of all the UN resolutions on “Palestine,” including resolution 181, the one that the “poor Palestinians” rejected in 1947, the one that originally established a Jewish State. Today, Arafat accepts it. He is good. Having been humiliated militarily he accepts it, knowing that it would bring the Jews back to the boundaries of 1947. He accepts all the UN resolutions, including the ones calling for Israel to allow the “refugees” to return to their homes in Israel if they desire to. All the “refugees” who were part of the “poor Palestinians” who attempted to wipe out Israel in 1948. Today, thanks to the 40 years of birth, there are more than two million of them.

He has recognized the existence of Israel. True. Much in the same way that we all recognize the existence of earthquakes, disease and roaches. Of course we recognize them, because they exist. We recognize their existence in order to put an end to their existence. So too with Arafat. He recognizes Israeli existence…

Arafat; the PLO; the “Palestinians:” the Arab states. Models of deceit and deception, paragons of duplicity and perfidy. Hands of blood and tongues of pretense. They plan new a Holocaust as they speak peace.

No, there are no Arab “moderates.” They are liars who cannot live together with themselves, let alone Israel. They all believe that the Jewish State of Israel is a bandit, settler state, that has stolen “Palestine” from them. And because of that, and with deep sadness, one knows that there will be no peace. And let none of the comfortable denizens of Peace Now in Beverly Hills or the woodpeckers of Hollywood or the pompous pulpiteers of Reform liberal temples screech in indignation. Kahane does not want peace! Kahane does not want peace? Where do I live and where do they live? I, who live in Israel and serve in its army and whose children serve in the army, desire peace a great deal more than the shallow liberals and leftists of Peace Now and those paragons of Reform shallowness, Alexander Schindler and Balfour Brickner, who regularly trumpet declarations of suicide through Peace.

There will be no peace because the “poor Palestinians” do not wish peace. They wish “Palestine”. All of it. And that includes Israel. So let us not delude ourselves and let us not believe in delusions. The great Rebbe of Kutzk once said: “It is a sin to deceive one’s neighbor. It is a crime to deceive oneself.”

Wishing peace, yearning for peace does not mandate committing suicide for peace. And for all those who cry that Israel has been fighting for 40 years, let it be stated flatly that the Jewish people have been fighting for 4,000 years and had our forefathers been as depressed as some of their present day children, we would have been long since gone as a people.

Cease the weeping and wailing! We have a state of our own and it can be a glorious one and let us give thanks to the Almighty for it. And let us understand clearly that a state is not given on a silver platter; neither is it won by writing a check. A state is a precious thing that is won by sacrifice and blood, and if there are those who are not prepared for this, let them walk away and leave it to those who are – unafraid, who have both faith in G-d and the willingness to climb the ramparts in battle.

We are weary? We are weary of having to serve in the army each year to defend our state? How much would a Jew in Auschwitz have given for the opportunity to see a Jewish army, a Jewish tank, a Jewish plane – and with what joy he would have agreed to serve each year in a Jewish army of a Jewish State, created so as to help guarantee that never again will there be an Auschwitz for its Jewish citizens!

Peace? Of course we want peace. Who does not want peace? It is not the monopoly of the guilt-ridden and self-hating hypocrites, the artists and intellectuals (sic) of the left. We all wish peace; we all fervently pray for peace. We all look for the day when the nations shall beat their swords into ploughshares. But, meanwhile, as they continue to have swords with which to destroy us, let us not be so mad as to wave ploughshares.

Give up land. For “peace” that the “poor Palestinian” is prepared to grant us? The ultimate peace of the dead? Are we mad? The ones who launched four wars of aggression against Israel and lost for wars of aggression, dictate terms to us? The ones who launched four wars of aggression and a thousand terrorist attacks, who slew thousands of Jews, and who lost – now present us with demands? They insist that we, who won, give up land? Let the Arab aggressors and murderers learn a very basic rule of life: Losers lose. Winners win. Losers and especially losers who launched wars of murderous aggression, do not dictate terms. Aggression is not a game in which one attempts to wipe out innocent people, loses and then returns to “Go”. No, aggression is a gamble and if the aggressor loses – let him know the full bitterness of his reality – that he has lost. Then, perhaps, he will think deeply and carefully before embarking on another adventure. For let the “poor Palestinian” know in every fiber of his body, that he had best leave well enough alone. Let him accept a peace that will see him establish a state of his own in Jordan, if he can do it. For should he be so foolish as to begin another murderous war of aggression, let him be certain that that which he still possess in Jordan will be ours too.

Land for peace? By all means. The Jews who were the victims of countless efforts to destroy them and who are the rightful owners, will keep the land and be prepared to graciously give the murderous Arabs, peace

And above all, no guilt! What causes a Jewish people that has suffered thousands of dead and tens of thousands of wounded and maimed at the hands of the Arabs, fail to understand that they are a cruel and implacable enemy, bent on destroying Israel and decimating the Jews? What causes Jews who see the brutality and treachery and viciousness with which Arabs massacre each other, refuse to see what our fate would be if we would be so mad as to give them the slightest opportunity to do to us what they dream to do to us? Above all, what makes a Jewish people that has only one land and has returned to that land, to feel guilty over it and to accept the myth of a “Palestine” and a “Palestinian people?”

There is no Palestinian people and there is no Palestine! There is not, there never was, and please G-d there will never be.

Anyone reading this Rav Kahane article and is not on my personal list to receive the weekly articles written by Rav Kahane and would like to be, please contact me at:

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Barbara Ginsberg

The ‘Guilt’ of Jews Threatens Israel - The New York Times, Friday, April 7, 1989

2008-11-16T11:43:00.000-08:00

Jerusalem

No one, no people has so sadly honed guilt to a finer art than we Jews. There are, invariably, those liberal Jews who instinctively feel guilty about everything – whether they had anything to do with what’s wrong or not. It is a fascinating form of pathology, worthy of a dissertation in abnormal psychology and suggesting the need for some form of national couch.

And, of course, it is this corrosive guilt that lies at the heart of the ideological disintegration of Israel today, a process that threatens the very existence of the Jewish state. “We are occupiers and conquerors; we oppress innocent people; our national soul is being corroded; we are, above all, guilty!”

Lo, the poor Arab of the West Bank and other “occupied territories,” that simple innocent ground under the heels of the Jewish occupation army. Lo, the poor territories of 1967, which have become the “major obstacle to peace” because of Israeli intransigence. Lo, the racism and latent fascism that is at the very heart of a Zionism that favors Jews in a thing called the Jewish state.

What in the world can possess Jews in Israel to forget the massacres of Jews by Arabs in 1920.1921 and 1929? And why, in their intellectual minds, did they occur? Could the murder of 67 Jews on one day in Hebron 60 years ago have been caused by Arab anger over the occupied lands of 1967?

And when more than 500 Jews were massacred in Arab pogroms stretching from 1936 to 1938, was it Israeli refusal to return the lands of 1967 that was at the heart of the problem?

And when the Arabs turned down the United Nations Partition Plan of 1947 – which would have set up a tiny, grotesque Jewish state and an Arab one that might have been called Palestine – was the Six-Day War of 1967 the root of their decision to try to wipe out the then 600,000 Jews in the land.

What causes Jewish liberals to take the Arab position on every issue? What causes them to babble about “the occupied lands” of 1967? Do they not know that the Arabs see the entire area of 1947 and all the Jewish cities and towns within the pre- 1967 state as “occupied” also? Do they not realize that to the Arab, Tel Aviv and Haifa, the golf course at Caesaria and all the kibbutzim of the enlightened left are also occupied?

Of course the humanists and moralists of Israel know that and that is precisely the problem.

Deep in their hearts and minds, the Jews on the left and of liberal bent secretly fear that the Arab is right, that the Jew really had no right to come to a “Palestine” that had a majority of Arabs and make it into a Jewish state.

The terrible ghosts of Jewish guilt gnaw away at the tortured Jewish liberal soul with the thought that perhaps the Jews are indeed “occupiers” and colonialists. This Jewish secular liberal agonizes with himself daily because along with his guilt, he lacks the courage to give up his kibbutz to the oppressed Arab. He wallows in a corrosive guilt that rapidly becomes self-hate.

And so he must take the Arab position on every issue in the pathetic hope of winning from the Arab a crumb of forgiveness. He must fight for their right to get part of the “stolen” land so he can keep his part of the “theft.” What a pathetic creature, and how dangerous is: He seeks to commit national suicide but would take all of us with him.

Here is one Jew who feels not the slightest guilt for choosing to live, for winning, for telling a world that gave us such universal benefits as Crusades and Inquisitions and pogroms and Auschwitzes: Never again – and who cares what you think?

Guilt? Hardly. There is no “Palestine.” It is the Land of Israel. It belongs to a Jewish people that was given it by its Father in Heaven and in which they lived 3,000 years ago. It belongs to a Jewish people that, unlike the Arab one, does not have 22 states but just one: the Land of Israel. Guilt? Only the sick suffer from it.

For Jews, the moral imperative is to live and guarantee a home for a Jewish people that will not only remove itself from the exile but will remove the exile, with all its aberrations, from itself. Faith in G-d and a powerful Jewish arm – that is the Jewish way

Anyone reading this Rav Kahane article and is not on my personal list to receive the weekly articles written by Rav Kahane and would like to be, please contact me at:

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Barbara Ginsberg

Rabbi Meir Kahane’s last speech urging American Jews to make emergency Aliyah (excerpts of speech)

2008-10-27T00:40:00.000-07:00

“…So You Shoot the Messenger”

I was born in this country, and I can’t recall ever, in my life, as much open and vicious Jew-hatred as I have seen in our time right now, in this country. I travel around from city to city, and in every city Jews tell me it is unbearable. Attacks upon synagogues, attacks upon Jews, all of which are of course buried. Because the synagogue doesn’t want it to be know. The ADL wants to report “there were 55 incidents this year in the United States”, when actually, there were 55 incidents in one hour in the United States. On radio programs which I am on – the telephone calls – open, open (anti-Semitism).

Two Reasons for Increased Anti-Semitism

What has happened? What has happened in natural terms? Of course, in divine terms, the Almighty is ending it for us. But what is happening in natural terms? Two basic changes have taken place in this country over the last twenty years. It began slowly, now it is reaching its crescendo. We have seen the death of what I call the “Auschwitz syndrome”. What is the “Auschwitz syndrome”? After World War II, it was hard to be an anti-Semite, even for an anti-Semite. It was just difficult. And then the years passed – ten years, twenty years, twenty-five years, thirty years, and a generation arose which was not born at that time. And the “Auschwitz syndrome” began to fade away, and the guilt began to fade away. No matter how many Holocaust programs were shown on television, every year they had less and less impact. Indeed, they reach a point whereby they encourage anti-Semitism, whereupon the anti-Semite says: “ Hey, you know, I know Jews, and the Nazis, and they were probably right.” That’s what happens today. It fades away. And to help things along, there was the rise of a strong Israel. Suddenly, Israel was winning. And that allowed the anti-Semite to cut the albatross. Now it was OK. You see, the Jew are Nazis, and they persecute the Palestinians, and now it was OK. So the “Auschwitz syndrome” faded, and it’s gone for all practical purposes. And you hear people speak about the holocaust that the Israelis are perpetrating upon the Palestinians. A Holocaust…So all the Israelis and all the Jews who ever called me a Nazi and didn’t realize that when you call a Jew a Nazi, you cheapen the Holocaust. And you cheapen the concept of Nazi, which is a very unique thing. And by you calling a second Jew a Nazi, what you are telling the world is” Jews can also be Nazis. Foolish people and tiny dwarfs and pygmies, grasshoppers.

So the “Auschwitz syndrome” is gone. And another thing has happened. After World War II, and until perhaps ten years ago, the American people lived in an economic luxury such as we have not seen ever in world history. No Roman emperor lived as well as the average American did from World War II on, until fairly recently. Life was good. And when life is good, the anti-Semite hates Jews quietly. It’s not a big deal to him. He hates Jews, but he’s too interested in the Monday night football game. I myself am amazed that so many people are here tonight that don’t want to see the Giants massacre the Colts…

The Economic Crises

So when times are good and he has his job, he has his beer and he has his TV set, he has everything – he hates Jews, but it’s not that important to him. But as the economic sands of time begin to run out, and as things get bad and they get worse and suddenly there is a chill, there is a fear. I can sense a fear in this country – people are afraid of what is going to happen, and they have every right to fear it. This is a country which is on the verge of economic horror, horror. In two years they expect the national debt to go from 3.7 trillion to 5 trillion dollars, so they work for months and months – this fiasco between Congress and this administration – and they say, “we are going to cut 500 million dollars in five years”. Five years! It is a joke – It’s a drop in the bucket. This is a country which is dying because the thing that was saving it was the fact that the Japanese are buying Rockefeller Center, Rockefeller Plaza – don’t be angry. If they stopped buying it, no one is going to cover the national debt. And they are stopping.

The dollar is a weak dollar today. Can you imagine: The Israeli shekel has held its own against the dollar now for a year. Don’t clap! It doesn’t mean that the Israeli shekel is strong. The shekel is weak; the dollar is just as week. The Japanese don’t want dollars anymore, they want German marks. And they’re investing now in South Korea, Thailand, Singapore. The banks here are shaking, they’re tottering. In their greed, in the 1960’s and 70’s, they gave loans to anybody. The Congo came – you want money, take the money. Mexico came – take 100 million dollars – take, take it, take. Suddenly, the Congo couldn’t pay back. If that’s what a banker is…did he expect the Congo to ever pay back in total? So hundreds of millions of bad loans are being held by major banks: Chase Manhattan, Citicorp – and they are in deep, deep trouble today. And on top of that, suddenly the real estate market has collapsed and they are now holding several more hundred million dollars of bad mortgages. That’s the tragedy. That’s why suddenly, there’s a hurry talk bout Chase merging with City.

There’s a myth that your money is insured for $100,000. If the FDIC had 60 cents for every hundred dollars that you have, I’ll swim back to Israel. There is a myth that they are going to bail out the Savings & Loan with 40 billion dollars. If they can make it with less than half a trillion, it will be a miracle.

So for years, the new economists said, “Don’t worry about deficits, it doesn’t matter. Deficits don’t matter? I know that when my bank account is in deficit, it matters to me. The bank calls me up and says, “Rav Kahane, we have a little problem. Would you like to come and cover it?” A city can go a little deeper into debt than I can, and a state deeper yet, and a country can go a little deeper yet; but, in the end you have to pay the piper. So, America has lived beyond its means – extra credit, credit cards – and give anybody credit, give kids credit cards – anybody. Now it’s time to pay the piper, there is no money, there is no money. And should the economic collapse come it is the Jew who will be blamed. It is the Jew. You can hear it already. You can small it in the air.

The Racial tension – In all Colors

I was on a radio program in Chicago. Every single caller blamed the Gulf oil crisis on the Jews. Every single call. What you have now is the getting together of all these crises – the economic crisis, the racial crisis – and there is a serious racial crisis in the country. It’s a serious one. It is a dangerous one. Whites hate Blacks and Blacks hate Whites and they both hate Jews. It is a terrible, terrible thing. It’s not just Whites and Blacks. Now in the West, it’s the Hispanics and the Anglos – tremendous crises, which only proves all the more the myth of the melting pot. Uh nechtiga tag –what melting pot? A melting pot is fine until there is a terrible crisis and then two “objects’ occupy the same job at the same time. That’s a law of physics, which I’ve changed a bit…

So it’s not an accident that Jesse Helms is now putting on TV ads talking about the unfairness of quotas. Quotas are unfair. Of course, that is his trump card. People are angry about quotas and affirmative action, etc. And Blacks are angry. You think that Blacks have no argument? You think they are all bad? – that everything the Blacks do is wrong? You think that Bob Grant is your kind of guy? G-d forbid! This Jew-hating fascist type. That he says something good many, many times –you’re right. You think that bad people don’t often say correct things? Of course they do – but watch him, watch him and be careful of such people! People who are anti-Black will always be anti-Jewish too. One doesn’t have to love Farrakhan or Jesse Jackson to realize that he should be careful of racism of all kinds – White and Black – be careful, because we get stuck in the middle. Because the Whites and Blacks hate us both.

The Pre-War Depression: Not a Criteria

We have a serious problem – the economic crisis cannot be averted. There is no way. This country is in for terrible, terrible times. People tell me in the depression it was also bad. It’s true. But first of all, who knows what would have happened in this country if World War II had not ended the depression? If you think that Roosevelt ended it, you don’t know history. World War II ended it. It gave jobs finally, but more to the point, it was a different era back then. The American people at that time were a much stronger people in character. Today, after 40-50 years of good life and soft life, and the materialistic life, people are into themselves. Unbelievable ego. Everything is me, me – my life, my body, my-me, my-mine. People are incapable today of making sacrifices and that’s the great, great difference between today and what happened in the depression. The person who is fairly poor and gets poorer – not so terrible. The person who has it and lost it becomes a wild animal, a raging animal. He’ll not accept it and will look for a scapegoat. He’ll look for some target to blame. We Jews are the most visible, the most highly visible in terms of power, in terms of money. Of course, Wasps have more money than Jews have. Certainly, Jews are not into U.S. Steel and banking and so on, and the real, real money is not Jewish money, but that doesn’t matter because Jews are in those professions that are most visible.

How to Gauge anti-Semitism: Go to a Bar

So in the bars, it sits the jealousy and the envy of the Jews which leads to hate. The tragedy as I’ve said a million times is that the average Jewish leader in this country has no idea what people say ago about Jews in bars, because the average Jew doesn’t go into a bar – and he should; he should be compelled to go into a bar. Every rabbi before getting “smicha”, before being ordained, should be compelled to go into a bar and find out what the real world is like. It isn’t a joke. I’m serious. To hide in some little ghetto, you never know what the world is. They hate us with a passion out there, with a virulence which is frightening to see and to hear. On every radio program I go on, I hear, “why should we give you guys three billion dollars a year”? Anytime some fellow from the Israeli consulate is asked that question, he comes up with the answer, “well, we help you too, etc.” Baloney! The only way to get rid of that question is to answer as I do, “I don’t want the money! I want Israel to be a free enterprise state and allow private enterprise to flourish and then we don’t want your money, I don’t want your charity.” So, that of course gets rid of the question, but it doesn’t get rid of the anti-Semite. He’ll go home mutter in his beer and pretzels. He’s still there. He’s still there.

Role of the Prophet – To See It and say It

The rabbis tell us that G-d told Moses and Aaron. “I’ll make you Jewish leaders on one condition that if they throw stones at you, you’ll accept it.” Rather to be pelted with stones and not with dollars. That’s what a Jewish leader has to be! Say the bitter truth, even though they won’t like you. They won’t like you; they’ll attack you, but tell the Jews the truth if you love them. If you love Jews, tell them the things which will make them angry, but which can save their lives. That’s what you have to do! Think carefully about what I’m saying, and that is why we created this group called ZEERO, Zionist Emergency Evacuation Rescue Organization. It’s a name that provokes. And we hope that as we spread this idea it will provoke Jewish leaders to attack so we can debate the controversy that arises. People will say he’s right; he’s wrong, and so on. Of course, this is probably the worst thing you can ever tell any Jewish leader, any Federation leader – that he should leave here, and go to Israel. What’ill do there? .

The rabbis say: “Who is wise? He who sees the future”. It’s no big deal to see “today.” A Jewish leader has to see tomorrow.

Living in Israel – Difficult; Living Elsewhere – Impossible

It is coming here! It is coming here! Friday night I spoke in Brooklyn in shul, and I had to walk through Bensonhurst, a white neighborhood – nice people, because they’re white…Watching the people, the kids, you can smell the violence, you can see the hate, you can see the envy – frustrated, bored, looking for action. You can see it. Those are the potential mobs. And G-d forbid, we will see it. So ZEERO is a very serious project of Kach, and I mean a serious one. And I know how hard it is to go to Israel – it is really hard. Hard to make a living. My son goes into the army every single year. It’s dangerous and so on. All of it is true. Everything that’s all true. That’s all true. It’s hard to live in Israel, but it will be impossible to live here, and if we go to Israel, at least there we can change the country. Of course we can change it and make it better and make it tremendous and make it safe. Of curse we can do that if we have the power in the government, but here there is nothing you can do to change it, it’s out of our hands. We are a minority and we are strangers here. We’re stranger in this land, no matter how many years we’ve been here.

It’s not an accident that so few German Jews survived the camps. The Polish Jew did better. Why? Because the Polish Jew wasn’t surprised. It didn’t shock him that gentiles could behave like this. It didn’t surprise him, so he wasn’t shattered inside, he wasn’t’ broken. But the German Jew was psychologically shattered. How could this be? I’m a German. I’m a German. How could it be? How can you do this to me? The Pole knew he was a Jew. The German was broken because his whole illusion was shattered. And that’s how the American Jew lives. “I’m an American”. It’s the gentile who will teach you so quickly that you’re a Jew.

It’s no just in the bars, in the working class bars the anti-Semitism that you see. When you see the news media and their attitude towards Israel; it’s not anti-Israel – it’s anti-Semitism. Do you know why they hate Jews? Because among intellectuals there is a jealousy of Jews. When Truman Capote, the famous author, a sickness, a disease who represents all that is sick about Western culture – when he spoke about the publishing business being a Jewish mafia – you can see the jealousy. [He writes] how Jews are over represented in publishing, in broadcast, in movies, etc. Of course it’s so – they have talent. Untalented people don’t like to think it is because of talent. They like to think they run it because their friends, their uncles, their aunts and so on and so forth. The hate runs across the board. You can see Peter Jennings’ anti-Semitism. You can see it! And when I hold press conferences in Israel and I see them sitting around, you can watch them all – the hatred.

(Eighteen years after the Rabbi spoke the above warnings, the economic collapse came to American. The anti-Semitism took a dangerous escalation- the Jews fear for their future. Will they come home to Israel?)

Anyone reading this Rav Kahane article and is not on my personal list to receive the weekly articles written by Rav Kahane and would like to be, please contact me at: barhow@netvision.net.il

Barbara Ginsberg

The "Israeli-Arab" Uprising Comes Ever Closer

2007-10-07T10:01:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time in coming, and it may even take just a little longer to break out in all its fury, but as this article from Arutz Sheva reminds us, the prospect of a new, "Israeli-Arab" intifada gets closer ever day...

A while ago - towards the end of the war with Hizballah - I wrote an article on this blog, entitled "The "Israeli-Arab" Uprising Could Come Sooner Than You Think...," with a few predictions of mine with regard to this topic. I am somewhat surprised at how things are slowly working out almost exactly as I had predicted!

Amazing!!!

...Ok fine, I'll admit: anyone with their eyes open and half a brain could have seen it coming. But I still think it's quite interesting how closely developments today mirror what could clearly be seen more than a year ago...

What is even more amazing though, is that the Israeli govt and mainstream media are still trying their hardest to ignore the prospect of what could potentially be the most harmful and bloody "intifada" of them all (G-D forbid)...!

One of My Favourite Divrei Torah for Hoshana Rabbah

2007-10-03T05:50:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if I posted this last year or not, but even so, it is definitely worth reading again.

Succoth: The Role of the Lowly Willow

By Rav Chanan Morrison

You have to feel sorry for the poor Arava, the willow branch waved together with the other three species of the "arba'a minim" on Succoth. It lacks the fragrance of the etrog and the myrtle, nor does it produce fruit like the date-palm. The willow has come to represent simple folk who are neither learned in Torah nor have a wealth of good deeds.

Yet, there is an ancient oral tradition, going all the way back to Mount Sinai, that on the last day of the Succoth holiday, the Arava becomes the star of the show. In the days when the Temple stood in Jerusalem, the cohanim would raise the willow boughs around the altar. And in synagogues nowadays, after waving all four species, we set aside the other three species and raise just the willow. Then, at the end of the Hoshana prayers, the congregants beat the willow on the floor.

Why does the lowly willow merit this special attention? And what is the meaning of the ancient custom of striking the floor with it?

Sabbath Desecration in Jaffa

One Succoth evening in his sukka, Rav Kook related the following story:

The incident took place in Jaffa, where Rav Kook served as rabbi from 1904 to 1914. One Shabbat day, a secular photographer came and disturbed the Sabbath peace of a religious neighborhood of Jaffa. In complete disregard for the local religious sensibilities, he set up a large camera in the middle of the street, and began taking pictures.

This public desecration of the Sabbath deeply angered the local residents. One man, particularly incensed by the photographer's insensitivity, took a pail of water and thoroughly soaked the Sabbath-desecrater. Naturally, the photographer was indignant. He was so confident in the justice of his cause that he decided to register a complaint against the water-douser with the rabbi of Jaffa - Rav Kook.

Rav Kook told the man, 'I see that you don't understand the severity of public Sabbath-desecration. But you should realize that your action was a serious affront to the community. You entered a neighborhood of Sabbath-observers and you offended them deeply, truly piercing their hearts.

'Or course, the proper path would have been to correct you verbally. Perhaps you would have understood the seriousness of your actions and stopped. If that man had consulted with me, I would have advised him not to throw water on you.

'However, he didn't ask; he just reacted spontaneously. You should know that on occasion, such instinctive reactions which do not take into account norms of politeness are justified. In cases where people disregard societal norms, and breach accepted boundaries, irregardless of the implications for others - the unmeasured, spontaneous reaction is often the response that most effectively prevents further abuse.

'There was such an occasion when the Jewish people were in the desert, and Pinchas responded, not accordingly to the normative "Halacha", but as a zealot. "Knaim pogim bo". If Pinchas had asked, he would not have been told to kill Zimri. But since his act was done sincerely, and served to prevent future violations, his zealous deed was approved after the fact.'

The Boethusians and the Willows

What about the willow and Succoth? Rav Kook continued his explanation that evening:

The lowly willow represents the common folk, unlearned and unexceptional in good deeds. Yet, these 'willows' are blessed with an abundance of common sense and are unencumbered with sophisticated calculations; and they have fulfilled important roles in the history of the Jewish people.

In the time of the Talmud, there was a sect of Boethusians who disagreed with many of the rulings of the Sages. They did not permit the raising of the willow on the Sabbath in the Temple. One year, when the last day of Succoth fell on Shabbat, the Boethusians took the willows and hid them under some stones. They knew the Rabbis would not move the stones on the Sabbath since stones are muktzeh.

On Shabbat morning, however, some simple folk who were ignorant about the rabbinical prohibition of muktzeh pulled the willow boughs out from under the stones. Then the cohanim were able to raise the boughs alongside the altar. [Sukkah 43b]

Why does the Talmud emphasize that this praiseworthy act was performed by untutored common folk? By hiding the boughs under stones, the Boethusians had placed the Rabbis in a difficult position. Had the willow boughs not been used, the Boethusians could have cited this as proof that the Rabbis agreed with their opinion prohibiting the raising of the willow on Shabbat. On the other hand, had the Rabbis decided to move the stones, the Boethusians would have immediately proclaimed that the prohibition of muktzeh had been altogether abolished.

Fortunately, the problem never materialized. The simple Jews solved the dilemma in their own particular manner. They did not ask questions. Rather, alarmed by the scandal, they reacted in a natural, healthy manner.

The Role of the Willow

The custom to hit the floor with the willow is not to punish the willow, as is often thought (for not studying enough Torah). It is rather to show that the willow is also a force to be reckoned with - a natural, healthy power that is part of the arsenal of the Jewish people. We don't strike the willow. We strike with the willow.

[adapted from Moadei Ri'eyah pp. 111-113; Celebration of the Soul p. 73]

I'm Back For A While, I"YH, So Expect A Few Divrei Torah For Succot...

2007-09-26T04:43:00.000-07:00

Succoth: Our Protective Fortress

By Rabbi Chanan Morrison

The sukkah booth that we live in during the Succoth holiday is by definition a temporary dwelling. A structure over twenty cubits (ten meters) tall is a permanent structure and thus invalid as a sukkah. An exposed hut with only two walls and a handbreadth for the third, on the other hand, is perfectly acceptable.

And yet, this rickety booth is our protective fortress. As King David said, "You protect them in a sukkah from the strife of tongues" [Ps. 31:21].

How can such a flimsy structure be a paradigm of protection and safety?

The Sukkot of the Great Assembly

To better understand the metaphor of the sukkah, we should examine a remarkable Talmudic passage. The book of Nehemiah [8:17] records that, from the days of Joshua, the Jewish people had not dwelt in sukkot until the mitzvah was reinstated after their return from Babylonian exile. Is it possible that all those centuries this mitzvah was neglected?

The Talmud in Arachin 32b explains that the Jewish people always performed the mitzvah of dwelling in sukkot. However, the sukkot erected by the Great Assembly in Nehemia's time were very special. They provided a protective quality that had not existed since the days of Joshua bin Nun.

