Yom Kippur 5786

9 Tishrei 5786
Erev Yom Hakippurim

(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. 

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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! 

Public Service Warning - Chr*stian Tallits on Offer to Jews

7 Tishrei 5786

Beware of Chr*stian tallits being offered on the streets by missionaries in Israel.  It references the false god, Hashem yerachem aleynu!

(Source:  Yad l'Achim)

The Flotilla Invasion to Arrive on Yom Kippur

 7 Tishrei 5786

It feels like a multiple-post blog day to me...

...The “Sumud” flotilla, which reportedly includes over 500 social activists, among them climate activist Greta Thunberg, resumed its journey toward Gaza earlier this month. The timing of its expected arrival, during Yom Kippur, adds a layer of logistical complexity for Israel, which views the entire operation as an organized provocation.

Israeli security forces are making extensive preparations. IDF naval forces, including Shayetet 13 commandos, have conducted drills simulating the takeover of vessels at sea with an emphasis on minimizing harm to the participants. The flotilla is currently estimated to include about 50 vessels, making it the largest attempt yet to "break the naval blockade" on Gaza.

...Israel has formally demanded that the organizers reroute any humanitarian aid through designated ports like Ashkelon, Cyprus, or even the Vatican. However, the organizers have refused, reinforcing Israel's view that the flotilla's goal is political confrontation. Security officials have made it clear: "We will not allow the activists to break the naval blockade on the Gaza Strip. Shayetet 13 and Navy fighters are preparing to take over the vessels should they approach the Gaza Strip."  (Source) 

Italy, Spain deploy naval vessels to protect flotilla on course for Gaza (First 30 secs)

Are these the "ships from Kittim"???

THE SELL-OUT HAS ARRIVED

7 Tishrei 5786

We have come to the most dangerous stage of the War, where we are about to lose more through the "diplomacy" of our "friends" than we have through the battles with our worst enemies.

I'm assuming that the readers all know about Trump's "21-Step Peace Plan".

This is not just about Trump selling out Israel to the Qataris and the Saudis, it's about Netanyahu selling out his base and the entire country.

White House talks to focus on Israel’s freedom of action against Hamas, Qatar’s role in Gaza

First report: Jerusalem says Doha should have no role in the 'day after' the Gaza war but Washington rejects that view, and a compromise appears to have been reached; Israel also is demanding a declaration that would give it a mandate to remove threats from the Strip; mediators warn that would scuttle a deal; The biggest challenge: winning Hamas’ agreement to free the hostages 'all at once'

...Overnight an Israeli official said there had been “substantial progress” in talks on President Trump’s 21-point plan. Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff met for many hours with the prime minister at the New York hotel where he is staying, and the sides bridged most of the remaining gaps. The official expressed optimism about the chances of closing a deal, saying: “There is a good atmosphere toward a conclusion. There has been substantial progress toward agreements.”

Tonight at 6 p.m. Israel time Netanyahu and Trump will meet at the White House in Washington to discuss, among other things, the 21-point plan. They will have a private meeting, share lunch and then hold a joint news conference. “The best indication of any understanding will be the news conference,” an Israeli official said.

After Trump's four "I will nots," a contingent of settlement leaders rushed to Washington to "give strength" to Netanyahu to resist capitulation on Judea and Samaria, but if the rumor is true that the PM wanted Trump, so-to-speak, to let him off the hook by forcefully forbidding annexation, their cause is already lost.

...The meeting between settlement leaders and Netanyahu lasted about two hours. Kushner and Witkoff passed by them as they left the prime minister’s meeting at the hotel. 

...Netanyahu told the delegation he would “raise the issue of sovereignty with the president,” but stressed that “we must navigate a complex reality.” He told them: “There is a sympathetic president; remember the Obama era when he said we would not build even one brick.” Settlement leaders told Netanyahu the chance to apply sovereignty was a “one-time opportunity,” in part in response to French President Emmanuel Macron’s initiative on Palestinian state recognition and the support it has drawn. They also said some left-leaning municipal leaders privately told them they support “the Samaria envelope,” but would not speak publicly.

Sara Netanyahu, the prime minister’s wife, also attended the meeting. Yesha leaders asked Netanyahu to tell Trump that “sovereignty must be applied.” Netanyahu said he would find a way to express that “Judea and Samaria are part of the Land of Israel.” Participants said Yesha officials left “very disturbed” that Netanyahu did not set a timetable for when he would apply sovereignty.

"For that day is great, with none like it, and it is a time of distress for Jacob, through which he shall be saved."  (Yirmiyahu 30.7)  Rashi identifies this as the "Day of the downfall of Gog."

One commentator explains that our salvation will emerge out of the trouble itself.  Historically, Yishmael was our foil to Eisav, so why should it change now? 

