All of Our Enemies Have United Against Us

29 Tishrei 5785
Erev Rosh Chodesh

https://www.abrahamicfamilyhouse.ae/

After realizing the impossibility of killing us all outright, although the Amalekites haven't given that up, Eisav, Yishmael and the Erev Rav have created a plan for mass assimilation, and literally everything going on right now is a part of that plan.  It's important that all true Jews to understand that this is the battle - to remain separate - not to assimilate in any way, shape or form and to cling fast to our Holy Torah.  

With regard to the Land of Israel, whether it purports to be a "Two-State Solution" or a "One-State Solution," it all leads to an anti-Torah outcome which seeks to thwart the will of HKB"H and the destiny of Klal Yisrael.  Any persons or organizations which seek to unite Jews with gentiles towards the realization of any such goal must be considered an existential threat to the Klal and assur to all Jews.  

Be well warned:  A "Democratic" State cannot be a "Jewish" State no matter what people claim!  (And why is it always called a "State" anyway and not a country like all others?) 

Also be advised that "The Bible" is not the Torah or even Tanakh.  "The Bible" includes the Greek (New) Testament.  This is another example of a forbidden mixture that true Jews cannot accept.  

This impure "mixture" has been the goal of Chr*stianity since its beginnings...

Quoting from The Return:

2000 years ago the Holy Spirit was poured out upon 120 Jews in Jerusalem during the Feast of Shavuot (Pentecost). The Body of Messiah was born in a blaze of Holy Fire!

That Jewish revival spread from Jerusalem, ultimately consuming both Jew and Gentile culminating with these historic words of a Jewish Rabbi, the Apostle Paul:

Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. Ephesians 2:11-22.

Celebrate with us today as that same revival has continued to the ends of the earth returning back to Israel where both Jewish and Gentile believers are gathering together all across the land to worship as ONE NEW MAN in the Messiah Yeshua (Jesus)!

I hope my readers were observant enough to catch the new name given to the war by the Prime Minister in recent days, but I doubt you understood the context.  Now no longer Simchat Torah War or Swords of Iron, he has renamed it The War of Revival!! (Netanyahu suggests changing name of Gaza war to ‘War of Revival’)

The ONE NEW MAN is still the goal of the New World (Abrahamic Faith) Religion and all the Judeo-Chr*stians.  Why?  Because the goal of the entire anti-Torah world is to assimilate the Jews out of existence!!  Again.  Why?  So they can continue to run HKB"H's world and remake it in their own image.  To de-throne the King of Kings, the Children of the King must cease to exist.  The Satan told them also, "You shall be like God," and they believe it.  

Despite their talk of "God," it is mankind they worship, not their Creator, and they've convinced even themselves that they actually can manifest the power to replace Him through their combined ingenuity.  Some of them even believe that this is what their Creator desired from them from in the first place - not to submit to His will and His instructions but to rebel and realize their innate spiritual potential to become gods in their own right!!  Hashem yerachem!

Quoting from The Document:

In the name of God who has created all human beings equal in rights, duties and dignity, and who has called them to live together as brothers and sisters, to fill the earth and make known the values of goodness, love and peace;

In the name of innocent human life that God has forbidden to kill, affirming that whoever kills a person is like one who kills the whole of humanity, and that whoever saves a person is like one who saves the whole of humanity;

In the name of the poor, the destitute, the marginalized and those most in need whom God has commanded us to help as a duty required of all persons, especially the wealthy and of means;

In the name of orphans, widows, refugees and those exiled from their homes and their countries; in the name of all victims of wars, persecution and injustice; in the name of the weak, those who live in fear, prisoners of war and those tortured in any part of the world, without distinction;

In the name of peoples who have lost their security, peace, and the possibility of living together, becoming victims of destruction, calamity and war; 

In the name of human fraternity that embraces all human beings, unites them and renders them equal;

In the name of this fraternity torn apart by policies of extremism and division, by systems of unrestrained profit or by hateful ideological tendencies that manipulate the actions and the future of men and women;

In the name of freedom, that God has given to all human beings creating them free and distinguishing them by this gift;

In the name of justice and mercy, the foundations of prosperity and the cornerstone of faith;

In the name of all persons of good will present in every part of the world;

In the name of God and of everything stated thus far; Al-Azhar al-Sharif and the Muslims of the East and West, together with the Catholic Church and the Catholics of the East and West, declare the adoption of a culture of dialogue as the path; mutual cooperation as the code of conduct; reciprocal understanding as the method and standard. We, who believe in God and in the final meeting with Him and His judgment, on the basis of our religious and moral responsibility, and through this Document, call upon ourselves, upon the leaders of the world as well as the architects of international policy and world economy, to work strenuously to spread the culture of tolerance and of living together in peace; to intervene at the earliest opportunity to stop the shedding of innocent blood and bring an end to wars, conflicts, environmental decay and the moral and cultural decline that the world is presently experiencing.

We call upon intellectuals, philosophers, religious figures, artists, media professionals and men and women of culture in every part of the world, to rediscover the values of peace, justice, goodness, beauty, human fraternity and coexistence in order to confirm the importance of these values as anchors of salvation for all, and to promote them everywhere.

...History shows that religious extremism, national extremism and also intolerance have produced in the world, be it in the East or West, what might be referred to as signs of a “third world war being fought piecemeal”.

...We affirm also the importance of awakening religious awareness and the need to revive this awareness in the hearts of new generations through sound education and an adherence to moral values and upright religious teachings. In this way we can confront tendencies that are individualistic, selfish, conflicting, and also address radicalism and blind extremism in all its forms and expressions.

