Understanding Ya'aqov vs. Yisrael

25 Iyyar 5786
40 Days of the Omer

If you read through those articles linked on the Yom Rishon blog post, you will have had a couple of opportunities to reacquaint yourself with the Midrash where it says that in the future, Eisav will put on a tallit and approach Ya'aqov calling him "brother."  He will offer to meet Ya'akov halfway, if Ya'aqov consents to do the same, each of them pledging to compromise for the sake of unity.  

Note that Eisav makes a point of being the elder of the twins, commanding the respect due the bechor, but such "unity" would be on Eisav's terms and to Eisav's benefit first and foremost.  

Politically, Eisav is "Edom" and culturally, he is Western.  Spiritually, he is Judeo-Chr*stian.  And at every level, he works to keep his brother down and under his control.  Because at the end of the day (at the End of Days) Eisav understands that the moment he loses control of Ya'aqov is the moment he loses the lofty position he has acquired for himself through deception and corruption and at times, pure evil.

The State of Israel is currently operating like a twin of Eisav - "no daylight between them."  It claims "brotherhood" with gentile nations.  It brags about being a haven for Eisav's idolatrous religion as well as its perversions and revulsions.  It begs to be allowed to sell out its citizens, its heritage and its future offspring for a pat on the head and a seat at the table.  

Fortunately for us, however, Ya'aqov has the ability (and the destiny) to rise above the level of Eisav's twin and to become Israel in truth.

...Ya’akov had to leave Eretz Yisroel and spend 36 years away from home in order to bring about the most important transition of all: change from Ya’akov to Yisroel.  ...Although he left Eretz Yisroel as Ya’akov Avinu, he returned 24 years later as Yisroel. For, it was at the border of Eretz Yisroel, while crossing the Yabok River, that Ya’akov fought with the angel and prevailed, earning his new name, Yisroel:  “Your name shall no longer be called Ya’akov, but Yisroel, for you have struggled with a heavenly being and with man, and have prevailed.” (Bereishis 32:29)

...The Malbim sees a division that will occur in the Jewish people at the end of days, one which will not occur along traditional lines. There will be two camps amongst the Jews, one called Ya’akov and the other called Yisroel, and the difference between the two will be based upon the desire, or lack thereof to reject acceptance amongst the gentiles as sufficient redemption.

Apparently it is the Ya’akov side of the Jewish people — the masses — who will be joyous about staying in the Diaspora, enjoying acceptance amongst the gentiles and even positions of leadership. On the other hand, this will not be satisfactory for the Yisroel camp of the Jewish people, and they will publicly long for the ideal form of redemption, for the return to Eretz Yisroel and to Tzion — true Tzion. It will be a great Kiddush Hashem, and apparently trigger the final stages of the Final Redemption.

This is a new spin on the name Yisroel.  According to the Malbim, it is a name that signifies a specific attitude of the Jew at the end of days, one that leaves a Jew yearning for the complete and final redemption in every sense of the term. Whereas Ya’akov is satisfied with new-found freedoms and high positions amongst the gentiles, Yisroel only sees that stage of redemption as an intermediary one, on the way to the final return of the Jewish people to the their land, and more importantly, the return of the Divine Presence to Eretz Yisroel.    (Source) 

It is no coincidence that the Twin Towers and their "fall" had Jewish and Israeli connections.  Whether people were aware of it or not, they represented the power of Eisav and Ya'aqov when they operated in the mode of twins.

It is also no coincidence that their "fall" kicked off the "forever war" in the Middle East, a war that pit the Twins against Yishmael.

Once Eisav/Edom entrenched himself in this part of the world, the new tower reflected the new reality - One in place of Two.  Eisav always intended that Ya'aqov would be subsumed within his brother's milieux.  He had already tried killing him but then saw that his own success depended on access to his brother's innate kedushah.  The only way to defeat his brother was to harness his power and maintain absolute control over him.  

"Freedom" for Eisav but enslavement for Ya'aqov.  However, these rules do not apply to Yisrael!!!

It's interesting that the month of Sivan, represented astrologically by the Twins (Gemini), is the very month when Yisrael as a whole finally rose to the heights of its spiritual power upon receiving the Torah.  Obedience to the Torah and servitude to HKB"H is the epitome of true freedom.

