PURIM 5786/2026

14 Adar 5786

Purim Under Fire

13 Adar 5786
Ta'anit Esther

Special instructions for wartime Purim celebrations...

Chief Rabbi of Israel Issues Guidance: How to Fast and Celebrate During Wartime

Hearing the Megillah During a Siren: Halachic Rulings Issued Amid the War

“The Safest Place Is Eretz Yisroel”: Rav Yaakov Meir Shechter’s Powerful Message of Faith

Gedolim Issue Letter of Chizuk Amid War; Specific Kappitlach of Tehillim Designated

Signs and Wonders and Promises Fulfilled

13 Adar 5786 

“The Washington Post reported on Saturday, citing four sources familiar with the matter, that Trump's decision to conduct a series of strikes against Iran's ballistic and nuclear missile facilities came at the behest of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who had been lobbying for the strikes for weeks,....” ("X")

 * * *

In Yalkut Shimoni on Yeshayahu (Remez 499), Rabbi Yitzchak describes a specific sequence of geopolitical escalation involving Paras (Persia/Iran) during the year of Mashiach's revealing:

Global Instigation: The King of Paras begins by "taunting" or "challenging" an Arab king.

The Conflict: The Arab king seeks counsel from Aram (sometimes identified as Edom or Western powers), leading the King of Paras to return and "destroy the entire world".   [See the WaPo report cited above]

The Middle East has been dragged into an escalating conflict after the US and Israel launched a wave of strikes, killing Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Retaliatory strikes have seen several nations, including Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Jordan, Oman, hit following the attacks, as Iran has threatened its “most intense offensive operation” against US bases. (Source)

Iran launched missiles at Cyprus, threatening thousands of British troops stationed there

Trump threatens Iran with force ‘never seen before’  

Universal Panic: This destruction causes all nations to tremble, panic, and fall on their faces in "pain like that of a woman giving birth".

The Purpose: The Midrash emphasizes that while this chaos is terrifying, God reassures the Jewish people that this upheaval is orchestrated solely for their sake to bring about the final redemption. (Google)

It begins by saying, "In the year that Mashiach is revealed,.." and ends with "the time for your Redemption has arrived."  Ken, yehi ratzon!!!

May the offerings of our fasts on this Ta'anit Esther be acceptable and pleasing to HKB "H and may He continue to have mercy on the righteous and all His children and remove all evil from His world in our days!!

Purim Started Early This Year!

 12 Adar 5786

The complete obliteration of Amalek will occur at the time of the final redemption, immediately preceding the month of Nisan.  (Book of Our Heritage, p. 394)

This is just the beginning.

INJURED INFANT NEEDS PRAYER

12 Adar 5786 

[Will update info as available.]

A 6-month-old infant with a serious head injury is in dire need of prayers for recovery.  Please take time to request a refuah shleimah for Hadassah Netta bat Avigail among all the other sick and injured of Klal Yisrael.  Thank you and may we hear only good news!

UPDATE!  The baby regained consciousness during the night and seems to be recovering.  She is to be discharged home this afternoon.  Thank you for your prayers, but it will take time for complete recovery so please keep her name on your prayer list for a time.  Many thanks again and besorot tovot!

Remember? How Could We Ever Forget?

10 Adar 5786
Erev Shabbat Kodesh
Parashat Tetzaveh - Zachor 

Excerpted from the Stone Edition Chumash Commentary on the parashah...

The Sidrah deals almost exclusively with the Kohanim: their selection, their vestments, and the inauguration service by means of which they and their offspring would become confirmed for all time as the special ministers of God.

...On the Sabbath before Purim two Torah scrolls are taken from the Ark.  From the first, the regular Sidrah is read.  The second is used for the Maftir, and the reading is the commandment to remember (zachor) the villainy of Amalek.

The original Amalek was a grandson of Esau, and it was he who carried on his grandfather's legacy of hatred of the Jewish people.  Only weeks after the Exodus from Egypt, Amalek made the first sneak attack against Israel.  This ambush became the paradigm of treachery, especially since the land of the Amalekites was not part of Eretz Yisrael, so that Amalek was motivated not by fear but by hatred.  God informed Israel that there would be an eternal state of war between Him and Amalek, because Amalek's battle was primarily against the cause of holiness, not against the nation that God chose to be its standard-bearer.  And God commanded Israel to remember what that renegade nation did, and to destroy the Amalekites so completely that they would not even be remembered.

* * *

Rav Richter:  Part 4 of the Great Debate
("A New Promised Land?")

Unbelievable Chutzpah!!

9 Adar 5786 

[This is the third and final blog post for today.  If you are a late arrival, please look for the two most recent previous posts which were published earlier today.]

 * * *

From the Arava to Kiryat Gat to Gaza to various air force facilities to Haifa Bay, the United States has set up shop for who really knows what in Israel.

