"The Most Hated Country..."

22 Tammuz 5786 

Badge Of Shame Or Honor? | Rabbi Richter

The Inconvenient Truth: America Will Never Be Great Again

21 Tammuz 5786 

Before getting into today's post, here is a follow-up video to yesterday's report and a not-to-be-missed article from Matzav.

America 250 - The Message in the Day After

Yeshiva Bochur’s Response to Soldier’s Mother Sparks Widespread Discussion Online

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Regarding the picture of the double-rainbow accompanied by lightning over the Statue of LIberty, the Gentiles are missing the message because they view the rainbow as a positive sign - a sign of blessing - as attested to by the comments accompanying this picture of the event.

It is also clear that the frightening lightning bolt - imagery which universally connotes Divine anger - has conveniently been edited out.  This is typical.  By them, unconvenient truths are mostly ignored or wished away.

For the Jews, however, whose very foundation and eternal mission are established on the ultimate and unadulterated Torah Truth, there is no ambiguity or lack of clarity on these points.

In Jewish sources, the symbolism of the rainbow is complex and explicitly both positive and negative simultaneously. While it visually stands as a beautiful reminder of divine mercy and peace, it contextually serves as a spiritual warning sign that humanity is misbehaving.

The primary Jewish texts break down this duality through several distinct layers:

The Negative Aspect: A Sign of Guilt and Judgment

A Reminder of Deserved Destruction:  According to the Torah text ..., the rainbow appears when the world has sinned enough to justify destruction. Its presence indicates that an "accusation" is pending against humanity in heaven.

The "Bad News" Law: Because it is an indicator of collective guilt, traditional Jewish law listed in the Mishna Berurah states that if you see a rainbow, you should not tell others. Sharing the news is viewed as spreading a bad report or a spiritual warning.

The Righteous Generations: The Midrash teaches that during the lifespans of exceptionally holy individuals—such as the great mystic Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai—a rainbow never appeared. Their merit alone protected the world, meaning the cloud never required the rainbow's secondary defensive covenant.

The Positive Aspect: A Weapon Inverted for Peace

The Inverted War Bow: In biblical Hebrew, the word for rainbow (Keshet) is the exact same word used for a soldier’s war bow. The 13th-century commentator Nachmanides (Ramban) pointed out that the rainbow is aimed away from the Earth. By pointing the firing arc upward toward heaven, God symbolizes that His "arrows" of wrath are drawn back and He is choosing peace.

Divine Faithfulness and Grace: It serves as the physical proof of the Noahic Covenant. It proves that no matter how severely humanity falters, God promises to never wipe out life via a global flood again.

Harmonious Diversity: Chassidic philosophy observes that a rainbow requires both sunlight (fire) and rain (water) to exist. This blending of opposing elements symbolizes unity, harmony, and peace out of diverse forces.

The Mystical Aspect: The Light of Redemption

In Jewish mysticism, the Zohar flips the rainbow into a deeply positive, messianic symbol:

The Garment of Glory: Kabbalistic texts associate the rainbow with the Shechinah (the indwelling Divine Presence). The multi-colored bands mirror the lower spiritual emanations (Sefirot) reflecting divine light into our physical world.

A Harbinger of the Messiah: The Zohar explicitly states that a uniquely brilliant, radiant rainbow will paint the sky just before the arrival of the Messiah (Moshiach). It represents the final spiritual refinement and purification of the universe.        (Source:  Gemini via Chabad.org and Aish.com)

Of all the famous landmarks representing America, it is the Statue of Liberty - an Ashtoreth image - which appears to be the focus point.  "Lady Liberty" she is called.  She stands for freedom.  In America today, that means freedom from all constraints, primarily freedom to satisfy any lust or craving.

The forces of nature (See Tehillim 29) have been marshaled to declare the Creator's displeasure, but does it cause them to look to the Source and ask why? what does it mean? how are we to understand this?  No. They feel no need to ask and there is no remorse because they feel no guilt.  They are so righteous in their own eyes, all they can imagine is the fulfillment of all their dreams.

The Coming of Mashiach will be a dark day for Edom...

(Ovadia 1.18)  "And the house of Jacob shall be fire and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau shall become stubble, and they shall ignite them and consume them, and the house of Esau shall have no survivors, for the Lord has spoken."

Rashi asks, from where has "the Lord spoken"?  And he cites Bamidbar 24.19:  "A ruler shall come out of Jacob, and destroy the remnant of the city."  (Bila'am's Prophecy about Kochav Ya'akov)

Rashi explains:  "...this is the most prominent [city] of Edom, that is, Rome.  He says this regarding the King Messiah, of whom it says, 'and may he reign from sea to sea,' (Ps. 72:8),“ and the house of Esau shall have no survivors” (Obad. 1:18). - [Mid. Aggadah]

America's 250 - The Day After

20 Tammuz 5786 

Trump Vs Netanyahu? US President Says Israeli PM Knows 'Who The Boss Is’ Before White House Meet

The Bigger Question Is, Does Trump
Know Who THE BOSS Is?
(Hint:  Start this page over again from the top.)