"A Wake-up Call For The Jews"

 7 Tishrei 5786

Biggest Takeaway From Charlie Kirk's Assassination
Rabbi Richter

This Is Shaping Up To Be A Blockbuster Year Already

4 Tishrei 5786
Erev Shabbat Kodesh
Parashat Vayeilech - Shabbat Shuva

And Moses went, and he spoke the following words to all Israel.  He said to them, "Today I am one hundred and twenty years old. I can no longer go or come, and the Lord said to me, "You shall not cross this Jordan."  

The Lord, your God He will cross before you; He will destroy these nations from before you so that you will possess them. Joshua he will cross before you, as the Lord has spoken.  And the Lord will do to them, as He did to the Amorite kings, Sihon and Og, and to their land, [all of] which He destroyed.

And [when] the Lord delivers them before you, you shall do to them according to all the commandment that I have commanded you.

Be strong and courageous!  Neither fear, nor be dismayed of them, for the Lord, your God He is the One Who goes with you. He will neither fail you, nor forsake you."

And Moses called Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, "Be strong and courageous! For you shall come with this people to the land which the Lord swore to their forefathers to give them. And you shall apportion it to them as an inheritance. 

The Lord He is the One Who goes before you; He will be with you; He will neither fail you, nor forsake you.  Do not fear, and do not be dismayed."  (Devarim 31.1-8) 

Haftarah Vayeilech 

Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled in your iniquity.  Take words with yourselves and return to the Lord.  Say, "You shall forgive all iniquity and teach us [the] good [way], and let us render [for] bulls [the offering of] our lips. 

Assyria shall not save us; we will not ride on horses, nor will we say any longer, our gods, to the work of our hands, for in You, the orphan is granted mercy."  I will remedy their backsliding; I will love them freely, for My wrath has turned away from them.  I will be like dew to Israel,.... 

Who is wise and will understand these, discerning and will know them; for the ways of the Lord are straight, and the righteous shall walk in them, and the rebellious shall stumble on them.   (Hoshea 14.2-6, 10)

Sound a shophar in Zion and sound an alarm in My holy mountain; all the inhabitants of the land shall quake, for the day of the Lord has come, for it is near.  ...Before it the earth quakes, the heavens tremble; the sun and moon darken, and the stars withdraw their shining.

And the Lord gave forth His voice before His army, for His camp is great, for he who performs His word is mighty, for the day of the Lord is great and very awesome; who can abide it?

And even now, says the Lord, return to Me with all your heart, and with fasting and with weeping and with lamentation.  And rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and He repents of the evil.   Whoever knows shall repent and regret, and it shall leave after it a blessing, a meal offering and a libation to the Lord your God. 

Sound a shophar in Zion; proclaim a fast, call an assembly.  Gather the people, prepare the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the infants and the sucklings; let a bridegroom come out of his chamber and a bride from her canopy. 

Between the porch and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep, and let them say, "O Lord, have pity on Your people, and do not make Your heritage a derision, for nations to make them an example. Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?'"

And the Lord was zealous for His land, and He pitied His people.  And the Lord replied and said to His people: Behold I send you the corn, the must, and the oil, and you shall be sated by it, and I will no longer make you a derision among the nations.

And you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and I am the Lord your God, there is no other; and My people shall never be ashamed.   (Yoel 2.1, 10-19,27)

Who is a God like You, Who forgives iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage?  He does not maintain His anger forever, for He desires loving-kindness.  He shall return and grant us compassion; He shall hide our iniquities, and You shall cast into the depths of the sea all their sins.  You shall give the truth of Jacob, the loving-kindness of Abraham, which You swore to our forefathers from days of yore.  (Micah 7.18-20)

COMING UP 

Or is it somehow related to this...

The meeting is scheduled for "early next week" on the
East Coast (Virginia).  What will the weather be like by then?

It's all expected before Yom KIppur.

Then there is the business left over from this week til next...

Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza, his promises to the
Arab states and his meeting with Netanyahu on Monday.

Trump: "I Will Not Allow..." Woops!

Somebody better tell Trump that the Master of the Universe does not allow HIM to disallow US anything, and it will be over when the Master of the World says it's over and not before.

~ SHABBAT SHALOM ~

The Power of the Mitzvah of Tzedakah

 3 Tishrei 5786
Tzom Gedaliah

TESHUVAH AND TEFILLAH AND TZEDAKAH
AVERT THE SEVERE DECREE.

If you are looking for a worthy cause to give to during these days of repentance, please consider these two opportunities...

Partners in Reclaiming Jewish Land

Within an extensive and well-funded takeover system, the hill of Makana Avraham stands almost alone in the Etzion Bloc, surrounded by illegal Arab construction financed by the PA.

With meager means and while constantly dealing with harassment from the Civil Administration, the pioneering residents of the hill are managing to return more and more homeland areas on the outskirts of the agreed-upon reservation in the Judean Desert to Jewish hands, and are physically stopping the spread of Arab construction.

Unfortunately, they have neither a state to support them nor huge budgets from foreign entities, but they have us - the people of Israel who know how much without their constant struggle on the settlement front, not only Judea and Samaria would be in danger, but the entire State of Israel.

More than 5,000 dunams have already been returned to Jewish ownership by the residents of the hill in the past year!