Now, is the ideal time to make up your mind and choose your camp - will you continue to be a Ya'aqov or will you rise to become a Yisrael?

Rabbi Richter: Trump Assassination Attempt? (Part1)

24 Iyyar 5786
39 Days of the Omer 

Can Trump Survive A Fourth Assassination Attempt? Prophetic?

Understanding Eisav

23 Iyyar 5786

38 Days of the Omer

Please, when you get a chance, review the articles at the following links.  They are vital background for an important blog post I hope to write this week.  This will save us all from a super-long post which no one will have the patience to read at one go.  Thank you and shavua tov!

A Tale of Two Religions - One True, One False

Esau Will Don a Tallit

President Designates a National Shabbat Observance

US Weighs Long-Term Military Presence in Israel

On the Parashah...

21 Iyyar 5786
36 Days of the Omer

Erev Shabbat Kodesh
Parashat Behar - Bechukotai

"According to Alshich, the Torah relates the observance of Shemittah to Israel's arrival in the land that I give you to counteract the normal human feeling that someone's property is his alone, especially the land that he works with sweat and travail. The Torah emphasizes, therefore, that it is God who gives the land." (Torah commentary on Parashat Behar)

Interestingly, it is on the very verse (v. 10) which deals particularly with HaYovel - the Jubilee year - that the commentary states...

"The Jubilee laws bring home to people that the land and freedom are Divine gifts and that ownership reverts to whom He wills it."

After a long discourse on the laws concerning HaYovel, the Torah says...

"For the Children of Israel are servants to Me, they are My servants, whom I have taken out of the land of Egypt - I am HASHEM, your God. You shall not make idols for yourselves,...for I am HASHEM your God." (Vayikra 25.55-26.1)

This is followed immediately by Parashat Bechukotai and the chilling tochachah...

"This Sidrah begins with the idyllic blessings that await the Jewish people if they live up to their covenant with God, and are thus worthy of God's esteem. It then proceeds to the tochachah, Admonition, a sobering account of punishments, frustrations, and curses that will be the inevitable outcome of any attempt to destroy the covenant. Indeed, though God's underlying mercy prevents all of these curses befalling Israel in any one unbearable instant, a careful reading of Jewish history - and perhaps the twentieth century in particular - shows that they have taken place at intervals, before and during the exiles. Just as the curses have come, however, so the final blessings will come, for the final words of the Admonition are God's irrevocable oath that He will remember His covenant with the Patriarchs and redeem His children." (Torah Commentary)

And if anyone remains in doubt, for those who believe that they can set aside the Torah and put their own reasoning ahead of God's clear commands, our haftarah gives some strong advice...

So says HASHEM: "Accursed is the man who trusts in people and makes mortals his strength, and turns his heart away from HASHEM.* He will be like a lone tree in the wilderness and will not see when goodness comes; he will dwell in the arid desert, in a sulfurious, uninhabited land. Blessed is the man who trusts in HASHEM, then HASHEM will be his security. He will be like a tree planted near water, which will spread its roots alongside brooks and will not see when heat comes, whose foliage will be ever fresh, who will not worry in years of drought and will never stop producing fruit." (Yirmiyahu 17.5-8)

[*If a man puts his trust in people, his heart will turn away from Hashem.]

Yirmiyahu HaNavi then makes an interesting observation: "The heart is most deceitful of all and it is fragile; who can know it?" (Yirmiyahu 17.9) Good Jews can go wrong because their hearts lead them astray. They feel misplaced mercy and compassion where the Torah demands justice and reason. They choose the heart over the mind: "I, HASHEM, plumb the heart and test the mind; to give a man according to his ways, like the fruit of his deeds." (Yirmiyahu17.10)

Reward and punishment, the curse of exile and the promise of redemption. And the war for hearts and minds. That is our parashah this week. 

And it has been the focus of this blog all week, as we have fought a hard battle for the hearts and minds of Am Yisrael to shun idolatry and cease dependence upon idolaters and to close the door firmly in the face of it. 

The time for learning our lessons is over. Now, we are sitting our final exam. Who will pass, who will fail? It's all up to you!