...we resolutely declare that religions must never incite war, hateful attitudes, hostility and extremism, nor must they incite violence or the shedding of blood. These tragic realities are the consequence of a deviation from religious teachings.

They result from a political manipulation of religions and from interpretations made by religious groups who, in the course of history, have taken advantage of the power of religious sentiment in the hearts of men and women in order to make them act in a way that has nothing to do with the truth of religion. This is done for the purpose of achieving objectives that are political, economic, worldly and short-sighted. We thus call upon all concerned to stop using religions to incite hatred, violence, extremism and blind fanaticism, and to refrain from using the name of God to justify acts of murder, exile, terrorism and oppression....

You may think this sounds great, as it relates to Islam, but the case can be, and is being, made that it applies equally to Torah Judaism.  It goes on vaunting freedom, tolerance for all, etc.  Totally in contradiction of the Laws of the Torah, despite their constant appeal to "God the Creator."

On a separate but related note, I am distressed at the anti-Torah media in Israel and all their willing accomplices taking advantage in recent days of the pain of widows and bereaved families of so-called national religious (dati) Jews who chose to serve the State and the IDF.  They are using it to ramp up the war on chareidi Jews who serve Klal Yisrael and Hashem through full-time Torah learning, without which we would see many, many more casualties and destruction, God forbid!

It has been made eminently clear to all who seek truth that the chareidim are neither wanted nor needed, even now, and that in any case their religious requirements cannot be accommodated as it is an army very  much promoting  licentious behavior and full of idolaters.  Not only that, it remains under the control and command of Godless men who send our soldiers into harm's way for the protection of enemy elements!!!

Our misguided dati compatriots call out with anguish, "Come die with us!!"  And I who oppose their philosophy as anti-Torah proclaim to them, "Leave the idols to fall and come build the Kingdom."  This "State" is not fighting to win or to preserve Jewish life!!!

Some call it "mowing the grass."  I call it "culling the herd."  God forbid!  Hashem yerachem!!

~ A Blessed Chodesh to All ~

With One Week to Go...

27 Tishrei 5785 

(WSJ) America Is Having a Panic Attack Over the Election

...With little more than a week to go in what could be the closest presidential election in American history, the nation is on edge. Partisans on both sides are paralyzed with suspense and apprehension as they look to white-knuckle it through the coming days. The candidates have amped up their appeals to an apocalyptic degree as the campaigns frantically work to turn out the vote. As Donald Trump and Kamala Harris both campaigned in this crucial swing state [Georgia], voters broadly said this election feels different than those that came before—less a regular democratic exercise than a national panic attack, a twilight clash that could end democracy for good.

...The angst is widespread across the political spectrum. In a Wall Street Journal poll released last week, 87% of voters said they believe America will suffer permanent damage if their candidate loses. Among Harris’s voters, 57% said they would feel “frightened” if Trump is elected, while 47% of Trump voters said they would feel frightened if Harris wins; smaller percentages expected to feel the milder reactions of anger or disappointment. At least half of voters said they think violence is likely if either Trump or Harris wins, and 53% say America’s divisions will keep growing regardless of the election’s outcome.

...“I have no idea and I don’t think anybody else does, so yeah, it’s stressful,” said Scott Evans, a 64-year-old mortgage broker. “I feel like I live in a country I don’t want to be in anymore. There’s nobody good to vote for.” A Republican-leaning independent who wished Robert F. Kennedy Jr.had stayed in the race, Evans said the country is careening toward a crisis no matter who wins: “Honestly, I think we’re in trouble no matter what,” he said.

...“Civil war—people against the government,” said Madison Bates, a 21-year old student whose T-shirt showed Trump in front of the White House beneath big pink letters reading DADDY’S HOME. “I definitely think if Trump doesn’t get in, that’s what could happen. People are fed up. You see it every day.”

American Jews are on the losing side no matter who becomes the president of this stinking, sinking ship of state.  

Rav Richter on Chr*stian Relations

 26 Tishrei 5785

[Previous Parts:  Here, here, here, here and here.]

Shocking! Should We Be Convincing Christians To

Keep The 7 Noahide Commandments?? | Rabbi Richter

  

Beware the "Judeo-Chr*stians"

25 Tishrei 5785 

"Jews" + Chr*stians = Judeo-Chr*stians (an unholy alliance unfettered by Torah parameters or ratzon Hashem; formerly known as Religious/Chr*stian Zionism).

a “New Vision for Truth-Based Peace”

(An Eisavian "plan that will realize our aspirations for stability, security, economic prosperity, and regional partnership," presented and backed by a Who's Who list...)  

* * *

Excerpted from The Empty Wagon by Rabbi Yaakov Shapiro...

Who Are the Allies and Enemies of the Jewish Nation?

Not only are heretics not considered part of the Jewish nation, they are considered its enemies.  An enemy of a nation's king is automatically an enemy of his loyal subjects.

Denying the Torah's authority is denying the authority of the King.  It is not merely a violation of the King's rules, it is a denial of His sovereignty.  It is a treason.  It is a rebellion.

As Dovid Hamelech said:

And those who hate You, Hashem, shall I not hate?  And those who rise up against You, I will rise up against.  I despise them with the utmost contempt.  [Tehillim 139.  This includes heretics (avos D'Rabi Nosson 16)].