"The End of Days (2026)"

20 Tammuz 5786 
Shavua tov!

The End of Days (2026)

Klal Yisrael : Avenger of Hashem's Name

18 Tammuz 5786
Erev Shabbat Kodesh
Parashat Pinchas

IMORTANT INFORMATION FOR AMERICAN JEWS...
(Courtesy of Aryeh Yosef ben Meir)

"This Will Be The Most Dangerous
Fourth Of July Yet - Here's What's Coming"

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[Excerpted from "Parashat Pinchas: Peace Through Vengeance" by Rabbi Meir Kahane as compiled by Tzipora Liron-Pinner.]

...Since G-d leaves it to good men to further the cause of goodness, after Pinchas took G-d's revenge against Zimri ben Salu and Kozbi bat Tzur, Moses appointed Pinchas leader when he sent G-d's hosts to take His revenge against the Midianites (Num. 31:6): 

“Moses sent forth the thousand men from each tribe as an army, along with Pinchas son of Elazar the Kohen.”  

Who won the “covenant of peace”, the everlasting reward of peace, if not Pinchas?  Pinchas acted zealously on G-d's behalf, taking G-d's revenge, and becoming the first “mashuach milchama”, or Kohen anointed to lead the nation in war (Deut. 20:2-4). 

Yet G-d said (Num. 25:12), “Tell him that I have given him My covenant of peace”.  Here we have a reward well-suited to the deed.  Precisely he who gives up his peace and tranquility, devoting himself to G-d's battle and to taking G-d's revenge, merits everlasting peace.  And precisely he who rebels against G-d, treating His command to fight and root out evil and evildoers with contempt, will never have peace, for there is no peace for the wicked, those who cast off their yoke.

Today, people have risen up to destroy us who are smitten with the alien [Western secular] culture.  Tragically, these include even Torah scholars and learned Jews who have pronounced that, halachically speaking, there is no state of war between us and the Arabs in our land, hence we are forbidden to treat them as enemies.  They have gone so far as to rule that if an Arab tries to attack or even to kill a Jew with a stone or weapon and flees, one may not kill him, but may only catch him and deliver him to the authorities, our impoverished regime which is better off ceasing to exist.  If someone renders a halachic ruling that there is no state of war between us and the Arabs in our midst, that we are obligated to treat them with mercy, and that it is forbidden to kill one of them even after he tries to attack and kill a Jew, that person is nothing but a “rodef” [one who attacks with the intent to kill], who collaborates with the gentiles in the killing of Jews.

[As Rav Binyamin Ze'ev Kahane puts it in his commentary on Parashat Pinchas]:  Pinchas' act of killing Zimri and afterwards meriting the peace covenant teaches us that the Torah's way of bringing peace is by making the world a better place.  The first step towards this goal is the uprooting of evil and evil-doers from the world.  “Depart from evil” (Ps. 34:15) – this is the first step in making the world a better place.  On the other hand, making peace with evil, or even worse, giving in to it, is the very opposite step that one can take if he wants to arrive at peace.  Peace is not the mixing of good and evil and the attempt to create a co-existence between them, as we have been trained to think!  The very opposite. There is no co-existence between good and evil, nor is there partnership between good people and evil people!  The Master of the Universe demands of the righteous that they burn out the evil from the world - “and you shall burn out the evil from thy midst”, the Torah commands us in so many places, for only in such a way will peace reign in the world.

~ ~ ~ 

Since we have now entered the period of the Three Weeks between 17 Tammuz and 9 Av, the regular haftarah of Pinchas is replaced with the one from Parashat Mattot -- the first of the "three haftarot of affliction."

It comes from Jeremiah 1:1 - 2:3 and includes this chilling warning... 

"I hasten My word to accomplish it.  ...From the North shall the evil loose itself upon all the inhabitants of the Land."

~ SHABBAT SHALOM ~

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

17 Tammuz 5786
The Fast of Shiva Asar b'Tammuz 

Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah Calls for Reciting Avinu Malkeinu Throughout Bein HaMetzarim

The Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah of Shas has issued a special public proclamation calling on Jews to add the tefillah of Avinu Malkeinu to both Shacharis and Minchah throughout Bein HaMetzarim, citing what it describes as growing persecution of Torah scholars and disrespect for the Torah world.