Walla: US tech crews deployed on IDF bases as Iran strike preparations peak:

Walla reports that hundreds of US personnel who operate advanced systems at US air bases have been deployed on IDF bases as preparations for a possible strike on Iran reach a peak.  (𝗜𝗦𝗥𝗔𝗘𝗟 𝗟𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗦)

It was bad enough that Trump called a ceasefire with Iran back in June 2025 before the job was finished and effectively tied our hands as a result.  Now, they openly and brazenly announce publicly that they want us to "go first" so as to provide them with an excuse acceptabe to the American public for US intervention.  There is no limit to their chutzpah!!

Trump advisors eye Israel-first Iran strike to boost US backing for American assault - report

Senior advisors to US President Donald Trump would prefer if Israel struck Iran first, believing that such a move would provide better optics and help muster voter support for a US strike, Politico reported on Wednesday, citing two people familiar with the discussions.

“There’s thinking in and around the administration that the politics are a lot better if the Israelis go first and alone and the Iranians retaliate against us, and give us more reason to take action,” the sources told Politico.

The motivation behind the idea centers on Iran’s retaliation, the sources claimed, as “more Americans would stomach a war with Iran if the United States or an ally were attacked first.”

According to them, the line of thought around Trump is “we’re going to bomb them [Iran].”

However, other considerations are also being taken into account, ....

Report: US prefers Israel to strike Iran first

There is only one possible outcome in Geneva

3:00 PM Countdown: Trump Sets Final Deadline for Iran Decision as Markets Brace for Impact

President Donald Trump is expected to convene a high-stakes meeting tomorrow, Friday, February 27, with all top national security and military officials to finalize the United States’ response to the escalating crisis with Iran.

According to reports from the Intelli Times, the President has set a hard deadline of 3:00 PM EST (10:00 PM Israel time) to reach a definitive decision. The timing is strategically significant, occurring exactly one hour before the closing bell on Wall Street, as the administration braces for the global economic ripples of any potential military announcement.

The President’s choice, ranging from a diplomatic breakthrough to a massive aerial campaign, will reportedly be guided by the final assessments from special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff. The two have been lead negotiators in the "last-ditch" Geneva talks, which many officials now believe have reached an impasse over Iran’s refusal to halt ballistic missile development and dismantle its uranium stockpiles.

If no deal is reached by tomorrow afternoon, the administration has signaled it is prepared to move forward ....

It's 16:16 by my clock. This just appeared: 16:10 PM Modi leaves Israel after whirlwind visit

It's actually all over in Geneva no matter what is being reported about a further meeting tonight.

And even though the Gerald Ford carrier is only just now pulling out of Crete and on its last leg to Haifa, the fact is it has been within its target range for a few days already.  So no need to wait another 24 hrs for that either.

Especially since Trump wants Israel to "go first" and he seems to be aiming his guns toward 3 pm (EST) tomorrow, from this point forward, literally anything can happen!!

"In Eretz Yisrael Will Be the Ark"

9 Adar 5786

This is the second blog post of the day and I have another one lined up after this one.  Please make sure you don't miss anything.  We're comiing down to the wire.  There is little to no time left to get this information out. 

I was thinking about how everyone is saying, yeah, yeah, we've been hearing this our entire lives and nothing has happened yet.  Likely, it has years and years to go if it even happens at all.  It made me think about the people of Noah's time and how long 120 years is and how nobody thought in that 120th year that this was going to be "IT", except Noah and his family.  It reminded me of that passage from the Chesed l'Avraham...

The Chesed L'Avraham, a 17th-century Kabbalistic work by Rabbi Abraham Azulai discusses the Land of Israel's unique spiritual protection during the end of days.

The comparison of the Land of Israel to Noah's Ark is found in his descriptions of the "birth pangs of the Messiah" (Hevlei Mashiach): 

The Protective Shell: Rabbi Azulai explains that at the end of days, a "great flood" of spiritual and physical chaos will overwhelm the world.  Just as Noah's Ark was the only place of safety during the biblical flood, the Land of Israel will serve as the world's only spiritual refuge.

A "High" Spiritual Refuge: He notes that the Land of Israel is spiritually "higher" than all other lands. Much like the Ark rose above the waters, the Land of Israel will remain "above" the destruction and turmoil facing other nations.

The Zohar Connection: This concept is deeply rooted in the Zohar (e.g., Zohar 1:63a), which the Chesed L'Avraham frequently expands upon.  The Zohar suggests that the Land of Israel did not experience the physical destruction of the Flood and, similarly, will be shielded from the final upheavals.  (Source:  Google)

With that in mind, and given the fact that the flood seems to be upon us, I counted back 120 years to see if 1906 marked a beginning of the building of the State of Israel, which by its founders' own statements was meant to provide a refuge for the Jewish people - an Ark!