In fact, these were not even physical sukkot, but rather a unique spiritual act of the Great Assembly. "They prayed and abolished the evil inclination for idolatry - and this merit protected them like a sukkah."

The Ultimate Fortress

Clearly, the protective value of the sukkah is of a spiritual nature. The eternal truth is that the sukkah - purposely defined as a structure so flimsy that it cannot even be called a proper dwelling - is a fortress protecting us from all adversaries and foes. What is it that transforms the open and exposed sukkah into a home and stronghold? Certainly not any of its external physical characteristics. Rather, its source of strength is none other than God's word. The sukkah protects us by virtue of the Torah law declaring that this structure be our shelter during the holiday of Succoth.

This is an important message for all times, and especially for our generation. We need courage and strength to return to the land of our fathers and rebuild our national home. Where do we find the moral and spiritual resources to withstand the challenges of those who oppose our return and deny our right to a homeland in Eretz Yisrael? Like the sukkah dwelling, our national home is based on the spiritual strength of God's eternal word. The most advanced weapons may be able to pierce the thickest armor, but they cannot overcome the stronghold of God's word.
This is our eternal fortress and refuge. Our ultimate shelter of security is God's word and promise that the Jewish people will return to their land and the House of Israel will be rebuilt.
The protective sukkah of the Great Assembly was their abolition of all forms of idolatrous inclinations, both old and new. Our moral right is similarly based on the spiritual merit and protection of God's word, through the Torah's eternal mitzvot.

Beautifying the Law

However, we should not be satisfied with following only the minimum requirements of Torah law. Jerusalem was destroyed, the Sages taught, because they judged according to Torah law. What is wrong with that? The Talmud [Baba Metzi'ah 30b] explains: the judges would rule according to the strict letter of the law. They failed to take into account the spirit of the law and pursue a ruling both just and compassionate - lifnim mishurat hadin.

The mitzvah of sukkah is based on God's law, but there is an ancient custom to adorn the sukkah with decorated cloths, fruits and grains [Sukkah 10a]. We should similarly 'adorn' the Torah law. We should go beyond the minimum requirements of the Law, and aspire to the highest level of God's word, in its purest ethical form. Then we will merit that the "fallen sukkah of David" will rise once again, speedily in our days.

[Adapted from Ma'amarei HaRe'iyah vol. I, pp. 149-150]

Please Stay Tuned - Back in a Few Weeks...!

2007-08-22T15:34:00.000-07:00

My apologies for not having posted in a while, but for a few weeks I will not have much access at all to this blog (if at all).

Please do stay tuned, however, and keep your eye on this blog, which will be updated again in a few weeks time G-D-Willing.

Meanwhile, keep watching the still-developing "Kahane Resource" page (a project by hameir.org), which will also be updated and developed in the coming weeks.

Shalom U'vracha,

Ivri

Israeli Authorities Plan to Expel Jews From Shalhevet Neighbourhood (in Hebron) This Coming Sunday/Monday

2007-08-04T14:30:00.001-07:00

From the Jewish Community of Hebron:

Today, the 78th anniversary of the 1929 riots and massacre in Hebron, which left 67 dead and the surviving population expelled from the city, Defense Minister Ehud Barak personally decided to expel two more families from the city, from their homes in the Shalhevet neighborhood (the shuk).

The Hebron Community council expresses deep pain and protest at the desecration of the memories of the 1929 victims and the continuation of forced expulsion, this time not by Arabs, rather by Jews, expelling their brothers.

According to information received by the community, about 1,000 police, riot squad forces and soldiers will execute the expulsion late Sunday night - early Monday morning. The community calls on anyone to whom Hebron and Eretz Yisrael are important to, to flock to Hebron as early as this coming Saturday night, following Shabbat, in order to take an active role in the protest and struggle. Most likely Israeli security forces will close all roads leading to Hebron sometime Monday, so it is important to arrive as early as possible.

"They Burned My Trees" - A Classic Example of the Wisdom of Rabbi Kahane

2007-08-01T15:32:00.000-07:00

This article was originally written by Rabbi Meir Kahane in 1989, and was recently republished in the book "The Wit And Wisdom Of Rabbi Meir Kahane."

It was originally written as a reaction to the widespread arson of large areas of JNF woodland in Israel by Arabs at the time, but the message relayed within is quite obviously relevant on a much broader level - and purposely so. Although such incidents of arson by Arabs in Israel still continues to this day, my reason for posting this article has nothing to do with JNF trees.

Recently, we have been hearing all about the attempt by many brave, faithful Jews to return to the land that is rightfully their's in Gaza and, most frequently, Amona (in Northern Samaria). The Jewish communities there were destroyed during the "Disengagement Plan" of the Sharon government, and - quite rightly - faithful Jews everywhere have remained adamant that the expulsion of Jews from parts of the Land of Israel is wrong and immoral. As a result, many Jews are - again, quite rightly - attempting to resettle those areas, with countless shows of bravery, endurance and commitment. They are attempting to send the message to the world, loud and clear, that the Jewish People have the right to settle in any part of their Land that they wish to.

However, it must be said that Rav Kahane z"tl h"yd stressed many times that the settlement of parts of the Land of Israel - particularly within Judea, Samaria and (most of all) Gaza - simply cannot endure as long as the Arab enemy remains. The Rav even said directly that the Jews of Gaza - brave pioneers and faithful, G-D-fearing Jews - ran the risk of not meriting to pass on the Land in Gaza to their children, since one very important requirement for the aquisition of the Land of Israel is to expel the hostile and occupying nations from it (as we have just read in the land few Torah portions). If those nations are not expelled - as we are commanded to do - then the Land cannot be fully aquired.

And so I post this article as a reminder for all those good Jews who wish to settle the Land of Israel - to plant trees and build houses and raise families and establish places of worship and Torah-learning - that if the Arab menace is not removed, it could all be (G-D forbid) for naught...

*****

They Burned My Trees

Written by Rabbi Meir Kahane z"tl h"yd (1989)

I was depressed yesterday. Very, very sad. For I knew that they had burned my trees. As a child I had saved my money so carefully so that I could buy those trees and know that they were planted. And now they are burned. They must be burned. It is not logical that a million trees would be burned down and none of mine among them. No, they are burned.

Every week Iwould come to school and bring a nickel. And with that nickel I would buy a special stamp. A Jewish National Fund stamp. And every week I would paste that stamp on the figure of a tree which was part of a JNF poster, and which had twenty "leaves" on it. Each weeek I would paste my stamp on a leaf and at the end of twenty weeks, I had a tree! My Tree! And I did this for years because I was a good boy - a good Jewish boy. And I bought many trees. My trees. My Jewish trees.

And now they burned them. The Arabs and their intifada. Last year, within the sovereign State of Israel, that independant State which makes me so proud because it does not let anyone push it around - the Arabs burned 1.15 million trees. Some of my trees had to be among them. And I was sad.

But then I saw an advertisement by the Jewish National Fund which made me happy again and made me proud to be a Jew know that the Jewish National Fund does not let anyone push it around. The JNF placed an ad that let the Arabs know that we are not the Jews of old. No one burns our trees. Well, not exactly. What the JNF said was that if the Arabs burn our trees, we will show them: We will plant even more trees than they burned. Anything they can burn, we can plant better. If they burned 1.15 million, we will plant that much and ten million more - fully 11.5 million!

I was so happy. I ran to the bank to convert my money into nickels to buy leaves each week and plant new trees. I was so happy that the JNF had this wonderful idea until I me my neighbour. I never liked him. He is always so cynical and a killjoy. When I told him of the brilliant JNF idea to plant ten times the amount of trees that the Arabs burned, this dour wet-towel said:

"And what if they burn those? Will we plant 110 million trees the next time? And why should Jews have to pay again and again for trees that Arabs burn? Why not throw them out of the country? Why do we allow them to stay in the country if we know that they will burn our forests? And why should I be a sucker to help pay the fat salaries of JNF executives who see this as a golden opportunity for a Madison Avenue-type campaign that will keep their salaries going? If the JNF wants money from me, let them demand that the Arabs be thrown out so that I will know that I pay for a Jewish tree once."

I never liked my neighbour. He is so cynical. He is so logical.

Eikev: Blessings Over Bread and Torah

2007-08-01T15:24:00.000-07:00

Two Blessings from the Torah

While most blessings are of rabbinical origin, there are two blessings that are derived directly from the Torah itself. They are Birkat Hamazon, recited after meals, and the blessing said before learning Torah.

The obligation to bless God after eating bread comes from the verse, "When you eat and are satisfied, you must bless the Lord your God..." [Deut. 8:10].

The Talmud [Berachot 21a] derives the blessing before studying Torah from the verse, "When I call out God's name (or: read God's teaching), ascribe greatness to our God" [Deut. 32:3].

These two blessings differ not only in the source for our feelings of gratitude - one is for physical nourishment, the other for spiritual sustenance - but also in when they are said. Why is Birkat Hamazon recited after the meal, while the blessing for Torah study is recited before studying?

Two Benefits of Food

Food provides two benefits. The first is our enjoyment from the act of eating, especially if the food is tasty. This is a fleeting pleasure, but it nonetheless deserves to be acknowledged. The primary benefit from eating, however, is the sustenance it gives our bodies, enabling us to live. This primary benefit reflects the nutritional value of the food, regardless of its taste.

Our recognition of the principal benefit of eating should take place after the meal, as the body digests the food. Since Birkat Hamazon expresses our gratitude for physical sustenance, it logically belongs is at the end of the meal.

Parenthetically, we also recite blessings before eating. These blessings acknowledge our pleasure in the act of eating itself. We recognize this secondary benefit of eating with rabbinically- ordained blessings.

Two Benefits of Torah Study

Torah study also provides us with two benefits. The first is the knowledge acquired in practical areas of Halacha, enabling us to live our lives according to the Torah's wisdom.

The second benefit from Torah lies in the very act of learning Torah. Torah study in itself is a tremendous gift, even if it does not have any practical applications. When we learn Torah, the soul is elevated as the mind absorbs the sublime word of God.

Which benefit is greater? The Sages taught that the unique sanctity of the Torah itself is greater than all deeds that come from its study: "One who studies Torah for its own sake is raised and uplifted above all actions" [Avot 6:1]. The benefit of practical knowledge is important, but is only a secondary gain.

Therefore, we recite the blessing over Torah before studying. If the blessing was meant to acknowledge the practical benefit of how to perform mitzvot, then it would be said afterwards, since this knowledge is gained as a result of Torah study. But the blessing over Torah refers to the principle gift of Torah study. When we bless God before studying, we acknowledge the spiritual elevation that we enjoy in the very act of contemplating God's Torah.

Now we can understand why the source for this blessing reads, "When I call out God's name." Why does the verse refer to the Torah as "God's name"? This blessing requires that we recognize the sublime inner essence of the Torah - Torah as "God's name." When we are aware of the true nature of Torah, its study can enlighten and uplift us "above all actions."

[adapted from Ein Eyah vol. I, p. 103]

Va'Etchanan: With All Your Soul

2007-07-25T02:56:00.000-07:00

By Rabbi Chanan Morrison

Rabbi Akiva's Martyrdom

When the Romans decreed that teaching Torah is a crime punishable by death, Rabbi Akiva's reaction was not surprising. The pre-eminent scholar, who had supported Bar Kochba in his revolt against Rome, gathered people together and gave public Torah lectures.

Before long, Rabbi Akiva was charged and convicted. When the rabbi was taken out for public execution, it was the hour for reciting the Shema prayer. As the executioners flayed his skin with iron combs, Rabbi Akiva recited the Shema, concentrating on fulfilling its words: to love God "with all your heart, soul, and might."

The Talmud [Berachot 61b] records Rabbi Akiva's final conversation before his death. His students questioned him, "Our master! Even to this extent?"

The scholar responded:

"All my life I have been troubled by this verse, "You shall love God.. with all your soul." As I have explained its meaning: "all your soul," even if they take your life. I have always wondered: will I ever have the privilege of fulfilling this mitzvah? And now that the opportunity has finally arrived - shall I not seize it?"

This exchange between Rabbi Akiva and his students requires clarification. What exactly did his disciples mean when they asked, "Even to this extent?"

The Purpose of Shema

One might think that the daily recitation of Shema is a preparatory act. Each day we accept upon ourselves the reign of Heaven, and prepare ourselves to love God, even at the cost of our lives. This daily declaration ensures that we will have the necessary reserves of courage and commitment should there arise a need for the ultimate sacrifice of martyrdom.

Therefore, the students were surprised. Their teacher had already withstood the test. He had accepted martyrdom with a noble and resolute love of God. Even the cruelest instruments of torture had not deterred him. What need, then, was there for Rabbi Akiva to recite this final Shema? Why prepare for that which he was now already fulfilling?

Rabbi Akiva, however, understood the intrinsic value of Shema. This declaration of love for God and acceptance of His rule is not just a tool to train the spirit. Each recitation of Shema is in itself a wonderful act. Every time we whole-heartedly declare God's unity, our souls are uplifted in holiness and closeness to God. The Shema is not just a means by which we prepare ourselves; its very recitation brings a spiritual elevation.

Until his final declaration of Shema, Rabbi Akiva had recited the Shema with the thought that he was willing to sacrifice his life - "with all your soul" - for love of God. His entire life, he had wondered whether he would be able to fulfill the mitzvah of Shema in its most extreme, most demanding, form. "Will I ever have the privilege of fulfilling this mitzvah to its utmost?" At the hands of the Romans, he was able to accept the reign of Heaven while sacrificing his life - not just as a mental vision, but in real life.

His Soul Departed With Echad

The Talmud relates that as Rabbi Akiva concentrated on the last word of Shema, his soul departed.

Rabbi Akiva breathed his last with the word Echad - "God is one." A master of Jewish law, the scholar was able to infer legal rulings from the smallest markings in the text of the Torah [Menachot 29b]. In the final analysis, however, all the detailed laws and myraid explanations that he had propounded during his lifetime were all part of a single harmonious system. Everything Rabbi Akiva had taught shared the same underlying theme: how to live life according to the supreme principle of God oneness. It was thus fitting that his final word should be Echad.

[adapted from Ein Eyah vol. II, pp. 344-345]

The Holocaust That Is Overshadowed by the Destruction of the Temple

2007-07-23T04:51:00.000-07:00

Written by Rav Binyamin Zev Kahane z"tl h"yd (1996)

Translated by Lenny Goldberg

The revolution against the Romans and siege on Jerusalem which resulted in the destruction of the Second Temple, produced one of the worst holocausts in Jewish history. According to the testimony of Yosef Ben Matitiyahu (Yosefus Plabius), about one million Jews were killed in Jerusalem, and 100,000 prisoners were taken captive to Rome.

Despite this chilling fact, it is only a footnote in the history of this era. While every child knows that on Tish A B'Av the Temple was destroyed and we were exiled from our land, many Jews are less aware of the physical holocaust which accompanied it.

And how puzzling are the words of our sages, who tell us that that G-d had mercy upon the Jewish People, pouring out his fury on wood and stones (the Temple) instead of on the Jews themselves who had sinned. If this is so, the question is two-fold:

1. One million Jews killed shows us that "G-d poured his fury on wood and stones"? 2. Why has the death of so many Jews become marginal in our Tisha B'Av mourning? Is human life less important than the wood and stones of the Temple?

To answer these questions, we must free ourselves from our western mindset. For according to the Jewish idea, physical existence is NOT the ultimate value, but rather there is a purpose to the life of a Jew, and without this purpose, the reason for his existence becomes less significant.

This is the reason that the massive slaughter of Jews that took place during the siege is dwarfed in importance when compared to the destruction of the Temple and the exile of the Jewish People from their land. Because when the People of Israel are not in the land of the living, Eretz Yisrael, and when their Temple is destroyed, the Jew can no longer properly fulfill his destiny in the world. His life, so to speak, loses its meaning.

This explains the startling stories of many Jews who lost their faculties upon seeing the Temple burning in flames, and simply cast themselves into the fire, burning themselves alive! They could not grasp a reality of "Am Yisrael" without the Holy Temple.

After 2,000 years of exile, this idea seems a bit extreme. Is it really the end of the world when the Temple is burned down? Don't we at least fulfill mitzvot in the exile? Can't we fulfill our destiny as Jews without a Temple? The answer to this is clear: No. The entire reality of observing mitzvot in the exile is "B'diavad" - that is, it is undesired, but must be done because of lack of choice. For the Torah was given to the Holy People to be performed in the Holy Land, and in the exile we became a mere religion comprised of individuals. For this the sages tell us that the purpose of fulfilling mitzvot in the exile is only so that we won't forget them when we return to the Land of Israel, where the fulfillment of mitzvot take on their full significance.

Now we can answer the two questions we posed: When Israel sinned,desecrating the Holy Temple and turning it into a "discotheque", G-d wasreally supposed to destroy us all, G-d forbid. But since G-d loves us and ties His Name (His existence, so to speak) to the name of the Jewish People, He determined that we will never be totally wiped out. Therefore, he destroyed the wood and stones of the Temple instead of destroying those who desecrated it. But this does not negate the possibility that the Jewish People will be severely punished with the likes of holocausts and exiles (which is the harshest punishment of them all). Indeed, total annihilation will never be, and in the end there will be redemption, with the Jewish People returning to fulfill it's destiny in a complete way in its land and Temple.

Now it can be understood how the massive killing of Jews in Jerusalem can be viewed as a marginal event in relation to the destruction itself. Because the moment the Jewish People are exiled from their land and there is no Temple - life itself becomes less significant. More than that, all the tragedies of the exile - the Inquisitions and Holocausts, are secondary to the exile and the destruction itself. In fact, the spiritual vacuum of the Temple is the reason for the physical tragedies that befall us, for one is dependent upon the other!

Therefore, all efforts for "Eretz Yisrael", for the building of the HolyTemple and for the purifying of the Temple Mount which is the life-center for "Am Yisrael", are not reserved just for "those interested in politics". All those who fear G-d, love Israel and are pained by the exile of the Divine Presence must make these issues the center of their lives. For the fulfillment of the mitzvot are dependent on them. The return of the Jewish People to life is dependent on them!!

The "Crybaby Culture" of Modern-Day Israel

2007-07-22T05:27:00.000-07:00

Reading Ynet doesn't usually feel like a breath of fresh air. In fact, I usually finish off wondering why I bothered reading such an anti-Jewish piece of trash. But finally I can breath a sigh of relief, knowing that I have not been completely wasting my time looking for there a worthwhile read.

How right this man is when he states:

Crybabies don't win wars

I don't know who this "Ron Ben-Yishai" guy is, and it would probably be safe to assume that he is himself no "Kahanist." But the simple fact is that practically everything in this article is spot on.

How many times have I pointed out and lamented the fact that almost every single form of PR/propaganda that is emitted by Jews from left to right (both politically and religiously) consists mainly of sad music, crying, and an undeniably effeminate focus on how sad just about everything is!? ...Oh yeah, and it always seems to end off with an almost laughably-weak attempt at optimism. Something along the lines of: "Baruch HaShem we're still existing"!

Of course, that's all we ever aspire to as a nation nowadays: "existing." Victory? Yeah right! That's far too brutal and would mean way too much killing for our delicate collective Jewish stomach to handle!

So when this guy makes the observation that the Lebanon War of last summer was "the war of evacuating the wounded," he is 100% correct - but the worst thing is that so many Jews are proud of that fact! It's almost as if we have grown so accustomed to being oppressed, that - in an almost never-ending orgy of masochism - we have come to revel in it somewhat. The ailment of which Rav Meir Kahane spoke so long ago - of the knee-jerk Jewish reaction to feel guilty every time we win - still exists and is our not-so-secret shame. In fact, it is so "not-so-secret" that just about everyone knows about it, and thus we can now understand why Hizbollah would ever think of launching their war in the first place. Quite simply: not only did they know that we didn't have the stomach for it, but they knew that - whilst they would settle at the very least for a symbolic victory over the IDF - the Jews would be more than happy to weep over some brave, dead soldiers, and get all teary-eyed over all those stories of their "heroism under fire." To be honest, losing doesn't bother us all that much. It wouldn't be so bad if this attitude was limited to the realm of sports and such. But, needless to say, when this attitudes pervades the entire national spirit and is inherent within our national policy, we must realise that it is destined to bring us one tragedy after another...

This is a national ailment, and it's time we got rid of it once and for all. I'm, sick and tired of hearing Israelis talk like Golda Meir, who once said "It is true we have won all our wars, but we have paid for them. We don't want victories any more." Olmert has said similar things many times - as have many other "leading" Israeli establishment members; but it seems that this attitude has long ago filtered through down to the average Israeli, and even the average Jew. In fact, judging from the way that we consistently act as a nation, it has probably been there since the beginning of our long exile...

My answer to such people is simple: If you don't like winning then by all means commit suicide - just don't take the rest of us with you!

But let's forget the leaders for one moment. For better or for worse, we have reached the stage where everyone hates those who hold the reigns of power. Whether it is because of their corruption, their immorality, their ineptness at leading the nation, or their policies in general. They are already discredited.

I am talking about the Jewish PEOPLE!

Another thing I've often expressed such confusion over, is how in Israel a minority community (the Arabs) can be so aggressive towards the majority (the Jews), and yet suffer little (if anything) in the way of revenge attacks or some kind of grassroots backlash. There is something seriously wrong when we just take the punches like such good xtians (and let me just remind you - we aren't xtians...!)

If the establishment and leadeship - religious, political and even military - will not work to change this mentality, then perhaps it is time we did so ourselves.

59 Years Since the Sinking of the Altalena

2007-07-20T03:32:00.000-07:00

The story of the massacre of the crew of the Altalena is a very important one which must never be forgotten. It reveals the hypocricy of the left when they talk of how terrible "the murderer" Yigal Amir was for killing one man (who, as it so happens, was one of the murderers who opened fire on the Altalena), whilst at the same time they whitewash and even glorify the actions of the Marxists within the Palmach, who killed so many good Jews on the Altalena; it reminds us of the lengths that these people will go to prevent the rising of a real, proud Jewish State; and it shows us how naive and stupid some people are for their overwhelming belief that pacifist actions will suffice when fighting against the injustices perpetrated by these people.

Never forget.

Time To Arise From The Ground

2007-07-20T02:54:00.000-07:00

BS"D

YESHIVAT HARA'AYON HAYEHUDI
Jerusalem, Israel
HaRav Yehuda Kroizer SHLIT"A, Rosh Yeshiva

PARSHAT DEVARIM/SHABBAT CHAZON
6 Av 5767/20-21 July 2007

TIME TO ARISE FROM THE GROUND

If our sages of old were alive in our generation, certainly the laws of mourning, that vast quantity of laws limiting our joy up to the Ninth of Av - the destruction of our holy Temple - would not be needed. All one would have to do would be to listen to the latest news broadcast to get into the spirit of Tisha B'Av. From Shimon "the man behind Oslo" Peres becoming President of the State of Israel, to Olmert releasing 250 murdering terrorists, to the brilliant new plan of "Pucker lips" Ramon to throw out some 100,000 Jews from their homes in Yesha and give it over to the Arabs. Based on the same model of the"disengagement" that worked out so well in Gaza, just ask anyone in Sderot today. To President Bush’s address on the Middle East, telling Israel to remove illegal building from Yesha and that
the Jews should instead build up the Negev (that’s nice of him). To the giving of some 190 million dollars to the PA's "moderate" terrorists, and the planning of a regional conference this fall to tighten the noose around the neck of Israel.

Yes, during these days one can become very disheartened, as they see the great dangers threatening the Jewish State and how our leaders walk blindly into the darkness. Still, in bygone days, when there was not much people could do to help their situation, such as leaving the exiles and returning home to the Land, or the building the holy Temple in Jerusalem, our sages imposed upon us many decrees to help us feel the mourning period. Starting from the seventeenth of Tammuz throughout the three-week period until the Ninth of Av, our sages added decree after decree, from no shaving and haircuts to no wedding bells, to no swimming, all the way to no wine and meat. For, in any case, a Jew who was thousands of miles from his Land, and with no means to return, could only sit and weep.

But if our sages were here today, when a flight to the Land of Israel is only hours away and takes place daily, or where millions of Jews already live in the Land, even if each one would bring just one small stone to the Temple Mount, they could build the Temple today. What would our sages tell us today: To continue to sit on the floor - or to get up and act?

The holy Vilna Gaon teaches us in "Kol Hator" that one needs to know in advance that this period before Redemption will have a lot of hardships, but from these very hardships will come forth salvation. So one must not become disheartened when the difficulties arise or if his path is blocked, but he must overcome them and continue to work towards Redemption.

What, then, are we waiting for? Could there be a clearer path of the Redemption process that is unfolding before us today? Does one sit in the exiles of NY or LA and mourn the destruction, when he could get up and come home in a few hours? What does he think, that Moshiach will be a travel agent giving out tickets to El-Al flights? ("Hi, this is Moshiach, I booked you on the Monday night flight to Tel Aviv")??!!

It's in our hands to act and make the change. Certainly, we have to feel the loss of our holy Temple, but more important - much more important - is to start the rebuilding process. This is what the Torah wants and demands of us. Don’t be left out, for time waits for no one. It is time to get up off the floor and act!

With love of Israel,
Levi Chazen

Returning To Chomesh!!!

2007-07-19T09:35:00.000-07:00

This will take place this coming Motzei Shabat 21 July and Sunday 22 July. You can get a head start by spending Shabbat in the area.

You MUST MUST MUST register beforehand for buses:

Jerusalem 0525802274
PetahTikva 0524239940
Raanana 0526771719
Rehovot 0509866046
BetShemesh 0544995023
BatYam 0507855134
RamatGan 0528434263
NofAyalon 0524088650
BetEl 0546713704
Hasmonaim 0525789704

0524627118Haifa&North 0524295132KiryatArba

Nitzan 0542240931

*For Shabat hospitality in the yishuvim close to Homesh: 1599544444 (teens, separately for boys & girls, and also adults)

*For rides from cities and locations other than those listed above: 1599544444

*For contributions to Homesh (very very important since money does not grow on trees): 052-6302222

*Can't come? Then please take the time -- starting right now -- to call the police and army and express your support for the march to Homesh (public pressure really works in getting the police and army to be more fair -- every phonecall or fax of yours can save some kid from getting beaten up or arrested so please...take the time):

02-9970200 Tel. 02-9970436 Fax of Commander of Judea & Samaria (Ugda in Hebrew)

02-5305333 Tel. 02-5305741 Fax of General of Central Command (Aluf Pikud Merkaz)

Judea & Samaria District Police Station Tel. 02-6279279 Fax 02-6279297

Talking points:

a. "As a mother of a soldier, I think that..."

b. "The settlers were right about the hitnatkut and the country was dead wrong -- so why does it make sense to go against the settlers??"

c. "Yes I know the Hitnatkut law says these people, as Jews, aren't allowed to be in Homesh -- there used to be a law against homosexuality too, did anyone ever enforce that one??"

d. ""From where I'm sitting in (name of city), I don't understand why you people are going after the settlers..."

Devarim: Moses Speaks!

2007-07-19T08:21:00.000-07:00

By Rabbi Chanan Morrison

The Salesman and the King

The Book of Deuteronomy consists mainly of Moses' farewell speeches, spoken to the Jewish people as they prepared to enter the Land of Israel. The eloquence, passion, and rhythm of Moses' discourses are breathtaking. And we cannot but wonder: is this the same person who claimed to be "heavy of mouth and heavy of tongue" [Ex. 4:10]?

The Sages were not unaware of this anomaly. The Midrash [Devarim Rabbah I:7] explains that eloquence is a relative matter, using the following parable to explain:

"This is like a man selling purple cloth, who announced, 'Here is purple for sale.' Hearing his voice, the king peeked out and called the salesman over. 'What are you selling?' asked the king. 'Nothing.' 'But before I heard you say, 'Here is purple for sale,' and now you say, 'Nothing'?

"Oh no!" exclaimed the salesman. "I am selling purple, but by your standards, it is nothing."

This same concept, the Midrash concludes, may be applied to Moses and his speaking abilities. When standing before God, Creator of faculties of speech, Moses announced, "I am not a man of words" [Ex. 4:10]. When it came to speaking to the Jewish people, however, the Torah records: "These are the words that Moses spoke..."

Who May Be a Prophet?

In order to properly understand Moses' claim of inferior oratory skills, we need to first examine a basic question regarding the nature of prophets and prophecy.

In chapter 7 of Yesodei HaTorah, Maimonides describes those character traits and intellectual qualifications necessary to be a prophet. He then writes:

"One who has perfected himself in all of these traits and is in perfect health, when he enters the Pardes [i.e., he studies esoteric wisdom] and is drawn to those lofty and distant matters .. Immediately the prophetic spirit will come to him."

This description seems to indicate that prophecy is purely a function of one's moral and spiritual preparation. Once one has attained the necessary spiritual level, he automatically merits prophecy.