An attack on the Torah - by Jews or gentiles - is therefore casus belli, a reason, if need be, for the subjects of His Majesty Hashem to go to war, fight, and die in defense of their beloved King and Father.

...We went to war [with the Greeks on Hanukkah] not because the Jews were in danger, but because the Torah was in danger.  Because Hashem's wishes were in danger.  We went to war not for ourselves but for our King and His Divine will.  We put our lives on the line because the Greeks wanted us to forget Torasecha - Hashem's Torah.  They wanted us to violate chukei retzonecha - Hashem's statutes.  It was Hashem's Torah that was in danger.

We went to war for Hashem.

It does not matter whether the enemy of Hashem is a Jew or a gentile.  An enemy of Hashem is the enemy of the Jewish people.

Someone who lives in the King's domain and refuses to recognize His kingship, or that His subjects are obligated to follow His rules, is a rebel against the King.  And so, too, someone who denies Hashem's existence, or the binding nature of His Torah, is a rebel against Hashem and therefore an enemy of the Jewish people.

Woe to whomever puts their trust in such leadership!!!! 

~ "I despise them with the utmost contempt." ~

"Daven for the Geulah"

23 Tishrei 5785
Erev Shabbat Kodesh
Parashat Bereishit - Mevorchim 

Excerpted from The End Illuminated Sequel by Rabbi Yisroel Moshe Sorotzkin...

"Daven for the Geulah" - Not to Be Saved from Tzaros

...although many of our tzaros throughout the galus were a function of the galus itself, necessitating various forms of hishtadlus, the purpose of the tzaros preceding the Geulah is entirely different - to motivate us to daven for the Geulah.

Remarkably, already in 1809, during a time of war, the Chasam Sofer wrote that since Chazal have told us that wars are a part of the process of Geulah (as stated in Megillah 17b), it would be both wrong and counterproductive for the Yidden to daven that the war should end and instead they should ask for the Geulah.

Based on this ruling of the Chasam Sofer and the fact that numerous sources point to World War I as an intrinsic part of Milchemes Gog U'Magog...the Minchas Elazar (vol. 4, 6) ruled that it would be incorrect to establish a fast day to daven for World War I to end, since it would hold back the Geulah (and therefore davening for this would be a "chutzpah" to Hashem).  He wrote that they should rather just daven for the Geulah.

...As Rav Chaim Kanievsky clearly stated, our task at this time is only to "daven for the Geulah."  Now, when we are so close, is not the time for hishtadlus, nor for tefillos that Hashem fix our current difficult situation so we can "comfortably" continue our stay in this bitter galus, R"l.

Now is the time to beg for the Geulah.

~ Shabbat Shalom - Chodesh Tov ~

Torah Wisdom of Rav Yehudah Richter

21 Tishrei 5785
6th Day Chol HaMo'ed Sukkot
Hoshanah Rabbah 

Simple straight-forward thoughts (kavanot) while shaking the Four Species...
   (Gathered from various holy books) 

1. Uniting G-D's holy name with the Divine Presence.

2. Stopping dangerous rain and winds.

3. G-D's Control over the world.

4. Nations subservient to the Jewish people.

5. Proclaiming G-D's kingdom over the entire world.

6. Shaking loose the strength of the Satan.

7. Loving G-D's commandments.

8. Gratitude for our sight (hadasim), speech (aravot), heart (etrog), spinal cord (lulav)

9. Repenting for what we have looked at (hadasim), spoken (aravot), hardened our heart (etrog), haughtiness (lulav)

~ Pitka tava to all! ~

Geulah Watch - Next 24 Hours?

20 Tishrei 5785
5th Day Chol HaMo'ed Sukkot 

A year ago at this time, I was watching and waiting for the beginning of WW3 and the beginning of the War of GoguMagog.  I never imagined that a full year later it would still be going on or that it would be as costly or as brutal as it has turned out to be.  I'm guessing the year of plagues in Egypt was very similar.

Consider the following excerpts which are featured at the Shirat Devorah blog...

...Rav Yitzchok Zilberstein,, speaking at his beis midrash in Ramat Elchanan, Bnei Brak, mentioned the mesorah passed down through generations from the Vilna Gaon stating that the War of Gog and Magog will take place during three hours of Hoshanah Rabbah, and whoever wants to be saved should sit in the sukkah. Concerning this, it is said, “For He will conceal me in His sukkah on the day of evil” – the day of evil being the War of Gog and Magog – and whoever wishes to be saved should sit in the sukkah, said Rav Zilberstein.  Rav Zilberstein noted that his brother-in-law, Rav Chaim Kanievsky, said that these three hours refer to the hours before sunrise on Hoshanah Rabbah.

..."The Gemara describes the seven years before Mashiach's arrival.  In the first two years, the rain will be different. During the third year, many tzaddikim will be niftar. This will continue into the first half of the fourth year, the last six months of which will be good. These are understood to be the Covid years. In year five, the Gemara tells us, "Torah chozeres el lomdehah" - we'll come back to the Torah. Yeshivos and batei medrash will re-open, and we'll experience shefa in both ruchniyus [spirituality]  and gashmiyus [physicality].  ln the sixth year, the year after shemittah, there will be rumors that Mashiach is coming. The seventh year - 5784, according to this cheshbon - will be full of wars. Then Mashiach will arrive."