The year 1906 was a landmark year for the founding of the Jewish state, marked by the arrival of key future leaders and the establishment of institutions that defined the movement's cultural and educational identity.

The Arrival of David Ben-Gurion

On September 7, 1906, a 20-year-old David Ben-Gurion (then David Gruen) arrived at the port of Jaffa. This event is historically significant because Ben-Gurion eventually became the primary architect of the state and Israel's first Prime Minister. His arrival was part of the Second Aliyah (1904–1914), a wave of immigration that established the socialist labor foundations of the future state.

Educational and Cultural Foundations

Herzliya Hebrew Gymnasium: In 1906, the first Hebrew academic high school in the world opened its doors in Jaffa. Named in honor of Theodor Herzl, it was the first institution to teach all subjects—including sciences—entirely in Hebrew, proving that the ancient language could serve as a modern national tongue.

Bezalel Academy: The Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design was founded in Jerusalem in 1906 by Boris Schatz. It aimed to create a distinct "Jewish national art" style, blending European techniques with Middle Eastern motifs to help forge a new national identity.

Political and Urban Developments

The Roots of Tel Aviv: In 1906, a group of Jewish residents in Jaffa formed the Ahuzat Bayit society with the goal of building a modern Hebrew garden suburb. This society's efforts led directly to the founding of Tel Aviv three years later.

Poale Zion in Russia: The Jewish Social Democratic Labour Party (Poale Zion) was formally organized in Russia in 1906. This party's ideology of "Labor Zionism" became the dominant political force in the Yishuv (the Jewish community in pre-state Israel) for decades.

End of the Dreyfus Affair: In July 1906, Alfred Dreyfus was officially exonerated and reinstated in the French army. This event was the final chapter of the scandal that originally inspired Theodor Herzl to write The Jewish State.   (Source:  Google)

We only knew when the seventy years of exile to Babylon was over by counting back because no one was sure when it started.  The same was true for the 430 years of exile in Egypt, too.  So why should this be any different?  Just a thought.

Tick - Tock, Tick- Tock ...

9 Adar 5786

Adar / Nissan  - the time of redemptions past, the time of redemption to come.  The long foreseen war between Paras and Edom is awaiting the match that will light the fuse already in place, and we're in the week of Zachor.  Even the goyim are talking about Purim and Persia.

Day after day the media is afire with the anticipatory speculation - when?  And every day sees delay, delay, delay.  Every soul on the planet understands that this is going to change everything - for all time to come.  They know they have no choice now, but they still try to push it off as long as possible.  

Adar is here and the strength of the moon is growing.  Is the countdown still figured in days, or is it now only hours?  Only HKB"H knows because this is His timetable now.  The whole world is about to witness events unrivaled even by the events in ancient Egypt.  

Cling on to HKB"H with all your might!

The Comet That Could Black Out Earth

(April 4, 2026 is Pesach)

(See further:  New Kreutz Comet C/2026 A1 May Dazzle)

We Are Not Alike - Yisrael Is Unique

9 Adar 5786

I just finished listening to Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi's address to the Knesset today.  He speaks as a "friend" and a supporter of Israel, but for the usual reason given by such "supportive" goyim -  "shared democratic and humanitarian values." 

He drew parallels between Israel and India which truly are not parallels at all.  They just like the parts of us that they can relate to, and as our "friends," they ignore what they can't relate to while our "enemies" focus on those things and it feeds their hatred.  That's the only difference. And that means the "friendship" of our so-called supporters, even admirers, is conditional.  At some point in the not-so-distant future, everything that connects them to us emotionally, will change.  And there will not remain to us even one nation as a true friend and ally - not even India.

"Part 4: The Great Debate"

7 Adar 5786 

England 1290; Spain 1492; France 1306 & 1394;
Germany 1930's; Is America Different? | Rabbi Richter

A Story of Two Jewish Winning Athletes

 6 Adar 5786

After mentioning sports yesterday, I found it ironic that two very interesting and contrasting Jewish sports stories have made headlines today - one in America and one in Israel.

[NOTE: Click on the images for links to source.]

1. Jewish hockey star Jack Hughes’ overtime goal propels US to historic gold medal in Olympic hockey

Jewish hockey star Jack Hughes scored the game-winning goal Sunday to clinch a gold medal for the US men’s hockey team, its first since 1980.

To be fair, while his mother is Jewish, his father is Catholic.  His brothers, Luke and Quinn, also play hockey and Quinn was on the same team that won the gold.

2. Israeli kickboxer beats anti-Israel Turkish foe

Israeli kickboxer Ahavat Hashem Gordon maintained his unbeaten run on Saturday [motza"sh], defeating Turkish fighter Ali Koyuncu, who had taunted him ahead of the clash with a series of anti-Israel posts on social media.