This is our opportunity to be partners with them on the settlement front and to support them in their continued activity!

Legal Defense Fund for Mina Fenton

The people of Israel are currently fighting not only for its very existence, but also for its soul and Jewish identity.

Ms. Mina Fenton, may she live, is known for her important work against the infiltration of missionary organizations into our country for about thirty years. Recently, due to her work to sever ties between National Service women and a missionary organization, she was sued by that organization. Legal defense costs a lot of money, an amount that an individual like Ms. Fenton cannot afford on her own.

We call on each and every one to help and be a partner in the just legal struggle and in the campaign against those missionary organizations that use various tricks to harm the souls of Israel.

* * * 

On another matter which I have neglected until now, as a weak and flawed human being, I have no doubts that I have at some point over the past year upset, aggravated, incensed, annoyed, hurt, insulted, or otherwise offended some or all of my readers.  For this, I am truly aggrieved and sorry.  I can assure you most sincerely that it was entirely unintentional.  I beg your forgiveness and tolerance, as I extend mine freely to all.

May this be, finally and at long last, the year of our redemption.  Tzom Kal and...

G'mar Chatimah Tovah!

Give All Honor to Our KING and Have a Blessed New Year!

29 Elul 5785
Erev Rosh Hashanah

Wishing all of Klal Yisrael a ketivah v'chatimah tovah, a shanah tovah umetukah and the geulah shleimah in 5786, if not before!!  

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In Kabbala, the name Elokim is generally associated with the sefirot of gevura , the power which complements chesed, whose name E-l is composed of the first two letters of Elokim.

In the idiom of the sages, G‑d's name Elokim corresponds to His "property of strict judgment". This is the only name explicit in the Torah's initial account of Creation. The numerical value of Elokim is 86, which also equals "hateva", the Hebrew word for "nature". Elokim creates "nature" through the act of tzimtzum.

...Elokim, 86 = 26 (Havayah) plus 60. 60 is the numerical value of "kli", the Hebrew word for "vessel". Thus Elokim is understood to be the vessel of Havayah. This is alluded to in the verse "For [as the] sun and [its] shield are Havayah [and] Elokim". (Psalms 84:12) Sun and shield are as light (source) and vessel. Likewise, 86 ("Elokim") plus 60 ("vessel") equals 146, the numerical value of "olam", the Hebrew word for "world". This indicates that just as Elokim is the vessel of Havayah (i.e. the level of Divinity whose ultimate intention is to serve to reveal Havayah to the world), so is the world itself the vessel of Elokim (i.e. the divinely created context in which nature itself is experienced as a manifestation of G‑d).    (Source)

THE HOLY ONE BLESSED BE HE (HKB"H),

HU LEVADO MELECH!!! 

 MELECH SHELANU L'OLAM VA'ED!!!

See you all next year, iy"H!!

THEY KEPT THEIR WORD...

28 Elul 5785

Portugal joins UK, Canada, Australia in formally recognizing independent Palestinian state 

This is the legacy of Western Civilization's democratic, Judeo-Chr*stian 'values' which the Israeli State claims it is fighting to defend and preserve.

More to come tomorrow...

JUDGMENT DAY IS LOOMING FOR THE ENTIRE WORLD

28 Elul 5785

How will HKB"H repay the nations for their treachery? 

UN General Assembly Decided to Resume the High-Level Conference on Palestine Statehood on 22 September 2025

The Assembly, acting without a vote, decided to resume the High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution on 22 September during the 193-member organ’s upcoming eightieth session. Introducing a draft oral decision, the representative of Saudi Arabia recalled the suspension of that Conference on 30 July, emphasizing that “the situation on the ground in Palestine has never been more dire” and “it is precisely at this moment that the momentum towards peace must be maintained”.

That's TOMORROW - Erev Rosh Hashanah 5786!! 

* * * 

A growing number of countries are pledging to recognize a Palestinian state, with more than 145 nations now joining the call for international recognition.

Most of the nations that recognize a State of Palestine did so in 1988, following the Palestine National Council’s (PNC) declaration of the state. Many other non-Western states followed suit in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s.

More countries announce plans to recognize a Palestinian state

Belgium, Australia, Portugal, Canada and Malta announced plans to join Britain and France in recognizing Palestinian statehood, joining more than 140 other countries.

Countries that have recognized a Palestinian state...

(Source)

Spain, Ireland and Norway recognise Palestinian statehood

...Canada and France also plan to recognize a Palestinian state at next week’s UN General Assembly....

[UK's] Starmer set to announce recognition of Palestinian state today

Portugal to recognise a Palestinian state today

Portugal has joined Australia, Canada, France and the United Kingdom in announcing plans to recognise a Palestinian state.

In a statement on Friday, the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the recognition will take place on Sunday, a day before a high-level conference on Palestinian statehood at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

US official says Australia expected to recognize Palestinian state today, joining others

9,000 Israelis sign petition to recognize Palestinian state ahead of UN summit

Organized by grassroots group Zazim, backed by bereaved families of October 7 victims, petition calls on world to endorse Palestinian statehood as only path to peace

Sunday Is Going To Be A Busy Day

28 Elul 5785
Motza"sh 

September 21st (28 Elul) is a date with a lot going on...