~ Sunrise in Jerusalem on Hoshanah Rabbah will be approximately 06:48. ~

The entire holiday so far has been very difficult for me this year, but the past two days were the hardest days I've had, I think, for the entire year.  It's like everything just caught up with me.  I've never felt so close to giving up, but I just kept clinging on by my fingernails and this morning, that dark mood has lifted and I feel calm and at peace and some measure of happiness.  Like a major battle has just ended.  Maybe it's all over in Shamayim and now it just remains to be realized in this world.

~ With that in mind, I am on active geulah watch.  Join me! ~

For review:  For This We Wait , Hoshanah Rabbah, the Aravot and the Erev Rav, and In the Spirit of Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah (written Oct. 6, 2023)...

The Most Important Thing

19 Tishrei 5785

4th Day Chol HaMo'ed Sukkot

Chazal say that Eisav will come to Ya'aqov at the End of Days and offer to join forces.  They should each make compromises in order to move closer together and become like one - "no daylight" between them.  (This is the description we often hear from the US administration with regard to the relationship between the US and Israel.)

This is the "brotherly kiss" of Eisav that disguises the deadly poisonous bite to come.  The most important thing is not to be fooled and to maintain our distance.

We've seen with our own eyes, no one needs to tell us, how undependable and self-serving they are as an "ally."  The most important thing to remember that we have no one upon whom to depend except our Father in Heaven.

No less than the Chafetz Chaim warned us about any attachment to Eisav...

The Rosh Yeshivah, Rav Aharon Kotler zt"l, would say in the name of the Chofetz Chaim zt"l that in the final war, only a true ben Torah, one who is totally disconnected from the umos ha'olam, will be saved.  Rav Nosson Wachtfogel zt"l repeated this and added that he has a tradition handed down to him from Rav Yehoshua Lieb Diskin zt"l that in the last battle before the arrival of Mashiach, all "ehrliche Yidden" will be saved.  Who is defined as an ehrliche Yid?  One who separates himself from the goyim, who has no connection to their culture, their interests, their newspapers, music and books.  Hashem says about him, "This one is Mine," and the non-Jews will have no jurisdiction over him.  (The End Illuminated by Rabbi Yisroel Moshe Sorotzkin, Chapter 20)

In the footnotes, the author clarifies:  "...the term ben Torah used in this context has nothing to do with how much a person learns; rather, it refers specifically to the concept that is being discussed here - the degree to which one is connected to 'Torah values'."

The most important thing to learn from this is not to be attached to them in our hearts, to see ourselves as separate and apart, and to acknowledge that as Diaspora Jews, we are foreigners in a strange land not our own.  Our focus and goal should always be on attaining to service of Hashem in a rebuilt Beit HaMikdash, in the Holy City of Yerushalayim, in the Holy Land of Israel.  

And that's why we want Mashiach so desperately, because only he will be equipped by HKB"H to lead us there.  That's the most important thing!

~ Mo'adim l'Simchah!  ~

Shavua Tov and Mo'adim L'Simchah

18 Tishrei 5785
3rd Day Chol HaMo'ed Sukkot

Continuing from Friday...

.. American officials: The Pentagon secretly sent US commandos to Israel to advise on efforts to locate the abductees.  American intelligence officers later joined those commando fighters in Israel. 6 US MQ-9 drones performed missions to help locate the abductees.

.. US Sec State Blinken will arrive in Israel and is expected to discuss the renewal of the negotiations for the hostage deal.  (Israel Realtime Updates)

 ▪PM NETANYAHU SAYS.. The agents of Iran who tried to assassinate me and my wife today made a bitter mistake. This will not deter me and the State of Israel from continuing the war of revival against our enemies to ensure our security for generations.  I say to the Iranians and their partners in the axis of evil:   Anyone who harms the citizens of the State of Israel will pay a heavy price for it.

▪DEF MIN GALLANT SAYS.. Iran's attempt to assassinate the prime minister is a direct declaration of war, tonight at the cabinet meeting we will make new decisions.   (Israel Realtime Updates)

I Have a Bad Feeling About This

16 Tishrei 5785 
Chol Hamo'ed Sukkot
Erev Shabbat Kodesh 

The best news, Sinwar's death, with the real hope the hostages might finally come home, may turn out to be the worst news as the war on Iran seems to have morphed into yet another push to force a premature end to the fighting in Gaza and Lebanon.  Except that now we have thousands more American troops on our soil.  What was that really for, I have to wonder.  They cannot be trusted.

"It shall be on that day, on the day that Gog comes on the soil of Israel - the words of my Lord Hashem/Elohim - My raging anger shall flare up."
(Haftarah Shabbat Chol HaMo'ed Sukkot)

~ Mo'adim LeSimchah and Shabbat Shalom ~

Mo'adim LeSimchah!!!!!

16 Tishrei 5785 
Chol Hamo'ed Sukkot
Erev Shabbat Kodesh

B"H!!  All of the honor belongs to HaKadosh Baruch Hu.  He chose the lowliest of soldiers to do His bidding.  And so shall be the end for all our enemies!!!!

OSINT/ IR
Joe Truzman@JoeTruzman 

New details about the elimination of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar:

Yesterday morning, a soldier from Battalion 450 spotted a suspicious individual inside a building and opened fire on him. Later, in the day , the fighters observed three figures attempting to move stealthily between houses. Troops quickly identified these individuals as terrorists. Two of them were covered with blankets, likely not Sinwar, and were ahead, trying to clear the path for him. Troops engaged them with gunfire, injuring the terrorists, who began to scatter. Two of them took refuge in one building while Sinwar entered another.