Gordon has seven siblings, and six of them are also Thai boxers. His mother, who was born in Hong Kong, has Thai and Philippine ancestry, converted to Judaism, and married Israeli-American Azriel Gordon, who died four years ago.

Gordon’s older brother Ruach Hashem won a silver medal for Israel last year at the Muay Thai World Games in China.

Which one made a Kiddush Hashem?  Hint:  It wasn't by deed, but by word, i.e. it wasn't what he did, but what he said.  

[NOTE: For your interest, the other siblings also have similar names...

 עוצמת השם, תשורת השם, אמונת השם, כיבד־יה השם, שמחת השם בליבנו, רוח השם ובן הזקונים ,אהבת השם

(Source)

💕 MAZAL TOV TO  BOTH 💕

The War on Kedushah in Holy Yerushalayim

6 Adar 5786

The anti-God, anti-Torah forces at work in our midst from the very beginning have sought to make Holy Jerusalem the equal of Tel Aviv.  The City Council said the city should become another hi-tech center and attract more youth and provide entertainment for the non-religious residents. 

From the opening of Malcha Mall and Teddy Stadium in the 1990s to the initiation of the first pride parade in 2002 to the transformation of the iconic Machane Yehudah shuk in the mid-2000s*, and the construction of "Towers" across the skyline, the modest and humble holy city has become unrecognizable.

[*Bars began appearing in Jerusalem's Machane Yehuda Market in the mid-2000s, with a significant transformation starting around 2006-2008 as the market shifted from solely a daytime food market to a nightlife hub.]

This "development" is not "progress."  It is an all-out attack on kedushah.  Sin and gaiva go hand-in-hand.  Drawing a line will not help.  It does not recognize any border.  It allows no limits to its influence.  Hashem yerachem!!   

“Pritzus And Hefkeirus”: Chareidim Launch Campaign To Prevent Major Purim Event In Yerushalayim

A fierce backlash is brewing in Yerushalayim after city officials announced large-scale Purim celebrations slated to take place along Jaffa Street, drawing opposition from residents of nearby chareidi neighborhoods who say the events threaten the kedusha of the city on one of the holiest days of the year.

Flyers circulating throughout Yerushalayim on Friday warned of a planned transformation of central streets into scenes of “pritzus and hefkeirus,” accusing the municipality of approving mass mixed gatherings, outdoor bars, and public performances in close proximity to long-established Torahdik neighborhoods.

While tens of thousands of frum families will be gathering for seudos and fulfilling the mitzvos of Purim, critics say the city’s program would create a starkly different atmosphere just steps away.  According to the announcement, bars are expected to extend operations into public areas along Jaffa Street, with large stages and entertainment venues set up in the heart of the city.

Residents of adjacent neighborhoods say tensions have been building for years, describing previous Purim celebrations as chaotic, with intoxicated revelers spilling into quiet residential streets. They argue that what was once limited has now escalated into a far more expansive municipal production.

Of particular concern is the reported plan for pedestrian access routes to funnel thousands of attendees through narrow streets bordering chareidi areas. Community leaders warn that this could bring large crowds through “the quiet and holy streets of Yerushalayim shel Maalah,” disrupting families and undermining the kedusha of the day.

“We cannot remain silent,” organizers declared. “How can we watch as the holy is swallowed? We will not allow the transformation of Yerushalayim — especially the areas surrounding chareidi neighborhoods — into centers of tumah, rachmana litzlan.”

Sources familiar with the developing response say emergency meetings of rabbanim and community askanim are expected in the coming days to determine next steps.

Municipal officials have not yet publicly responded to the growing protest, but the issue appears poised to ignite a confrontation between city planners and the chareidi community.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

It can no longer be that "we" will confine ourselves to our own areas and "they" will determine everything else.  The entire camp - the entire Land - is holy and must be liberated from the encroaching tumah in righteousness and in sanctity!!

There's Something Terribly Wrong Here!!

6 Adar 5786

"The West" is the culmination of our 2000-year exile.  It is Rome and it is destined to fall and be replaced by the Kingdom of Israel.  Why are Jews trying to save it?

Sport was a very big thing both for ancient Greece and for ancient Rome.  It pains me to hear Jewish sports enthusiasts speak about games with so much interest and excitement.  I was a big fan of football in my youth, but that was part of the old life, the one I left behind when I became a Jew.  It belongs to the foreign culture.  Why do some Jews want to mix it into our Jewish national culture as well?

Why do so many Jews, especially in Eretz Yisrael embrace our attachment to the West as a wonderful, admirable and desirable thing? It is none of those things!

From the book The End of Days by Rabbi Shmuel Raber:

The Jew’s safety raft

The Jew’s safety raft is supported by three points. The top point is the Holy One, may He be blessed, with whom we are joined by faith and properly observing the Shabbat. The second point is the holy Torah, by means of which we are connected to Hashem through loving and studying it. The third point is the People of Israel who act in accordance with Jewish law and unite to sanctify the Heavenly Name by separating themselves from the airev rav and the gentile culture.