A partial solar eclipse will occur on Sunday, September 21, 2025, visible primarily from the remote Southern Hemisphere, including parts of Antarctica, Australia, and the South Pacific. During this event, the Moon will obscure a portion of the Sun, creating a "bite" or crescent shape from the perspective of a viewer. It will be the final solar eclipse of the year and will coincide with the September equinox.

Globally, September's partial solar eclipse will begin at 1:29 p.m. EDT (1729 GMT), with the maximum eclipse phase — when the moon covers the largest portion of the sun — occurring at 3:41 p.m. EDT (1941 GMT).

Another event of global interest to take place on Sunday is the funeral for slain American influencer Charlie Kirk.  (As described here.)

Interestingly, September 21st marks precisely nine months into US President Trump's second administration.  (Jan 1, 2025 to Sep 21, 2025)

Plus it's Erev Erev Rosh Hashanah 5786!

"Standing Before Hashem"

26 Elul 5785
Erev Shabbat Kodesh
Parashat Nitzavim 

Recycled from 2010.  An oldie but a goodie.

B"H Elul 26 5770

"Atem nitzavim .... You are standing today, all of you, before Hashem...." (Deuteronomy 29:9)

Why "standing"?

We stand to indicate respect and attention. Moses gathered the Children of Israel on the East Bank of the Jordan River on the day of his death "In order to establish you ... as a people to Him and that He be a G-d to you...." (Deuteronomy 29:12)

We stand when the Sefer Torah is carried. We stand for a Torah scholar. We stand for our parents. When the Torah was given at Mount Sinai, "Moses brought the people forth from the camp toward G-d, and they stood at the bottom of the mountain." (Shemos 19:17)

Standing signifies dignity and respect. In the Prayer after Meals (bentching), we ask G-d to "break the yoke of oppression from our necks and guide us erect to our Land." In other words, we don't want to crawl home to Israel at the end of the Exile, G-d forbid. Slaves are bent and depressed; they drag their bodies along in servile lowliness. But we are different; we are Children of the Al-mighty.

"They slumped and fell, but we arose and were invigorated." (Psalm 20)

Every morning, we thank G-d, "Who straightens the bent."

We are royalty, descendants of kings, prophets and great rabbis through whom the light of Torah enters the world.

I recently received the following email:

"After reading your article on how we speak, I thought you might appreciate what we experienced the other day when my husband and I found ourselves in a Walmart in a town where I don't think they had ever seen a religious Jew. The language of the people around me was colored with inappropriate words, which are 'normal' speech for today's times. A teenage daughter was speaking to her mother with only 'four-letter' words.

"Her mother looked at me and my husband and then said to her daughter, 'You know you shouldn't be talking like that.'

"At that moment I realized what G-d wants from us. We are a Holy Nation, an example to others on how to behave. The way we speak affects not only our personality, but it also affects the look on our face, so that someone who looks at us can see it, and I think they did.

"At that moment I was so proud to be a Jew."

What a Sanctification of G-d's Name occurs when the Jewish People act in conformity with our Holy Torah! All we have to do is LIVE IT! When the Nations see us living this way, they remember that there is a G-d in the world. When we remember that we are in the Presence of G-d, the entire world remembers that G-d rules the world! Our purpose in this world is to sanctify G-d's Name ... without embarrassment!

"See, I have taught you decrees and ordinances, as Hashem my G-d, has commanded me, to do so in the midst of the Land to which you come to possess it. You shall safeguard and perform them, for it is your wisdom and discernment in the eyes of the people who shall hear all these decrees and who shall say, 'Surely a wise and discerning people is this great nation!' For which is a great nation that has a G-d Who is close to it, as is Hashem our G-d, whenever we call to Him? And which is a great nation that has righteous decrees and ordinances, such as this entire Torah that I place before you this day?" (Deuteronomy 4:6-8)

As the Month of Elul draws to a close, ...as we prepare for the Days of Judgment and the beginning of a new year, it is well to remember the great responsibility resting upon our shoulders. We do not need to try to flatter the other nations by mimicking their lifestyle, G-d forbid. They are always looking for something new to fill the empty bottomless pit through which they are plunging, but we are "sameach b'chelko... happy with our lot" (Ethics of the Fathers 4:1). All we need is to live the glorious life of Torah. This is what will guide and protect us in the darkness until the Great Light shines!

"I will rejoice intensely with Hashem, my soul shall exult with my G-d, for He has dressed me in the raiment of salvation, in a robe of righteousness has He cloaked me, like a bridegroom who dons priestly glory, like a bride who bedecks herself in her jewelry. For as the earth brings forth her growth, and as a garden causes its sowing to grow, so shall my L-rd Hashem cause righteousness and praise to grow in the face of all the nations." (Haftaras Nitzavim/Yeshiah 61:10ff)

We are already here! We do not have to innovate! We have our Torah! We have everything we need! Do you see what happened when the lady who sent me the email simply stood with her husband among the members of the surrounding culture, even in a setting of almost total materialism! They radiated Yiras Shomayim... Fear of Heaven, and they changed the world!