In their letter, the members of the Moetzet write that recent weeks have seen “harsh decrees” directed against those who devote themselves to Torah study. Quoting the words of Eichah, they lament that “The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, have come to be regarded as earthen vessels, the work of a potter’s hands.”

The rabbonim recalled a similar directive issued years ago by Maran Rav Ovadia Yosef zt”l after the Israeli Supreme Court struck down the Tal Law. They wrote that “It has happened before, when bnei Torah were persecuted and efforts were made to restrict them,” and noted that at the time Rav Ovadia “cried out with a great and bitter cry.”

The proclamation states that Rav Ovadia had instructed that during periods of hardship for the Jewish people—and especially during Bein HaMetzarim—Avinu Malkeinu should be added to both Shacharis and Minchah.

The members of the Moetzet now call upon the public to follow that directive once again. “Just as then, so too now, we call upon each and every individual to fulfill his holy words by adding the prayer of Avinu Malkeinu during these days of Bein HaMetzarim, beseeching our Father in Heaven to remove from us all harsh and evil decrees.”

The proclamation also designates the upcoming fast of the Seventeenth of Tammuz as a special day of tefillah and supplication on behalf of Klal Yisroel and the Torah world. The Moetzet urged communities to gather during Minchah on the fast day for public assemblies of prayer, calling for “great and bitter outcries over the humiliation of the Torah and the persecution of those who study it.”

The letter concludes with a heartfelt blessing from the members of the Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah: “May it be Hashem’s will that these days be transformed for the House of Israel into days of joy and gladness, and may we soon merit the complete redemption in the merit of the holy Torah and those who study it.”

(Courtesy of Matzav.com)

Shiva Asar b'Tammuz in the Year of Our Redemption 5786

17 Tammuz 5786

The Fast of Shiva Asar b'Tammuz

[Excerpted from Parashat Balak and the 17th of Tammuz by Daniel Pinner]

...“Five things happened to our fathers on the 17th of Tammuz… The Tablets of Stone were smashed; the Tamid [the twice-daily Burnt-Offering of two sheep, one in the morning and one at dusk] was stopped; the city-walls [of Jerusalem] were breached; Apostomos burnt the Torah; and set up an idol in the Holy Temple” (Ta’anit 4:6).

This is the reason that the 17th of Tammuz has been ordained as a fast-day for the generations. 

...The first of these disasters, the smashing of the Tablets of Stone, happened when Moshe came down from Mount Sinai and saw the Jews worshipping the golden calf.

The second, the cessation of the Tamid sacrifice, happened both during the First Temple and the Second.

According to the Rambam (Laws of Fasts 5:2) and the Mishnah Berura (549:1), the Mishnah speaks of the Tamid having ceased in the First Temple, under the reign of Tzidkiyahu (Zedekiah), the last king of Judea, who was besieged by the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar. “All the priests’ officers and the nation betrayed greatly, like all the abominations of the other nations, and they defiled the House of Hashem” (2 Chronicles 36:14). The Divine punishment was the invasion of Judea by the Babylonian army – and the rest is history.

According to Rabbi Ovadia of Bartenura, the Mishnah speaks of the Second Temple period, when there were no sheep to sacrifice when Jerusalem was besieged.

The Talmud describes the situation vividly: “When the Hasmonean kings fought against each other, Horkenos was outside [of Jerusalem besieging it], and Aristobolos was [besieged] within. Every day, [those inside the city] would send money out [and those outside would send sheep in; and those inside Jerusalem] would sacrifice [those sheep] for them as their Tamid offerings. There was a certain old man [inside Jerusalem] who knew Greek philosophy. He mocked them…telling those [who were outside]: As long as they occupy themselves with the Temple Service, they will never fall into your hands. The next day, when they sent their money out, they sent in a pig" (Sotah 49b, Baba Kama 82b, Menahot 64b).

Horkenos and Aristobolos were brothers, sons of King Alexander Yanai. Both claimed the throne, and led Israel into civil war. Horkenos, commanding the forces outside of Jerusalem, made a pact with the Romans, and a contingent of Roman soldiers collaborated with him in besieging Jerusalem. With the help of the Roman army, Horkenos eventually defeated his brother Aristobolos; Horkenos became king, the monarchy became incorrigibly corrupt and Roman control over Israel increased until the ultimate destruction of the Holy Temple.

The third disaster, the breaching of Jerusalem’s walls, occurred when Rome invaded in the Second Temple era, the result of a Jewish civil war.

(As Jeremiah 39:2 records, the Babylonian army breached the walls of Jerusalem on the 9th of Tammuz, which was commemorated as a day of mourning at the time. After the Romans breached the walls on the 17th, the two commemorations were combined.)