* * * 

“During the First World War many came to the Chafetz Chaim and asked him if this is the ‘End of Days’ and the war of Gog and Magog. The Chaftez Chaim answered: ‘After this war there will be a pause and then there will be another war and then another pause. Then, there will be another war and with that war the Mashiach will come…the last war will be the beginning of the redemption, and a Torah-true Jew who is completely separated from the non-Jews will not be subjugated, as we find that in Egypt when two people drank from the same cup, one (an Egyptian) drank blood and the other (an Israelite) drank water. This shows that in fact there is no rule whatsoever over a Jew who is separated entirely from the non-Jews” (Rabbi Aharon Kotler, in the name of the Chafetz Chaim, Leket Reshimot Channukah by Rabbi Noson Wachtofogel, p. 40).

I have a tradition passed down from one to another in the name of Maran HaGaon Rabbi Yehoshua Leib Diskin, z”l, that in the final war before the arrival of Mashiach all of the righteous Jews will be saved. Who are ‘righteous Jews’? Those who are separated from the non-Jews! It does not mean that they must be one of the 36 righteous individuals, rather they must be separated from the ways of the non-Jews and have no contact with their culture! Not with their newspapers, their music and books; to be entirely separated from them. Then Hashem will say: You are Mine and you are under a different authority so no one else will rule over you” (Ibid., p.41) 

"Asu Li Mikdash..."

3 Adar 5786
Erev Shabbat Kodesh
Parashat Terumah 

Excerpted from the Stone Edition Chumash Commentary on the parashah...

...a major part of Exodus, which Ramban calls the Book of Redemption, discusses the Tabernacle.  He explains that the redemption from Egypt was not complete with the physical departure from the land of Israel's enslavement, nor was it complete even with the giving of the Ten Commandments, even though the Revelation at Sinai was the goal of the Exodus.  The  Exodus had not achieved its purpose until the heights that the nation had achieved temporarily at Sinai were made a permanent part of existence by means of the Tabernacle, for Ramban shows in his commentary that the Tabernacle, as a whole and in its many parts, was symbolic of the historic experience at Mount Sinai.  So, too, it was from the Holy Ark that God spoke to Moses, just as He had spoken to him from atop Mount Sinai, when giving him the Torah.

In this light, the Tabernacle was intended to be the central rallying point of the nation - ringed by the tribes and topped by the cloud of God's Presence - and the place to which every Jew would go with the offerings through which he hoped to elevate himself spiritually.  The function of the Tabernacle in the Wilderness was carried forward by the Temple in Jerusalem.

~ SHABBAT SHALOM ~

* * *

Only just saw this (@11 am).  Am adding it to point out that HKB"H is not silent on who is blessed and who is cursed.  Eretz Yisrael is enjoying an early spring:  clear blue skies, mild temperatures, and wildflowers covering the green hillsides.  I attended a very beautiful wedding last night - Mazal Tov again to the family!!!  What a joyful beginning to the month of joy - Adar!!  Well, that is, for the Jews of Eretz Yisrael anyway.  B"H!!!

The Great Debate Continues...

2 Adar 5786

Iran Update:  Zero Hour at 5:30 AM: The Warning That Could Trigger a Regional War 

24 Hours to Iran Strike? Southern Bases Evacuated as Israel Braces for Impact

* * *

 The Great Debate! Should Jews Leave America? 
Rabbi Richter

Still Up To No Good?

2 Adar 5786

IMPORTANT UPDATE on Iran:  A former Military Intelligence Chief reportedly said this morning in a live TV interview: "Last week, I had no qualms about flying to the Munich Security Conference. This coming weekend, I would think twice about boarding a plane."

See more: (YWN) REPORT: Prolonged War With Iran Is Imminent, To Be Waged Together With Israel

* * *

Someone close to me mentioned the possibility of Kushner and Witkoff being gilgulim of Datan and Aviram.  So, of course, I had to check it out.  Aside from just knowing they are bad guys, I really did not know much about the two thorns in the side of Moshe Rabbeinu.  

The Story of Dathan and Abiram...

Dathan and Abiram, descendants of Reuben, are mentioned in the Torah in conjunction with Korah’s rebellion. According to Jewish tradition, however, that wasn’t their only rodeo. Midrash and Talmud tell us that their antagonism to Moses began at the very outset of Jewish slavery in Egypt and continued unabated until their premature passing.

The Maharal of Prague, Rabbi Judah Lowy, writes that in the fight between good and evil, the warring sides must be balanced. In order to keep things even, when G‑d created great leaders like Moses and Aaron, He chose to fashion equally compelling antagonists. The Midrash confirms that Dathan desired to usurp Moses, and Abiram to usurp Aaron.