Once, years ago, I was late to an appointment in New York City. It was a winter rush hour, just before sunset. Suddenly, I realized that I had not yet said the Afternoon Prayer. I pulled my car over to the curb in Midtown Manhattan, got out, faced East, and began to say "Ashrei." A police officer approached me.

"What are you doing? Move your car right now!"

"Officer, I ... um ... actually just need about five minutes for my prayers."

Silence. He looked at me.

"You want to pray! Why didn't you tell me?"

And then he said, "Don't forget to pray for me!"

Don't you think they WANT us to pray for them? What do they have in this world except for the Holiness of the Children of Israel? They need us, and they know it! They WANT us to keep the Torah! They are desperate for us to keep the Torah! We are their only hope!

"It is your wisdom and discernment in the eyes of the people who shall hear all these decrees and who shall say, 'Surely a wise and discerning people is this great nation!'"

My friends, let's give our Father and King endless nachas this year by returning to Him with "all our hearts, all our soul and all our resources." He is ready to dry all our tears, end the insanity, cruelty and pollution, ready to bring a new dawn to all mankind. It's in our hands.

Let the year and its curses conclude! Let the year and its blessings begin! (Achos Katana)

Roy S. Neuberger

~ SHABBAT SHALOM ~ 

Kirk Funeral: Presidential Treatment

25 Elul 5785

The following message is written in the spirit of Nitzavim - "arevim zeh la zeh."

American Jews in danger!!!  A fire has been set and it is fast getting out of control.  "The Jews Are Responsible" story is gaining more traction every day!!  The Jews keep talking (here and abroad) and their hole just keeps getting deeper.  GET OUT while you still can!!!

Funeral services have been announced for Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist who was assassinated last week during an event at Utah Valley University.

Kirk’s funeral will take place Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, at State Farm Stadium in Phoenix. A website created in Kirk’s memory, fightforcharlie.com, says the doors will open at 8 a.m. local time to the stadium with the program beginning at 11 a.m.

Turning Point USA announced a list of speakers set to make an appearance at a public memorial service for conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Arizona on Sunday, Sept. 21.

The memorial, which will be held at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, is expected to attract thousands of Kirk’s followers. His body was transported by Air Force Two from Salt Lake City, Utah, to a Phoenix mortuary on Sept. 11. Kirk was from Arizona.

Here is who is set to speak at Sunday’s memorial service.

The full list speakers announced so far:

• President Donald Trump
• Vice President JD Vance
• Erika Kirk
• White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles
• Secretary of State Marco Rubio
• Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
• Secretary of War Pete Hegseth
• Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard
• Donald Trump Jr.
• Tucker Carlson
• White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller
• U.S. Ambassador to India nominee Sergio Gor

(Source 1, Source 2)

[I am frankly surprised that he did not lie-in-state at the capitol.]  

Today Is The Birthday of The World

25 Elul 5785

YESHIVAT HAR ETZION VIRTUAL BEIT MIDRASH PROJECT
************************************************
SPECIAL ROSH HASHANA PACKAGE

THE WINTER OF OUR DISCONTENT

by Asher Meir

I. TWO ROSH-HASHANAS

The religious and scientific controversy over the age of the world has received much popular attention. However, the Gemara relates another disagreement that has more conceptual impact - a debate over the world's exact birthday. The debate is found in a braita in Rosh HaShana 10b:

"Rabbi Eliezer says, the world was created in Tishrei. In Tishrei the patriarchs were born, in Tishrei the patriarchs died; but Yitzchak was born at Pesach. Sarah, Rachel, and Chana were all granted the ability to conceive on Rosh Hashana; Yosef was freed from prison on Rosh Hashana, and on Rosh Hashana our forefathers were freed from labor in Egypt. We were redeemed from Egypt in Nisan, but we are destined to be redeemed in Tishrei.

"Rabbi Yehoshua says, the world was created in Nisan. In Nisan the patriarchs were born, and in Nisan the patriarchs died, and Yitzchak was born at Pesach. Sarah, Rachel, and Chana were all granted the ability to conceive on Rosh Hashana; Yosef was freed from prison on Rosh Hashana, and on Rosh Hashana our forefathers were freed from labor in Egypt. We were redeemed from Egypt in Nisan, and we are destined to be redeemed in Nisan."

Ostensibly, R' Eliezer and R' Yehoshua's debate is of little significance. Why should the exact date of creation matter? One understanding is that Tishrei and Nisan are not mere months - they symbolize man's relationship to the natural world.

In Tishrei, the gateway to autumn, man must combat nature in order to survive. In Nisan, the dawn of spring, nature helps man live and grow. The debate of R' Eliezer and R' Yehoshua, then, is whether man is fundamentally in conflict with his environment (Tishrei) or in harmony with it (Nisan).