Troops opened fire from a tank, providing light gunfire support as well. Sinwar was alone in his building and ascended to the second floor. The troops launched a shell and then rolled two grenades into the area. They also deployed drones to assist in the operation.

One drone captured a glimpse of a masked figure with a wounded arm sitting inside a room. Realizing a drone was approaching, the terrorist grabbed a piece of wood and threw it at the drone. The fighters responded by firing a shell at that location.

In the morning, troops entered the room and uncovered the body’s face, ultimately revealing it to be Sinwar.

Report by @ItayBlumental

Sukkah vs. Gog

14 Tishrei 5785

Erev Chag Sukkot

The War of Gog and Magog:

The Haftara of Shabbat Chol Ha-mo’ed Sukkot

By Harav Mosheh Lichtenstein

Translated by David Strauss

The haftara for Shabbat Chol Ha-mo’ed Sukkot (Yechezkel 38:18-39:16), which deals with the war of Gog and Magog, is one of the most famous prophecies in Scripture. It has succeeded in taking hold of the human imagination and penetrating deeply into our cultural and religious consciousness. The destruction of the existing and imperfect world, the ultimate war against evil, the heavy price of blood, and God's victory over men of flesh and blood are powerful images that leave a profound impression on the human soul. Thus, this prophecy has become part of the inalienable property of the Jewish and general world.

It is quite understandable, then, that this prophecy was included in the haftarot cycle. However, its relationship to the festival of Sukkot is not at all clear, and is even surprising, for what is the connection between a blood-drenched world war and the festival of Sukkot? How does the sukka of peace connect to war, and what is the relationship between the refuge and shelter of the sukka and the destruction and desolation described in this prophecy?

The reading of the haftara of Gog and Magog on Shabbat Chol Ha-mo’ed Sukkot is not merely a custom, but an obligation of Talmudic law. The gemara in Megilla (31a) mentions it along with the other haftarot read on the various holidays to this very day; we thus see that Chazal already saw an essential connection between the prophecy and the festival.

In answer to this question, Rashi (Megilla 31a, s.v. be-yom) identifies the war of Gog and Magog with the war fought in the end of days that is mentioned at the end of the book of Zekharia in the chapter that serves as the haftara on the first day of Sukkot. As Rashi puts it, "'On that day, when Gog shall come' is the war mentioned in Zekharia in 'Behold, the day of the Lord comes.'" Indeed, there is significant correspondence between these two prophecies. Both deal with a future war of defense fought against nations oppressing Israel in which God Himself rises to fight against the enemies of Israel, making use of very similar methods of fighting. Both campaigns are decided by way of supernatural means introduced by God, the focus of which is a great earthquake that utterly overturns the regular natural order, as a result of which pandemonium breaks out, causing "every man's sword to be against each other." From this perspective, we can certainly speak of very similar accounts issuing from the mouths of Yechezkel and Zekharia, and conclude from this that we are dealing with the same war, as is argued by Rashi.

Based on this, we can explain why we read the story of Gog and Magog on Shabbat Chol Ha-mo’ed Sukkot, for the prophecy in Zekharia makes explicit mention of the festival of Sukkot. According to Rashi, the two haftarot read on the festival of Sukkot deal with the terrible war that will take place in the future, "on that day," for they are one and the same war. On the first day of Sukkot, we read the account of that war as it appears at the end of the book of Zekharia, mentioning the festival of Sukkot at the conclusion, and on Shabbat Chol Ha-mo’ed, we read Yechezkel's account of the same war.

[Read the rest here. ]

* * *

The sukkah is the safest place to be!!!!  We are protected while doing a mitzvah and in this case, we are surrounded with the mitzvah!!

~ CHAG SAMEACH and SHABBAT SHALOM ~

Don't Be Confused

13 Tishrei 5785 

If you follow the news, and I understand why many don't, the announcement about the US sending a THAAD array to Israel might cause some confusion.

Biden sends antimissile system and 100 troops to Israel, deepening U.S. role

...The deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile system, or THAAD, is the latest indication that the United States expects the Israeli assault to be “so comprehensive that the Iranians will have to respond,” said Aaron David Miller, a Middle East expert who has advised multiple Republican and Democratic administrations. 

...“The THAAD Battery will augment Israel’s integrated air defense system,” said Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder. “This action underscores the United States’ ironclad commitment to the defense of Israel, and to defend Americans in Israel, from any further ballistic missile attacks by Iran.”

[Harrison] Mann said the risk to U.S. soldiers who will crew the THAAD system is clear.

“Those soldiers will be operating from Israeli military bases, which Iran already demonstrated the will and capability to strike, at a time when additional Iranian strikes are expected imminently,” he said. “Even if we make the unreasonably optimistic assumption that this THAAD battery can defeat any and all missiles headed its way, the Israeli military cannot guarantee the safety of these troops from drones, which have successfully penetrated Israeli bases in the past.”

First they tell us only diplomacy can work, there must be a ceasefire, (even now in Lebanon!), but at the same time they continue to send war materiel to Israel. To understand how to possibly resolve the confusion, it is helpful to backtrack to 2008 to "Site 512"...

“Site 512,” a Secret US Military Base in Israel to Detect Iranian Missile Launches

According to previous reports, the primary function of the military base known as "Site 512" is to operate a long-range radar facility for the United States. This facility is tasked with monitoring any ballistic missile launches by Iran or its proxy groups against Israel and other allies in the Middle East.

(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — Located atop Mount Har Qeren in Israel’s Negev Desert lies a secret United States military facility, known only to defense observers as “Site 512,” approximately 20 miles from the Gaza Strip.