Wow!  That got my attention.  As the Redeemer of Israel, Moshe Rabbeinu was a messiah-like figure.  That would make Datan (or Aviram) the anti-messiah to Moshe's Mashiach.  It makes me think that if there is a designated counter-balance to Mashiach ben Yosef and Mashiach ben David (remember Armilius separates the two Mashiachs), who better than these two who go all over the world operating as a pair to thwart the geulah shleimah and the coming of Mashiach.

After all, Chazal do say that all of Israel's enemies will return at the End of Days.  We can't possibly know for sure, but it does shed an interesting light on these two powerful characters who appear to be deciding the future of the entire Middle East, if not the world itself.  In any case, this is a story worth knowing...

In Egypt

During the Egyptian slavery, Dathan and Abiram served as Israelite overseers who had to report each day’s work to Egyptian taskmasters. Many of the overseers were whipped in the Jews’ stead and were ultimately rewarded by being appointed as the first Jewish elders. Dathan and Abiram, however, were less noble; according to the Talmud they were wicked from beginning to end.

We are first introduced to the brothers when Moses, who was raised in Pharaoh’s palace, ventured outside to witness his people’s suffering:

Moses grew up and went out to his brothers and looked at their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian man striking a Hebrew man of his brothers.

According to one opinion in the Midrash, the Hebrew victim was none other that Dathan. The Egyptian had been secretly assuming Dathan’s identity at night to be intimate with his wife. Now that Dathan had found out, the taskmaster intended to kill him. To save the unfortunate man’s life, Moses killed the Egyptian using G‑d’s four-letter name and buried him in the sand.

The next day, Moses went out again and saw two Jews arguing. Midrash, once again, identifies Dathan and Abiram as the squabblers.

Some commentators posit that the two stories above are connected. They say that Dathan wanted to end his marriage when he found out what the Egyptian had been doing with his wife. His brother Abiram vehemently disagreed and this led to the argument.

In the course of their skirmish, Dathan raised his hand to strike his brother, prompting Moses to admonish, “Why would you hit your fellow?!” Our sages teach us that although no blows were dealt, the verse calls Dathan “wicked” for the mere act of lifting his hand with the intent to hit.

Dathan and Abiram were not pleased with the meddlesome youth. “Who made you a man, a prince, and a judge over us? Do you plan to slay me as you have slain the Egyptian?” Moses, they fumed, was neither an appointed judge nor a minister with executive power.

Intent on having Moses executed, Dathan and Abiram slandered him to Pharaoh. Moses miraculously survived the attempt on his life and escaped to Midian.

In this episode, we begin to see the extent of the animosity they felt toward Moses, and the lengths they were willing to go to ensure his complete removal.

During the Exodus

According to Targum Yonathan, when the Jews were finally freed from Egypt, Dathan and Abiram remained behind. We know that they were obsessed with Egypt, evidenced by their descriptions of the country. But according to another tradition, Dathan and Abiram simply didn’t get the memo! Moses had told Pharaoh that the Israelites were departing for a mere three days, but the truth—that they were planning to leave with no return—was spread clandestinely only through the Israelite community. Because Dathan and Abiram were known informants, no one told them the real plan, and they continued to believe that the Exodus was temporary. They decided that this three-day trip wasn’t worth their effort so they stayed behind.

An interesting question is borne of this interpretation—when and how did the pair eventually rejoin the Israelites in the desert?

According to the Midrash, they joined Pharoah’s chase but defected to the Israelite camp when they saw the sea split.

Be’er Mayim Chaim makes the fascinating contention that the sea split a second time just for Dathan and Abiram, to allow them to catch up with the Israelites.

Spoiled Manna and Bird Food

The next time we bump into these characters is when the Jews run out of food in the desert. They complain to Moses and he promises them manna, bread from heaven. G‑d wanted to train the Israelites in the art of faith, so no one was to keep the manna from one day to the next; it would fall daily.

Dathan and Abiram, however, did not heed Moses’ warning and kept their portion overnight. The manna became wormy and then spoiled, defying the natural order where food first rots and then the worms come. Why is the order important? G‑d wanted the miracle to be witnessed, and had the manna first become putrid, Dathan and Abiram might have thrown it out.

Popular Jewish lore records another episode surrounding Dathan, Abiram, and the manna: That first Friday after the manna began to fall, Moses told the Israelites to gather a double portion for the manna would not fall on the Sabbath. Dathan and Abiram went outside late Friday night and spread out the extra portion of manna they had gathered, hoping the rest of the Israelites would wake up, see the manna, and believe Moses had been wrong. But a miracle occurred to protect Moses’ integrity—birds swooped in and consumed every last morsel of manna before any other Israelites awoke. Some say that this is the source for the custom of feeding the birds on the Sabbath that this Torah portion (Beshalach) is read.