However, Maimonides later writes that those who strive to attain prophecy are called "the sons of prophets" [see 2 Kings 2:15]. "Even though they direct their minds, it is possible that the Divine Presence will inspire them, and it is possible that it will not" [ibid. 7:5]. This second statement indicates that attaining prophecy is not dependent only upon one's initiative and efforts. Even those who have attained the appropriate spiritual level are not assured of receiving prophecy.

How can we reconcile these two statements?

Natural or Supernatural?

Many aspects of the spiritual realm corresponds to the ways of the physical world. We find that the physical world is governed on the whole by set laws of nature and physics; only on occasion does Divine providence require that the laws of nature be overridden. The same holds true for the hidden resources of the soul. There are set, general rules that govern their functions. But there are also situations that are beyond the natural faculties of the soul.

We may thus rephrase our question as follows: is prophecy a natural spiritual talent (for those who prepare themselves appropriately)? Or does it fall under the category of the supernatural, and is only a matter of Ratzon Hashem, God's will at that time to perfect the world by way of prophetic message?

Ruach HaKodesh and Nevu'ah

To resolve this dilemma, Rav Kook distinguished between two levels of prophecy. The first is an inner revelation in thought and mind, called Ruach HaKodesh. This is Divine knowledge attained naturally, a result of the soul's greatness and its concentration on lofty matters. This form of prophecy is a natural talent that God established in the soul in its initial formation.

There is, however, a second, more external level of prophecy. This is Nevu'ah, from the word niv, meaning expression or utterance. Nevu'ah is the completion of the prophetic experience; prophecy goes beyond thought and is concretized in letters and words. This form of verbal prophecy is not a natural faculty of the soul. It reflects a miraculous connection between the spirit and the physical, the supernatural phenomenon of Divine Will commanding the prophet to relay a specific message to the world.

Now we may resolve the apparent contradiction in Maimonides' writings. When he wrote that the prophetic spirit will immediately come to him, Maimonides was referring to the prophetic knowledge of Ruach HaKodesh. From his description, it is clear that he is speaking about prophecy of the mind: "His thoughts are constantly attuned to above; they are bound under God's Throne, to understand those holy and pure images, perceiving God's wisdom (in all aspects of creation)."

When, on the other hand, Maimonides referred to Nevu'ah, he wrote that even though the prophet directs his mind, the Divine Presence will not necessarily dwell upon him. This form of prophecy is dependent upon God's Will and not on the soul's natural talents.

Moses' Mistake

Now we can better understand Moses' claim that he was not "a man of words." Moses was certainly aware of his stature as a prophet. Maimonides teaches that a prophet "recognizes that he is no longer as he once was; but rather that he has been elevated above the level of other wise individuals." Moses was aware of his spiritual state - but only as one worthy of Ruach HaKodesh in prophetic thought. He assumed that the greater level of Nevu'ah would be similarly recognizable by one who merited such a level. Since Moses did not feel within himself this level of prophecy, he stated that he was not a "man of words" - i.e., one meriting verbal prophecy.

Moses' assumption, however, was flawed. Since the inner prophecy of thought is a natural talent of the soul and the result of the prophet's spiritual efforts, the prophet is aware that he merits Ruach HaKodesh. The external prophecy of Nevu'ah, on the other hand, is dependent upon Ratzon Hashem, according to the dictates of Divine providence at that time. While the first level is comparable to the laws of nature in the world, the second is like the supernatural miracles performed on special occasions. Thus it does not reflect any inner quality of the prophet's soul.

God's response to Moses is now clearer. "Who gave man a mouth? .. Who made him blind? Was it not I, the Lord?" [Ex. 4:11] The world has two sides, the natural and the supernatural. The mouth belongs to the natural, whereas blindness is a special condition. Both, God explained, come from Me. Just as you attained the natural level of Ruach HaKodesh, so too it is My will that you will attain the supernatural level of Nevu'ah.

The Prophetic Nature of Devarim

We are left with one last issue to resolve. Why is it that the Midrash only clarifies Moses' oratorical skills in the book of Deuteronomy? The answer to this question is to be found in the difference between the prophetic nature of Deuteronomy as opposed to the other books of Moses.

Regular Nevu'ah occurs like this: the prophets would first hear the Divine message; then the Divine Spirit would come to them and they would relate what they had heard. The prophecy of Moses, however, was totally different. The Shechinah would 'speak through his throat,' even as he spoke to the people. Moses was just a mouthpiece for the Divine Presence.

As a result, the other books of the Pentateuch do not reflect Moses' oratory talents. Unlike other prophets, his speeches were not even a repetition of what he had heard. The book of Deuteronomy, on the other hand, is a reflection of Moses' talents in the same way that the prophetic books of other prophets reflect their personal talents.

Were it not for Deuteronomy, we could have taken Moses' claim at face value and understood that he was literally "heavy of mouth and heavy of tongue." But after reading the eloquent discourses of Devarim, we realize that Moses was in fact referring to his prophetic capabilities. Moses meant that he was unworthy of verbal Nevu'ah. As in the Midrashic parable, only with regard to the King was Moses "heavy of mouth."

[adapted from Otzarot HaRe'iyah vol. II pp. 131-133 (originally published in Itur Sofrim)]

Fact: And I Will Do To You What I Wanted To Do To Them!

2007-07-18T09:37:00.000-07:00

I've not been able to post for a while, but I'm back for now, and, although it's from last week's parsha, I think that the following Devar Torah by Rabbi Levi Chazen is extremely important for all of us. Once again it is another shining example of the insightful and valuable writings of this Jew of such pure and simple faith and Ahavat Yisrael.

BS"D

YESHIVAT HARA'AYON HAYEHUDI
Jerusalem, Israel
HaRav Yehuda Kroizer SHLIT"A, Rosh Yeshiva

PARSHAT MATOT-MASE'I
28 Tammuz 5767/13-14 July 2007

FACT: AND I WILL DO TO YOU WHAT I WANTED TO DO TO THEM

We like to think, as Rabbi Meir Kahane HY"D would sometimes say, that G-d is like a "Santa Claus": A big, loving man with a long white beard,going around and giving away presents. The truth is far from this, although G-d is full of mercy. Still, whoever says that G-d overlooks certain things and acts - his life is overlooked.

In our parsha, the Torah lays down the law, the only law that there is, and one from which there is no escape. "Speak to the Children of Israel and say to them: 'When you cross the Jordan to the land of Cana'an, you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the Land before you. And you shall destroy all their prostration stones, all their molten images shall you destroy, and all their high places shall you demolish. You shall posses the Land and you shall settle in it, for to you have I given the Land to possess it. But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the Land before you, those of themwhom you leave shall be pins in your eyes and a surrounding barrier of thorns in your sides, and they will harass you upon the Land in which you dwell'".

This, then, is the bottom line. Try as you might to hide from this fact of nature, but you can never run from it, for so has Hashem spoken. Rashi teaches us: "You shall take possession of the Land from its inhabitants and then you will be able to remain in it, and if not, you will not be able to remain in it." Plain and simple: If you take the Land and remove the inhabitants that live here, then you will be able to live here, and if not, you will not be able to survive in the Land.

In this fashion, the Talmud teaches us that, while still in the Jordon River, Joshua call upon the Jewish people with this message: If you destroy the inhabitants of the Land, fine, and if not, the waters of the Jordan will come and wash you and me away. Clear enough, there is no other option. At the end of the day, the Torah is telling us the law - it's either them or us; the inhabitants of the land and the Jewish people cannot live together!

The holy Or Hachayim takes it a step further and tells us that, even in your cities where the foreigners do not live, you will not be secure as long as the foreigners are living in any part of the Land of Israel. The Abarbanel adds that without a doubt, the inhabitants of the Land will always seek to harm you. When they have no power to do so, they will desist, but when they believe they can harm you, they will rise up and do it. All one has to do is to open up the Tanach to see that time after time, when the Children of Israel let the nations of the Land live among us, they quickly turned into acancer and rose up to destroy us.

How true are the words of our rabbis in our own day, but then, the Torah already lay down the law, a law that cannot be broken. Just this week on the Temple Mount, the holiest site in this world, Islamic digging goes on unabated. Without permits, the Wakf of the Temple Mount does whatever they want, without anyone stopping them. In fact, when two archaeologists tried to question them about the digging, they were detained by the Israeli police. Here, on our holiest site where we, the Jewish people, should be doing the digging to find out where the Altar stood, so we can bring sacrifices to the Most High, it is the arch-enemy of the Jews, the Wakf, who is in control of the Mount. "What I wanted to do to them I will do to you".

This past week, on bus route #1, which runs to the Kotel, three Arab youths started up with a Jewish girl. Only one fine man stood up for this girl and tried to stop them from "hitting upon her". The Arab youths on a Jewish bus going to the Kotel beat up this Jew, unabated. Imagine for a moment if it was the other way around and it would have been a Arab bus: Do you know what would have been left of the Jew? Not much!

I could go on and on and talk of the thousands of illegal buildings that the Arabs build in the Negev or the Galilee, which today has a majority of Arabs, and nothing is done to stop them, or how city after city is gaining an Arab majority, like Jaffa, Acco, Lod, Ramle, and Haifa. Still, the message of the Torah is clear: "What I wanted to do to them, I will do to you". As with all Torah laws, this one can also not be broken. It is the way it is, we must awaken to this reality and rise like a lion up to the only path that is open to us: To remove the enemies of the Jewish people from the Land.

With love of Israel,
Levi Chazen

The Legitimate Rights of the Ammonites

2007-06-22T06:01:00.000-07:00

Written by Rabbi Binyamin Zev Kahane z"tl h"yd (1992)

Translated by Lenny Goldberg

The modern concept of "Jewish occupied territories" rears its ugly head in Parshat Chukat and in our haftarah, Shoftim(Chapter 11). We read in our parasha how Og ,the king of Bashan, and , the king of Ammon, try to prevent the Jewish people from passing through their borders to get to the Land of Israel. Both kings decide to wage war against The Chosen Nation and both kings lost. The children of Israel conquer their enemies and inhabit their land. Interestingly enough, no one at the time suggested that the Jewish people return the land that they just conquered to the nations that tried to annihilate them. No, such a proposal was never even considered. But, what if such a proposal was raised? How would a Jewish leader have reacted?

Land For Peace

To answer these questions we move the clock ahead 300 years until we arrive at the haftarah of our parasha. In the time of the Judges, the king of Ammon brazenly demands that Israel return to him the territories that were conquered, and if Israel refuses, there will be war. The king recounts some well-known history: "Because Israel took away my land when they came out of Egypt, from Arnon as far as the Yabok, and the Jordan." (Judges 11:13) Compared to the demands of today's Arabs, this demand is quite "moderate". The king of Ammon, unlike the P.L.O., does not call for the total destruction of the Jewish State. He only wants that which was taken from his people. In words that echo in the U.N. and in Washington, the king concludes his demand in the following manner: "Now, therefore, restore those lands peacefully." Peace - that magic word. What normal Jewish leader can refuse such an offer? After all, Ammon's claim is not an unreasonable one; the lands were taken from them. Ammon, unlike the P.L.O., once had a sovereign empire with a capital and an army on that land. And most importantly, here was a genuine opportunity for peace - no more war, no more bloodshed.

Not One Inch

The answer Yiftach returned to to the king of Ammon is far different than what Rabin and Peres told Arafat. Yiftach recounts all the past history, and then concludes: "So now the Lord of Israel has driven out the Amorites from before his people, Israel, and you should possess the land?! Will you not possess what your god, Kemosh, gives you to possess? And all whom the Lord, our G-d, shall drive from before us that we shall possess." (Judges 11:23-24) This is the reaction of a true Jewish leader. A reaction based on emunah - faith in the word of G-d. The land is ours not because of any historical claim or because we defeated the former inhabitants in battle. Rather, the land is ours because G-d gave it to us and we have no right to give it up...

How To Subdue the Enemy

Ma'ase abot siman labanim - the deeds of our fathers are signs to the children. One needs only to study our Torah to learn how to deal with our enemies who initiate wars and then cry "Jewish land for peace". The Arabs have attempted to destroy the Jewish State through four wars and much terrorism and when that failed the P.L.O. and the other Arabs went to the negotiating table and demanded Jewish land or else there will be no peace. Unfortunately, there are Jews who have little or no faith in the G-d of Israel who are (mis)leading the country today. These politicians are unfamiliar with the story of Yiftach and do not understand that our true right to the land of Israel is only because G-d gave it to his people as an eternal inheritance. May we, and our leaders, be worthy of having faith in the Al-mighty so that our enemies may be subdued as they were in the days of Yiftach.

Yokes of Heaven, Yokes of Man

2007-06-22T05:58:00.000-07:00

BS"D

YESHIVAT HARA'AYON HAYEHUDI
Jerusalem, Israel
HaRav Yehuda Kroizer SHLIT"A, Rosh Yeshiva

PARSHAT CHUKAT
7 Tammuz 5767/22-23 June 2007

YOKES OF HEAVEN, YOKES OF MAN

“Hashem spoke to Moshe and Aaron, saying: This is the decree of the Torah which Hashem has commanded saying: Speak to the children of Israel and they shall take to you a completely red cow which is without blemish and upon which a yoke has not come.”

The commentaries teach us that this is a decree without meaning or understanding. For from here, the nations of the world come and taunt Israel, saying: What is the nature of this commandment, what is its reason? We say it is a decree before Hashem and you have no right to question it. We see that the nations do not answer back after hearing this rebuke. Why? Why does this answer stop them in their tracks?

To answer this question, we first have to go back to last week’s parsha with Korach and Co. and see why the two parshas are place next to each other. Korach's main dispute with Moshe was: “Why is Aharon the head priest? Why am I not the head of the tribe of Levi? For the entire nation is holy, we are all equal.” But the answer that came back was that everyone has his or her place, position, and job to do in this world. There can only be one High Priest, only one Levi tribe. This is G-d's decree, this is what Hashem in His ultimate wisdom saw fit to perfect His world. Either one accepts this, or ends up like Korach and Co. This is accepting G-d's yoke of Heaven.

When the nations joke and question us about the law of the red heifer, we answer that it’s a decree from G-d: “Ol Malchut Shamayim” - the yoke of Heaven. It is a decree, we don’t understand why but we do it anyway, because Hashem so commanded us. This shuts them up. Why? Because before G-d gave the Jewish people the Torah at Mount Sinai, He first went to every nation and asked them if they wanted to accept the Torah. Each and every nation asked: What’s in it? When they heard, they all rejected it because they were unable and unwilling to accept the yoke of Heaven upon themselves.

Now, when we answer them that we, the Jewish people are not like them, we have accepted upon ourselves the yoke! It is for that reason that they are stopped in their tracks, when they see their weakness and our strength. For that reason, both parshiot are placed next to each other - to teach us this important lesson. Neither Korach nor the nations have the yoke. And when you are without the yoke of Heaven, you can only be left with the yoke of man – the yoke of materialism and desires.

This is the source of the nations' jealousy for the Jewish people. They cannot bear to see that there was one nation that did take upon itself the great task in this world, and accepted G-d's commandments lovingly, as our Rabbis teach us: “The world was created only for the sake of the Jewish people”. Hence, the world’s existence was dependent on the fact that Israel accepted the Torah, as we learn: “If Israel accepts the Torah, fine, and if not, the world will go back to chaos”. It was for this reason that we find the giant Goliath coming out to taunt the Jewish people twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening, at the same time that the Jewish people are saying “Kriat Shma” - Hear of Israel, the L-rd is our G-d the L-rd is One – which, of course, is the ultimate source of "Ol Malchut Shamayim' - the yoke of Heaven - all this in order to remove from us our G-dly yoke in this world.

Throughout the ages, this has been the battle, this is the heart of our struggle that we have with the nations of the world. The two major players - Ishmael and Esav - have always claimed that G-d had abandoned the Jews and picked them instead, that it is they who now have the "Ol Malchut Shamayim", and even as our leaders desperately run to try to form a covenant with the heads of Esav, it will all be in vain! For when the dust settles, all the world - and Israel - will see and finally understand that it was Israel - and Israel alone - that Hashem has chosen, and the words of Isaiah will ring true (Isaiah 53): "Who would believe what we have heard? For whom has the arm of Hashem been revealed?”

With love of Israel,
Levi Chazen

Chukat: Total Dedication to Torah

2007-06-20T08:59:00.000-07:00

"This is the Torah: when a person dies in a tent .." [Num. 19:14]

While the topic of this passage is the ritual impurity (tum'a) that comes from contact with the dead, the Talmud [Berachot 63b] gives a homiletic interpretation about those who toil in Torah study:

"From where do we learn that Torah study is only truly absorbed by one who 'kills himself' over it? As it says, "This is the Torah - when a person dies in the tent" (of Torah learning)."

Why does Torah study require such a high degree of self-sacrifice and commitment?

The purpose of society is to provide normal living conditions, without excessive hardships, for its citizens. In order to achieve this goal, however, there must be certain individuals who are willing to serve the community beyond the ordinary call of duty. For example, firemen, soldiers, policemen and other security personnel must be prepared to work long and irregular hours, and accept the dangers inherent in their jobs. Without their willingness to accept these hardships, the entire populace would suffer from untended fires, violence, crime, war, and other threats to the community's stability and safety.

Guarding the Spirit of the Nation

In a similar fashion, those individuals who are willing to dedicate their lives to Torah study are guardians for the entire Jewish people. Just as a soldier cannot properly perform his service to the nation without a willingness for self-sacrifice, so too, Torah scholars must totally dedicate themselves to their mission. Only with this spirit of commitment will they succeed in nurturing the spiritual light of Israel and enriching the authentic inner life of the nation.

The breadth and depth of knowledge required for true Torah scholarship necessitates long and intensive hours of study. This must come at the expense of pleasures and leisure activities that are acceptable for the general population. Only by overcoming the desire for creature comforts and 'the easy life' - by demonstrating their willingness to 'kill themselves' in the tents of Torah - do these scholars prove their worthiness to lead the nation in fulfilling its spiritual aspirations.

[adapted from Ein Eyah vol. II, p. 390. Gold from the Land of Israel, pp. 261-262]

Rav Binyamin Kahane on Parshat Korach - They Simply Don't Want to Hear the Truth...

2007-06-15T09:34:00.000-07:00

By Rabbi Binyamin Ze'ev Kahane z"tl h"yd (1998)

Translated by Lenny Goldberg

Fear of Hearing the Truth is Nothing New, but the Phenomenon Has Certainly Reached New Heights in This Generation...

In the introduction to the book "Em Habanim Smaicha", which was written during the time of the Holocaust by one of the great rabbis of Hungary dealing with the obligation to live in the land of Israel, the following is written (page 37): "And so my words in this book are intended only for those who want to know the truth the way it really is, and for those who are willing to stop and listen to the words written here. I am not demanding: 'accept my views'... and whoever would like to refute what I say, let them refute only with direct proofs from the words of our sages as I have brought, and only then will I debate them, with the help of G-d."

Rabbi Issacher Teichtel, the author of this book, was caught in a strange situation. His efforts to persuade (religious Jews!!) of the correctness of his argument fell upon deaf ears. His lack of success was not for lack of proofs or convincing logic, but rather due to the fact that people simply did not want to seriously confront the proofs, sources and sheer logic that he brought down to support his words.

This is why he prefaced his book by saying that his words were intended for the "person who wants to know the truth". After all, one would assume that everyone wants to know the truth, and the argument only exists as to what that truth really is. However, this is not so. There are some people, and many times it is the majority, who do not want to be convinced

Korach Was Not Interested in Hearing

This was precisely the situation with Korach. Our sages reveal in an astonishing midrash the following idea: "Now Korach who was prudent - what was the reason for his folly?!" The famous answer is that, "His eyes deceived him" (see Rashi), and we have dealt with this at a previous time. However the midrash brings down another answer, which may be even a more basic one: "all these arguments Moshe presented to Korach (i.e. tried to convince him) - and you do not find Korach having a rebuttal at all. This is because he was clever in his wickedness. He said: If I answer Moshe, I already know that he is a wise man and will defeat me in a debate, and I will be forced to appease him. It is better that I do not talk to him. When Moshe saw that there was no point, he separated himself from him."

The above midrash is both amazing and shocking. Korach knew that if he entered into a dialogue with Moshe, he would be convinced of the folly of his ways. Therefore, he avoided speaking to him. His need for "kavod" (honor) so burned inside him that his greatest fear was to be convinced that he was wrong, thus forcing him to a bandon his dream of taking power. This is the deeper answer to the question Rashi poses: "Now Korach who was prudent - what was the reason for his folly?" He did not see! He covered his eyes from seeing!

One may think that such behavior is an aberration reserved for the extremely wicked. However, a closer look will reveal that this is a very familiar trait. Very often a man sins and is well aware that this is a bad thing. Yet, he represses this idea in his mind so that it won't interfere with his everyday life. He knows that if he listens to someone, even to his own inner voice, he is liable to be convinced. Therefore, he closes all his senses and continues on his merry way.

Why Is "The Truth Absent"

This is the sickness our sages referred to when they said that "the truth will be absent". It is important to realize that this doesn't mean that the truth itself will be absent. G-d forbid! The truth exists and can befound. But the sages mean that we will cause a situation in which the truth will be absent, by our ignoring it, concealing it, mocking it, and banning it from being heard by the masses... Never before was there a period of time where the truth was so logical and necessary, yet at the same time, so absent. This is because the leaders of today are so terrified by it. It is obvious to them that if the truth were heard, it would conquer the hearts of the masses. Therefore, those in power exercise all measures necessary to silence the truth: Disqualification, mockery, defamation, harassment, and prison.

By so doing, they avoid the painful truths, so as not to get "confused by the facts".

Our People Want to Listen!

"When Moshe saw that there was no point, he separated himself from him." The moment Moshe saw that the problem was not that Korach is wrong, but rather he wants to be wrong - he let him alone and let the ground swallow him up. But this is not always the case. Sometimes, as a result of education and surroundings, a person is immersed in falsehood, yet is willing to speak and willing to listen. He has no special interest to remain immersed in falsehood. For such a person, there is hope.

Parshat Korach

2007-06-15T09:28:00.000-07:00

BS"D

YESHIVAT HARA'AYON HAYEHUDI
Jerusalem, Israel
HaRav Yehuda Kroizer SHLIT"A, Rosh Yeshiva

PARSHAT KORACH/ROSH CHODESH TAMMUZ
30 Sivan 5767/15-16 June 2007

STOP THE AVALANCHE NOW!

As if it weren't enough already, all of the bickering and complaining that has been going on since the Jewish people left Egypt. First, not wanting to enter into the sea, and when Nachshon ben Aminadav, from the tribe of Yehuda, did, a riot broke out, with each tribe claiming that they had wanted to cross first. Then, complaining about not having water, the sin of the golden calf, complaining about the heavenly food “manna”, and then demanding to eat meat when they had enough cattle to last a lifetime. This continued with the spies and the people despising the Holy Land, and now, to top it all off - Parshat Korach.

To add insult to injury, after rejecting the Land, the people had the gall to complain to Moshe: “See, you did not do as you promised, to bring us in to a land of milk and honey”. One may say that maybe Korach was not a very bright fellow and did not learn from past mistakes, and he didn’t see that all who rebelled against Hashem were punished right away. Our Rabbis, though, teach us otherwise: Korach was a very intelligent and learned man, but because he was consumed with desire for glory and envy, he ultimately lost everything. In fact, Korach was one of the wealthiest people who ever lived. We are taught that as a rule, the tribe of Levi were poor. They did not partake of the spoils in Egypt, as being that they were not enslaved there, they had no share in the wealth. But Korach, on the other hand, who was possessed by fame and only dreamt of becoming wealthy (and as we know, in the way that a man wants to go Hashem will lead him) came upon the treasures of Joseph and became literally rich overnight. Still, in the end, all that he had went down with him to Shoal - Hell - and he left nothing behind.

It is mind-boggling to note that all of this complaining and rebelling against Hashem came from the “good Jews”, those 20 percent who wanted to be redeemed from Egypt, for the rest of the Jewish people - 80 percent - were killed off in the plague of darkness for not wanting to leave the “golden medina” that Egypt was, not wanting to be redeemed.

Still, giving credit where credit is due, that generation is praised by the prophets for following Hashem into the wilderness, an uninhabitable place. Not an easy task, being that we followed with our women and children, without food or water, never knowing what tomorrow would bring.

Looking back on our long history, it has always been that same, small minority that carries the torch of truth and is leading the way; they are the ones that are remembered, whether it’s the ones who did not rebel against the Kehuna in our parsha, or Calev and Joshua from the spies. These are the ones that history remembers; the others - the rebellious ones - go by the wayside, together with the Korachs of this world. The 80 percent who wanted to stay in Egypt, or the assimilated Greek-Jews in the time of the Maccabees - all gone from the stage of history.

Incredible as it sounds, today, too, the call of the fools who cry out to give away the Golan, or more land in Yesha to the bloodthirsty Arabs, all with the backround of what is going on in Gaza City, act as if they have learned absolutely nothing from the past few years. And it makes no difference whether the calls come from the “black-hatters” with their misguided understanding of halacha, left-wingers, or other “enlightened” leaders - in the end, their views will not be counted, will not matter. They will go the way of Korach and his wicked assembly - lost forever. Who will count, is the courageous minority of the Nachshons, the Calevs, the Joshuas. They are the ones that history will record for posterity. They are the ones who will lead us to the Final Redemption.

With love of Israel,
Levi Chazen

Korach: Separation and Connection

2007-06-13T10:47:00.000-07:00

By Rabbi Chanan Morrison

"The entire congregation is holy, and God is with them! Why do you raise yourselves over God's community?" [Num. 16:3]

This was the battle cry of Korach's rebellion - a complaint that, at first glance, seems perfectly justified. Did not the entire people hear God speak at Sinai? It would seem that Korach was only paraphrasing what God Himself told Moses [Lev. 19:2], "Speak to the entire community of Israel and tell them: you shall be holy, for I, your God, am holy." Why indeed should only the Levites and the kohanim serve in the Temple? Why not open up the divine service to the entire nation?

What was Korach's mistake?

Havdalah and Chibur

Both in our individual lives, and in society and the nation as a whole, we find two general principles at work. This first is Havdalah - withdrawal or separation - and the second is Chibur - connection or belonging.

These are contradictory behaviors, yet both are needed. This truth is most obvious on the individual level. In order to reflect on our thoughts and feelings, we need privacy. In order to develop and clarify our ideas and insights, we need solitude. In order to attain our spiritual aspirations, we need to withdraw within our inner self.

Only by separating from society can we achieve these goals. The distracting company of others robs us of seclusion's lofty joy. It restricts and diminishes the creative flow from our inner spring of pure and joyful life.

This same principle applies equally to the nation as a whole. In order for the Jewish people to actualize their spiritual potential, they require Havdalah from the other nations. "It is a nation that dwells alone" [Num. 23:9].

Similarly, within the Jewish people it is necessary to separate the tribe of Levi, and from Levi, the kohanim, from the rest of the nation. These sectors have special obligations and laws, a reflection of their inner character and purpose.

Separation In Order To Connect

Yet separation is not a goal in and of itself. Within the depths of Havdalah lies a hidden aim of Chibur, being part of the whole and influencing it. The isolated forces thus have a positive impact on the overall character; their influence results in a tremendous inner advance in holiness. These forces specialize in developing talents and ideas that, as they spread, become a source of blessing for all. As they establish their unique traits and paths, life itself progresses and acquires purpose.

We find this theme of Havdalah-Chibur on many levels. The human race is separate from all other forms of life. Through this Havdalah, humanity can elevate itself and attain an encompassing character that contains the elevation of the entire world. The Jewish people is separate from the other nations, a separateness that enables them to act as a catalyst for the elevation of all peoples - a "kingdom of priests and a holy nation" [Ex. 19:6].

The tribe of Levi, as it secludes itself with its special responsibilities, is ennobled and maintains its unique nature. It sanctifies itself until it becomes a blessing for the entire nation. And the kohanim with their special holiness are elevated until they draw forth ruach hakodesh (divine inspiration) for the benefit of the entire nation, thus realizing its highest spiritual faculties.

The Correct Order

Now we can understand Korach's mistake. The Zohar [Mishpatim 95a] teaches:

"The Sitra Achra (the 'Other Side,' the forces of evil) begins with Chibur (connection) and ends with Pirud (division). But the Side of Holiness begins with Pirud and ends with Chibur."

The correct path, the path of holiness, follows this order: separation and then connection. Separation for the sake of connection. But Korach's philosophy (and similar ideologies, such as Communism) took the opposite approach. They sought the simplistic inclusiveness of all, binding everything into one uniform package, from the outset. They boastfully claimed to unite all together - "The entire congregation is holy" - but this approach causes all beauty and nobility to be lost in dull uniformity. In the end, darkness dims the clarity of thought. The repressive, totalitarian approach leads to disunity, as all parts yearn to break apart in order to express their unique nature. "The Sitra Achra begins with Chibur and ends with Pirud."