According to previous reports, the primary function of this base, “Site 512,” is to operate a long-range American radar system.

This system is designed to monitor any ballistic missile launches by Iran or its proxy groups against Israel and other allies in the Middle East.

In recent days, this long-range radar facility has been actively assisting Washington and Tel Aviv in detecting Iranian ballistic missiles aimed at Israel.

The main objective of “Site 512” is to track ballistic missile threats; however, it is not equipped to monitor the thousands of rockets launched by Palestinian militants against Israel.

...Capable of detecting targets from 540 miles to nearly 1,860 miles away, the AN/TPY-2 radar is among the most powerful on the market for tracking ballistic missiles.

Specifically developed to detect and track short, medium, and long-range ballistic missiles, the radar operates in the X-Band of the electromagnetic spectrum, which allows for clearer target visibility.

...Months before the recent escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the U.S. Army allocated $32 million (equivalent to approximately RM153 million) to construct additional housing facilities for its troops stationed at this secret military site.

This likely indicates efforts to increase the presence of U.S. military personnel at “Site 512” and to expand its long-range radar capabilities in Israel.

There is also a potential plan to add about 1,000 U.S. troops to “Site 512”. — DSA

[See also U.S. Deploys X-Band Radar In Israel In Shield Against Incoming Iranian Missiles Such As Shahabs.]

My best guess, and one that makes a lot of sense in my opinion, is that this THAAD Battery is coming to protect Site 512 and its contingent of American military personnel.  It makes sense even more so when you consider the damage done to a base in the Negev in the last onslaught of Iranian ballistic missiles.

Apparently, I'm not the only one asking this question or coming to the same conclusion.  [See Why the US is giving Israel a powerful Thaad anti-missile system.]

The upshot of all this is that there is no need for confusion as long as you keep your mind focused on one overriding fact:  the USA is not our friend and is only ever looking out for their own best interests, especially when they conflict with ours.

I guess we'll find out soon enough.

If you haven't already read my 2013 blog post on American military bases in Israel, I invite you to do so now:  "Not-so-secret US Military Involvement in the Jewish State".

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I noticed this yesterday. Everything is in motion right now.  And GoguMagog was always connected to Sukkot!

Israel Realtime Updates (15/10/24 AM)

❓WORLD WAR EVENTS that may indirectly affected Israel:

.. North Korea threatening South Korea, and blowing up bridges and roads that cross the borders.

.. Russia brings a military alliance pact with North Korea, who is supplying them with heavy ammunition for use against Ukraine, to their parliament.

.. Russia is “clawing back” Russian territory invaded by Ukraine over the summer and pushing hard on the Ukrainian fronts.

.. China, in a ‘drill’, encircled Taiwan with mass military and air forces - and directly describes the exercise as practice for an invasion and takeover.

.. Effect on Israel: The US has ally commitments to South Korea and Taiwan, and is a major supplier of war equipment to Ukraine. Some resources may be redirected.

.. Could these events be coordinated? Possibly.

"Truth About Christianity!..."

13 Tishrei 5785 

IMPORTANT MESSAGE from the Rav...

Greetings everyone!! This class was filmed 2 months ago, but never uploaded as our camera team was drafted into the army.  It is Part 5 of an extremely important subject never dealt with before in English.  The Tur in his law book (Orach Chaim 417) explains how the 3 major festivals correspond with our 3 forefathers.  Sukkot is represented by Jacob.  Jacob, more than anyone else, represents separating from the evil nations and religions.  Esav desired Jacob to join him; however, Jacob refused....  A great new year to all.  Yehuda

"...Holding No Punches!"

HOLIDAY REMINDER:  The Chr*stian Sukkot invasion will be most noticeable on October 21st when, instead of the traditional parade, the Municipality has designated Gan Sacher for the marchers and their festivities.  Advise the Jewish public to be anywhere else that day!!

[Details here.]

It's Not Just Hurricanes

11 Tishrei 5785

Going from Earth Weather to Space Weather, the aurora borealis is not just a beautiful atmospheric display.  It is indicative of a geomagnetic storm.  In the aftermath of Category 4 Hurricane Milton's landfall, the United States saw the results of a G4 geomagnetic storm.  Don't know why the NBC Nightly News broadcast chose to include their report on it in their segment for "Good News."

The Not-So-Good News

See Jaw-Dropping Northern Lights Across Planet On Historic Night

Red and green Northern Lights have been seen across the U.S. and the world from regions that rarely see displays after one of the most powerful geomagnetic storms in the last twenty years.

...Every U.S. state save for Hawaii glimpsed an aurora borealis display overnight on Thursday, Oct.11, through Friday, Oct. 12, while all of Europe — as far south as Turkey — and China also witnessed the event.

...A G4 (Severe) and possibly even more potent geomagnetic storm occurred after a particularly fast-moving coronal mass ejection — a cloud of charged particles from the sun — erupted from the sun on Oct. 8 in the wake of the strongest solar flare in the current solar cycle.

That CME moved at 2.5 million miles per hour, according to NOAA. “It’s the fastest CME we have measured in this solar cycle thus far,” said Shawn Dahl, Service Co-ordinator at NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center, in a press briefing on Wednesday.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration published a forecast for a G4 (Severe) geomagnetic storm for both Thursday and Friday, though the latest prediction is for the aurora to be visible at low latitudes only in the early hours of Friday, Oct. 11.