~ Shabbat Shalom ~

Why Is the Redemption Delayed?

19 Iyyar 5786
34 Days of the Omer 

Mashiach Is Coming —
So Why the Delay?

Who Is Rav Hoshea Allen?

It's Time to Pass the Torch to Yerushalayim

17 Iyyar 5786
32 Days of the Omer
Netzach sheb'Hod 

To paraphrase Yosef HaTzaddik: 
"They intended evil against us, but God designed it for good...."

The Chatam Sofer (Rabbi Moses Sofer, 1762–1839) held a largely negative view of the, at the time, growing custom of traveling to Meron in Israel for large-scale celebrations on Lag baOmer.

His objections were rooted in traditional, Ashkenazi halachic perspectives that prioritized established custom over new practices, and focused on the sanctity of Jerusalem over other sites.

Key points regarding the Chatam Sofer’s view include:

• Opposition to the Pilgrimage: The Chatam Sofer expressed strong opposition to making pilgrimages to Meron (the burial site of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai).
  
  
• Focus on Jerusalem: He questioned why people would travel to Meron instead of to Jerusalem, the Holy City.
  
  
• No New Holidays: He argued against creating new, festive holidays that are not based on explicit Talmudic or halachic sources.
  
  
• Mourning vs. Joy: The Chatam Sofer noted that the day of a righteous person's passing (yahrtzeit) is fundamentally a time for reflection or minor restrictions rather than massive, public celebration.
  
  
• Burning Clothes: He specifically objected to the custom of burning expensive clothing in bonfires at Meron, citing it as a violation of Bal Tashchit (the prohibition against wasteful destruction).

While the Chatam Sofer acknowledges the importance of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and the significance of Lag baOmer as a day when mourning ceases, he strongly opposed transforming it into a "new" type of festival focused on Meron rather than Jerusalem.  (Mi Yodeya, OU)

Yerushalayim to Host Citywide Lag BaOmer
Celebrations as Meron Events Scaled Back

With this year’s Lag BaOmer gatherings at the kever of Rebbi Shimon bar Yochai in Meron significantly restricted, Yerushalayim is preparing to serve as the main hub of celebrations, with numerous hadlakos planned throughout the city.

The central hadlaka led by Rav Meilech Biderman is scheduled for 10:30 p.m. on Rechov Shefa Chaim. A designated area for women will be available at Ginat Ezrat Torah.

A major hadlaka will also take place at Yeshivas Oryasa on Rechov Strauss at 8:30 p.m., featuring Bentzi Stein, Arele Samet, and others. The Hachnasas Orchim Rashbi organization has made large-scale preparations, including providing significant amounts of food and meat for participants.

At Kikar Zaks on Rechov Shmuel Hanavi, the hadlaka of Rav Yaakov Meir Shechter will take place at 8:00 p.m.

Additional celebrations are expected at the kever of Shimon Hatzadsik, at Rav Shalom Arush’s shul, and at Toldos Aharon in Meah Shearim.

In Beitar Illit, the Toldos Avraham Yitzchak rebbe will light at the Kavim parking lot at 10:30 p.m.

Meanwhile, in Meron, only three hadlakos will take place in a limited format: the Boyaner Rebbe, Rav Shlomo Amar, and a hadlaka organized by the Dati Leumi community, each limited to approximately 200 participants.    {Matzav.com}

"MERON CANCELED!!"...

16 Iyyar 5786
31 Days of the Omer
Tiferet sheb'Hod

...Israel Cancels Meron Lag BaOmer
Hilula For First Time In Modern History  

* * * UPDATE!  * * *

Lag Ba'omer In Meron Canceled!
SIGN OF THE GEULA??

(*Especially since the focus of this stage of the war period is on
restoring Har Habayit and the rebuilding of the Beit Hamikdash.)

Introduction to The History of Lag Ba'Omer Celebrations
For the Uninitiated  (Source of information: Chabad.org)

Lag Ba'Omer, the 33rd day of the Omer count, is a minor Jewish holiday marking a pause in mourning for Rabbi Akiva's students and the yahrtzeit (passing) of mystic Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai.  Celebrated with bonfires, picnics, and haircuts, it commemorates the end of a plague and the revelation of Kabbalistic secrets, with major festivities in Meron.