[adapted from Orot HaKodesh vol. II, p. 439]

Who is a Gadol, and How To Choose a Rabbi

2007-06-11T09:10:00.000-07:00

(Pictured: Rabbi Meir Kahane z"tl h"yd)

Who is a Gadol, and How To Choose a Rabbi

by Rav Binyamin Zev Kahane, z"tl

One of the questions we are often asked is, "If you are so right, why don't the great rabbis agree with you?" Rabbi Kahane himself was approached with questions of this sort for years, as he stood alone proclaiming what he knew to be the Torah truth.

Many of our ideological opponents who use the argument that "the rabbis don't agree with you", (and therefore, we must be wrong.) often base themselves on the verse in our parsha, "and you shall observe to do according to all that they inform thee; ..thou shalt not deviate from the sentence which they shall tell thee, to the right hand, or to the left". From this, they claim, one must listen to the "gedole HaDor" -- the great rabbis of the generation.

No More Sanhedrin

First of all, certain concepts must be made clear so that the confusion surrounding this subject doesn't confuse us, too. The above verse is, unfortunately, no longer relevant for today, because it is talking about the Sanhedrin. This is explicitly pointed out a few verses beforehand, where it says, "you shall arise and go up to the place which the Lord thy God shall choose.." -- that is, to the place where the Sanhedrin sat. This means that the moment a Sanhedrin is established (may it happen speedily in our days), there is an obligation upon each and every one of us to obey their halachic decisions. All those who differ, whether it be a famous Rosh Yeshiva or Admoor, will be forced to accept the decision of the Sanhedrin.

But until that time comes, the verse, "you shall observe to do according to all that they inform thee" has no practical halachic application for us.

There are No "Gedolim" If this is so, the crucial question is: Who do we listen to? Is there no da'at Torah (Torah view) today? Of course there is! But it is the task of every God-fearing Jew to seek out what the Torah view is, and find a rabbi who goes on the path of Torah truth, clinging to him as long as his rabbi remains on that path. What about the "gedolim"? We ask you: Who are the "gedolim"? Is it Rav X or Rabbi Y? Is it the known Torah genius, or perhaps his rival, no less the Torah genius, who so vastly differs with him?

Let's be honest. No one just accepts the opinion of the "gedolim". In reality, one fellow sees this particular rabbi as a Torah "gadol", and follows him; another fellow holds by another rabbi, and even if a hundred great rabbis line up against his rav, he will follow his rav through thick and thin.

Don't Forget The Fear Factor

Rabbi Kahane was endowed with the trait of emet - - truth. He was a Torah scholar who clung to truth without allowing emotions or other subjective factors affect his thinking. This is why we continue in his path - - whether it is accepted by the "gedolim" or not. The truth is, that privately, behind closed doors, many rabbis agreed with him, encouraging him to continue, but were afraid to admit so in public.

Rebbe? Gadol? The key ingredient must be: truth, with no fear. And this was the dominant characteristic of Rabbi Meir Kahane, z"tl.

(written by Rav Binyamin Kahane in 1991, shortly after the murder of Rabbi Meir Kahane)

Returning to the Source

2007-06-08T11:05:00.000-07:00

BS"D YESHIVAT HARA'AYON HAYEHUDI

Jerusalem, Israel HaRav Yehuda Kroizer SHLIT"A, Rosh Yeshiva

PARSHAT SHLACH LECHA

23 Sivan 5767/8-9 June 2007

RETURNING TO THE SOURCE

After the sin of the ten spies and the decree that the Jewish people would now have to wander for the next 40 years in the desert until that generation could be wiped out, the Torah goes on to teach us about the laws of the wine libation on the altar in the Temple, and the commandment of separating challah. In fact, we find that when the spies returned to the Israeli camp and found Moses, Aharon, the Sanhedrin, and the Jewish people by the Tabernacle learning the laws of challah, they mockingly said to them that we would not be needing these laws, as we could not conquer the Land of Israel.

Why, then, did the Torah place these laws of the libation on the altar and of challah right after the unfortunate episode of the spies?

As is well known, the first man, Adam, was created from the dust of the site of the altar in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. The place in which he was created will be the place of his atonement. Adam, our Rabbis teach us, is the pure challah of this world. And just like a person is obligated to take off a piece of his bread and give it over to the Kohanim/ Priests, so, too, Hashem, after creating the world, separated a piece from this world - that piece was Adam, the first man.

The libations which accompanied the sacrifices were poured on top of the altar into two little holes, which led to the very foundation of the Temple floor. These two items, the challa and the libation, more then anything else represent a return to their original source.

After the sin of despising the Land, the Jewish people became depressed and a spirit of mourning prevailed. The people wondered: Maybe we will never enter Eretz Yisrael. Hashem ordered Moshe to go cheer the despondent Jews. Master of the Universe, asked Moshe, how do I comfort them? By teaching them, replied the Almighty, the laws of libations and taking challa from the dough. Here Hashem was teaching the Jewish people that even though a decree has come that the Jews must now wonder for the next 40 years, still, they will eventually come up to the Land, for like a magnet that pulls metal closer, so, too, the Land of Israel will always be pulling the Jewish people to come back to their source.

For this reason, these two laws are taught to the Jewish people after the sin of the spies, to tell us that no matter how far the Jew is away on his journey in life, the Land of Israel, his source will always be pulling him back home.

How ironic, then, that we find this week, the week that we read about the sin of the spies, who despised the Land of Israel and preferred to stay in the golden exile of the desert, that the head of the German Jewish community came out objecting to the Israeli government over the advertisements in Germany calling for aliya of the small Jewish community there. Of all places in the world, davka Germany, they are telling their people: No, no need to come home to Israel. Let's build up the wonderful "new" Jewish community right here, for surely lightning never strikes twice in the same spot…

The spies, even though they were the leaders (Gedolim) of the Jewish people at the time, were very small-minded and only wanted to hold on to their high positions. In the end, they lost not only their Volvos and their seats in parliament, but also their place in the World to Come. It must then be our job to fix the sin of that generation and come home to the Land that, in the words of Calev and Joshua, is very very good. We must stop resisting the force that’s pulling us back to our source: The Land of Israel.

With love of Israel,

Levi Chazen

The Abomination Parade Set to Attack Jerusalem Once More This Year

2007-06-04T10:09:00.000-07:00

Well, it appears that I (along with most other religious Jews) was rightly sceptical about the level of "success" that the Eida Chareidit had negotiated with the police after days of rioting throughout Israel. Indeed, all it accomplished was to give in a little to the perverts last year, and whet their twisted appetite for an even greater attack on Jerusalem this year.

Since it seems that the numerous legal challenges to the march by various religious Members of Knesset have failed, the "Gay Pride Parade," organised by the homosexual group "Open House" has recieved the official go-ahead to march through the Holy City of Yerushalayim on the 21st of June this year (having now recieved the "ok" to defile the Holy City from both the police and the Israeli Supreme Court).

In the face of this despicable attack on our Holiest City, the religious community is assembling itself for this battle against the forces of impurity

It is sad that it takes times such as these to unite the many factions within the Nation of Israel, but this is a was no more vital for the survival of Am Yisrael than the one that took place 40 years ago this month. Once more Jerusalem is the prize - but these homosexual perverts wish to do to Jerusalem that which even the Arab enemy could not accomplish. They wish to desecrate it on a spiritual level, and bring it to the state of Soddom and Ammorah (G-D forbid).

It is the moral duty of every Jew to fight against this abomination in every way possible. Please G-D I will be posting updates on this blog as soon as they come up.

May G-D lead us to victory over the forces of impurity and all those who represent it and fight on its behalf!

The Bankruptcy of Secular Zionism

2007-06-04T09:28:00.000-07:00

By Rabbi Binyamin Kahane (1997)

If there was not a Tzachi HaNegbi, we would have had to invent him. What better example is there to illustrate the bankruptcy of secular nationalism? Who can better teach us how even the most fervent of them has no real true stance, because only faith in G-d is the ingredient which enables the Jewish leader to withstand the immense pressures with which one will be faced. One who does not possess the objective and absolute values of Judaism cannot withstand the pressure. Some may require mild pressure to fold, while others may require more, but in the end, there is nothing of substance to hold him. And so he proceeds to convince himself that it isn't so terrible, and it's better to concede a little than to lose a lot, and all the other "cheshbonot" to which there are no end.

It is important to note how Tzachi HaNegbi himself explains how he underwent his change: "As a result of my learning law, I began to understand that without democracy, there is no life on the 'monument' (in his younger days, HaNegbi barricaded himself on the top of a monument in Yamit in an effort to prevent the "legal" government decision to evacuate Yamit). It is democracy which enables the people to fight for what it believes in, without having a hair on its head harmed." Afterwards, he proceeds to pour praise on the judge Aharon Barak.

On the other hand, one who embraces absolute values according to the Halacha, knows that the Halacha is stubborn and can't be toyed around with. What we have here are two entirely different and contradictory points of view which will eventually collide, as exemplified by the Halachic ruling forbidding soldiers to fulfill orders negating the Jewish Halacha. What is frightening, however, is how far some Jews, who start out with good intentions, can actually go.

Last month Hanegbi as Justice Minister demanded that the rabbis nullify their Halachic ruling which forbids soldiers to carry out orders which negate the Jewish law. Our faithful readers know how much we have stressed over the past few years the cultural war taking place in Israel between the Jews and the Hellenists. And now, the Justice Minister's call to the rabbis sounds like a returning nightmare which we thought had gone away and wouldn't come back. After all, such behavior we had grown accustomed to in recent years from past Justice Ministers such as David Libai, or from the likes of former ministers Yosi and Shuli from the Meretz party who openly fought against Torah and Judaism. And now, we are getting the same treatment from one of "our" Justice Ministers, who, incidentally, recently replaced one who was spit out by the system because he was religious! Yes, one of "our own" is now demanding that the rabbis - the same rabbis whom he stood by boldly in the struggle for Eretz Yisrael - take back their halachic ruling!

Well, let Tzachi HaNegbi know: Just like your predecessors in generations past did not succeed in forcing Jews to nullify Halachic rulings, G-d's word, so too will you fail to nullify even one Halacha! You, who once barricaded yourself on the Yamit monument to prevent the withdrawal from the Sinai, and who has now become a supporter of the Hebron withdrawal and an eager slave of Netanyahu's ambitions and your own quest for power; You, who with such utter ease went from being a bitter enemy of the left to a defender of the leftist-occupied legal system which today you warmly embrace - Know: Relief and deliverance will arise to the Jews from elsewhere, and you, despite your past "record", will be tossed into the trash can of history in but a short while...

A Menorah By Any Name

2007-06-01T04:13:00.000-07:00

BS"D

YESHIVAT HARA'AYON HAYEHUDI
Jerusalem, Israel
HaRav Yehuda Kroizer SHLIT"A, Rosh Yeshiva

PARSHAT BEHA'ALOTECHA
16 Sivan 5767/1-2 June 2007

A MENORAH BY ANY NAME

Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to Aharon and say to him: When you kindle the lamps, toward the face of the Menorah shall the seven lamps cast light." Moses, though, could not comprehend why Hashem asked him to relay this commandment. For every time he would enter the Tabernacle, he found that it was brilliantly lit with the splendor of the Divine Presence. How, wondered Moses, could the lights of the poor earthly Menorah compare to the splendor which Hashem radiates? Hashem, therefore, told Moses to kindle the lights, for through this action, the Jewish people would become spiritually elevated by the lighting of the Menorah. Yes, even though the Divine light was there, there was still a need for the Jewish people to bring the light. In fact, if we would wake up one day and have fire come down from Heaven and light the Menorah for us, we would not be able to use it, but are commanded to bring our own light.

With this in mind, I remember once a friend of mine commenting on the sentence in our parsha. The workmanship of the Menorah was such that it was hammered out of gold, from the base to its flowers it is hammered out; according to the vision that Hashem showed Moses, so he made the Menorah.

Upon seeing how complex the making of the Menorah was, my friend became dismayed, saying that even Moses was perplexed about how the Menorah should be constructed, until Hashem Himself took Moses and showed him. If so, then this is an almost impossible task - how can we hope to build one today, for without it there seemingly can be no work in the Temple.

Pressed for an answer, I turned to the Rambam to see if he could shed some light on the subject (pardon the pun). Yes, it seemed very complex, with all the flowers, knobs and buttons decorating the Menorah making a total of 42. If just one is missing, the Menorah cannot be used in the Temple service. Moreover, the Menorah must stand on three legs, with a height of about a meter and a half. All of this was to come from one piece of gold. I cried out, who can build such a Menorah? Were we doomed forever not to have a working Menorah?

But reading on in the Rambam, the answer came. All of the above laws apply when the Menorah is made out of gold, but if we make it out of any other metal we do not have to have the flowers, buttons or knobs, and it does not have to be made out of one piece. This means that even today, we can go to the Temple Mount and have the Kohanim light a Menorah and thus to fulfill the commandment of the lighting. All we need is the spot on the Temple Mount and seven metal poles, the tips of which could hold the olive oil.

Historically, this is exactly what we find when the Maccabees re-entered the Temple after successfully throwing out the Greeks. The golden Menorah had long been taken out of the Temple by the Greeks; the Macabees took seven long poles and placed the oil on top of them, fulfilling the commandment of the lighting. It was not until some years later that they had the financial means to make one out of silver, and then, finally, out of gold. Yes, years later, they, the Hashmona'im, were able to finally make one out of gold. As complex as it may be, still, the bottom line is that if Hashem commanded the Jewish people with a commandment (in this case, to build a Menorah to light everyday), then it must be in our power to do so, for Hashem would not command anything that could not be done.

This, then, is the great lesson to be learnt here: If Hashem gave us the mitzvah/commandment, then it is in our hands to do, including the Menorah, the Temple and all the other items needs for the service. Come - Let us all go and build the House of the L-rd!

With love of Israel,
Levi Chazen

Psalm 31: Like a Lost Vessel

2007-06-01T03:12:00.000-07:00

By Rabbi Chanan Morrison

Hunted by his enemies, David felt betrayed and alone:

"I am forgotten from the heart like a dead person. I have become like a lost vessel." [Ps. 31:13]

Why did David express his feelings of isolation and loneliness as being like a "lost vessel"? In what way are the dead like lost objects?

Twelve Months to Forget

The Sages inferred from this verse that our ties to our loved ones are similar to our ties to our possessions. When an object is lost, it takes a year before one loses all hope of regaining it. So too, "the dead are not forgotten from the heart until twelve months have passed" [Brachot 58b]. As a result, the Sages taught that when meeting a friend after an absence of a year, we should recite the blessing, "Blessed is the One Who revives the dead." For us, it is as if our friend has come back to life.

Obviously, we remember those whom we love even after a year has passed; but the pain of loss is primarily felt during that first year. What function do these heartrending emotions of grief and mourning serve? Would it not be better if we could immediately reconcile ourselves to the loss, without having to undergo a lengthy process of bereavement?

Hope to Regain

If a certain trait is ingrained in the human soul, Rav Kook wrote, it must have some basis in reality. There must be some aspect of the world - if not in its current condition, then in its future, repaired state - that is reflected by this characteristic of the soul.

Rav Kook's bold conclusion: if death were truly a case of irrevocable loss, a situation that can never be corrected, then we would not mourn the passing of those we love. It would serve no purpose. The very fact that these feelings of profound misery and loss are a universal aspect of human nature indicates that death is not an immutable state.

The psalm's comparison of the dead with lost articles reinforces this conclusion. When we lose an object, why don't we immediately give up hope of recovering it? Because we know the lost object still exists, we just don't know its precise location. In fact, it is this very sense of loss that spurs our efforts to search for and recover it. These very feelings are often the cause for the object's return.

Resurrection of the Dead

The lengthy period of bitter loss following the death of a loved one indicates that, for humanity as a whole, the future promises a remedy for death. Unlike lost vessels, however, this process will be through Divine means. As it says, "Then you will know that I am God - when I open up your graves and lead you up out of your graves" [Ezekiel 37:13]. Nonetheless, since this cure will ultimately come to pass, even now we view and experience death, not as a common occurrence to be accepted as a natural and expected event, but rather like the loss of a highly prized object that we still hope to recover.

A lost vessel is not truly gone from the world. It is only missing with regard to its owner, and it may yet return to him. Even with the passage of time, as the ties between owner and object are weakened, the article still exists. Future generations may continue the search to recover the lost objects of earlier times.

So too, the lengthy time that the soul aches for that which appears unrecoverable is indicative that there is indeed hope. Thus the prophets foretold a future era when the dead will be resurrected: "Your dead will come to life, my corpses will rise up; awaken and sing, you who dwell in the dust" [Isaiah 26:19].

[adapted from Ein Ayah vol. II, p. 304]

Clarifying a Temple Mount Issue

2007-05-25T10:30:00.000-07:00

BS"D

YESHIVAT HARA'AYON HAYEHUDI
Jerusalem, Israel
HaRav Yehuda Kroizer SHLIT"A, Rosh Yeshiva

PARSHAT NASO
9 Sivan 5767/25-26 May 2007

CLARIFYING A TEMPLE MOUNT ISSUE

“The children of Israel did so; they sent them (the impure) to the outside of the camp, as Hashem had spoken to Moses”. In this week’s parsha, we are taught of the obligation to remove the spiritually unclean (tam’eh) to the outside of the camp of Israel. In the desert, the children of Israel were made up of three camps, each with a higher lever of holiness. In the center of the Jewish people’s encampment was the Tabernacle - this was the camp of the Divine Presence. Next came the Levite camp - this was the area surrounding the Tabernacle, and finally the Israelite camp, which was made up of the entire encampment of the twelve tribes of Israel. The Torah obligates an impure person to leave one, two or all three of these camps according to the severity of his tum’ah.

This division of the Jewish people, as the Jews wandered for 40 years in the desert with the Tabernacle, was not just a one- time affair; rather, it was a commandment for all generations. We find that this division of camps also took place in Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. Corresponding to the Divine Presence camp in the desert was the Temple, the Kohanim and Israelite courtyards. The camp of the Levite constituted the remaining sections of the Temple Mount, and the camp of the children of Israel corresponded to the city of Jerusalem. These levels of holiness still envelop the Temple Mount and Jerusalem today, even though the Temple is not standing.

What’s the problem?

As is well known, today we are all in the category of impurity through contact with a dead body. This type of impurity was banned from entering the Divine Presence camp under the punishment of Karet - being cut off, but a person with such impurity would be able to remain in the Levite and Israelite camps. That means that today, we are forbidden to go to the area on the Temple Mount where the Temple and its courtyards stood, but we can go the rest of the Temple Mount, which makes up some 85 percent of the Mount! Now you might say that we don't know where this 15-percent (Temple and courtyards) “off-limits” area is, and therefore, by going up to the Mount we might accidentally be walking in the forbidden area. The truth is, that even if we did not know where the Temple and its courtyards stood (which in truth we do), the 15 forbidden percent cannot be just anywhere on the Mount, but must be somewhere in the middle of it. In any case, when one goes up to the Mount, he does not come close to any area where that 15% might have been.

Well, you might ask: What about the rest of the Temple Mount - that 85%? Is a "tum’at met"- a person with impurity from a dead body - allowed to be there? To answer this question, let's go back to the encampment of the Jewish people in the desert. As we said, the Levite camp enclosed the surrounding area of the Tabernacle that corresponds today to 85% of the Temple Mount, and as we learned in the Torah (Exodus 13:19), Moses, who lived in the Levite camp, took the bones of Joseph with him, meaning that the bones of Joseph were with Moses in his camp! We see from here that not only is someone who is impure because of a dead body - as we are today - allowed to be in the Levite camp (85% of the Temple Mount), but you can actually bring a dead body itself up to the Temple Mount!

If as "tam'eh met" –impure from a dead body, we are allowed to go up to the permitted areas in the Mount, why, then, do many Rabbis come out forbidding people from going to the Temple Mount today? I don’t know - As of now, not one Rabbi has given over a serious halachic reason not to go up! Maybe they are afraid that people who do not know where they are allowed to go might wander to the forbidden 15%. But that certainly is not a justified reason to stop people who do know, and certainly they could place markers showing people which road to stay on.

More than all of this is the overriding factor of the horrible Chilul Hashem that take place every day on the Temple Mount: Giving control of the Mount to our Arab enemies. The least we can do is to have a Jewish presence on the Mount and to show Hashem that we, the Jewish people, want to build His house again!

With love of Israel,
Levi Chazen

***************************************

I'd just like to add my own personal note...

The Rambam (Laws of the Temple, 1:1) says:

...it is permitted to bring a dead body onto the Temple Mount
[that is, the areas around the Temple but not the Temple itself], and one who
had contracted ritual impurity from a corpse may definitely enter
there.

The Rambam himself ascended the Temple Mount and prayed there, as he relates in his "Iggeret Teiman." To celebrate he established a "private festival" for himself, and to this very day there are many Yemenite Jews who celebrate that ascent. He says:

I entered into the great and holy house [the Temple Mount] and prayed there on
the sixth of Cheshvan... and I vowed an oath, that I will always celebrate this
day as a personal festival, to be marked by prayer and rejoicing in HaShem, and
by a festive meal.

In addition, the Talmud (Eruvin 105a) tells us that in order to build the Temple or in order to repair and maintain it, one may enter even the restricted areas of the Temple Mount. This is brought down as the Halacha in Rambam, Laws of the Temple, Chapter 7. As a result, the general Halachik concensus is that "for means of conquest" even the ritually impure can ascend into the areas otherwise forbidden to them. The Maccabim, for example, were all tum'at met, (since they had killed many enemy soldiers, among them Hellenistic Jews) and yet they ascended in order to fix the damage and desecration that the Greeks had caused to the Temple.

- Ivri

Shavuot: Accepting Two Torahs

2007-05-22T12:17:00.000-07:00

By Rabbi Chanan Morrison

A careful reading of the text reveals that the Jewish people accepted the Torah at Sinai not once but twice. First it says,

"Moses came and told the people all of God's words and all the laws. The people all responded with a single voice, saying: 'All the words that God spoke - we will do.'" [Ex. 24:3]

And immediately afterwards we read,

"Moses wrote down all of God's words .. He took the book of the covenant and read it to the people. They replied, 'All that God spoke, we will do and we will understand.'" [Ex. 24:4,7]

These two passages cannot refer to the same event. In the first verse, Moses communicated God's words orally, while in the second account he read to them from the sefer habrit.

The Sages taught that there were two Torahs given at Mount Sinai: the Oral Law and the Written Law. The Jewish people first accepted upon themselves the Oral Torah, and afterwards the Written Torah.

Why Two Torahs?

Why was it necessary for the Torah to be given both orally and in writing? Why did the people accept the Oral Torah with the words, "We will do," but when accepting the Written Torah they added, "and we will understand"?

There are two aspects to Torah study. The primary goal of Torah is to know how God expects us to act in the world. This is the purpose of the Oral Law - the Mishnah and the Talmud - which discusses in detail how to apply God's laws to the many diverse situations in life.

The second value of Torah learning is knowledge of the Torah for its own sake. This is the function of the Written Torah. Even if we do not fully understand the words of the Torah, we still fulfill the mitzvah of Torah study. As the Sages taught, "One should always first learn superficially, and later contemplate [what he studied] .. even if one does not fully understand what he has read" [Avodah Zarah 19a].

With the Oral Torah, however, there is no value to its study if it is not properly understood. On the contrary, misunderstanding the Oral Law could lead to mistakes in Halachic rulings and improper conduct.

Attaining clear knowledge of the practical side of Torah level requires a breadth and depth of Torah scholarship. It is unreasonable to expect the entire people to reach such a level of erudition. Therefore, the practical, detailed part of Torah was transmitted orally. Only those who labor in its study, receiving the traditions from the great scholars of the previous generation, will truly merit this knowledge. For if this part of Torah were written down and revealed to all, even unlearned people would feel a false confidence in making legal decisions, despite not having properly studied all of the relevant issues.

One might argue that perhaps the entire Torah should be transmitted orally. But were this the case, Torah knowledge would be limited to only a select few. The Written Torah enables all people to be exposed to Torah on whatever level they are capable of comprehending.

Now we can better understand the Torah's account of Mount Sinai. When accepting the Oral Law, the people responded, na'aseh - "We will do." This aspect of Torah related to the entire people, but only in terms of its practical, Halachic side. It was with regard to the Written Torah, which is intellectually accessible to all on some level, did the people add, venishma - "and we will understand."

First - "We Will Do"

People naturally desire to understand as much as possible, and act according to their understanding. The spiritual greatness of Israel at Mount Sinai was their recognition of the advantage of not writing down the Oral Law, so that their actions would best fulfill God's Will. This is the significance of their response, "We will do": we accept upon ourselves to follow the practical teachings of the scholars and teachers of the Oral Law. Since this acceptance was equally relevant to all, regardless of intellectual capabilities, the verse emphasizes that "the people all responded with a single voice."

Having accepted upon themselves to properly keep the Torah according to the practical dictates of the sages, Moses then presented the Jewish people with the Written Torah. We would have expected that the people would have shown extra affection for the Written Law, since they could approach this Torah directly. But in an act of spiritual nobility, the Jewish people demonstrated their desire to first obey and keep the practical law. Thus they announced, "We will do," and only afterwards, "we will understand."

In summary, the Jewish people received two Torahs at Sinai. Moses first gave them the Oral Law, so they could achieve the Torah's principle goal - proper action in this world. Then Moses transmitted the Written Law, to enable each individual to access Torah at his level, and be prepared to receive the light of the practical Oral Torah.

[adapted from Midbar Shur pp. 160-165]

Parshat Bamidbar

2007-05-18T09:08:00.000-07:00

BS"D

YESHIVAT HARA'AYON HAYEHUDI
Jerusalem, Israel
HaRav Yehuda Kroizer SHLIT"A, Rosh Yeshiva

PARSHAT BAMIDBAR
2 Sivan 5767/18-19 May 2007

No way, I said when I heard the news. Yeah way - my friend told me. Nada, I said, still not believing it. Yes, it's true, my friend said, and showed me the news article. There I sat dumbfounded, not able to move for what seemed like an eternity, having to read and re-read the article over and over again.

Yes, our good friend, the United States of America, is not taking part in the festivities of Jerusalem's reunification day celebrating 40 years since the Six-Day War. The boycott by the U.S. and most of the world's nations, including the European Union, was to show that they do not recognize the legitimacy of a unified Jerusalem under control of Israel. Understandable with the E.U. and other nations, who live off of the hatred of Israel and Jews, but our good friend the US? Our great partners? Friends forever? How is it possible???

No need to say that I was shocked, but of course, our government was quick to react, falling over themselves and telling us that all is well with our friendship, and not to worry. Foreign Minister Livni, who informed us this week on how well the Gaza withdrawal worked and that Israel will certainly give away more land to the bloodthirsty Arabs, was quoted saying the connection between Israel and the U.S. is inseparable. Whew - That was close! Now I feel so much better!

Fools, any normal person should explain to the members of our government that every government in the world goes after their own interests; if it will be in the interest of the US government to help Israel, they will - and when it will not be in their interest, they will throw us to the dogs, as they have done to many countries in the past (e.g. Taiwan). Friendship forever? Inseparable? Nonsense! But our faithless leaders must continue to live in the bubble of "we are not alone" in this world and that we indeed have friends who will help us in our hour of need.

If only they knew of the greatness of the Jewish people, if only they knew of the high esteem that the Creator of the world holds for His people, we would be able to face the world's nations in a totally different light.

In our parsha, the Torah teaches us: The L-rd spoke to Moses in the Sinai desert. The Midrash adds: What did He say to him? Take the sum of all the congregation of Israel. G-d said to Israel: I love no other nation more than I love you. Therefore, I raised your heads high, just as My head is raised high over all the creatures on the earth. Moses said to G-d: My Master, of the seventy nations, You do not command me regarding any one but Israel. G-d responded, It is because I cherish them more than all the nations. They are My treasure; it is them I desire and whom I chose.

Have we traded all this greatness for - as the prophet Jeremiah said, "In whom do they put their trust - in Egypt, the broken staff?" Of course - the nations of the world cannot come to terms with the Jewish people returning to their own land, as the prophets prophesied so many years ago. How much more so when they see the Jews succeeding, and controlling Jerusalem, hence proving to all that the Jewish people are G-d's chosen. This is the bottom line. They, the nations, understand this all too well and will never recognize Jewish sovereignty over Jerusalem, for this will disprove their credibility. It is time for the nation who sits in Zion to also understand this, and exchange our illusory friendship with the nations - for the friendship of the Master of the world.