That proved correct, with displays of aurora — including vast red pillars — waxing and waning throughout the night, varying in intensity and occasionally reaching severe storm conditions.

The CME struck Earth at 11:17 a.m. EDT (1517 GMT), disrupting the Earth's magnetic field and quickly achieving G4 (severe) geomagnetic storm conditions at 12:57 p.m. EDT (1657 GMT), according to NOAA.

NOAA warned on Oct. 10 that the upcoming severe geomagnetic storm conditions disrupt satellite communications, power grids and GPS services, possibly affecting ongoing recovery efforts for Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton.

...During the night it reached Kp 9 — the highest there is — which NOAA defines as aurora moving towards the equator to become very bright and active.

...Geomagnetic activity is at its strongest for 20 years because the sun is close to a particularly intense "solar maximum" — the peak of its 11 year solar cycle — and also close to the equinox, when Earth’s axis is tilted side-on to the sun.

...More frequent and powerful geomagnetic storms, leading to intense and widely observable Northern Lights, are expected to continue through 2026.

HEADS UP - COMET TONIGHT!!! 

DNA Proof: Columbus Was Jewish

11 Tishrei 5785 

So the centuries-old rumor turned out to be true.  Cristobal Colon (Christopher Columbus) was a Spanish Jew.

This news was revealed only yesterday, fittingly on Columbus Day...

Christopher Columbus was Spanish and Jewish, documentary reveals

...The 15th explorer was Jewish and from Spain, according to Columbus DNA: His True Origin, a programme broadcast on national broadcaster RTVE on Saturday to mark Spain celebrating its national day and commemorating Columbus’s arrival in the New World.

Researchers led by forensic expert Miguel Lorente tested tiny samples of remains buried in Seville Cathedral, long marked by authorities there as the last resting place of Columbus, although there had been rival claims. The team compared them with those of known relatives and descendants.

Countries have long argued over the origins and the final resting place of the divisive figure who led Spanish-funded expeditions from the 1490s onward, opening the way for the European conquest of the Americas.

Many historians have questioned the traditional theory that Columbus was from Genoa in north-west Italy. Other theories ranged from him being a Spanish Jew, Greek, Basque or Portuguese.

Lorente, briefing reporters on the research on Thursday, had confirmed previous theories that the remains in Seville belonged to the explorer.

He said: “Today it has been possible to verify it with new technologies, so that the previous partial theory that the remains of Seville belong to Christopher Columbus has been definitively confirmed.”

Research on the nationality had been complicated by a number of factors including the large amount of data but “the outcome is almost absolutely reliable,” Lorente added.

For further exploration, see the following...

Was Columbus secretly a Jew?

(CNN) - Today [May 24, 2012] marks the 508th anniversary of the death of Christopher Columbus.

Everybody knows the story of Columbus, right? He was an Italian explorer from Genoa who set sail in 1492 to enrich the Spanish monarchs with gold and spices from the orient. Not quite.

For too long, scholars have ignored Columbus’ grand passion: the quest to liberate Jerusalem from the Muslims.

...Columbus, who was known in Spain as Cristóbal Colón and didn’t speak Italian, signed his last will and testament on May 19, 1506, and made five curious – and revealing – provisions.

Two of his wishes – tithe one-tenth of his income to the poor and provide an anonymous dowry for poor girls – are part of Jewish customs. He also decreed to give money to a Jew who lived at the entrance of the Lisbon Jewish Quarter.

On those documents, Columbus used a triangular signature of dots and letters that resembled inscriptions found on gravestones of Jewish cemeteries in Spain. He ordered his heirs to use the signature in perpetuity.

According to British historian Cecil Roth’s “The History of the Marranos,” the anagram was a cryptic substitute for the Kaddish, a prayer recited in the synagogue by mourners after the death of a close relative. Thus, Columbus’ subterfuge allowed his sons to say Kaddish for their crypto-Jewish father when he died. Finally, Columbus left money to support the crusade he hoped his successors would take up to liberate the Holy Land.

...Columbus’ voyage was not, as is commonly believed, funded by the deep pockets of Queen Isabella, but rather by two Jewish Conversos and another prominent Jew. Louis de Santangel and Gabriel Sanchez advanced an interest free loan of 17,000 ducats from their own pockets to help pay for the voyage, as did Don Isaac Abrabanel, rabbi and Jewish statesman.

Indeed, the first two letters Columbus sent back from his journey were not to Ferdinand and Isabella, but to Santangel and Sanchez, thanking them for their support and telling them what he had found.

Christopher Columbus — the hidden Jew?

Two fleets set sail from Spain’s Port of Palos on August 3, 1492, floating together down the Rio Tinto. On one vessel was the final batch of expelled Jews, who, rather than repudiate their faith and become conversos (Christian converts) in the face of death if they remained in their home country, set out for an unknown fate in a new world. Leading the other ships, named the Pinta, Niña, and Santa María, was a little known explorer named Christopher Columbus.

Whether fact or legend, there are those who say that Columbus set out with the expelled Jews because he had stalled his voyage, originally set for August 2, by one day; that year, August 2 was the commemoration of Tisha B’Av, a fast day of mourning for the fall of the Jewish Temples.

For some scholars, the shared launch date is more than coincidental. Is it possible that Columbus too was a Jew in search of a better future?

Since the late 1800s, Columbus historians have diligently worked to unearth the true origin story behind the man who set sail for India in 1492 and instead unwittingly found a new world.

Jamaica, Jews and Christopher Columbus: The Fascinating History of Jews in Jamaica

Probing Question: Was Christopher Columbus Jewish?