Origins and Significance

• End of Plague: According to the Talmud, a plague that killed 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva during the period between Passover and Shavuot stopped on this day.
• Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (Rashbi): The day commemorates the passing of the 2nd-century sage who instructed his students to treat his death as a joyful yom hilula (festive day) because he revealed profound mystical secrets (the Zohar) on that day.
• Historical Link: Some link the day to the Bar Kokhva revolt against Rome, suggesting the bonfires symbolize success or resistance.

Evolution of Customs

• Bonfires: Symbolizing the spiritual light introduced to the world by Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, bonfires have been a central feature for centuries, with early records from the 15th-16th centuries noting gatherings at his burial site in Meron.
• Haircuts (Upsherin): In observant communities, three-year-old boys receive their first haircut on this day.
• Bows and Arrows: Children play with bows and arrows to symbolize the rainbow, which is considered a sign of divine protection, or as a nod to the stories of the Bar Kokhva revolt.
• Weddings: Because it is a break from the mourning period, Lag Ba'Omer is a very popular day for weddings.

Modern Celebrations

• Meron Pilgrimage: Hundreds of thousands gather annually at the tomb of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai in Meron, Galilee, to light fires, sing, and dance.
• Bonfires Worldwide: Jewish communities globally hold bonfires and festive outdoor meals, making it a popular school and community holiday.
• Israeli Culture: In Israel, it is a significant day for scouting events, parades, and in recent times, a day that emphasizes the "Zionist" connection to the land and heroism

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"In a Nutshell"

14 Iyyar 5786

Pesach Sheini

Erev Shabbat Kodesh

Parashat Emor

Emor in a Nutshell (Leviticus 21:1–24:23)

...The Torah section of Emor (“Speak”) begins with the special laws pertaining to the kohanim (“priests”), the kohen gadol (“high priest”), and the Temple service: A kohen may not become ritually impure through contact with a dead body, save on the occasion of the death of a close relative. A kohen may not marry a divorcee, or a woman with a promiscuous past; a kohen gadol can marry only a virgin. A kohen with a physical deformity cannot serve in the Holy Temple, nor can a deformed animal be brought as an offering.

A newborn calf, lamb or kid must be left with its mother for seven days before being eligible for an offering; one may not slaughter an animal and its offspring on the same day.

The second part of Emor lists the annual Callings of Holiness—the festivals of the Jewish calendar: the weekly Shabbat; the bringing of the Passover offering on 14 Nissan; the seven-day Passover festival beginning on 15 Nissan; the bringing of the Omer offering from the first barley harvest on the second day of Passover, and the commencement, on that day, of the 49-day Counting of the Omer, culminating in the festival of Shavuot on the fiftieth day; a “remembrance of shofar blowing” on 1 Tishrei; a solemn fast day on 10 Tishrei; the Sukkot festival—during which we are to dwell in huts for seven days and take the “Four Kinds”—beginning on 15 Tishrei; and the immediately following holiday of the “eighth day” of Sukkot (Shemini Atzeret).

Next the Torah discusses the lighting of the menorah in the Temple, and the showbread; (lechem hapanim) placed weekly on the table there.

Emor concludes with the incident of a man executed for blasphemy, and the penalties for murder (death) and for injuring one’s fellow or destroying his property (monetary compensation).  (Source)

Emor Haftorah in a Nutshell (Ezekiel 44:15-31)

This week's haftorah discusses various laws that pertain to the kohanim, the priests, a topic also discussed at length in the first part of the week's Torah portion.

Ezekiel prophesies about the service of the kohanim in the third Holy Temple which will be rebuilt after the Final Redemption. The prophet describes their priestly vestments, their personal care, whom they may and may not marry, and their special purity requirements which preclude them from coming in contact with a corpse, unless it's for a next of kin. He also discusses their calling as teachers and spiritual leaders.

The prophet conveys G‑d's word: "You shall give them no possession in Israel; I am their possession." The kohanim do not receive a portion in the Land of Israel, instead they partake of the sacrifices as well as various tithes.    (Source)

~  SHABBAT SHALOM  ~