Imagine that Adam and Eve were created in Tishrei - the autumn; they oppose nature in two ways. The first is that they are "out of sync" with nature: while the newly created human beings blossom and develop, the world around them withers. The second is that while they depend on nature for their needs, nature does not cooperate with them: every day there is less warmth, less shelter, fewer fruits and vegetables to eat.

In contrast, if we imagine man's creation in Nisan, the exact opposite holds. The world blossoms in tandem with man's development; the bounty and warmth of springtime aid man's early stages as well.

II. SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

Maharsha explains that R' Eliezer thinks the world was created in Tishrei because it "is the time of repentance," and R' Yehoshua thinks the creation took place in Nisan because it "is the time of redemption." (It is evident that the sages agree as to the significance of the two seasons - they concur on the dating of most events in the Braita). It seems that redemption is intimately connected with the idea of collaboration with nature, while repentance - teshuva - is connected with overcoming nature. The redemption from Egypt epitomizes how all creation can cooperate to realize God's design for mankind. The birth of the Jewish people was accompanied by many miracles - from the plagues to the splitting of the sea - that demonstrate how nature can help man.

The fact that the festival devoted to judgment and repentance falls in Tishrei suggests that the kind of repentance God seeks from us on the judgment day is that of "man against the universe." We must struggle against the yetzer hara - man's earthly nature and baser instincts. Judaism recognizes the potential harmony that exists between us and our material side, but Tishrei is not a suitable time for expressing this harmony. On the eve of Nisan we have Adar and Purim, when we increase our happiness and immerse ourselves in the joys that we can acquire from the material world. On the eve of Tishrei we have Elul, where we immerse ourselves in introspection, isolating ourselves from the material and concentrating on the spiritual.

III. TISHREI, TESHUVA AND THE WORLD

From the end of the braita we learn that there is an additional dispute between R' Eliezer and R' Yehoshua. Not only do they disagree as to when the world as we know it came into being, they also disagree as to when it will end,ushering in a new and better world. Since they agree on the symbolism of the times of year, we can extend our understanding of the first part of the debate to the second. Will the future redemption be a Tishrei redemption, dependent on repentance, or a Nisan redemption, which will come even without merit like the redemption from Egypt? And so we find in Sanhedrin 97b: R' Eliezer claims that the Jewish people will not be redeemed except through repentance; R' Yehoshua claims that whether or not they repent, they will be redeemed.

According to R' Eliezer's "Tishrei" view, our "battle against nature" has very far-reaching implications. If we succeed in "holding our own" against a hostile environment, returning to God despite the many pitfalls and temptations of the withering world, we effect the perfection of nature itself - the final redemption.

In other words, the "Tishrei" approach is that our repentance can transform the world. This connection between the repentance of the individual and the rectification of the world as a whole is illustrated by Rambam in his Laws of Teshuva (3:1-2). Rambam says that Rosh Hashana is not only the time of judgment for the individual, but also that for the world as a whole: "If [the world's] sins should outweigh its good deeds, the world is immediately doomed." Our teshuva can save the world; our lack of teshuva can destroy it.

IV. CONCLUSION

Every month in the Jewish calendar has a unique character. Tishrei, when winter begins to fall, symbolizes our periodic necessity to confront the hostile elements in our environment - not only the material, but even more the spiritual. The fact that we are not yet in perfect harmony with nature and society implies not only an ability to resist their imperfections, but also an ability to overcome them, to perfect the world as a whole through our individual repentance. 

GAZA: The Construction Zone

 24 Elul 5785

UPDATE:  (26 Elul 5785)  If you doubt what is written here, maybe you will believe it from the mouth of the Finance Minister...

Suppressed News. @SuppressedNws1 · 16h

⚡️JUST IN: Israel’s Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich: The Gaza Strip is becoming a real estate bonanza and the plan is on President Trump's desk.

    We paid a lot of money for the war, so we need to decide how to divide the percentages of the land in Gaza. The demolition phase is always the first phase of urban renewal. We did that, now we need to start building. (Source with Video)

* * * 

Not for Zion's Sake, For America's Sake!!!!

Is THIS the real reason for the extended war in Gaza???

MUST SEE (especially from 3:08 mins through 3:40 mins and through to the end).  This was posted a month ago!!

"The Ben Gurion Canal"

THIS WAS ALWAYS THE PLAN 

AND THE REASON FOR THE WAR!!

They needed a really good reason and that's
why they LET Hamas do what they did!!

EVERYTHING, 

from 9/11 to the 25-year War on Terror

to 10/7 to the martyrdom of a 

worldclass influencer is, in my view,

being perpetrated by both sides

in partnership - the US/Israel Alliance

aka Eisav/Erev Rav Alliance.

There is NOTHING they won't

do to fulfill their Eisavian Vision.  

VISION 2048


IT'S ALL ABOUT MONEY AND POWER
No more "Extremists". Jews and Gentiles are One with intermarriage celebrated.
The West has won the Culture Warand the flow of money is endless.
But YES, God WILL forbid it.