With love of Israel,
Levi Chazen

A Happy Man

2007-05-17T04:42:00.000-07:00

The following article was originally published on Revava.org:

A Happy Man

By: David J. Heimowitz

It’s true, I am a very happy man. First of all, I was born a Jew. I was born into G-d’s chosen people and I am smart enough to be proud of it and never to deny it. I remember how old Jewish women on the lower east side of Manhattan loved to say with their eastern European accents “every body is de same”. Well every body is not the same. We Jews are better. We are chosen.

Next, I live where I am supposed to be living, in Israel. G-d, in His infinite wisdom, gave the Jewish people a special land in which to dwell. G-d, the Creator of the universe and all that is therein, decided to remove the peoples who dwelled within His special land and to give it to us. He was certainly entitled to do so, after all, everything belongs to Him. I do not apologize for displacing others, I am proud that G-d desired that I do so. Because of the sins of our ancestors we were punished and sent into a very long and bitter exile from our home. Then G-d decided that enough is enough and allowed us to return home from our punishment. I am very happy that G-d allowed me to understand the necessity of returning home, which is something that the vast majority of my brethren, religious and non-religious alike, fail to understand.

Lastly, I am very happy that I chose to make aliyah out of the desire to do so, and not out of the necessity of running for my life. In so doing I proved my love for G-d. He gave me a present and I said thank you and took full advantage of it. Of course, all of my brethren in the exile should follow my example, but alas, they look for reasons not to do so. Sadly, it is anything but difficult to come up with excuses not to make aliyah.

My brethren in the exile say that our leadership in Israel is below contempt. Of course this is true, but why punish G-d because of the sins of our so-called leadership? We make aliyah for G-d, not for corrupt politicians, not for hypocritical jurists and not for the self-hating media. Granted, we are in dire need of new institutions of government, but why wait in the exile until G-d provides us with proper leaders who are worthy of our respect? Our very act of making a massive aliyah may well force G-d’s hand and obligate Him to give us proper leadership. Even if not, by making aliyah we will truly be worshipping G-d, not through meaningless acts of ritual, not by tucking our pants into our socks, but by showing G-d that we have true faith in Him and that we unequivocally believe what He wrote in the Bible, especially in the fifth book, Dvarim.

Not only are one hundred percent of the Jewish people meant to live together in Israel, we are meant to do so by ourselves, with no foreigners influencing us. Similarly, we are meant to observe all of the mitzvoth within Israel. The mitzvoth have no place in the exile, just as the Jew has no place in the exile. Be happy men, women and children like me, come home while you can still do so by choice, while you can still show G-d that what you do, you do out of love for Him and not out of necessity.

The writer is a chasid of Rabbi Meir Kahane and made aliyah 29 years ago because of the Rabbi’s teachings.

Parshat Behar-Bechukotai: What Will We Eat In The Seventh Year?!

2007-05-11T11:01:00.000-07:00

BS"D

YESHIVAT HARA'AYON HAYEHUDI
Jerusalem, Israel
HaRav Yehuda Kroizer SHLIT"A, Rosh Yeshiva

PARSHAT BEHAR-BECHUKOTAI
24 Iyar 5767/11-12 May 2007

WHAT WILL WE EAT IN THE SEVENTH YEAR?

The central question that comes up in this week’s parsha is: Being that a Jew is commanded to rest from work in his fields in the seventh year, what, then, will he and his family eat that year? Moreover, he would not have food until the end of the eighth year, until the crops that he planted after the Shmitta year begin to grow. What, then, will he eat for almost two years? How will he support his family during this time? Where is his responsibility to his family as the breadwinner? How will the kids go to summer camp, and what about our vacation? What on earth will the neighbors
think?

Truth be told, there is no greater test for a person in this world than the test of parnassa; in fact, this will be one of the three questions which are asked of a person on the Day of Judgment: Did he act correctly in his business dealings? How many of us would have enough faith in Hashem, that we would stop working for a year and trust in Him to provide during that time?

The Shortest Religion

Not only is the Shmitta year a great test in our faith in Hashem, but it is also the proof of the truth of the Torah. Imagine a king who promised to pay a servant a nice reward for a certain job; if the king does not fulfill his word and pay the worker, the next time the king asks the servant to do a job, the servant will certainly not listen. Now, with regard to Shmitta, the King of Kings tells us that in the sixth year a person will receive double his wages, enough for the sixth and seventh year. The truth of the Torah would hinge on what happens in the sixth year. Would it bring double the supplies for the coming years or not? All it would take would be for the sixth year to come and go without any additional food, and it would be the end of the Jewish religion.

The Magic Seven

In the parsha, we are confronted many times over with the number seven: Seven days of the week, the Omer counting of seven weeks - 49 days, seven years until the Shmitta year, and seven Shmitta cycles of 49 years total. What do they all have in common? Faith! Faith that G-d created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. The Omer counting - as our Rabbis teach us: By what merit did the Jewish people inherit the Land of Israel? By virtue of their faith, manifested by their bringing the Omer offering. Shmitta - by having faith that Hashem will provide for the coming years, even though you are not working the land. And the seven Shmitta cycle of 49 years - The Yovel - by releasing all of the slaves and returning the land to its original owner. This was a great act of faith demonstrated by the Jew's attitude: Even though I no longer have my slaves and properties, I continue to believe in Hashem, that He will sustain me.

Faith in Hashem is certainly not an easy task, but one which Hashem requires from us time and again, the yardstick by which all is measured. But it is not measured just by our lip service - it must be backed up by deeds. Do we sit in the synagogue, crying out |"G-d is One", extending the "One"-"Achad" for all to hear and see just how frum we are, but would not dare come home to the Land of Israel, for surely in the Land G-d cannot give me my parnassa... How long will we continue to be the little people, people of little faith, going though the religious motions but not really believing in an all-powerful G-d, Mover of history Who can also get you through the day in the Land of Israel! Faith, true faith backed by deeds is the only road to the Final Redemption! Show G-d you really believe – Come home now!

With love of Israel,
Levi Chazen

Parshat Emor - The Right Man For The Right Job

2007-05-04T09:28:00.000-07:00

BS"D

YESHIVAT HARA'AYON HAYEHUDI
Jerusalem, Israel
HaRav Yehuda Kroizer SHLIT"A, Rosh Yeshiva

PARSHAT EMOR
17 Iyar 5767/4-5 May 2007

THE RIGHT MAN FOR THE RIGHT JOB

In the book the Kuzari, the king of Kuzar asks the Rabbi: Being that the Jewish people have been chosen by G-d to be a light until the nations, would it not have been better if G-d would have created all the peoples in this world as a “priestly nation”, and not just the Jewish people? In that way, all mankind could be on a high spiritual level. The Rabbi answered: Would it have been better if all stones were mountains and all mountains, trees? Would it be better if all trees would give off fruits? The point is, that in this world there are many different levels, each one needed at the level one is on, and in order for the world to function each one must do its job.

Now imagine, for a moment, if all the trees in the world gave off dates: Where would that leave the figs or the olives, or how would we keep the doctor away if we did not have apples? Or, what about bananas? I mean, everyone loves a nice banana. Where, then, would that leave us, for man cannot live by dates alone. Obviously, then, mankind needs all the different types which G-d created for us, and each tree must fulfill its purpose in this world so that the world will be the perfect place which G-d intended it to be.

So, too, with the nations of the world. G-d, in His ultimate wisdom, created the nations of the world, and the Jewish people He created as a priestly nation to guide the nations of the world on a spiritual path. And within the Jewish people, there are twelve tribes, each with its own attributes and way of approaching the A-mighty. Even further, we have the tribe of Levi and the priests who are set aside to work in the house of the L-rd. So, we see just how many levels G-d created in His world, all needed and all with their own job to do; most important, each one must do only his own job for the system to work. Imagine if all the people wanted to be the king, or all wanted to be the High Priest - that just would not work. Only the right man for the right job - that is the only system that can work.

So we find in our parsha, the laws regarding the priests: Which one can work in the Holy Temple and which one was disqualified. So strict were the laws, that if a priest who was disqualified went to work in G-d's House, he would suffer the death penalty. We find that during the 410 years that the First Temple stood, there were only about 18 High Priests who worked, but during the time of the Second Temple, when the High Priesthood was bought with money, people who were not qualified to be the High Priest nevertheless took office; there were over 300 High Priests! They were not the right men for the job; some were not even priests!

Today, too, unfortunately we have been plagued with leaders who should not be in office or leading the country. We find over the past ten years that not one of our Prime Ministers was able to hold on to the job that they were elected to do. Now I don’t know exactly where our Prime Minister Olmert or our “beloved” clown of a Defense Minister Peretz should be, but in office is certainly not the place for them! Maybe they could look into the local jail or zoo, but certainly they are not the right men for the job! It's time to put the right man in office: One with the fear of Heaven on his lips and the love of G-d in his heart. It's time for another David, King of Israel to arise.

With love of Israel,
Levi Chazen

Emor: The Omer Controversy

2007-05-04T09:18:00.000-07:00

By Rabbi Chanan Morrison

When to Bring the Omer?

During the Second Temple Period, a fierce controversy raged concerning the springtime offering of barley, called the Omer. (An omer is a measure of volume, between 2 and 4 liters; this was the amount of barley flour baked and then brought in the Temple as a Minchah offering.) What was the exact date for the Omer offering?

"When you come to the land that I am giving you, and you reap its harvest, you must bring an omer of your first reaping ... The priest shall make this wave offering on the day after the Sabbath." [Lev. 23:10-11]

The verse says to bring the Omer on the day after the Sabbath - but which Sabbath? According to the tradition of the Oral Law, the 'Sabbath' referred to is the first day of the Passover holiday.

But the Boethusians, a heretical Jewish sect of the Second Temple period, rejected this tradition. In general, the Boethusians did not accept the Oral Torah, and they sought a more literal understanding of the text. They held that the Sabbath mentioned in the verse is the seventh day of the week; so the Omer must be offered on the day after the Sabbath, i.e., the first Sunday after Passover. (This dispute also determines the date for Shavuot, since the Shavuot holiday is celebrated seven weeks after the Omer offering.)

The objection of the Boethusians cannot be ignored out of hand. Why indeed does the Torah speak of offering the Omer on the day after the Sabbath? If the verse had just used the word 'Passover' or 'holiday' instead of 'Sabbath,' the whole controversy could have been avoided!

The Holiness of the Nation

What is the root of the argument between the Boethusians and the Sages? The Talmud in Menachot 65a records that the Boethusians disagreed with another accepted Halachah. The Sages taught that the daily Temple offering (the Tamid) needs to be purchased with public funds. The Boethusians - many of whom were wealthy - felt that any individual could donate the daily offering. Why did they disagree with the Sages?

These three disagreements - acceptance of the Oral Law, recognizing Passover as the 'Sabbath' mentioned in the verse, and requiring that the Tamid be purchased from public funds - are all connected to one fundamental question. What is the nature of the Jewish people? Is the nation just the combined contribution of each individual Jew? Or does the Jewish people as a whole somehow have its own special holiness?

The Boethusians did not recognize the concept of Knesset Yisrael as a collective unit with its own intrinsic holiness. Rather, they viewed the Jewish people as any other people. For them, a nation is essentially a partnership, formed in order to benefit its members by way of social contract. The primary goal of this partnership is individualism - the civil rights and benefits that each individual gains from the overall partnership.

In truth, the Torah distinguishes between two concepts: tzibur (the collective), and shutafut (partnership). We find the Talmud rules [Temurah 13a] that a korban tzibur, a public Temple offering, belongs to the entire Jewish people; such an offering may not be substituted by an offering of partners, no matter how many people join in. Why not? Clearly, the collective of the Jewish people contains its own intrinsic quality of holiness, beyond the combined portions of all of its individual members. For this reason, the Sages insisted that public offerings be purchased through public funds, as these offerings represent the entire nation.

The Boethusians rejected this idea of national sanctity. Thus they held that any individual may donate the daily Tamid offering, even though this is a korban tzibur of the entire people.

On a more general way, the Boethusians did not accept the authority of the Oral Torah. This stance was similarly based on their view of the Jewish people. Unlike the Written Torah, which was transmitted directly from God, the Oral Law is transmitted through the sages of Israel. This Torah emphasizes the holiness of the Jewish people. As Rav Kook wrote in the opening section of Orot HaTorah: "We can sense the spirit of the nation - bound to the Torah's light like a flame to a glowing coal - that shaped the unique form of the Oral Torah."

But how does this explain the disagreement of the Omer?

The relationship between the Sabbath and the holidays parallels the relationship between the Written and the Oral Torah. The Sabbath has a Divinely-assigned holiness "keviya vekiyma" - always set on the seventh day. The holidays, on the other hand, are connected to the holiness of the Jewish people. Their dates are established according to when the Jewish court declares the new month, and whether the court introduces an extra leap month. For this reason, the holiday blessing concludes with the words, "Who sanctifies Israel and the holidays." Why is Israel mentioned here? The Talmud in Berachot 49a explains: God sanctifies the Jewish people, who in turn sanctify the holidays.

Rooted in the Sabbath

In truth, the holiness of the nation is rooted in the holiness of the Torah. Similarly, the holiness of the holidays is rooted in the holiness of the Sabbath. Thus the kiddush blessing refers to the Sabbath as "the first of the holy convocations." All holidays originate from the holiness of the Sabbath.

Now we can understand why the verse refers to the Passover holiday as the 'Sabbath.' The first day of Passover is the very first holiday of the year, and the Torah wanted to teach us that the holiness of the holidays is based on the eternal holiness of Shabbat.

The Boethusians wanted to be like all other nations, with a national identity based on individualism and social contract. Therefore they could not accept the binding nature of the Oral Law, and they refused to see in the holidays the intrinsic sanctity of the Sabbath. But with Divine assistance, the Sages were victorious. They succeeded in establishing for all times the Halachah regarding the public funding of the Tamid, as well as the date for offering the Omer and the holiday of Shavuot.

[adapted from Mishpat Kohen pp. 273-274]

Parshat Acharei Mot/Kedoshim

2007-04-27T11:04:00.000-07:00

PARSHAT ACHAREI MOT-KEDOSHIM

12 Iyar, 5761/4-5 May, 2001

(from "Havdalah [Separation]", Or HaRa'ayon, HaRav Meir Kahane, ZT"L HY"D)

A JEW'S HOLINESS WARRANTS THAT HE BE SAVED

G-d established a major Torah principle when He said, "Keep My decrees and laws which a person must perform, and live by them" (Lev. 18:5). G-d commanded man to live. This is not a right but an obligation, a prerequisite for leading a life of holiness, purity and goodness, suppressing passion and conceit, accepting the yoke of Heaven and crowning G-d King of the universe. It is an unforgiveable sin to view life as one's personal property, one's private domain which one is allowed, as its owner, so to speak, to do with as one pleases. It is many more times as sinful when a person dares to commit suicide, to end by his own act the life he is commanded to live. "Live by them" is a great mitzvah upon which all others depend.

From here emerges the rule that when there is no decree of forced apostasy looming over us, and G-d's name will not be defamed, we may commit any sin to save our lives (except for idolatry, fornication or murder); because it is better to violate one mitzvah today and live to keep all the mitzvot later on. Our sages said (Shabbat 151b):

"It was learned: Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says, 'Even for a one-day-old baby we violate the Sabbath, but if David, King of Israel dies, we do not violate the Sabbath for him. Of the first case, the Torah says, 'Violate one Sabbath for him so that he will keep many Sabbaths', but we do not violate the Sabbath for a deceased monarch - once a person dies, he ceases to be obligated by mitzvot.' As R. Yochanan said, 'Set apart [chofshi, lit., free] among the dead' (Ps. 88:6). Once a person dies, he becomes free of the mitzvot.'"

In other words, as long as someone remains alive, all the mitzvot bind him, including the important precept of violating one mitzvah so that he, himself, or another Jew, can live to fulfill many others. A major principle emerging here is that even saving another Jew's life overrides the mitzvot. The mitzvah of saving a Jew (regardless of whether another mitzvah is nullified for that purpose), stems from the mitzvah of Jewish love and brotherhood, from Israel's being "re'im", "neighbors", united in holiness and in mitzvah performances (see Ch. 10). Rambam wrote (Hilchot De'ot 6:3), "It is a mitzvah upon every Jew to love every other Jew like his own self, as it says, 'Love your neighbor ["re'a"] as yourself' (Lev. 19:18), and Sefer HaChinuch wrote the same (243[219]).

And because all of Israel were created as neighbors in mitzvot and in holiness, the Torah decreed, "Do not stand idly by when your neighbor's life is in danger" (Lev. 19:16). Our sages said (Sanhedrin 73a):

"From whence do we know that if someone is chasing his fellow man to kill him, we can save the victim by killing his pursuer... From whence do we know that if we see a person drowning in a river, being dragged by a wild animal or attacked by bandits, we are obligated to save him? It says, 'Do not stand idly by when your fellow-being's life is in danger.'"

Ostensibly, all this applies only when no sin is being committed. How then do we know that one is obligated even to violate a mitzvah in order to save a Jew? Our sages taught (Yoma 85a):

"R. Yishmael, R. Akiva and R Elazar ben Azariah were once on a journey, and Levi the systematizer and R. Yishmael, son of R. Elazar ben Azaria, were following them, when a question was posed to them: 'From whence do we know that in the case of danger to human life the laws of the Sabbath are suspended?'"

Each of these great rabbis brought his own proof. The Talmud concludes (Yoma 85b), "R. Yehuda said in the name of Shmuel: Had I been there, I would have said that my [proof] was better than theirs. It says, 'Live by them', not 'Die by them.'" We see that even when to save a life a mitzvah must be violated, we violate that mitzvah to save our own lives or someone else's life so that he will live on and fulfill many mitzvot - our whole purpose on earth.

Such has the law come down regarding even the possibility of danger to human life, as the Mishnah teaches (Yoma 83a):

"If one is seized by a ravenous hunger, he may be given even unclean things to eat [on Yom Kippur] until he regains his lustre... If one has a pain in his throat, he may pour medicine into his mouth on the Sabbath, because this constitutes a possibility of danger to human life, and every possibility of such danger suspends the laws of the Sabbath."

The Talmud comments (Yoma 84b):

"One may warm water for a critically ill person on the Sabbath, both for the purpose of giving him a drink or of refreshing him; and not only for this one Sabbath did they rule this, but also for the following one. [In other words, even if there is no possibility of danger regarding this Sabbath, for we know that he will not die today, but there is a possibility that if we do not violate the Sabbath on his behalf today, he might die later on.] Nor do we say, 'Let us wait, because he may get well.' Rather, we warm the water for him immediately, for the possibility of danger to human life overrides the laws of the Sabbath... Nor are these things to be done by non-Jews or minors, but by great rabbis."

Observe how pivotal is the concept of the "partner in mitzvah observance", such that we are obligated to profane the Sabbath and the rest of the mitzvot to save a Jew so that he can live on to do mitzvot. The whole mitzvah of saving a Jew stems from the principle of "Live by them", that our whole purpose in life is mitzvah observance. Life is not called living, and there is certainly no reason to violate a mitzvah for its sake, unless it is dedicated to mitzvah observance, which is the purpose of life.

It Is Obvious!

2007-04-20T10:50:00.000-07:00

By Moshe Lerman

We keep certain mourning customs until day 33 of Sefirat Ha'Omer because 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva died. Surely, it was a big disaster for Israel, a blow to the world of Torah. How could so many students of rabbi Akiva die in such a short period? If there was a plague, did other people not die of it? How come that we mourn for the students of Rabbi Akiva, but not for the enormous disaster that happened in the years of Rabbi Akiva, which cost many more than 24,000 lives - the defeat of Bar Kochba?

The Talmud hides the true reason of the death of the students of Rabbi Akiva. They died at the hands of the Romans, during Bar Kochba's rebellion. The Babylonian Talmud systematically avoids explicit mentions of Bar Kochba. The reason is that after the defeat the Sages ruled that great care should be taken in actions to bring the redemption. The three oaths of Ketubot 111a are a reflection of this. Their decision led to a status quo of centuries.

But around the year 5,000 there was a turn-around. We see a revival of the wish to return to the Land. We see that Yehudah HaLevi denies the relevance of the three oaths and argues for a massive Aliya to prepare/bring the redemption. We see that the Rambam bases his psakim regarding Moshiach on the example of davka Bar Kochba. And so forth, until the Gra who sent his talmidim to the Land to prepare/bring the redemption, and the talmidim of the Besht and many more doing the same.

Making Aliyah in the face of diseases and Arab murderers, clearly many endangered themselves. There were some spiritual losses also. We had Shabtai Tzvi and similar cases.

There always was the other approach, the one of the oaths. Let us wait, wait for Moshiach. It naturally tends to get stronger when it becomes clear that the Land is acquired through yissurim, suffering.

What is the answer? Who is right? How can HaShem put us in such an awkward position? We have no prophets. How can we know what to do? Should we be Bar Kochba, or Yochanan ben Zakai? The GR"A or the Satmar Rebbe? Meir Kahane or Aharon Lichtenstein?

My answer is that obviously we should be Bar Kochba (not repeating his sins of course). This is what is behind what the Rambam writes. Moshiach does not need to do miracles, teaches the Rambam. He will come in a natural way, step by step, in the way of Bar Kochba. In other words, the redemption depends on our actions.

The psak to stay put was valid only for a limited time. It was Et La'asot L'Hashem. The holy principle is opposite. In the name of this principle, Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai should not have given up Yerushalayim, and our sages make this clear (Gittin 56). Only, there was a g'zera: The Temple was to be destroyed. Rabbi Yochanan was forced, by Heaven, to make a mistake. His decision does not change the holy principle.

Judaism is not like Christianity. Christians wait for their Moshiach, passively. Nothing in the daily life of the Christian can bring his Moshiach closer. For the Christian this is natural. Daily life is mundane. But we think different, opposite. For a Jew, everything he does is spiritual. Nothing is mundane. The physical is sanctified, through the Mitzvot. By moving to the Land we bring Moshiach closer. Is it hard, dangerous even? Yes, and this must be so. It is the price of what is acquired.

In discussions about Eretz Yisrael, often the Halacha Shulchan Aruch O"C 329 is thrown in by those who oppose concessions of the Land-for-peace type. This Halacha rules that Shabbat should be violated if an enemey comes to steal from a border city, because even the stealing might lead to future Pikuach Nefesh. Halachot like this do not decide this issue. It is not really related to Eretz Yisrael, and Pikuach Nefesh depends on circumstances.

Also the very often cited Minchat Chinuch on the Mitzvot regarding killing seven nations and Amalek is not conclusive in itself (the Minchat Chinuch rules that these Mitzvot are not pushed aside by Pikuach Nefesh). The case is not the same as the issue of Eretz Yisrael, and besides the Chinuch rules differently.

Rather, it is obvious.

Tazria-Metzora: Unpleasant Torah Issues

2007-04-20T10:46:00.000-07:00

by Rabbi Binyamin Zev Kahane

First published in 1996.

Parshat Tazria-Metzora discusses all kinds of unpleasant subjects. One can even say they are "not nice." Leprosy, plagues, scabs, semen and all different forms of uncleanliness are expounded upon in the greatest of detail. Why must the Torah deal with the most undignified of problems that trouble man? Would it not be preferable for our holy Torah to skip such subjects and discuss more spiritually uplifting matters? You know, concepts such as holiness and purity, grandeur and splendor, and similar religious subjects? Do we really need to read in such graphic detail about semen and scabs on a Shabbos morning? Should not this subject matter be dealt with modestly?

But the more we learn Torah, the more we reveal that just as Torah deals with spiritually uplifting concepts, so too it deals with matters we would not categorize as "spiritual." For example, at the very beginning of the Tur and Shulchan Aruch, in "Orach Haim" (the section dealing with day to day matters), are the laws dealing with going to the bathroom, elaborated upon in meticulous detail. Nothing more and nothing less.

And so, we see a basic principle: the Torah is a Torat hayim, applying to one's life in the fullest of senses.

Indeed, it would be more comfortable for many if the Torah would deal with the "lofty" subjects, and that their spiritual world would only include the "nice", "pure" topics that go down smoothly. It would be preferable to many if the trivial, everyday stuff would be placed outside the spiritual realm. But the purpose of the Torah is precisely the opposite. It is to bring holiness and spirituality to even the most remote and lowly of places, in order to sanctify them. It intentionally relates in great measure to the problematic areas of life, so it will not be mistaken for some nice "folklore" that requires a consensus and a distancing from controversy. It deals with the evil. And when the time comes where one must perform some painful surgery - even at the cost of a certain amount of blood-letting - then even this must be done without undue hesitation.

One can not ignore tzaraat ("leprosy"). It is an expression of man's problems, and the sages tell us that the very word tzaraat is from motzi shem ra ("slander"). And so, the world needs to be corrected. Sometimes, it takes serious surgery, and one can not ignore it by getting bogged down in all kinds of "lofty" and "nice" concepts that are cut off from reality. That is a Christian outlook. The Torah, by contrast, separates between good and evil, and deals with the problems. It doesn't run away from reality; it deals with it head on.

One of the problems with observant Jews is that there is all too often a subconscious distinction between "nice mitzvot" and "not nice mitzvot" (this categorization being dependent on the "spirit" of the time). Everyone, for example, loves the mitzvah of Shabbat; it has come to embody a concept pertaining to "social" and family values. (Once this was not so, and it was looked upon in a negative light, as we see that Haman tried to incite Achashverosh against the Jews using the fact that the Jews rest on Shabbat.) Everyone also loves the mitzvah of honoring one's parents. Who can oppose such a nice mitzvah? (And this too isn't an absolute, as we know of societies who cast off their elder citizens to die.)

On the other hand, people tend to distance themselves from the mitzvot of leprosy, as they do from the halachot of war, vengeance and the expulsion of Goyim from the land, despite the fact that these subjects are such a central and basic theme in authentic Jewish thought. For these laws, too, belong to the category of "not nice" mitzvot in the Torah, since they

True, most observant Jews would not dare to admit they make such a categorization. But in their subconscious, they do it all the time, due to the non-stop brainwashing, which, like gamma rays, penetrates their mindsets. This is why many find themselves alienated from the parsha Tazria-Metzora, and this is why they use all kinds of excuses to deny the parshas dealing with war and vengeance.

Like a pillar, the parshas of Tazria-Metzora appear between the parshiot that express the height of holiness and the "beauty" of Judaism - parshat Shemini in which the Tabernacle was consecrated and parshat Achrei Mot, which describes the service of the Cohen HaGadol on Yom Kippur. This teaches us a vital lesson: "Torat HaShem timeema, meshivat nafesh." - "The Torah of HaShem is perfect (whole), restoring the soul." (Psalms 19:8) When does it restore the soul? When it is whole and complete, and not divided into different parts that we are more fond of or less fond of.

In the final analysis, the greatness of Torah may even stem from the fact that it relates to the "less nice" sides of life, offering clear solutions to problems. Our Torah is not pareve, but rather determined and unhesitating, carrying on its banner the need to cling to good and burn out evil. Without compromises.

Tazria: Shiloh and the Birth-Offerings

2007-04-20T10:44:00.000-07:00

Written by Rabbi Chanan Morrison

The Torah portion of Tazria begins with the special offerings of women who recently gave birth. Amazingly, it was over these birth-offerings that a family of priests was disqualified from serving in the Temple. Even worse: according to the Talmud in Yoma 9a, this sorry affair led to the destruction of the Shiloh Tabernacle, the forerunner to the Temple, after functioning for 369 years.

The Sin of Eli's Sons

The book of Samuel describes the ignominious state of the holy service in the Shiloh Tabernacle. The sons of Eli were insensitive priests who would take their portions by force and "treated God's offerings with contempt" [I Sam. II:17]. Their worst sin, according to the reports reaching the ears of their father, was that "they slept with the women who streamed to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting" [v. 22].

The Talmud states, however, that this verse should not be taken literally. "Anyone who says the sons of Eli actually sinned is mistaken" [Shabbat 55b]. So what does it mean that "they slept with the women"? According to the Sages, they failed to offer the birth-offerings of the women promptly, and thus indirectly prevented them from returning home. The women did not trust the priests to bring their offerings, so they would remain in Shiloh until they saw with their own eyes that their offering was completed. Since the inattentive service of Eli's sons caused the women to be unnecessarily separated from their husbands, the verse refers to their irresponsible behavior as if they slept with them.

Is this just a case of Talmudic whitewash, a rabbinic cover-up? Why should this be the cause for the destruction of the Tabernacle?

The Purpose of the Temple Service

If we want to analyze what brought about the fall of the Tabernacle in Shiloh, we should not give too much weight to passing incidents, grave though they may be. Rather we should search for indications of an underlying moral decay that undermined the very foundations of the Temple service and its objectives.