The fourth disaster, Apostomos’ burning of the Torah, occurred during the Greek-Hellenist occupation of Israel. The Tiferet Yisrael explains that Apostomos, the Greek ruler, burned the Sefer Torah which Ezra the Scribe had written, and which was kept in the Holy Temple. This Sefer Torah was the most accurate and reliable one in existence, and all others were copied from it – which is why its destruction was so catastrophic.

And the fifth disaster was the erection of an idol in the Temple. The Talmud (Yerushalmi Ta’anit 4:5) quotes two opinions. According to one, it was Apostomos who erected it upon conquering Jerusalem in the Hasmonean period (Second Temple); according to the other, the reference is to King Menashe, in the final century of the First Temple (2 Kings 21, 2 Chronicles 33).

The last four of these disasters reflect the sin of and punishment for the golden calf very clearly: they were violations of the Holy Temple and its sanctity. It is central to Judaism that our sins are always punished measure for measure, and these disasters were indeed appropriate punishments for the original sin of 17th Tammuz – the original perversion of worship of Hashem. For the fathers’ distortion of the Temple sacrifice, the sons were punished – on the same day, centuries and millennia later – by having the Temple sacrifice brutally ripped from them.

After forgiving the sin of the golden calf, God told Moshe: “Now go and lead the nation to where I have told you; behold – My angel will go before you. And on the day that I will remember, I will remember the sin for them” (Exodus 32:34). Rashi, based on a long narrative in Sanhedrin 102a, comments: “Currently I hearken to you, not to destroy them all together. But forever, forever, whenever I will remember their sins to them, I will exact from them part of the punishment for this sin, together with their other sins. And every punishment that ever comes upon Israel includes some of the punishment for the sin of the calf”.

The three-week period of mourning which the 17th of Tammuz ushers in concludes with the 9th of Av – the day which commemorates, among other disasters, the destruction of both Holy Temples and the fall of Beitar (Ta’anit 4:6).

The defeat of Israel by the Roman Empire began on 17th Tammuz when, after a four-year siege, four Roman legions (the Fifth, Twelfth, and Fifteenth to the west, and the Tenth on the Mount of Olives to the east), commanded by Titus (who nine years later would become Emperor of Rome) and his lieutenant, the renegade Jew Tiberius Julius Alexander, breached the First (innermost) Wall and captured the Antonia Fortress.

The defeat culminated with the destruction of the Holy Temple three weeks later, on the 9th of Av 3830 (70 C.E.).

But even then the Jews were not defeated, and continued fighting for their freedom for generations.

The final defeat only came on 9th of Av 3895 (135 C.E.). Bar Kochba’s forces retreated from Jerusalem to Beitar, a town in the foothills of Judea, 11 km (7 miles) south-west of Jerusalem, which became their final stand against the might and fury of Rome. 

😢

May Hashem consider our punishment fulfilled
and bring us swiftly to the Geulah Shleimah!!!

Iran and the USA: Two Spectacular and Historic Events Simultaneously

16 Tammuz 5786

...Iranian officials announced that funeral and burial ceremonies for the former Supreme Leader will take place between July 4 and July 9, 2026, following a long delay since he was killed in a joint US-Israeli air strike on his compound in February. Khamenei's death was confirmed by the Iranian government on March 1, after the February 28 strike, and the regime announced 40 days of mourning at the time.

...Officials have acknowledged that fears of an aerial strike on the funeral itself, or of a mass casualty crowd crush of the kind that killed dozens at Qassem Soleimani's 2020 funeral, forced extreme logistical and security preparations. Now, against the backdrop of reports of an emerging peace agreement between Iran and the United States following months of fighting, the regime appears to feel secure enough to move forward with the massive event.    (More details here.)

20 MN Mourners, Helicopters On Standby!
Ali Khamenei's Funeral Planning Will BLOW Your Mind!

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The United States is celebrating its 250th birthday (Semiquincentennial) with historic multi-day festivities, massive block parties, and record-breaking firework spectacles across the country. 

• Freedom 250 in Washington, D.C.: Anchored at the National Mall, this massive event features military tributes, keynote addresses, and attempts to break the world record for the largest fireworks display with a 40-minute spectacle involving 850,000 fireworks. 
• America's Block Party: Organized by the official America250 commission, this multi-day initiative (July 3–5) spans local communities, backyard cookouts, and town festivals nationwide. 
• Los Angeles Star-Studded Concert: The L.A. Memorial Coliseum is hosting a massive benefit concert headlined by Chris Stapleton and The Smashing Pumpkins, hosted by Queen Latifah. 
• Local Parades & Festivals: Towns and cities nationwide are hosting their own enhanced celebrations, such as the Salute to Independence Parade in Merrimack, New Hampshire, and the McKenzie Freedom Festival in Tennessee.
  
  10 Best Events in Washington DC
  This Summer for America 250