During the Incident of the Spies

As the Israelites neared the Promised Land, Dathan and Abiram sowed doubt in their hearts, once again defying G‑d and His messenger on earth.

At the request of the Israelites, Moses sent spies to scour the Holy Land with the simple task of reporting on the size and might of the enemy. The news they brought back was bleak, “The people who inhabit the land are mighty and the cities are extremely huge and fortified. We even saw the offspring of giants there!” The spies assured the Israelites that even G‑d could not defeat the Canaanites; “We are doomed to die if we enter Canaan,” they said.

The Israelites lamented that entire evening, and when morning came Dathan and Abiram called a gathering. “Appoint us instead of Moses and Aaron and we will take you back to Egypt!” they roared. “We would rather be living slaves than dead freedmen!”

Moses and Aaron were devastated by their remarks for they displayed a complete lack of faith in the Almighty. G‑d would look after the Israelites as per His word, they assured the people.

G‑d was angry as well. “How long will this people provoke Me? How much longer will they not believe in Me after all the signs I have performed in their midst?”

As punishment for their obstinance, the Israelites were doomed to wander the desert for the next 40 years until everyone from that generation had passed. They had lost their right to the land; their children would inherit it instead.

Korah’s Rebellion

The grossest example of Dathan and Abiram’s hostile attitude is their treatment of Moses during Korah’s rebellion.

Korah, son of Izhar, was Moses’ and Aaron’s cousin and a Levite who served in the Tabernacle; he even carried the Ark of the Covenant. For a while, Korah was upset at Moses because he hadn’t been appointed to a distinguished position among the Levites. Those feelings festered among Korah’s small group of cohorts but were never aired publicly because Moses was too popular among the people. After the incident of the spies, people began to lose faith in Moses’ leadership and Korah was ready to launch his coup.

He parlayed with his neighbors to the south, the tribe of Reuben, and played to their insecurities, “You’re of the firstborn tribe,” Korah told them. “Shouldn’t you be the priests and the Levites? Why did Moses appoint only his tribesmen?” His gamble paid off; 250 of the greatest Reubenites joined his cause, inspiring the adage, “Woe for the wicked, woe for his neighbor.”

Dathan and Abiram, Reubenites themselves, jumped at the opportunity to further antagonize Moses, and became leaders in the mutiny. When Moses no longer felt like he could talk to Korah, he tried to reason with Dathan and Abiram.

“Please come to my tent for a meeting,” he pleaded.

“Even if you gouged our eyes, we would not meet with you, Moses,” they retorted. “Is it not enough that you have brought us out of Egypt, a prosperous land, to have us die in the desert? You want to exercise authority over us as well!?”

These remarks greatly distressed Moses and he prayed that G‑d punish the participants of the rebellion.

The next day, Moses warned everyone to stay away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram lest they be inadvertently struck. Suddenly, the ground began to open and a huge chasm formed under Korah’s tent. Korah, Dathan, Abiram, their families, and all their belongings began to be pulled toward the hole as if by magnets. And like that... they were gone.

That is how the story of the world’s greatest pair of Jewish villains came to an end—in dust and smoke.

Why Didn’t They Die?

In Parshat Beshalach the Torah says, “And the Israelites left Egypt chamushim.” Rashi first translates chamushim simply—the Israelites were armed in anticipation of attacks in the desert—and then introduces a Midrashic interpretation that relates the word chamushim to chomesh, a fifth. The Midrash records that a whopping 80 percent of the Israelites died in Egypt during the plague of darkness because they did not believe in the promise of redemption; only the remaining fifth (chomesh) merited to be freed.

As demonstrated above, Dathan and Abiram—who called Egypt “a land flowing with milk and honey,” an epithet usually reserved for Israel—were at the forefront of the movement to return to Egypt, and even stayed behind when the Israelites escaped! Clearly, they were not supportive of the Exodus; why were they chosen for survival?

A few answers are given:

Rabbi Asher son of Yechiel, the Rosh, explains that as antagonistic as they were to Moses and the idea of a promised land, they retained the faith that an Exodus was possible, even if undesirable. Those who perished during the plague of darkness denied that redemption could happen at all.

Based on the writings of Rabbi Judah Lowy, the Maharal of Prague, we may be able to contend that G‑d kept Dathan and Abiram alive so Moses had worthy antagonists while traveling through the desert. This way, the realms of good and evil could be balanced.

Rabbi Yehoshua Leib Diskin (Maharil Diskin) answers that despite all of their flaws, at the end of the day, Dathan and Abiram were among the group of Israelite overseers who got whipped instead of their brothers and sisters. This alone was enough to save them and have the sea split in their honor.

Who Is "Armelius"?