The Divine service is integrally connected with the concept of uplifting and sanctifying life. We cannot fully elevate life in all of its aspects, in its heights and depths, unless we are able to connect life to its Source, to the Creator of all life.

Life also includes times of trouble and distress. What will give it light, restoring its natural happiness and joy? What will rejuvenate it and grant it nobility and grace? This can only be accomplished by uncovering the Godliness to be found in all aspects of life.

The Birth-Offering

The birth of a child is a wonderful occasion, bringing new life and joy to the family. But the birthing experience is a challenging one, as it also involves pain and suffering. The complex emotions felt by the woman giving birth can bring stress and conflict to the family, and are only forgotten with the passage of time, as life returns to its usual joy and happiness.

What can cleanse the dark impressions and hard feelings that come from this suffering, rooted in the sin of our mother in the beginnings of humanity? Their remedy requires an act of drawing near to God. As the new mother elevates her birthing experience with her chatat and olah offerings, she rectifies the shortcomings caused by the rebellious tendencies of the human heart. These offerings allow her soul to be lifted up in feelings of love for the greatness of the Creator of all life, the Source of love for all creatures.

In short: the Temple offerings must reflect a harmony between the Divine service and the goal of elevating life. This is especially true for the offerings brought after giving birth. True morality cannot sanction the idea of a mechanical Temple service, disconnected from the people and their lives.

The Service in Shiloh

The unfeeling, even tyrannical atmosphere that existed in the Shiloh Tabernacle - the absence of ethical sensitivity, the lack of integrity and compassion, the disconnect from the needs and feelings of the people, by an order of hardhearted priests who paraded their elevated position over the people by force - this spirit created an artificial divide between the principles of morality and the Temple service, and in the end destroyed the reign of the priestly family of Eli. These callous priests saw no connection between their service and the sanctification of life. Ultimately, their actions brought about the fall of the Tabernacle in Shiloh.

The priests should have seen the birth-offering as a vehicle to rectify and purify life. How could they delay these offerings, thus impairing their primary purpose, that which God desires in His world - "shalom bayit" - harmony and quietude in family life?

But Eli's sons mistakenly viewed their priesthood as an entitlement. Instead of a service based on purity and holiness, theirs was a service capable of arrogance and ugliness. They only sought to fulfill the external, technical side of the Temple service.

This corrupted form of service is what led to the destruction of the Tabernacle - something that an individual sinful act could not cause. If Eli's sons had actually sinned as written, such a state could not have gone on for long without correction. The service in Shiloh did not suffer from any particular sinful act, but rather from a moral decay in its very foundations, for which it needed to be destroyed in order to be corrected and rebuilt.

[adapted from Ein Ayah vol. IV pp. 49-50]

Once Again - Returning To Chomesh

2007-04-18T09:46:00.000-07:00

From an e-mail by Susie Dym:

IT'S TIME TO SIGN UP FOR YOUR BUS TO CHOMESH

You may have seen in the paper that Yom Haatzmaut (Tuesday 24 April 6 Iyar) is the next visit to Chomesh -- this time for only one day. Bring walking/climbing shoes and warm clothes, food and water. Busses cost 20 NIS and are round-trip: there and back, same day, don't bring your sleeping bag this time. Sign up now (you MUST do so till midnight of the night before (till Monday midnight).

Northern busses: Register at this number: 0524-627118

1. Golan (Katzrin) 9AM via Tiberias (Central Bus Station) - Golani Junction - Afula

2. Safad 9 AM - Carmiel -- Moreshet - Yokneam

3. Nahariya 9 AM - Acco -- Krayot -- Checkpost (in direction of Nesher)

4. Haifa (Merkaz Ziv near Riri flower store) 9 AM - Merkaz Horev (near Bnei Brit) - Kvish haChof - Zichron Yaakov (maybe)

Southern & Central busses, all leaving 10 AM (register at this number: 052-6302222)

5. Jerusalem - Binyanei haUma

6. Rehovot -- Herzl corner of Yaakov

7. Raanana - Yad LeVanim

8. Petah Tikva - Iriya Square

If your city doesn't have a bus above : If you are coming from a city or location not listed above call us immediately (0524-627118 for North, 052-6392222 elsewhere) before Motzei Shabat, and Chomesh Tchila will try to organize a bus to stop for you. Indicate full name, how many places you need and where from.

Public transport: Excellent service from Netanya straight to Shavei Shomron by Egged Line 73 www.egged.co.il 03-6948888. Remember that many places have good train service direct to Netanya.

SEE YOU IN CHOMESH!!

Pulitzer Prize for a Picture of Defiance and Heroism

2007-04-17T10:04:00.000-07:00

Oded Balilty, an Israeli photographer for the Associated Press, recieved a Pulizer Prize for this picture, also shown below, of a single Jewish girl couragiously resisting an entire line of soldiers who had come to demolish the Jewish community of Amona, located in Samaria, in February 2006.

I have reposted the contents of the relevant page (linked to above):

A lone Jewish settler challenges Israeli security officers during clashes that erupted as authorities cleared the West Bank settlement of Amona, east of the Palestinian town of Ramallah. Thousands of troops in riot gear and on horseback clashed with hundreds of stone-throwing Jewish settlers holed up in this illegal West Bank outpost after Israel’s Supreme Court cleared the way of demolition of nine homes at the site.

February 1, 2006

*****

One thing is for certain: that brave Jewish girl, and all other heroic Jews like her, will recieve their own Prize in the World To Come - a Prize for more valuable than anything that anyone can recieve in this world. Ko HaKavod to them!

Shemini: Judaism is Not Hefker

2007-04-11T09:39:00.000-07:00

Judaism is Not Hefker (1998)

Parsha Commentary by Rav Binyamin Zev Kahane z"tl h"yd

Translated by Lenny Goldberg

The intention of Nadav and Avihu was to sanctify themselves, but instead of being rewarded, they were killed. Why? Because holiness without the acceptance of the Yoke of Heaven is strange fire.

Without the "Yoke of Heaven", all of the mitzvot lose their significance. For example, someone might say: I observe Shabbat because I think it is nice, and not because G-d commanded me to do so. Such a person does not fulfill G-d's commandments, but rather is following his own thoughts and ego. He is performing the act out of intellectual or emotional "agreement", and is only reinforcing his own arrogance and conceit, despite the fact that on an exterior level, he is performing the same mitzvah just as you and me.

We have dealt with this concept on many occasions, especially as it pertains to the vast numbers of religious Jews who have difficulty relating to "national" mitzvot, such as goyim in Eretz Yisrael, war, vengeance, etc. This, as we have stated, is due to foreign influences, and the failure to accept the Yoke of Heaven in it's entirety. Through the sin of Nadav and Avihu, we will now deal with this concept from a different angle.

Many explanations are given for the death of Nadav and Avihu. In any case, we need not look beyond the simple understanding of the verses in our parsha to gain the proper insight: "And they offered strange fire before the Lord which He commanded them not." In other words, they deviated from the exact instructions which they had been given by G-d to perform the service. They added something extra, something strange. In order to grasp the severity of their sin, we must understand the background. We are talking about the eighth day of the consecration service ("milieuim") of Aharon and sons. These were days of spiritual elevation and preparation so that they can begin their service in the Tabernacle. During these days, Moshe, Aharon, and his sons were set apart from everyone else, occupied in the very special service G-d had commanded them. The details of this service had been meticulously described in parshas "TiZave" and "Tzav".

The eighth day was the absolute climax of the service. On this day the Tabernacle was erected, and the holy work inside it was to commence. Everyone was in a state of holy-exuberance which had never yet beenexperienced. And behold, Nadav and Avihu's love for G-d reached a new height, bursting forth almost uncontrollably. In their boundless enthusiasm,they felt a need to offer extra incense before G-d, something which they had not been commanded to do. And then tragedy struck.

If this had happened today, surely people would ask: That's a sin? On thecontrary, all this stemmed from their feelings of holiness! They should be given a prize! But here a great lesson is to be learned: There is no sanctity outside of the framework which G-d has set down, which is the "halacha". The Torah has a good reason for twice repeating in great detail the halachot of the "milieuim" service, despite the fact that these halachot are no longer applicable for today. It wants to teach us that even the "gedolim", during grand moments of spiritual elevation, must remember that there is a very specific procedure which G-d set down for how one must sanctify himself. It is not "hefker". Any deviation from the procedure which G-d determined, no matter how small it may be, is liable to bring tragedy. Pay attention to the words of the Torah in defining the sin of Nadav and Avihu: "And they offered a strange fire before the Lord which He commanded them not". Their sin was for doing something which was not included in what G-d commanded them to do. This is in itself a sin: G-d gave a clear plan, and then Nadav and Avihu came up with their own "agenda".

A lesson can be learned here that is applicable to some of the approaches to Judaism which are prevalent today. High spiritual elevation and enthusiasm which exceeds the "dry" and "square" halacha, is something very dangerous indeed. One who is trying to sanctify himself with holiness, may often feel that the halacha is restricting him. At first glance, such a feeling stems from a healthy aspiration for extra holiness. And then,according to his personal discretion and intellect, he begins to place emphasis on certain things. Without realizing it, he creates a new religion. A "strange fire". What is really happening here, is that he has broken off the "Yoke of Heaven", due to his ego and lack of readiness to understand that the foundation to holiness is the acceptance of the yoke of hisCreator, and the subjugation of his own ego.

The way to sanctify oneself and cling to G-d - only G-d Himself can determine. Just as it is clear that one cannot be "religious" in his heart, without fulfilling mitzvot, so, too, is it clear that our human intellect and personal emotions can never figure out the proper way to cling to G-d. Such feelings are brief and transient, blowing breezes which leave no real impression.

It is likely that the commandment given to Aharon forbidding him to mourn his children, is intended to complete this message. In other words, because the death of his sons was due to the fact that they went after their own inner emotions and ignored the "halacha", Aharon must prove that even in the most tragic situation, one must overcome his emotions, if Hashem commands it. And indeed: "And Aharon was silent". What greatness! Aharon accepts the sentence, transcending all personal loss and sorrow.

The Yoke of Heaven! Before we even "understand" the Torah; before we even "agree" with the mitzvot - we must fulfill it to the letter. Afterwards, one can try to understand. In the meantime, do the mitzvah even if it seems togo against your "conscience". We will do - and we will listen.

A Proud Winner of the "Thinker Blogger Award"!

2007-04-11T03:46:00.000-07:00

As some of you may or may not know, my fellow blogger MadZionist, has very kindly awarded this blog, among others, with the "Thinker Blogger Award."

Here is what he wrote about the Kahane Blog on his blog, "Mad Zionist":

Kahane Was Right - This site offers the graduate course for advanced Kahanism and Jewish religious nationalism. He's a true Torah scholar and a Kahanist to the core. I love it, and always learn something every time I visit his blog.

I must admit that until today I never even knew that such an award existed! Nevertheless I am extremely flattered that of all the Blogs on the internet, someone showed that they really appreciated this one.

Here is my reply to MadZionist's kind words:

Thank you very much for your kind words Mad Zionist - I must admit that it is very encouraging to know that people appreciate the Kahane Blog.

I must stress, however, that only a relatively small portion of the posts are written by myself. The majority are originally written either by Rabbi Meir Kahane z"tl h"yd, Rav Binyamin Kahane z"tl h"yd, Rabbi Levi Chazen, or adapted from the works of Rav Kook z"tl by Rabbi Chanan Morrison. Occassionally there are other guest writers as well.

Of course, I do also chip in myself from time to time...

Above all else, the Kahane Blog is meant to be a place to learn Torah and Jewish Thought, and to gain a perspective of world events through the Eye of Truth - that is, through the Torah. I am very glad that it is accomplishing this job, with the Help of G-D, and G-D-Willing it will continue to do so for a long time.

Now all I've got to do is decide who I want to choose...!

Passover: Next Year in Jerusalem

2007-04-07T14:08:00.000-07:00

Passover: Next Year in Jerusalem

When Rav Kook visited the United States, scores of people came to see and meet him. The purpose of his trip, however, was to raise funds for Torah institutions in Eretz Yisrael.

The Philanthropist's Question

At one gathering in the Rav's honor, a well-known philanthropist agreed to give a very sizable donation to the cause, but only if the Chief Rabbi could explain to him a puzzling practice.

At the conclusion of both the Seder night and Yom Kippur, Jews the world over say, "Next year in Jerusalem." "I understand why Diaspora Jews say this," said the man, "but why do Jews who live in Holy City say it? Are they not already there?"

The Rav listened attentively to the question and then answered genially: "The matter is quite simple, my dear friend. First of all, in Jerusalem we add one word to our prayer. We say, "Next year in the rebuilt Jerusalem" - and we still have a long way to go before that request is fulfilled in its entirety."

"But there is more," continued the Rav with a smile on his face.

"When we beseech God, 'Next year in Jerusalem,' we mean that we hope to be there in the fullest sense - in body, soul, and thought. We pray that our situation will be different than it is today, when people dwell in Jerusalem, but are preoccupied with planning trips to America raise funds."

Judging from the size of the man's donation, it was clear that he was especially pleased with the second answer.

[from An Angel Among Men by R. Simcha Raz, translated by R. Moshe Lichtman, pp. 253-254]

NEW: Read The "Haggada of the Jewish Idea" Online!

2007-03-28T09:41:00.000-07:00

Now for the first time the Haggada of the Jewish Idea by Rav Binyamin Zev Kahane is being made available free online!

Visit the Haggada of the Jewish Idea website www.hameir.org/haggada, or scroll down to the growing collection of links to online books further down the page.

Finally the Haggada of the Jewish Idea is ever more accessible to a world that the Israeli government wanted to rob of it!

Baruch HaShem!

Chag Kosher Ve'Sameach!

Passover: Who is Free?

2007-03-28T09:32:00.000-07:00

The main theme of the Passover holiday is, undoubtedly, freedom. But we must understand what this freedom is all about. Does it refer simply to the end of Egyptian slavery? Is it only political freedom - a luxury which has eluded the Jewish people for most of their 4,000 year existence?

True to Our Inner Essence

The difference between a slave and a free person is not merely a matter of social position. We can find an enlightened slave whose spirit is free, and a free man with the mentality of a slave.

True freedom is that uplifted spirit by which the individual - as well as the nation as a whole - is inspired to remain faithful to his inner essence, to the spiritual attribute of the Divine image within him. It is that quality which enables us to feel that our life has value and meaning.

A person with a slave mentality lives his life and harbors emotions that are rooted, not in his own essential spiritual nature, but in that which is attractive and good in the eyes of others. In this way, he is ruled by others, whether physically or by social conventions.

Vanquished in exile, we were oppressed for hundreds of years by cruel masters. But our inner soul is imbued with the spirit of freedom. Were it not for the wondrous gift of the Torah, bestowed upon us when we left Egypt to eternal freedom, the long exile would have reduced our spirits to the mindset of a slave. But on the festival of freedom, we openly demonstrate that we feel ourselves to be free in our very essence. Our lofty yearnings for that which is good and holy are a genuine reflection of our essential nature.

[adapted from Ma'amerei HaRe'iyah, Celebration of the Soul, pp. 141-143]

Psalm 112: No Fear!

2007-03-28T05:33:00.000-07:00

The Frightened Student

The Talmud [Brachot 60a] relates that Rabbi Ishmael ben Yossi was once in the market of Zion when he saw one of his students walking behind him.

Rabbi Ishmael noticed that the student looked frightened. "You must be a sinner," he remarked, "for it says, 'The sinners in Zion are afraid' [Isaiah 33:14]."

"But is it not written," countered the student, "'Fortunate is the person who is always afraid'?" [Proverbs 28:14]

Rabbi Ishmael, however, rejected this proof-text. "That verse refers to Torah study," he explained. Regarding Torah, it is proper to be vigilant lest we forget our learning. This concern ensures that we constantly review.

Why should fear be a sign of sin? Why is this emotion only appropriate with regard to Torah study?

Trust in God

When teaching about the trait of bitachon, placing one's trust in God, the Sages quoted Psalm 112. This chapter describes the righteous individual with an unwavering faith in God, whose life is free of fears and worries:

"He will not fear evil tidings; his heart is steadfast in trusting God." [Psalms 112:7]

The Sages explained the first part of the verse - "he will not fear evil tidings" - in two ways. This lack of fear is an expression of his genuine trust in God, and it is also a reward for his righteousness. The famous scholar Hillel, we are told, lived according to this verse. He once returned from a journey when he heard sounds of trouble and commotion in the city. Hillel remarked, "I am confident that it is not coming from my house" [Brachot 60a].

What is the source of this bitachon and fearlessness?

This inner confidence is based on the knowledge that even that which appears to be evil should not unduly trouble us. We recognize that all events in this world are Divinely ordained. If one's heart is genuinely "steadfast in trusting God," there is no place for fear and anxiety, since everything is from God and nothing can be truly evil.

The most debilitating aspects of hardships and suffering are not physical, but psychological in nature. For a person who can see the world as it is, and still his heart remains full of trust in God, even his afflictions are not true afflictions. Such a person is happy with his portion in life, and is able to face life's challenges with grace.

But for the individual who is accustomed to being discontent with the world, troubles await him at every corner. One cannot be at peace and feel contentment and happiness without learning to flow with life and accept the conditions of reality.

Fear and Sin

What is the connection between fear and sin?

Fear is the result of a state when the soul does not match or fit with the general reality. We do not fear that which is normal and expected. One who is unburdened with sins and maintains a healthy connection to the social order will not suffer from excessive worries and fears.

One whose life is darkened with immoral ways and corrupt values, on the other hand, has abandoned the proper path and his place in society. Due his alienated lifestyle, such a person will constantly feel anxiety and apprehension.

In addition, one living an ethical life is following the moral dictates of his intellect, while one who leaves the path of reason is subject to the whims of his imagination and its terrifying fears.

Never Enough Torah

Why did Rabbi Ishmael teach that there is one area where fear is appropriate - regarding Torah? Why should we be afraid of losing our Torah knowledge?

There is no reason to fear that we might lose something that we deserve, as long as we act appropriately. But when aspiring to acquire qualities that are beyond our natural level - such as the Torah, which is elevated above the ordinary human level - here there is room for concern. Even one who lives with integrity, and follows his intellect without the frightening shadows of the imagination, may reasonably be concerned lest he lose this extraordinary gift.

Unlike other fears, however, this concern need not disturb our mental equilibrium, since there is an obvious method to neutralize it - through dedicated efforts at study and review.

Only with regard to Torah study is dissatisfaction a positive trait. This feeling motivates us to work towards greater spiritual perfection - a goal that can never be attained, since there is no end to spiritual growth. As long as we recognize that this sense of discontentment is meant to prevent spiritual stagnation and stimulate continued growth, this fear will not darken our spirits and discourage us. Rather, it will help us overcome any traits of laziness, ensuring that we are not satisfied with spiritual acquisitions already acquired. With this awareness, our spirits will be full of joy and resolve, and we will continue to grow and succeed in our spiritual endeavors.

[adapted from Ein Ayah vol. II pp. 324-325]

Psalm 34: Amen - the Response of the Soul

2007-03-14T15:34:00.000-07:00

Amen is an ancient Hebrew word that has been adopted by many languages and cultures. What does it mean, and how should it be said?

The Sages taught an insightful lesson about Amen from the following verse, familiar from the call of the chazzan as the Torah is returned to the ark:

"Declare God's greatness with me, and we will exalt His Name together." [Psalm 34:4]

What is the difference between the two halves of the verse, between "declaring God's greatness" and "exalting His Name together"?

Outward Speech and Inner Thought

This verse describes a kind of spiritual dialog. There is the one who declares God's greatness, and there are those who listen and join in.

We use our faculty of speech to express to others our inner awe of God. This declaration starts, as the verse says, "with me." We openly express these sentiments in order to awaken others to join us in sensing God's greatness.

The second half of the verse, on the other hand, depicts a different stage. "We will exalt His Name together." Together we acknowledge the sanctity of God's Name. Concurrently we acknowledge the infinite kindness in God's elevated rule.

This second level requires no outward expression - just the contemplations of a pure heart, the inner feelings of the human soul. Speech is a vehicle to inform those who do not know. This stage, however, belongs to the future era when there will be no need to teach others, a time when an inner awareness of the truth will fill the world.

A Quiet Amen

The Sages saw in this verse the dialog between the one initiating with a blessing and the one responding with Amen. The response, they stressed, should be recited as described in the verse - 'together' - no louder than the original blessing [Berachot 45a]. What is so terrible about an extra-loud Amen?

We first need to determine: what does Amen mean?

By answering Amen to a blessing, we indicate our agreement. Amen means that our inner understanding is at one with what we have heard. It is not a form of public communication, but an inner response of the soul. We confirm that the sentiments that we have heard resonate with our own thoughts and feelings.

If Amen is said more loudly than the original blessing, this would indicate that our Amen is coming to add our own emotions to those already expressed in the blessing. This is not a negative act — due to our physical nature, we are influenced and emotionally moved by external speech and actions - but speech is only a vehicle to awaken inner enlightenment. A true Amen is not a loud outburst of emotion, but rather the quiet reflection of agreement and inner awareness.

The blessing calls out, "Declare God's greatness with me!" It is a public cry to awaken inner awareness in others.

And we respond with Amen. "We will exalt His Name together." We exalt God's Name, with inner recognition, above and beyond all language. Unlike the blessing, expressed openly in speech, Amen belongs inside the mind. The blessing is the means, and Amen is the goal.

Short in Letters, Long in Thought

The Sages wrote [Shabbat 119b] that the word Amen is an abbreviation for "El Melech Ne'eman" ('God, faithful King'). This is another sign that Amen belongs to the realm of thought, where speech is brief and reflection is extensive. Like an iceberg, only a small part of this response is revealed; its true content is hidden within.

[adapted from Ein Ayah vol. II p. 202]

Ki Tisa: The First and Second Luchot

2007-03-08T11:56:00.000-08:00

Breaking the Tablets

"As he approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses was angry, and he threw down the tablets that were in his hand, shattering them at the foot of the mountain." [Ex. 32:19]

Why did Moses need to break the luchot? He could have set them aside for a later time, when the Jewish people would be worthy of them. The Torah does not record that God criticized Moses for destroying the holy tablets. According to the Sages, God even complemented Moses for this act - "Yashar Kochacha that you broke them" [Shabbat 87a]. Why did they have to be broken?

The question becomes stronger when we note the unique nature of these luchot. They were "the handiwork of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the Tablets" [Ex. 32:16]. The second luchot did not possess this extraordinary level of sanctity. When God desired that a second set of tablets be prepared, He commanded Moses, "Carve out two tablets for yourself" [Ex. 34:1], emphasizing that these tablets were to be man-made. Furthermore, unlike the engraved writing of the first luchot, God said, "I will write the words on the tablets" [ibid]. The letters were written, not engraved, on the second tablets, like ink on paper. Why were the second luchot made differently?

Beyond Human Morality

The two sets of luchot, Rav Kook explained, correspond to two distinct paths in serving God.

The first path is when we utilize our natural capabilities to live an ethical life. We perform the mitzvot out of a natural sense of justice and morality.

However, God meant for the Jewish people to aspire to a much higher level, above that which can be attained naturally, beyond the ethical dictates of the human intellect. It is not enough to help the needy, for example, because of natural feelings of compassion. This is praiseworthy; but the higher path is to help those in need because, through this act, one fulfills ratzon Hashem, God's will.

Any ethical achievements that are the product of human nature and intellect are like the feeble light of a candle in the bright midday sun when compared to the Divine light that can be gained through these same actions. The loftier path is when the light of Torah is the light illuminating one's soul. One does not follow the Torah because its teachings match one's sense of justice and morality, but from the complete identification of one's soul with the Torah, which is ratzon Hashem.

The Sages hinted to this level in the Haggadah, "If God had brought us near to Mount Sinai and not given us the Torah, it would be enough (to praise him)." What was so wonderful about being near Mount Sinai? At that time, God planted in the souls of the Jewish people a readiness to fulfill His will. This preparation was similar to the natural inclinations of upright individuals to perform acts of kindness.

This understanding sheds light on a difficult verse in Mishlei: "Charity will uplift a nation, but the kindness of the nations is a sin" [Proverbs 14:34]. The Talmud explains [Shabbat 146a], "Charity will uplift a nation" refers to the Jewish people, while "the kindness of the nations is a sin" refers to the other nations. What is so terrible about the kindness of the nations?

Performing acts of kindness and charity out of a natural sense of compassion is certainly appropriate and proper for other nations. For the Jewish people, however, such a motivation is considered a chatat - it 'misses the mark.' The path meant for the Jewish people is a higher and loftier one.

Under the Mountain

Before the sin of the Golden Calf, the Jewish people were like angelic beings [Ps. 82:6, Shmot Rabbah 32:1]. So clearly did they feel the ways of God, that their desire to do good came, not from positive character traits, but because of the light of God and His will to be found in such acts. Their souls completely identified with the light of Torah.

At that point in time, they deserved the first set of luchot. There tablets were the work of God, just as their natural inclinations matched ratzon Hashem. And the writing was engraved in the tablets themselves, not a separate material like ink on paper. So too, their souls were united and identified with God's will.

Their state was so elevated, their holiness was so intrinsic, that they were almost at a level beyond sin, like natural objects that cannot change their ways. This is the meaning of the Talmudic statement that the Jewish people stood literally "under the mountain" [Ex. 19:17], i.e., that God coerced them to accept the Torah as He raised the mountain over their heads. This metaphor alludes to a state whereby their inner connection to the Torah was so strong, they did not have true free will whether to accept the Torah.

The Golden Calf

But for the Erev Rav, the mixed multitudes of nations that left Egypt with the Israelites, this elevated service was simply too lofty. They felt it sufficient to aspire to the regular level of ethical perfection, based on human emotions and intellect. Therefore, the Erev Rav demanded a physical representation of God; they wanted a service of God rooted in that which one can feel and sense, the natural feelings of human compassion and kindness.

Sadly, the Erev Rav succeeded in convincing the Israelites to abandon their sublime level. Even worse, as they relied on their natural sense of morality, this level too was lost due to undisciplined desires. They descended into a state of complete moral disarray - "Moses saw the people were unrestrained" [Ex. 32:25] - and transgressed the most serious offenses - idolatry, incest, and murder.

After Israel left their elevated state, they required a new path of Divine service. But as long as the covenant of the first luchot existed, no other covenant could take its place. Moses realized that they would not be able to return to that lofty state until the end of days. The first luchot needed to be destroyed in order that a new covenant be made.

Interestingly, the Torah specifically mentions that Moses destroyed the tablets "under the mountain." The first luchot belonged to their unique spiritual state of "under the mountain," when God's will was so deeply set in their souls that they had little choice but accept the Torah.

The Half Shekel

The covenant of the second luchot signifies a lower path of serving God, one closer to our natural faculties. Thus the second tablets combined both man-made and heavenly aspects. The stone tablets were carved out by Moses, but written upon with Divine script.

God nonetheless desired to give us at least some residual form of the loftier service. For this reason we have the mitzvah of donating a half-shekel coin to the Temple, in this way connecting every Jew with the holy service in the Temple. The donation, the Torah emphasizes, must come from the shekel hakodesh, from the highest motives, for God's sake alone - "an offering to God" [Ex. 30:13]. The Torah introduces this mitzvah with the words, "When you will raise the heads of the Israelites," indicating that this mitzvah raises up the Jewish people to their original holy level, when they encamped near Mount Sinai.

[adapted from Midbar Shur pp. 298-305]

The Hidden Hope Which Lies in the Hidden Message of Purim

2007-03-02T05:56:00.000-08:00

Written in 1997 by Rav Binyamin Zev Kahane hy"d

Translated from Hebrew by Lenny Goldberg

Two points in Megilat Esther are not clear. Firstly, what brought on the decree to destroy all the Jews, and secondly, what suddenly happened that caused the decree to be canceled? To understand this, we will look at the story of Purim.

Like a bolt of lightning, the decree "to destroy to kill, and to annihilate all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day" fell upon Persian Jewry. The reaction of the Jews to this edict was quite puzzling. The Megilah says that the "City of Shushan was in consternation". Consternation? Certainly, a more normal reaction would be to shout or cry. But "consternation"?

But if we take a glimpse at the of situation Persian Jewry at the time, we would see that consternation is the reaction we might expect after all. For it never entered their minds that such a thing could ever happen. They were the biggest patriots! They were the most loyal to Achasverosh! That is why when Achashverosh (nine months earlier) sent out invitations for the 180-day feast, the Jews were the first ones to confirm their attendance. All this despite the protests from the "extremists" such as Mordechai, who warned against their participation in such a feast, since it's intention was to make the Jews assimilate. But the Jews wanted to prove that they are not different than the rest. Thus the reaction of consternation upon hearing the shocking decree.