Yom Kippur 5785

9 Tishrei 5785
Erev Yom Hakippurim

To all whom I may have offended or hurt over this past year, I beg your forgiveness as it was entirely unintentional.  My prayer is that I may be forgiven as I have freely forgiven all who have wronged, offended or hurt me.

* * *

(Excerpted from The Book of Our Heritage by Rabbi Eliyahu Kitov)

It's a mitzvah to eat and drink heartily on Erev Yom Kippur.  ...all who eat and drink on the 9th, and fast on the 10th, are considered by Scripture as if they had fasted on both the 9th and the 10th.

The reason why eating on the ninth is considered so great a deed that it is equivalent to having fasted, is that by doing so, we show our joy that the time for our atonement has arrived; ...since we cannot partake of a festive meal on Yom Kippur, we do so on Erev Yom Kippur instead; ...[it] provides us with the physical strength needed on Yom Kippur to focus ourselves on prayer, supplication and reflection that will lead us to teshuvah.

Rav Yehudah Richter says that if on Erev Yom Kippur we eat well (what is good for us and in proper amounts) and with proper intention and say all the brachot correctly and with intent, we can thereby make a tikun for all the sins we made with regard to eating for the entire past year. 

* * *

This is my favorite piyyut of the Yom Kippur service.  I love the words...

* * *

R. Nir Ben Artzi on erev Yom Kippur 5781: "On this Day of Atonement, every single Jew must ask the Creator of the world for our righteous Messiah. A Jew who is connected to Judaism and tradition will seek our righteous Messiah now in mercy! HaKadosh-Baruch-Hu believes in His children, the people of Israel, in their prayers on this special Yom Kippur, that they will ask for the Messianic King at the closing time! Let them ask for the Messianic King at the time of Neilah! That's the main thing!"

May our fast be easy and our atonement be complete.  

G'mar chatimah tovah! Chag sameach! 

The US Conflict of Interest (Yankees Go Home!!)

8 Tishrei 5785

🔹US factors: Washington proposed to Israel that the US impose new economic sanctions on Iran instead of attacking and damaging economic targets.  (Israel Realtime)

To the United States, our children are nothing but cannon fodder for advancing American interests in the region.  Make no mistake!  They have their own plans which directly conflict with our own.  Therefore, they are not honest or objective brokers and have no business dictating to our leaders or micro-managing our war.  They cannot be trusted!!!  Just when I think I can't be shocked anymore...

Beirut and the Birth of the Fortress Embassy

April 10, 2024

On a late July day in 2023, amid the pine tree hills overlooking the Bay of Beirut, 14 bright yellow tower cranes and thousands of workers toiled over the construction site of the third US embassy in Lebanon.

At over 40 acres, the new Beirut embassy, a 19-structure ziggurat that dwarfs any government facility in Lebanon, is the second largest in the world after Baghdad’s. Its billion-dollar estimated budget rivals the cost of the US embassy in London, and it is about four times its size, despite Britain having ten times Lebanon’s population and 130 times its GDP.

No specific reason has been offered for building such a massive compound in Lebanon. According to the State Department’s website, the “primary purpose” of any US Embassy is to “assist American citizens,” visiting or living in the host country.[1] But such explanations are belied by Lebanon’s relative size and economic status. Rather, the new embassy, like that of Baghdad, speaks to longstanding US military interests and activity in Lebanon and the wider region. 

...Less than 60 miles south of the new embassy, the Lebanon-Israel border region is also home to major European military interests, namely, the sprawling multinational military base at Naquora hosting the over 10,000-strong United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), led by France, Italy and Germany. Asian nations, too, have become increasingly large stakeholders in Lebanon. China is building its own sprawling cultural center, comprising an opera house and music conservatory on the new marina harbor front north of Beirut. Turkey and several Arab Gulf states have also been vying for Lebanese hearts and minds with soft power cultural projects, including plans to fund museums and cultural spaces.

The global competition over Lebanon extends to its natural resources, as exploration of gas fields buried under the eastern Mediterranean Sea is rapidly progressing. The United States arbitrated a long-standing dispute over demarcation and ownership of the fields in 2022, resulting in a historic maritime border deal between Israel and Lebanon after years of uncertainty and even threats of war. A consortium involving French, Italian and Qatari oil firms began drilling exploratory wells in 2023, and although no significant reserves have been tapped, the process is set to continue in 2024. Israel on the other hand, has already begun extraction.

(This article is too long to quote in its entirety but it is a crucial "must-read" to have the whole picture of what is going on in our region and how it affects our children's future and the decisions made in the halls of government.  I strongly recommend it.)  

U.S. Troops in the Middle East: Mapping the Military Presence

October 1, 2024

As of October 2024, U.S. defense officials said there were some forty-thousand service members in the Middle East, many on ships at sea in the region. In total, the United States has military facilities across at least nineteen sites—eight of them considered to be permanent by many regional analysts —in countries including Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and the United Arab Emirates. The U.S. military also uses large bases in Djibouti and Turkey, which are part of other regional commands but often contribute significantly to U.S. operations in the Middle East.

All host countries have basing agreements with the United States, except Syria, where U.S. forces are opposed by the government. Qatar hosts U.S. Central Command’s regional headquarters. Bahrain hosts the most permanently assigned U.S. personnel and is home to the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet. As of early August, the navy had multiple large warship formations conducting operations in the region, including a carrier strike group and an amphibious assault group.