And the Lord saw that the evil of man was great in the earth, and every imagination of his heart was only evil all the time. ...And the Lord said, "I will blot out man, whom I created, from upon the face of the earth, from man to cattle to creeping thing, to the fowl of the heavens, for I regret that I made them." ...And God saw the earth, and behold it had become corrupted, for all flesh had corrupted its way on the earth. ...behold I am bringing the flood, water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which there is the spirit of life, from beneath the heavens; all that is upon the earth will perish. (Bereishit 6)

Now the entire earth was of one language and uniform words. ...And they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make ourselves a name,.... And the Lord said, "Lo! [they are] one people, and they all have one language, and this is what they have commenced to do. Now, will it not be withheld from them, all that they have planned to do? ...And the Lord scattered them from there upon the face of the entire earth, and they ceased building the city. (Bereishit 11)

Sound a shophar in Zion and sound an alarm in My holy mountain; all the inhabitants of the land shall quake, for the day of the Lord has come, for it is near. ...Sound a shophar in Zion [Rosh Hashanah]; proclaim a fast [Yom Kippur], call an assembly. [Shemini Atzeret]  ...And the Lord was zealous for His land, and He pitied His people. ...And you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and I am the Lord your God, there is no other; and My people shall never be ashamed. (Yoel 2)

UPDATE: The State of Israel vs. The Torah

24 Elul 5785 

Some of the readers may as yet be unaware that the long-awaited incursion into Gaza City has finally been launched.  The IDF has been concurrently bombing in Gaza and in Yemen in recent hours.

IDF Confirms: Ground Op In Gaza City Has Begun; Defense Minister Katz: “Gaza Is Burning”

Israeli Military Hits Houthi Targets in Yemen, Says Port Used for Iranian Weapons Transfers

Worrying Incident Near Modi’in Illit: Terrorists Attempt To Launch 2 Rockets

Despite all this, military police can be spared to hunt down a young chareidi woman against whom there are no valid charges, and even after it is confirmed that the IDF has made a mistake, she is still incarcerated in a prison after two days!

Chareidi Bais Yaakov Student Arrested & Transferred To Military Prison

...Many Chareidi Sephardi journalists have complained that so far, all arrests and attempted arrests have been carried out against Sephardi bnei yeshivos. Kikar H’Shabbat reported that the military police have not knocked on even one home of an Ashkenazi ben yeshivah, Litvish or Chassidish, except for ba’alei teshuvah.

An IDF source claimed in a conversation with Kikar, “We are not acting intentionally against Sephardim, but due to the decision not to operate in Chareidi cities, we operate in mixed cities and neighborhoods, and naturally, mostly Sephardim reside there.”

Kahan addressed this issue as well, saying, “Are the arrests specifically against Sephardi bochurim? In the army they say there is no connection and they come randomly, according to lists. I don’t believe them. I can’t understand how, out of all the arrests in homes, they come to the homes of specifically Sephardim. What does the army have against Sephardim? What is this?”

Kikar quoted a source from the home of one of the senior members of the Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah of Shas, who said there is great anger at the conduct of the IDF, which is only carrying out enforcement operations against Sephardim. “Discrimination has also entered the IDF. We are against any arrest, but if they decide to carry out arrests, why is it only against our bochurim? And where is Shas? Why are our representatives silent about this injustice?”

Last month, HaGaon HaRav Yitzchak Yosef slammed the arrest of Sephardi bnei yeshivos, saying, “They arrest mainly Sephardim; they know that the mother is weak, the father is weak. They go and arrest bnei yeshivos in the middle of the night, knocking hard on the door. What is this, Russia? Is there a communist regime here? Bolsheviks?

Then there was the yeshivah bachur who was lured to the police station under false pretenses where he was taken and jailed during the week of his Sheva Brachot.  The entire family and community are traumatized by the injustice and lack of compassion.  Even if they felt themselves justified, the police couldn't have waited a few more days????

Chosson Arrested During Sheva Brachos Remains In Military Prison

Yisrael Meir Teharani, a talmid at the Shalhevet HaTorah yeshiva, has been in military detention for a week after being arrested during his sheva brachos.

His family members expressed distress that all efforts to release the new husband have failed, and he spent his first Shabbos after Sheva Brachos in a military prison.

“We feel as if a sharp sword has been plunged into our hearts,” his family members said. “Instead of sitting with his family around the Shabbos table, just a week after his wedding, he sat in solitude behind bars.”

According to the Ezram U’Meginim and Notnim Gav organizations, Teharani’s arrest is a grave escalation in the persecution of the Olam HaTorah, as he appeared at the Holon police station to give testimony—at the request of the police.

“If the Israeli police are laying traps for bnei yeshivos, it is encouraging crime within the Chareidi sector, and the consequences for the police could be disastrous,” a statement said.

Over 20 Chareidim have been arrested on “draft-dodging” charges at Ben-Gurion Airport over the past week on the way to Uman.