But then the Megilah continues: "And Mordechai knew all that was done..." He had no illusions, and understood fully what caused the decree. He knew that the assimilation - precisely what the Jew thought would ease anti-Semitic tensions, was the very cause of the decree! For the rule was learned since our days in Egypt: Whenever the Jew tries to water down his Judaism and be accepted by the gentile, the latent hatred (which is always there) of the gentile towards the Jew outwardly manifests itself.

If so, why was the decree annulled? Because immediately upon receiving word of the decree, Mordechai, as we mentioned, knew the reason for it, and did not give up. He also did not go on a boot-licking campaign to plead the case of the Jews to the king or his cabinet, despite the fact that he was no stranger to the palace and had connections there. What he did was to undergo a last-ditch effort to awaken the Jews to understand the real cause of the problem - that precisely their effort to shed their uniqueness as Jews and to blur over their Jewish identity and be like goyim is what brings upon them bad times.

Indeed, it is not easy to convey such a message to a Jew, when he is so caught up in having the goy love him. Because such a message seems to contradict all logic. But in Shushan, a great miracle occurred, and it is the real hidden miracle of Purim - the Jews did "Teshuva"! And not just "Teshuva" of talking without backing it up, but rather one of deeds. Instead of continuing to grovel to the Persians and bring down barriers as most Jews naturally react, they made themselves subservient to the truth of Mordechai only, admitting to their original mistake of participating in the forbidden banquet. This was the significance of the mass fast which was declared. It signified a genuine "Teshuva" to G-d.

By the way, now we can see why the Name of G-d does not appear in Megilat Esther, despite the fact that the theme of the story is "Tsh'uva to G-d". It is to tell us that when there is distress, one should not just rely on G-d to solve our problems in some miraculous fashion. Rather, we must prove by our actions that we understand the reason for the distress, and then do the right thing, even if it appears to be "illogical".

This should give us encouragement for today. For the problem of today is the same: Our need to copy the gentiles, to blur over our uniqueness as a people, and our absolute dependency on the world. At times it seems there is no hope. Can our people ever understand that America won't save us? And behold, we have a precedent in our history where from great distress, the Jewish People were able to wake up and to cling to the truth of Hashem. May we see the same awesome "Naha-Fochu" (a turning of the tables) quickly.

Why Did They Build The Temple?

2007-03-02T05:44:00.000-08:00

BS"D

YESHIVAT HARA'AYON HAYEHUDI
Jerusalem, Israel
HaRav Yehuda Kroizer SHLIT"A, Rosh Yeshiva

PARSHAT TETZAVEH/ZACHOR
13 Adar 5767/2-3 March 2007

WHY DID THEY BUILD THE TEMPLE?

Historical Backround:

Upon the return of the Jews to the Land of Israel after the destruction of the First Temple, the exiles from Babylon went right to work to rebuild the Holy Temple. This was in the year 3390 from Creation. The first returnees found life in the Holy Land quite hard. First of all, only some 42,000 Jews returned home, about 20 percent of Babylonian Jewry at the time. The great majority of Jews, who were business people and scholars from the upper classes, decided that this was definitely not Hashem's wish that the Jews return, so they stayed in the golden medina of Babylon. Secondly, the non-Jewish neighbors in Israel at the time, after being prevented from partaking of the building of the Temple with the Jews, informed the king that the Jews, in building the Temple, were rebelling against him. He immediately sent a stop order and all construction of the new Temple was halted. That king who gave this stop order was, of course, our very own Achashverosh.

So the story of Purim begins to unfold. The Jews of Israel decided to send a delegation to the king to persuade him to let them continue to rebuild the Temple. The non-Jewish neighbors, seeing that the Jews sent a delegation to the king, also decided to send one of their own to the king to persuade him of the dangers of the Jews rebuilding the Temple. Representing the Jews was none other than our own Mordechai HaYehudi, who had returned to Israel from Babylon years before, when permission was first granted to the Jews by King Cyrus of Persia. Representing the non-Jews was none other than our arch-enemy Haman, who was part of the foreign tribes installed in the Holy Land by king Sennacherib of Assyria when he exiled the ten tribes.

The Question:

The question that we must ask at this point is: Why? Why did the Jews go to so much trouble to rebuild the Temple? Not only did they have a very small community at the time, making upkeep of the Temple very difficult, but also, the danger of the non-Jews who lived in the Land at the time and who were threatening to the Jews would seem to make this a matter of "pikuach nefesh" - endangering lives - so that danger should override the rebuilding of the Temple. Anyway, isn't it coming down from Heaven as many rabbis today state, and all we have to do is wait and look up carefully and watch that it won't fall on us on its way to the Temple Mount? Why, then, did they go though all of the trouble to rebuild the Temple, when the community in Israel at the time was so fragile and the majority of the Jews were just not ready for it, anyway?

The answer is so simple but so removed from our conscience that it seems light years away. They went to so much trouble to rebuild the Temple because it is a positive commandment to build a Temple, as the Torah teaches us: "You shall build Me a Sanctuary, that I might dwell within". From here the Rambam derives that the commandment to build a Temple is applicable to every generation, a place where one can offer sacrifices to Hashem.

In this spirit, the Or HaChayim also writes that the commandment to build a Temple was not just incumbent for the generation in the desert, but for every generation. And that is why the Jews who returned to the Land of Israel from the Babylonian exile set out to rebuild the Temple right away. Without excuses, without fanfare, because of its importance and the central role it plays in daily Jewish life.

And so, when Mordechai HaYehudi finally disembarked from his long journey to Shushan from the Land of Israel, imagine his horror to find that in spite of his purpose for being in Shushan - to convince the king to reinstate the construction work for the Temple - he finds, instead, that not only can he not get to the king, but his own fellow Jews were running here and there to partake of the great banquet that king Achashverosh was throwing. And just what was the good king celebrating? That the Temple was not rebuilt, and the Redemption of the Jewish people was not fulfilled, as the prophet Jeremiah had prophesied that the Jews would return to their own Land after 70 years.

Hashem, Master of history, had other plans for his people, though, and if they did not want to come home and rebuild His House, then He had many messengers at His disposal to help us along, as in the unfolding story of Purim, with Haman and his evil decree.

Today, too, the Land is awaiting its sons to return and to rebuild Hashem's House. If we don't move along with His program, then the Master of history will know how to bring it about one way or another. That is what is happening today in our still-unfolding story of Purim. Do we dare make the wrong choice and miss the boat?

With love of Israel,
Levi Chazen

Purim in Volozhin

2007-03-02T04:50:00.000-08:00

Purim: Purim in Volozhin

The Purim Gabbai

In 1885, the year that Rav Kook studied in the famed yeshivah of Volozhin, he was unanimously chosen to lead the Purim revelry as Purim gabbai. The most important students in the yeshivah lit the streetlights along the road from Rav Kook's lodgings to the yeshivah. This created a festive atmosphere, as Rav Kook was led to the yeshivah and to the home of the Rosh Yeshivah, Rabbi Naftali Tvi Yehudah Berlin, known as the Netziv.

Efraim Teitelbaum, Rav Kook's roommate, related that when the Rav reached the home of the Netziv, he recited the usual verses poking fun at the administration and at events that had occurred in the yeshivah. However, instead of composing his doggerel in the vernacular Yiddish, he did so in Hebrew and Aramaic.

One of his quips was, "Berlin will sink and Berlin will rise." That is, the haskalah of Berlin (the 'Enlightenment' movement that advocated integrating into European society) will sink, while the Torah of the Rosh Yeshivah, Rabbi Berlin, will rise. Several students in the yeshivah had studied the haskalah literature and had been enticed by it. When they expressed their delight and amazement at the Rav's mastery of Hebrew and Aramaic, the Netziv turned to them and remarked, "Not only does he excel in Torah and yirat shamayaim (fear of heaven), but even in this subject you do not reach his ankles."

Measure for Measure

In delivering his Purim compositions, Rav Kook imitated the Netziv's manner of speech and enunciation. But he was repaid in kind many years later by the great-grandson of the Netziv, Rabbi Yitzchak Charif, who was chosen to be the Purim rav in Rav Kook's own yeshiva, Yeshivat Mercaz HaRav.

Rabbi Yitzchak, having internalized every word that he had heard Rav Kook speak, proceeded to make a Purim speech in precise imitation of the Rav's style and cadence. In his speech, he analyzed his position of Purim rav. Did it encompass only the rabbinate of Jerusalem, or did his nomination entitle him to officiate as the chief rabbi of all of Eretz Yisrael?

The scholarship and mental agility which he brought to his speech amazed all those present. Rav Kook was also impressed by Rabbi Yitzchak's address. He admitted that he had been unaware of the rabbi's greatness in Torah. "Now I am getting my due," Rav Kook noted. "The great-grandson is repaying me here in Jerusalem for that which I said to his great-grandfather in Volozhin."

[based on "Celebration of the Soul" by R. Moshe Zvi Neriyah, translated by R. Pesach Jaffe, pp. 123-124]

A special message from Hebron

2007-02-25T06:19:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends of Hebron,

Between Purim and Pessach, many organizations beseech you to help poor families in Israel, whether it is for Matanot L'Evyonim or Kimcha D'Pischa (Maot Chittim).

Who deserves your help more than the heroic Jews of Hebron?

Whether they dedicate their time to Torah study, to settlement activities or to simply trying to make a living in a difficult, hostile environment . . .

- you know that they have put themselves on the line - for you.

- you know that they are risking their lives and their livelihood in order to watch over your great- grand parents - for you.

The Hebron Fund, in coordination with the Social Services Department of Hebron, has taken upon itself the funding of a number of holiday community projects. Monies will be spent and distributed only as per the recommendations of the professional representatives appointed by the duly constituted, elected administration of the Jewish Community of Hebron. Please give as much as you possibly can. When you sit down for your Purim meal or at your Seder table, do so knowing that you have helped the most deserving families in Israel share in your holiday joy.

Sincerely yours,

Lenny Gamss Yossi Baumol

President Executive Director

Anat Cohen

Director of Educational & Social Services, Hebron

Ways to Donate:

1) Go to our secure server at https://pro29.abac.com/hebron/english/donate.php

2) Please call us and provide us with your credit card information over the phone

in the United States at tel. no. 718-677-6886, in Israel at tel. no.1-800-400-456

3) Please mail a check to the Hebron Fund, 1760 Ocean Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11230

or in Israel, please mail to: Post Office Box 105 Kiryat Arba - Hebron 90100

Mishloach Manot Sponsorships:

A. $360 - For the children of Hebron

B. $500 - For Soldiers stationed in Hebron

C. $720 - For Kiryat Arba/Hebron Senior Citizens, distributed by Hebron children

D. $1,000 - Purim Solidarity Visit to bereaved parents and Gush Katif Families

$1,000 - Sponsorship of Purim "Ad Delo Yada" Parade

$2,600 - Sponsorship of Purim Carnival for Hebron children and visitors

$5,000 - Sponsorship of Festive Purim Meal for entire community

$12,000- Sponsorship of Kollel family for entire year

$25,000- Kimcha D' Pischa – Maot Chittin for entire community

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Jewish Community of Hebron
POB 105 , Kiryat Arba-Hebron 90100
Tel: 02-9965333
********************
Email:info@hebron.com

Psalm 84: Preparing for Prayer

2007-02-22T13:19:00.000-08:00

"Ashrei Yoshvei Veitecha"

This beautiful psalm contains many inspiring verses that express our deep yearnings to be close to God and His holy Temple. "My soul longs and pines for God's courtyards!" [Ps. 84:3]. Yet the verse most well-known begins with the word "Ashrei" (fortunate):

"Fortunate are those who dwell in Your house. They will continue to praise You, selah." [Ps. 84:5]

This verse was designated to introduce Psalm 145 in the daily prayers. In fact, it is customary to refer to the recital of this chapter as Ashrei, after this verse.

Who are these fortunate 'dwellers' in God's house? Would it not be preferable to pray there, rather than just sitting in His house?

Preparations for Prayer

The Sages knew that sincere prayer requires mental preparation. "One should not stand up to pray until he has acquired a reverent state of mind" [Brachot 30b]. We cannot make the sudden switch from our everyday activities to heart-felt prayer without a genuine effort to clear our thoughts and focus the mind.

The Talmud in fact describes two levels of preparation before prayer. The minimal level, expected from all people, is to attain a general attitude of seriousness and awe. The Sages referred to this state of mind as koved-rosh, literally 'heavy-headedness.' We need to do away with any light-headedness and frivolous imaginings, and direct our thoughts towards the eternal.

However, the "chasidim rishonim," the especially pious of earlier times, would perform a more intensive preparation. These righteous individuals would meditate for a full hour before each prayer. They would not begin their prayers until they knew that "their hearts were fully concentrated on their Father in heaven."

Why did these chasidim require so much time to prepare for prayer?

Directing the Heart

The minimal level, that of focusing the mind on holy matters, does not necessitate such a lengthy preparation. In a relatively short time, one can elevate the mind with positive and holy images. But the pious of old also worked on directing their hearts - "until their hearts were fully concentrated." Controlling one's feelings and desires is a much more complicated matter.

Personality traits and emotions, wants and desires, are connected to our physical side. It takes time and effort to analyze our feelings and natural inclinations, and guide them towards holiness.

The early chasidim based their lengthy preparations on the verse, "Fortunate are those who dwell in Your house." The psalmist is not referring to those who make a quick 'visit' to God's house. This is not just the rapid focusing of the mind on holy matters. Rather, the verse speaks of those who 'dwell' in God's house. These individuals meditate at length, uplifting their feelings and refining their basic nature to be in harmony with the mind's enlightenment. This intensive preparatory effort requires a lengthy stay in the realm of the spiritual and the infinite.

Spiritual Stability

The verse concludes with the assurance that those who dwell in Your house "will continue to praise You, selah."

The Sages taught [Eiruvin 54a] that the word selah indicates something of a continuous or eternal nature. Those who dwell in God's house, as they strive to elevate their hearts and emotions, attain a more stable level of holiness. Their unity of heart and mind enables them to continually "praise You, selah." They achieve a consistent state of holiness and God-awareness.

Now it is clear why this verse was placed at the beginning of Ashrei and recited at the start of the prayer service. We are reminded to prepare our state of mind before praying, and take inspiration from those special chasidim who would first 'dwell' in God's house, as they focused their minds and directed their hearts.

[adapted from Ein Ayah vol. I, pp. 127,154]

Taking Our Destiny into Our Own Hands

2007-02-21T09:55:00.000-08:00

During the past few weeks, there have been two particular stories gaining much attention from the media in Israel, as well as internationally. The first is the much talked about sleaze and corruption that has hit almost every single politician and public figure in Israel. The trail has lead from more minor MKs, to the former justice minister Chaim Ramon, Israeli President Moshe Katzav, the Prime Minster Ehud Olmert, and most recently the Chief of Police Moshe Karadi. In fact, so far has this stench of corruption emanated, that the authorities were seemingly unable to find a single “clean” public figure to take up the now vacant post of Chief of Police. Yaakov Ganot, who is to succeed Karadi, was in fact implicated in a corruption scandal in 1994 (although he was acquitted).

The other major story to burst into the headlines recently was that of the violent riots by Muslims in Jerusalem, lead by the popular Muslim leader Sheikh Raad Salah, in what they said was a response to a series of repairs being carried out on a walkway at the Rambam (or Mughrabim) Gate, which was damaged during a snowstorm not so long ago. Muslims worldwide accused the Israeli authorities of seeking to “undermine” and “vandalise” the “Al Aqsa Mosque” and its surroundings – despite the fact that the dig is located far away from the Al Aqsa complex.

In the face of a significant amount of international pressure, coupled with the violent Arab intimidation, the Israeli govt once again caved in in part, agreeing to allow Turkish officials to “inspect” the site. Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupolianski joined in calls to suspend or even scrap the dig altogether, and once again the Islamic world was shown that if they want to get their own way, all they need to do is resort to violence.

At a first glance these two stories seem completely unrelated, but upon further examination each is just a symptom of a far greater problem.

It is said that “he who controls the Temple Mount, controls all of Israel,” and today this could not be more obviously true. After the insane move of actually handing the Temple Mount over to the Waqf (Islamic religious authority) only hours after its conquest in 1967, the Israel authorities and media, as well as the international world, have ignored the criminal desecration by the Islamic authorities of thousands of years’ worth of valuable artefacts, dating back to the times of the First and Second Jewish Temples, which once stood on the Temple Mount. This blatant attempt by the Waqf to deny a Jewish connection to the Mount (as expressed in their many sermons), is only compounded by the fact that legally, only Muslims may pray on the Mount, with Jews often forbidden even to enter the area (that is, the areas that are permitted to be entered by Jewish Law). The latest rioting is in fact totally within the overall policy of the Waqf to deny entry to the Mount to all non-Muslims – the Rambam Gate just so happens to be the only path up to the Temple Mount that is used by non-Muslims.

What greater corruption can there be, what greater “sleaze” exists, than that of when Jewish politicians and supposed “leaders” hand away our Holiest site to be desecrated? And it is not only the Temple Mount – we all remember the sites of Muslim rioters tearing apart and burning down the Tomb of Joseph, the burning down of the ancient “Shalom Al Yisrael” synagogue in Jericho, among other instances…

Rav Avraham Yitzchak Kook z”tl went to great pains to stress the importance of the “secular Zionist” movement of his time in that it was rebuilding Eretz Yisrael at a time when the religious communities were shirking their duty to do so – yet at the very same time he emphasised that if they would remain devoid of Torah, then eventually the time would come when they would turn rotten and have to be “shed” as a “klippa” (shell) which covers the holy light of the Jewish Nation.

Today we see that this could not be truer. Their corruption began the moment they decided that Israel would be a mere “State of the Jews” in which Judaism was no more the state religion than Islam or Christianity; instead of a true, Jewish State, in which the Torah would be accepted in full by the nation, and all hostile elements would be excluded.

But the religious are not blameless either. Besides for the lamentable lack of religious participation in the setting up of Jewish sovereignty in Eretz Yisrael, even today we continue to ignore the tragedy that happens before our very eyes. We pray at the Kotel, and we think that that is enough! Never mind that our Holiest site is still off-limits to us, and that the Muslims daily desecrate it, digging up and destroying or dumping all remains from the Temples - the Kotel is all we need! How sad that we have indeed forgotten Jerusalem, for as it says in the Kuzari: just as the spiritual centre of Israel is Jerusalem, the spiritual centre of Jerusalem is the Temple Mount!

Right-wing, left-wing, “centrist” – they have all failed us, as have the pseudo-religious parties of the Knesset, who have had many years to shout out loud about this sin and many others, but who have chosen not to in exchange for ministerial positions and govt funding. It is time for the Jewish people as a whole to shake off these corrupt individuals, and demand the Law of Israel in the Land of Israel. It is time that we stood up for the honour of Jerusalem, as it is being trampled by those who wish to deny our connection to it (and how sad it is that the Muslims are willing to take to the streets for the sake of Jerusalem, but we are not!)

If we do not, then we are all complicit in their national corruption, and what is at stake here is more than just the reputation of the Israeli govt or one minister or the other, but the very Sanctity of the Land of Israel itself!

Parshat Mishpatim/Parshat Shekalim: Fire on the Mountain

2007-02-16T04:32:00.000-08:00

BS"D

YESHIVAT HARA'AYON HAYEHUDI
Jerusalem, Israel
HaRav Yehuda Kroizer SHLIT"A, Rosh Yeshiva

PARSHAT MISHPATIM/SHABBAT SHEKALIM
29 Shvat 5767/16-17 February 2007

FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN

"When you will buy a Hebrew (Ivri) servant, he shall work for six years, and in the seventh he shall go to freedom, without charge."

Questions: The Torah starts off with listing the judgments with the laws concerning the Jewish slave. First, we must ask why this is number one on the hit parade. Are there not more pressing issues in Torah law, than that the Torah should be teaching us right from the start about the Jewish slave? Second, why does the Torah use the word "Ivri" (Hebrew), and not Israeli or Jewish slave, which would seem to be more appropriate? For we do not find anywhere else in the Torah the term "Ivri" used to address the Jewish people and teach them a law, except here. For the moment, let's leave the questions.

For the past two weeks now, we have been hearing the daily reports surrounding the Temple Mount and the Mughrabi gate - will they build a bridge to the Mount or not? Hourly the reports flow in from the radio, quoting the bearded mayor of Jerusalem and the unbeared ones sitting in the Knesset; "To build or not to build: That is the question". Will Israel cave in to pressure from Arab rioters, and from world leaders demanding from Israel to stop all work on the site at once? With the calls coming out from the Arab world how the Jews are planning to destroy the mosques on the Mount, the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem quake from fear of the threats.

History of the site - A Purim story unfolding

Some three years ago, a small earthquake hit the Jerusalem area. I recall walking in downtown Jerusalem on my way to the Old City when it hit, and all buildings in Jerusalem shook. Later, it was learned that all of Israel was hit by this quake, but only two places in the country suffered damage: The Mughrabi gate and the Prime Minister's office, in which Ariel Sharon was sitting at the time, the same Sharon who became Prime Minister in the merit of his ascending the Temple Mount in the year 2000, the same Temple Mount that he later turned his back on and it, in turn, became the cause of his downfall. And although it was easy to fix the cracks in the ceiling of the Prime Minister's office, fixing the Prime Minister himself was a lot harder. But the Mughrabi gate could not be fixed and had to be replaced.

Hence, we fast forward to our day, when work on the gate was supposed to start.

For the Arabs it is much more than just a bridge; it is the only entrance into the Mount for non-Moslems. By keeping the bridge down, they would Illegally be able to keep all Xtians and Jews from ascending the Temple Mount. For the Jewish State, it is another denial and surrender to the Arab Problem and to the time bomb that is waiting to go off.

And now, to return to our questions on the parsha: The first time that we find the expression "Ivri" used is by the Patriarch Abraham. Abraham was from the other side of the river, which our Rabbis teach us meant that Abraham was on one side in his belief of the One G-d, while everyone else in the world at the time was on the other side with their pagan beliefs. Abraham stood alone against the tide. Today, some 4500 years later, Abraham is being proven right. The "Avnei Nezer" points out that only this is true freedom, the ability to resist the coercion of other people's opinions and influence, and stand up for the truth.

In this light, the Jewish people are the only truly free people in the world, being that they cannot be sold for more than six years. This is also the reason why the Torah starts off with this law, to teach that in all the Torah laws, sometimes one must be able to stand up to the masses, even if it is an unpopular decision.

Today, more than ever, we need that "Ivri", the one that can stand up to world pressure and tell the truth. We need the one who can build up the bridge, but the bridge that will be carrying not the tourists up to the Mount, but the Kohanim - Priests - to their work in the Holy Temple.

And what about the Arabs, you ask? They will be very, very far away from here...

With love of Israel,
Levi Chazen

German intelligence agents spying in Hebron (On Behalf of the "Quartet")

2007-02-16T03:57:00.000-08:00

German intelligence agents spying in Hebron

The Jewish Community of Hebron
February 16, 2007

A group of seven German intelligence agents, identifying themselves as 'anonymous diplomats' today began an information-gathering mission in Hebron, led by a member of the Breaking the Silence/Bnei Avraham pro-Arab, anti-Jewish/Israel left-wing extremist organizations.

The agents were approached by Hebron spokesmen Noam Arnon and David Wilder, in an attempt to provide them with an additional perspective of Jewish life in Hebron. However, they were told that the group had no time, their schedules were planned weeks ago, and 'maybe next time.' "When might that be," they were asked. "We don't know," they replied.

With the group standing in the road just outside the Avraham Avinu neighborhood, Wilder requested just five minutes in order to bring them to the Avraham Avinu Synagogue and explain the five hundred year old history of the site and the neighborhood. However, his request was not even considered. After distributing his business card to them, he requested their cards in return, in order to be able to contact them directly. However, all members of the group had 'forgotten' to bring their business cards with them.

Before departing, Wilder commented that a group such as this, especially coming from Germany, with that country's dark, Nazi past, should at least be willing to spend a few minutes with Jews living in the first Jewish city in Israel, trying to revive and renew the Jewish people's past in Hebron. However, the group refused to listen to him and continued their tour with a self-hating Jew, who spouts only hate for Hebron's Jews, representing only the 'poor Arabs' who are being oppressed by the Jewish Community of Hebron, the Israeli army, and the State of Israel.

It later became clear to Hebron leaders that members of the group are associated with the BND, the ANBw, and have ties to the CIA and MI5. Their primary mission in Hebron is to gather information for the European Quartet, in order to begin implementation of their plans to follow in the footsteps of their infamous predecessors, Nebuchadnezzar and Titus: to bring about a Judenrein Eretz Yisrael, starting in Judea and Samaria, and of course, in Hebron.

How ironic that people whose friends, relatives and fellow countrymen participated in the slaughter of between six to seven million Jews should arrive in the city of Abraham with a self-hating Jew, whose goal is the expulsion of Hebron's Jewish population, and should ignore those people trying to reestablish Hebron's glorious Jewish past.

Mishpatim: An Eye For An Eye

2007-02-14T03:22:00.000-08:00

Azar's Question

During the years that Rav Kook served as chief rabbi of Jaffa, he met and befriended many of the Hebrew writers and intellectuals of his time. His initial contact was with the 'elder' of the Hebrew writers, Alexander Zuskind Rabinowitz, better known by the abbreviation 'Azar.' Azar was one of the heads of Po'alei Tzion, a Marxist, anti-religious party; but over time Azar developed strong yearnings for traditional Judaism. He met with Rav Kook many times, and they became close friends and soul mates.

Azar once asked Rav Kook: how can the Sages interpret the verse "An eye for an eye" [Ex. 21:24] as referring to monetary compensation? Does this explanation not contradict the simple meaning of the verse?

The Talmud [Baba Kamma 84a] brings a number of proofs that the phrase "eye for an eye" cannot be taken literally. How, for example, could justice be served if the person who poked out his neighbor's eyes was blind? Or what if one of the parties had only one functioning eye before the incident? Clearly, there are many cases in which such a sentence would be neither equitable nor just.

What bothered Azar was the wide discrepancy between a simple reading of the verse and the Talmudic exegesis. If "eye for an eye" in fact means monetary compensation, why doesn't the Torah say that explicitly?

The Parable

Rav Kook responded by way of a parable. The Kabbalists, he explained, compared the Written Torah to a father and the Oral Torah to a mother. When parents discover their son has committed a very grave offense, how do they react?

The father immediately raises his hand to punish his son. But the mother, full of compassion, rushes to stop his raised arm. "Please, not in anger!" she pleads, and she convinces the father to mete out a lighter punishment.

An onlooker might feel that all this drama and conflict is superfluous. In the end, the child did not receive corporal punishment; why make a big show of it?

In fact, the scene had great educational value for the errant son. Even though he was only lightly disciplined, the son was made to understand that his actions deserved a much more severe punishment.

The Fitting Punishment

This idea also holds true for one who injures another. Such an individual needs to realize the gravity of his actions. In practice, we can only make him pay monetary restitution, as the Oral Law rules. But he should not think that money alone can rectify what he has done. As Maimonides wrote in his legal code, the Mishneh Torah, the Torah's intention is not that we should actually injure him in the same way that he injured his neighbor, but rather "that it is fitting to amputate his limb or injure him, just as he did to the other" [Laws of Personal Injuries 1:3].

Maimonides more fully developed the idea that monetary restitution alone cannot atone for physical damages in chapter 5:

"Causing another bodily injury is not like causing monetary loss. One who causes monetary loss is exonerated as soon as he repays the damages. But if he injured his neighbor, even though he paid all five categories of monetary restitution - even if he offered to God all the rams of Nevayot [see Isaiah 60:7] - he is not exonerated until he has asked the one injured for forgiveness and he agrees to forgive him." [ibid. 5:9]

The Revealed and the Esoteric

Azar noted: Only Rav Kook could have given such an explanation, clarifying legal concepts in Jewish Law by way of Kabbalistic metaphors. For I once heard him say that the boundaries between Nigleh and Nistar - the revealed and the esoteric parts of Torah - are not so rigid. For some people, Bible with Rashi's commentary is an esoteric study; while for others, even a chapter in the Kabbalistic work "Eitz Chayim" of the Ari z"l is considered 'revealed.'

[adapted from "Malachim Kivnei Adam", R. Simcha Raz, pp. 351, 360]

Crisis in Blue

2007-02-13T04:01:00.000-08:00

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/article.php3?id=6909

By Rabbi Dawidh Hanokh Bar-Hayim

When, as a teenager, my father used to tell me that he did not like me wearing jeans, I usually asked: "Why not? After all," I would point out, "what difference does it make what material the pants are made of?"

My father's reply – referring to the hippie/rock and roll/anti-establishment subculture of the day - typically went something like this: "It is not the jeans, my son, it is what they represent."

Now let's switch frames, to the Torah commandment to wear tzitzith on a four-cornered garment: "Speak to the Children of Israel, and tell them to make for themselves, in all generations, fringes on the corners of their garments; and they shall attach to the fringe of each corner a thread of blue." (Numbers 15:38) The mitzvah (commandment) is comprised of two parts: to place white strings on the corners, and to tie an additional string of techeleth (a bluish dye) around the other strings. The first part is easy. The second is tricky. Or used to be.

A Look at the Sources

According to tradition, the blue in question must be of a specific type: it is a very beautiful and permanent dye produced from a particular mollusc found in the Mediterranean. In the wake of the Islamic conquest of the entire Mediterranean region (7th-8th centuries CE), the specialised knowledge required for this dyeing process was lost. Thus, we find Maimonides (12th century) stating that the techeleth element of the mitzvah is "not possible today, and we therefore do the white only." (Mishnah commentary, Menahoth 4:1)

And so things remained, until less than 20 years ago. The facts are fascinating, but suffice it to say that due to the efforts of one rabbi, the source of the dye and the chemical process involved in actually dyeing wool techeleth are well known today. To have a packet of tzitzith with techeleth sent to your home, all you need to do is pick up the phone or go online.

Great news, right? Apparently not; the overwhelming majority of Orthodox Jews do not wear it. The question is why not, particularly since "the main part of the mitzvah is the techeleth, for which reason the entire tzitzith is referred to as techeleth." (Rabbi Asher, "Laws of Tzitzith," no. 17)

The Blue Peril

Some Halachic authorities have claimed - historical, archaeological and Talmudic evidence notwithstanding - that the identification of the mollusc is not certain. Others, in a last-ditch effort to stave off the blue peril, have suggested that using a bluish string that is not in fact techeleth might render the entire tzitzith unacceptable. No convincing proof has been adduced for this unlikely supposition.

Remember: we are speaking of great rabbis, masters of Halacha, who will normally go much farther than the proverbial extra mile in order to fulfil a mitzvah. Regarding this commandment, however, the usual zeal seems entirely absent.

The issue, in my humble opinion, is not one of identification. Nor are Halachic concerns the name of the game. The problem is not the techeleth, but rather what it represents. And that can be summed up in one word: change.

The Status Quo as a Mitzvah

One of our greatest strengths as a people has been our adherence to tradition. Throughout the Galuth (Exile), our forefathers gave their all to ensure that we, their descendants, would continue to live in accordance with the Torah. To this end, a strategy was developed, a central feature of which was an extremely rigid conformance to minhag (customary practice) and a sanctification of the present state of Jewish affairs. It is fair to say that in the fullness of time, this came to be the essential yardstick and paramount concern of Judaism; the status quo became a mitzvah.

As with everything else, however, one can have too much of a good thing: when this ingrained arch-conservatism serves to endorse a philosophy that places minhag above explicit Torah precepts - a classic case of the means overtaking the end - one cannot avoid the conclusion that the system has broken down.

To better understand the nature of the difficulty, imagine a number of bricks - let's say, ten - laid out in a tight circle, resembling a clock-face. If you were handed an eleventh brick and asked to incorporate it into the circle, you would have two options: remove one of the existing bricks and replace it with the new one, or break up the circle and create a new and wider circle, which could accommodate the eleventh brick.

Now imagine the Torah and the mitzvoth. These, too, are such a system, forming an immense and perfect circle. But here's the catch: the Galuth-version of the Torah is not the real McCoy; it is a scaled-down model, a product of the cataclysm of the Hurban (the destruction of the Temple) and the collapse of the Second Jewish Commonwealth. Over time, we have come to view it as the genuine article, with the result that our undersized circle is regarded as sacrosanct. Removing a brick or expanding the circle - even if only to reconstitute it as the Torah demands - is considered beyond the pale. The abnormal has thus become the norm.

Torah: Reality or Folklore?

It is not only techeleth that has proved altogether too much for the existing Halachic paradigm; it is reality itself. A rabbi who does not know what to do when presented with an innocuous thread of blue is unlikely to have the answers regarding more weighty matters such as rebuilding the Temple or re-establishing the Sanhedrin. Nor is he likely to have given much thought to how a modern Jewish state is to be governed: does the Halachic framework for this exist? If not, who is going to formulate it?

And what of socio-economic questions? The Torah and the Prophets speak of these matters at length, educating, instructing and commanding us to be more caring, less selfish, to establish a model society. Is the voice of Torah heard on these issues today? Who will do this if not rabbis who possess an acute and insightful understanding of the Oral Tradition?

Present-day Orthodoxy, born in the crucible of Galuth, has no room for 'new' mitzvoth - even if they are very old. The essential article of faith of the frum world - "that which is new is forbidden" (first introduced 200 years ago as Orthodoxy's battle cry in its war with the German Reform movement) - does not allow for innovation and originality, even when the Torah demands it.

When faced with the task of implementing the Torah, in all its aspects and manifestations - from techeleth to trade and industry - the rabbinical establishment is, sadly, completely out of its depth. And when rabbis are unable to deal with Torah and make it work in the real world, we, the Jewish people, are in a state of profound crisis.

It's enough to make you blue.

Blood Libels Abound in the Arab World

2007-02-07T07:21:00.000-08:00

This is just the latest example of hundreds that are peddled every year. In Syria they even made a TV series about a group of religious Jews who stole the blood of xtian children to make Matzot:

Click here to see video.

Of course, it is not news to us - we've known about what the Arabs say about us since time immemorial - but what perturbs me is that it is never publicised in the general media, even in Israel! Why are people not made aware of this. Our leaders and the media are trying to con us. They try to fool us into thinking that there is no real "war" going on between us and the Muslims, but rather between us and "a few extremists, who are shunned by most of the Muslims in the world." In reality this could not be further from the truth - but without people seeing and hearing these things for themselves nothing can be done.

But the question is how? How do we make out brothers and sisters aware of the extent of this hatred? How do we shake them out of the (partially self-imposed) slumber? This is a particularly vital question for Israeli Jews, but it applies to the rest of world Jewry as well. Furthermore, we can make use of these videos to this end and to others, and yet we do not - why?

Check up on the memritv.org archives (or use the search engine). There are simply dozens of these blood libels that are documented, and they are espoused by prominen figures in gov't, religion, culture and the media. But how is it that none of it gets out to the masses? And why is it that we do not take advantage and [i]use [/i] these videos?

International Campaign To Free Jonathan Pollard!

2007-02-06T09:14:00.000-08:00

American Jewish organizations have organized a massive nationwide campaign to call the White House every afternoon for the next two months and request/demand freedom for Pollard. The campaign is to last, if it does not succeed in attaining its goal beforehand, until after Passover, the holiday of freedom.

The campaign, spearheaded by the National Council of Young Israel, is predicated on the fact that the White House tallies all incoming calls, "and so every single phone call makes a difference."

A statement issued by Young Israel Executive Vice President Rabbi Pesach Lerner asks citizens concerned by Pollard's plight to "call daily between the hours of 11-2 pm EST, and encourage their family members and friends to do the same. Callers are reminded to expect the lines to be busy and to keep calling until they get through."

The White House phone number is 1-202-456-1414.

In addition, the Council of Torah Sages of Agudath Israel of America (the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah), Agudath Israel's Rabbinic Presidium, and nearly 100 members of its Conference of Synagogue Rabbis have issued a declaration calling on "all caring Jews... to convey the message to President Bush that Mr. Pollard has served long enough, and that the time has come to free him."

Agudath Israel states that Pollard's plight "demands our urgent attention. [His] life sentence “a penalty far more severe than that imposed upon others who committed similar or even more serious crimes “is difficult to comprehend... At this time, it appears that all legal avenues through the judicial system have been shut off."

"Only the President of the United States, by granting Mr. Pollard executive clemency, can save him from spending the rest of his life behind bars," Agudath Israel pleads.

The Bnei Elim organization has announced a series of simultaneous lie-in-the-street rallies on behalf of Pollard. The rallies are scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 8, at 6 PM EST, and 3 PM on the west coast of the U.S. Pollard supporters are asked to lie down or sit in the street at the designated location, in the hope of drawing the media to pass the "Free Pollard!" message along to President Bush. Locations include: Zion Square in Jerusalem (at 6:00 PM), Broadway between 46th and 47th Streets in NYC, Merrit Island and Cooper City in Florida, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Taylorsville, Utah.

In addition, the Midrashah Tzionit, a Jewish educational center in Kiev, Ukraine, has declared the current month of Shvat a month of struggle for the release of Jonathan Pollard. The activities will include hunger-strikes and petitions to the Israeli government. Jews in the Ukraine and other former Soviet republics are collecting signatures for a petition to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and the government of Israel, demanding immediate and urgent steps to secure Pollard's release.

Furthermore, on the 23rd of Shevat (February 11th), concerned Jews will hold a day-long hunger strike in Kiev, Odessa, Minsk, Moscow and other cities. On the same day, a Jonathan Pollard video-conference will be held, including participants from all over the former Soviet Union. The Russian-language website of the Midrashah Tzionit has posted much information on Pollard and on the efforts to free him.

Jonathan Pollard, in failing health, is currently in his 22nd year of imprisonment, many of which were under very difficult conditions, for having given classified information to a friendly nation and ally, Israel.

The Zionist Organization of America "welcomes" the recent statements by former CIA director James Woolsey and former top US. Middle East negotiator Dennis Ross in favor of clemency for Pollard, and reiterated its own call for his release.

Woolsey recently told Arutz-7, "Now that he has served 20 years of a prison sentence, my view is that a 20-year sentence, I think, is enough... I think the close relationship between United States and Israel as fellow democracies is also a consideration so, at this point, I think Pollard has served a long enough sentence."

Dennis Ross was quoted in Canada's Jewish Tribune as stating that Pollard's sentence was excessive and that he should be released. "Pollard has been in jail for so long that whatever facts he might know would have little if any effect on national security today," Ross said. He added that he discussed the issue with President George W. Bush, but that Bush is showing no interest in releasing Pollard.

U.S. judicial experts, too, have decried the injustice of the sentence. Federal Judge Stephen Williams of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia said that the "government's breach of the plea agreement was a fundamental miscarriage of justice."

Retired U.S. Senator Dennis DeConcini, a former chairman of the Senate Select Intelligence Committee, has written, "I am convinced that Mr. Pollard has expressed the appropriate remorse and served adequate time."

Former Federal Prosecutor Rudolph Giuliani, a former Mayor of New York City who may run for U.S. President, said the sentence was unfair and "way beyond the sentences served by other people that have been convicted of the same offense.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/news.php3?id=121029

The Mud And the Blood And The Beer

2007-02-02T05:47:00.000-08:00

BS"D

YESHIVAT HARA'AYON HAYEHUDI
Jerusalem, Israel
HaRav Yehuda Kroizer SHLIT"A, Rosh Yeshiva

PARSHAT BESHALACH/TU B'SHVAT/SHABBAT SHIRA
15 Shvat 5767/2-3 February 2007

THE MUD AND THE BLOOD AND THE BEER

Almost 70 percent of adults in the U.S. are expected to watch this Sunday the “Superbowl”; that’s more than 2 out of every 3 adults, and world-wide, over 200 million viewers will tune in for the big game. Over 14,000 tons of potato chips are expected to be eaten and endless bottles of beer will be drunk. True, many will be watching for the commercials, but most will want to see who will take home the trophy. Still, this impressive figure pales in comparison to the splitting of the Reed Sea.

For at the moment of the splitting of the Reed Sea, all the waters of the world also split. From rivers to lakes to wells of all countries throughout the world, even water in people’s jars and mugs split, thus publicizing the miracle. Every single person in the world at the time knew about the miracle that was taking place. The waters in the world returned to their natural state only after the water of the Reed Sea resumed its normal course. In this way G-d’s great Name was sanctified throughout the entire world.

But it was at that grand moment, when the Jewish people were crossing the sea, that some of the Jews began to complain to one another saying: Look at this, in Egypt we were stuck in the mud all day making bricks, and here, too, we are stuck in the mud that is in the seabed. We had mud then, and we have mud now! Hashem considered these words a rebellion against Him, as it’s stated: “They rebelled against Me at Yam Suf. I shall nevertheless save them in order that My Name be sanctified” (Psalms 104). Hashem, then, in His mercy dried the mud and made the ground become firm.

How unfortunate it was that in the midst of this great miracle, there were Jews who could not see past their own noses, could not see the whole picture and were bogged down in merely contemplating their sorry state of muddy feet.

Ours is the generation of the Redemption. After wandering from place to place as unwanted guests of the nations of the world, Hashem in His mercy brought us home. Still, many of us still want to see the mud on our feet, instead of seeing that we are walking through the sea. The “Chafetz Chaim”, commenting on the Redemption process, wondered how it was possible that two people could be at the same place and look at the same scene, but come to two totally different conclusions. One will see a tree, a house, a road but nothing that connects them, while the other fellow, looking at the same picture, will see how the towns and villages are being rebuilt and resettled and how all are returning home.

Today we still have too many people looking at the mud on their feet and complaining "Oy, how muddy are my feet", and who don't see the historic times that we are living in, and how Hashem is taking us through the sea at this very moment. In this process of Redemption, there is mud and blood but we must not focus on our dirty feet – instead, we must rise above and see the whole picture before our eyes.

The Talmud teaches us that the generation that left Egypt were people of little faith: "The Jews cried out, that just as we came out of the Sea the Egyptians will surely come out at a different spot and will chase us." For this reason, Hashem, in His great mercy, had the sea spit out the Egyptians' corpses so that the Jews could see them and know that they were all killed. Were it not for Hashem’s own Namesake, which He has tied to the Jewish people, all of us would have been lost.

In our day there is mud in this process that we are in, and at times a lot of it, but only a fool would be looking down at the mud and worrying about it being on his very expensive shoes. Instead, at the same time we should be looking up at the light, which is growing brighter every day at the end of the tunnel.

With love of Israel,
Levi Chazen

BeShalach: Listening to the Old ...

2007-02-02T05:45:00.000-08:00

Truly Listening

As the Israelites began their sojourn in the desert, they found themselves without water to drink. With Divine counsel, Moses was able to sweeten the bitter waters of Marah; then he admonished the people to follow God's instructions carefully:

"If you truly listen ('shamo'a tishma') to God's voice and do what is upright in His eyes, carefully heeding all His commandments and keeping all His decrees ..." [Ex. 15:26]

In Biblical Hebrew, verbs are emphasized by adding the gerund form before the verb - "shamo'a tishma." The Talmud often infers additional meanings from this grammatical repetition. In this case, the Sages taught an important lesson about learning Torah:

"If 'shamo'a' - you listen to the old - then 'tishma' - you will merit listening to the new. But if you turn away (from the old), you will no longer hear." [Berachot 40a]

This statement is unclear. What is meant by 'old' and 'new'? What special promise is hinted in the doubled verb, "shamo'a tishma"?

Love for Torah

There are two reasons why people are drawn to study Torah. The proper motivation is a love for Torah based on an awareness of its intrinsic value - what is called lishmah, the study of Torah for its own sake.

Torah lishmah means awareness of the holiness inherent in the act of studying Torah. One should recognize the Torah's quality of elevating the individual and the world with the light of Divine morality. Even regarding the practical side of Torah, we should sense "the Godly soul that is found within the ensemble of the Torah's details, perfecting the universe - in life, in the physical and the spiritual realms, in the community and the individual" [Orot HaTorah 2:2] .

A second motivation to study Torah is the natural desire to satisfy one's intellectual curiosity, just as with any other science or area of study.

Reviewing the Old

When is the difference in motivation for Torah study most pronounced? The true test comes with regard to 'the old' - when reviewing material already learned.

If our principle motive is merely intellectual curiosity, then such study will be unappealing and even burdensome. If, however, we are studying the Torah for its true value, as a revelation of God's blueprint for perfecting the world, then it is unimportant if the material is not new to us. The value of Torah study is in the very act of assimilating this Divine revelation, in 'uniting' our thoughts with the holy concepts revealed in the Torah.

One who studies Torah lishmah internalizes its teachings. Such a person 'possesses' the Torah he has studied; it becomes a part of him [see Kiddushin 32b]. Then, as the Talmud predicts, "he will listen to the new" - he will be able to hear original Torah thoughts from within himself. Second century sage Rabbi Meir taught:

"All who engage in Torah study for its own sake merit many things .. The secrets of Torah are revealed to them, and they become like a spring that flows with ever-increasing strength and a stream that never ceases." [Avot 6:1]

The student who studies Torah lishmah becomes a fountain of creativity, contributing his own innovative explanations and insights. The 'new' isn't just new to him, but new to the entire world.

One who turns away from previously learned material, on the other hand, is demonstrating that his real motivation is only natural intellectual curiosity. This person, the Sages warned, "will no longer hear." Even new ideas will no longer be of interest. Such an insensitive soul will not merit even the normal measure of curiosity with regard to Torah wisdom.

[adapted from Ein Ayah vol. II, p. 185]

Continuing The Fight Against "Jews For Jesus"

2007-01-31T09:28:00.000-08:00

This article from Arutz Sheva really caught my attention (how could it not - it was on the home page!), and it really reminded me just how much time and effort and how many resources are needed to fight the missionary scumbags around the world:

"Rabbi Slams Back At Jews For Jesus"

Here's what these J4J scum are all about:

In the last year alone, Jews for Jesus engaged in a 65-city tour -- any city that has more than 25,000 Jews within it -- primarily targeting Jewish youth and the elderly for conversion. To combat this aggressive assault, Rabbi Tovia Singer [pictured], founder of Outreach Judaism and show host on Israel National Radio, is now making available his 20-part tape series, “Let’s get Biblical” free via mp3 download to anyone seeking answers to questions posed by Christian missionaries.

"Jews for Jesus has declared their staggering goals,” stated Rabbi Singer. According to their marketing materials, Jews for Jesus exists, “To make the messiahship of Jesus an unavoidable issue to our Jewish people worldwide.” As part of their recent effort to convert the Jewish elderly in New York, Jews for Jesus distributed more than 80,000 copies of a conversionist film translated into Yiddish to homes in Brooklyn, Queens and Monsey, New York.

They target the most vulnerable:

Jews for Jesus is expanding its efforts to convert survivors of the Holocaust. The testimonials of those who managed to survive the Holocaust, yet became ensnared by the Baptist missionary group are broadcast on the Jews for Jesus website.

Here are two different anti-missionary organisations (each with slightly different methods):

OutreachJudaism.org

Yad Le'Achim

The only thing that I must say is that in Israel the way to combat the missionaries themselves (as opposed to the Jews who get caught up in their web of lies), should not be to even engage such evil people in debate. The response should be to "smash their teeth," in the same way as we respond to the "wicked son" on Seder night - or preferably to do a little bit more damage than just that. In Eretz Yisrael there should be no messing about: the missionaries need to go!

A Vort for Parashat Beshalach

2007-01-31T09:01:00.000-08:00

"And Moshe's hands were heavy and they took a stone and put it under him and he sat upon it..." (Shmot 17:12)

The Talmud in Berachot 54a mentions this stone in a list of objects that deserve a special benediction for being testimony to miraculous events. In Rosh Hashanah 29a the Talmud rejects the seemingly obvious supernatural explanation of the verses that indicate that it was Moshe, sitting on the stone, who directed the course of the battle. What, then, is left that would attach such importance to it?

In Ta'anit 11a we learn: "When the public is in a state of hardship one must not say, 'I will go to my home and eat and drink, and peace be upon myself'... rather, one must endure hardship along with the public, as is written: 'And Moshe's hands were heavy and they took a stone and put it under him and he sat upon it.' For did Moshe not have a pillow or a couch on which to sit? Rather, Moshe said: Since Israel is in a state of hardship, I too will endure hardship along with them."

The stone Moshe sat on symbolizes not the victory over Amalek, but that the leader of the nation would not allow himself comfort that was denied to his flock. Testimony to such solidarity and unselfishness truly deserves its own benediction.

The State of Israel Continues to Decay... And Am Yisrael Are The Ones Who Suffer!

2007-01-30T10:22:00.000-08:00

What a sad day for Yerushalayim, Ir HaKodesh, as even our Holiest City is not spared from the evil forces lined against us:

Jerusalem registers its first gay couple

And this is probably only the beginning (G-D forbid!)...

...Oh yeah, and it seems that we are reaping the fruits of the ludicrously lenient criteria of the "Law of Return," and non-Jewish immigration from the FSU in general:

'Satanist' teens allegedly burn flag

It is also interesting to note that the main headline was that the teens burned an Israeli flag - not that they burned Mezuzot...

This should just remind all of us here what's at stake. Three murdered Jews in Eilat is barely the tip of the iceberg. Because of the degradation of Torah and Kedushat Eretz Yisrael, the entire Nation suffers - be it from the Arab problem or spiritual malignancy. We [i]all[/i] suffer because of this, and we must fight against it with every fibre of our bodies... May G-D have Mercy on us, and may He exact Retribution on the evil elements and individuals who have caused us so much grief and agony!

Righting the Wrongs of the Past Through Ahavat Yisrael

2007-01-27T13:46:00.000-08:00

Why does everyone ignore the plight of our Ethiopian brethren? Why do we repeat the sins of so many years ago, when Sephardi/Mizrachi Jews from the Middle East and Northern Africa were treated like animals and kept in poverty just because they were different to the secular European Jews who ran things at the time (and still do to a great extent today)? We go on and on about Teshuva in this generation, and then we ignore injustices such as these, highlighted in this article by Ha'aretz, as well as so many others, simply because we are able to close are eyes to it. (And how sad it is that no religious media outlets or publications will deal with this problem or even admit that it exists!)

Yes, it is true; there are many complications when it comes to the Ethiopian Jews, stemming in part from the incompetance of certain religious leaders, and in part from certain overly-eager American-Jewish do-gooders. But what is certain is that many of them are sincere in their Judaism, and they are our brothers and sisters! They suffer daily because of the colour of their skin, or because they are "different" to the secular elite who control the Israeli gov't and authorities.

This should not be so, and if G-D-fearing Jews do not take up their cause and relieve their suffering, then the missionaries who lurk in the shadows to kidnap Jewish souls in the way that they did to so many neglected and poverty-stricken Soviet and Northern African Jewish immigrants, will do the same to our vulnerable brethren from Ethiopia - and they have already started! Who will extend a hand to these Jews? Who will show true Ahavat Yisrael to a community who are isolated, scared and confused - but most of all who are in despair?

If we do not do so, then the evil cults and heretical groups who are allowed by the hellenistic authorities to fester inside our Holy Land (much to our shame), will destroy so many thousands of Jewish souls, and commit atrocities far worse than any "Islamic terrorism" could...

It's Like the Blind Leading the Blind... How Much More of This Must We Endure?

2007-01-26T04:33:00.000-08:00

I am so terribly glad that I came across this article today! Finally, we have found all the solutions to our problems!

Yes boys and girls, once we burn all our women's open-necked shirts and dangling jewelery, then Mashiach will come, and then we will all be ok! The Arabs will simply turn around and say "how can we continue to rape Jewish girls when so many of them dress so modestly? How can we blow up little kids who are born to women who dress with such sniut? Let's claim a homeland in Las Vegas instead!" And Khaled Mashal, Ismael Haniyeh and Abu Mazen will pack up and leave, and the Qassams will stop, and all the Arabs will leave and all Jews will join hands and sing songs. What wonderfully clever leaders and Rabbanim are leading this nation!

...Even such a thick layer of sarcasm cannot properly relay how angry these kind of things make me. Stupid Rabbanim leading even stupider Zealots in burning clothing, instead of mosques and places of idol worship. Idiotic masses of asses standing around lapping up words of ignorance from a bunch of Rabbanim who have barely even heard of Sderot, let alone lived there and suffered with their brethren there, telling them that the solution to all of our ills is "to get rid of tight clothing."

I know that ynet always look for reasons to bash the Chareidim and other religious communities in Israel - and that is why I usually am repulsed by ynet - but this time their cynicism is well-placed (as much as I hate to admit it).

It's not that sniut isn't vital, and it's not that unfortunately many Jewish women and girls do indeed wear innappropriate clothing - but the fact is that any Rabbi or leader who takes such an initiative against clothing, yet did/does not do so for Batei Knissiot in Yesha or elsewhere in E"Y that are being destroyed, or for people's homes, or for Jewish lives, is either mentally unstable, or simply blind.

It is mamash like witnessing a headless chicken running around its coop like a meshuggena. Like the blind leading the blind. It could not be more frustrating...

Kahane Was Right!

FALL-WINTER SCHEDULE AT YESHIVAT HARA'AYON HAYEHUDI IN JERUSALEM!

FAITH IN G-D AND SAMSON WEAPONS

NO TO GUILT FOR ISRAEL

The Jew Who Hesitates Is Lost By: David J. Heimowitz

DOWN WITH CHANUKAH – December 15, 1972 Rabbi Meir Kahane Writings (5732-33) (1971-73)

Michael Savage quotes Rabbi Meir Kahane "Every Jew a 22"

LISTEN WORLD, LISTEN JEW (1978)

INTRODUCTION

But It Is MY Ox! January 19, 1990 - 22 Teveth 5750

So Easy To Forget

THE NEW YORK TIMES - Monday, June 16, 1975By Rabbi Meir Kahane

Rabbi Kahane: For Truth's Sake

Israel – There Are No Moderates (excerpts from Kahane - The magazine of the authentic Jewish Idea May-June 1989 Iyar-Sivan 5749 )

Barbara Ginsberg

The ‘Guilt’ of Jews Threatens Israel - The New York Times, Friday, April 7, 1989

Jerusalem

Rabbi Meir Kahane’s last speech urging American Jews to make emergency Aliyah (excerpts of speech)

Two Reasons for Increased Anti-Semitism

The Economic Crises

The Racial tension – In all Colors

The Pre-War Depression: Not a Criteria

How to Gauge anti-Semitism: Go to a Bar

Role of the Prophet – To See It and say It

Living in Israel – Difficult; Living Elsewhere – Impossible

The "Israeli-Arab" Uprising Comes Ever Closer

One of My Favourite Divrei Torah for Hoshana Rabbah

I'm Back For A While, I"YH, So Expect A Few Divrei Torah For Succot...

Please Stay Tuned - Back in a Few Weeks...!

Israeli Authorities Plan to Expel Jews From Shalhevet Neighbourhood (in Hebron) This Coming Sunday/Monday

"They Burned My Trees" - A Classic Example of the Wisdom of Rabbi Kahane

Eikev: Blessings Over Bread and Torah

Va'Etchanan: With All Your Soul

The Holocaust That Is Overshadowed by the Destruction of the Temple

The "Crybaby Culture" of Modern-Day Israel

59 Years Since the Sinking of the Altalena

Time To Arise From The Ground

Returning To Chomesh!!!

Devarim: Moses Speaks!

Fact: And I Will Do To You What I Wanted To Do To Them!

The Legitimate Rights of the Ammonites

Yokes of Heaven, Yokes of Man

Chukat: Total Dedication to Torah

Rav Binyamin Kahane on Parshat Korach - They Simply Don't Want to Hear the Truth...

Parshat Korach

Korach: Separation and Connection

Who is a Gadol, and How To Choose a Rabbi

Returning to the Source

The Abomination Parade Set to Attack Jerusalem Once More This Year

The Bankruptcy of Secular Zionism

A Menorah By Any Name

Psalm 31: Like a Lost Vessel

Clarifying a Temple Mount Issue

Shavuot: Accepting Two Torahs

Parshat Bamidbar

A Happy Man

Parshat Behar-Bechukotai: What Will We Eat In The Seventh Year?!

Parshat Emor - The Right Man For The Right Job

Emor: The Omer Controversy

Parshat Acharei Mot/Kedoshim

It Is Obvious!

Tazria-Metzora: Unpleasant Torah Issues

Tazria: Shiloh and the Birth-Offerings

Once Again - Returning To Chomesh

Pulitzer Prize for a Picture of Defiance and Heroism

Shemini: Judaism is Not Hefker

A Proud Winner of the "Thinker Blogger Award"!

Passover: Next Year in Jerusalem

NEW: Read The "Haggada of the Jewish Idea" Online!

Passover: Who is Free?

Psalm 112: No Fear!

Psalm 34: Amen - the Response of the Soul

Ki Tisa: The First and Second Luchot

The Hidden Hope Which Lies in the Hidden Message of Purim

Why Did They Build The Temple?

Purim in Volozhin

A special message from Hebron

Psalm 84: Preparing for Prayer

Taking Our Destiny into Our Own Hands

Parshat Mishpatim/Parshat Shekalim: Fire on the Mountain

THE NEW YORK TIMES - Monday, June 16, 1975
By Rabbi Meir Kahane