If anyone in the military echelon had an ounce of yirat shamayim, they would understand that, now more than ever, Klal Yisrael is in need of the Torah's protection - now, more than at any other time in our modern history, a time during which yeshivah bachurim learned without disturbance, much less threats and sanctions and imprisonment!!!!  

All of this has been brought about through the auspices of foreign powers who have plotted our annihilation.  Had the government followed the Torah's instructions for war, we would not be here two years later.  I'm convinced, however, that this error on their part is what is going to lead to their fall from power and replacement by Mashiach.

Please Hashem, may it be soon.

Charlie Kirk's Message to the Jews

23 Elul 5785

Will any of the Jews currently mourning his loss take his message to heart???

"There's an earthquake coming...." 

"America's Heritage Abroad"?????

23 Elul 5785

Normally, you would think, the Prime Minster would "inaugurate" the newly opened archeological site with esteemed guests from America in attendance.  But, NO.  The three inaugurated it - T_O_G_E_T_H_E_R.  It implies joint ownership!

Rubio, Netanyahu, and Huckabee inaugurate fully exposed Pilgrimage Road in Jerusalem

After years of excavation, Israel on Monday unveiled the fully exposed Pilgrimage Road in the City of David, a circa first-century route linking the Pool of Siloam to the foot of the Temple Mount. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attended the evening ceremony alongside US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee.

...Rubio called it “an extraordinary archaeological site,” framing his appearance as a celebration of shared heritage.

...Rubio helps inagurate Pilgrim's Road

Monday's inauguration also highlighted growing international recognition of the site. In January 2021, the US Embassy in Jerusalem, together with the US Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad, recognized the City of David as a testament to America’s Judeo-Christian heritage and founding principles.

When you agree to "share" with Eisav, be prepared to lose it all to him in the end.  That's just how "he" is.

Most Jews, I think, are aware of Huckabee's missionary activitiy and aspirations.  What about Marco Rubio - Cuban Evangelical-Catholic Marco Rubio? 

...The senator from Florida, ... identifies as Roman Catholic. But he tends to speak of faith in general terms whenever he can. ...Rubio was asked how he felt about the people who thought he could save the Republican party from its current state. “Let me be clear about one thing – there’s only one savior and it’s not me,” he answered, somewhat eagerly. “It’s J*sus Chr*st who came down to Earth and died for our sins.”

...Rubio has followed Chr*st through three churches. Christened in the Roman Catholic church as a young child in Miami, he converted to Mormonism – the Church of Latter-Day Saints – at the age of eight when his family lived for a time in Utah. In his 2012 memoir, American Son, Rubio describes himself as the driving force of the change. “I immersed myself in LDS theology,” he writes. But the family eventually left LDS and returned to Catholicism.

Rubio can be vague about what happened next, though he insists he continued to be a practicing Catholic and was married in the church. It was his wife, Jeanette Dousdebes Rubio, who first became involved with the budding Miami-area megachurch known as Chr*st Fellowship. (Source)

Both Rubio and Huckabee have an interest in Ir David and the Temple Mount beyond it being, according to them, an American Heritage Site Abroad.  The so-called "Pilgrimage Road" could just as easily be seen to refer to Chr*stian pilgrims as Jewish ones.  They revere it because their god walked upon it.  

When you agree to "share" with Eisav, be prepared to lose it all to him in the end.  That's just how "he" is.

* * *

Don't forget, tomorrow is the day for the planned prayer in honor of Charlie Kirk on the Temple Mount (1:30 pm IST).  How much longer will the Master of the Universe continue to tolerate these desecrations???

We Are At The "Turning Point"

23 Elul 5785

Today is the Hebrew anniversary of 9/11.  I'm looking out for another kind of crash ($$).

Two very important, earth-shaking events took place in the days immediately following the "Blood Moon" over Israel which appeared on the evening of the 15th of Elul.  

On the 16th, the State of Israel bombed Qatar and failed to kill the Hamas leaders they had targeted.  However, it did kill the Abraham Accords and unite all the Arab-Muslim nations into a single force against us.  [See here.]

On the 17th (gematria tov), Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was killed in full view of the world.  Within 12 hours, Israel was being blamed for it.

I believe that the lunar eclipse heralded a death knell for the Zionist State, primarily due to its war on Torah, and that it has marked a move to a new and deadly phase of the geulah process - a major turning point - and right on time.

This destructive Judeo-Chr*stian "Alliance" between Eisav and Ya'aqov is about to break wide open.  [See here.]  Unfortunately, it will continue to be a bloody process.  And those who are attached and connected to the false religions and the alien culture are in the greatest possible danger.  

Those who are 100% committed and submitted to the will of HKB"H as their Father and King - Him ALONE! - must not fear.  

He is coming to judge the world.  

And "The Charlie Effect" is NOT going to help them!!!

Social media is being flooded with this.  The martyrdom of Charlie Kirk has taken on a life of its own.

* * *

IN THE END, ISRAEL DID IT