1 Adar 5786

Rosh Chodesh Bet

"The mating of Esau and Ishmael comes through Armelius, angelic prince of the Erev Rav, and it can destroy Israel and the whole world, Heaven help us! The main striving of the Erev Rav is to mate Esau and Ishmael and separate the two Messiahs, and our own main battle is to shatter and rout the power of the Erev Rav, the impurity of evil Armelius, from Israel." (Kol HaTor)

Who do I think Armilius is?  The man with the dead, soulless eyes and the robotic affect?  The man who rose to international power with only one vote - Donald Trump's - and who has done more to bring Eisav and Yishmael together than anyone else alive???  

I'll let the facts speak for themselves and then you can draw your own conclusions...

But first, let's understand what is Armilius...

Armilus (Hebrew: ארמילוס, also spelled Armilos or Armilius) is a figure from medieval Jewish eschatology (end-times traditions). He functions as an anti-messiah or ultimate adversary who rises before the arrival of the true Jewish Messiah.

Armilus represents the climactic evil force that tests Israel before the final redemption — the "Jewish Antichrist" in popular comparative terms, though Judaism emphasizes his inevitable downfall at the hands of the true Messiah.  (Grok)

Some key points about the Father of the Abraham Accords from Wikipedia:

• American businessman and investor
• Donald Trump's son-in-law
• Trump's senior advisor during his first term
• Real-estate investor in New York City
• Took over father's business (Kushner Companies)
• Purchased The New York Observer
• Started as a Democrat, became Independent, then Republican
• Defacto campaign manager for Trump's first term
• Frequently accused of conflicts of interest
• Followed by concerns of nepotism
• Primary Trump administration participant for the Middle East Peace Process
• Authored the Trump peace plan
• Facilitated talks leading to signing of Abraham Accords
• Leading broker in the US–Mexico–Canada Agreement.
• Founded Affinity Partners, ("a private equity firm that derives most of its funds from the Saudi government's sovereign wealth fund")
• Holds informal advisory role in the second Trump administration ("serving, along with Steve Witkoff, as a key intermediary in diplomatic negotiations regarding the Israel–Hamas war and the Russian invasion of Ukraine")
• January 2026, unveiled a "New Gaza" master plan at the World Economic Forum in Davos

Jared Kushner unveils 'master plan'
for rebuilding war-torn Gaza

Welcomes Muslims to the Temple Mount

Addresses Palestinians' Need For A State

"High IQ People"

A "Singularity Weirdo"

Gaza's Reward for Oct. 7th

The Whistleblower's Report

How does an unelected individual come from nowhere to attain the power to shape the destinies of billions of people without their input? But then, there is a lot of that going around these days.  Just look at "The Tech Bros".  The difference is that this "Jew" is focused on Eretz Yisrael and Am Yisrael and for that, he is going up against HKB"H Himself.

When the full truth comes out, we may finally understand who planned the Simchat Torah Massacre as a means to get us all to this point in time.  What could be more anti-Mashiach than that?

666 Fifth Avenue, New York City, New York

Qatar Shocked, Shocked to Learn It Accidentally Bailed Out Jared Kushner

Eleven years after a young Jared Kushner purchased an aging skyscraper that would become an albatross around his family’s neck, and six months before the Kushners would have to cough up the $1.4 billion that was due on the mortgage for 666 Fifth Avenue, a Canadian asset-management company swooped in and agreed to take a 99-year lease on the building, paying a near-century’s worth of rent upfront. The bailout was surprising for a few reasons, chief among them being comments by the Kushners’ previous partner that 666 Fifth “would be worth a lot more if it was just dirt,” plus the fact that the family had spent two years trying to get new partners or financing to no avail. Also, there was the matter of the Qatar Investment Authority being a major investor in the company, Brookfield Asset Management, and Kushner’s support of a Saudi- and U.A.E.-led blockade of Qatar. To some, it sure sounded like a foreign government was trying to influence policy by greasing the president’s son-in-law’s wheels! At the time, Brookfield told reporters that the Qataris “had no knowledge of the deal before its public announcement”—apparently they don’t read The New York Times—and now that the deal has officially gone through, Doha is doubling down, insisting, somewhat curiously, that the government had absolutely nothing to do with the 666 debacle.

~ CHODESH TOV ~

Chip, Chip, Chipping Away

30 Shevat 5786
Rosh Chodesh Alef Adar 

The Torah is the only thing that unifies Klal Yisrael.  Only with regard to receiving the Torah were we referred to "like one person with one heart."

The anti-God, anti-Torah forces are aiming straight for the heart - going for broke - chipping away at the life source - the Torah and Mesorah which has kept us alive as a nation until this moment.  Of course, they won't succeed, but only because Hashem raises up among us the giborim who are willing to fight those forces.

Arutz Sheva, the voice of the "religious" Zionists, have reported on an event that ostensibly took place in the Knesset yesterday.  In the wake of the events in Bnei Braq (which ultimately spread to Yerushalayim and Beit Shemesh), the session was dedicated to recognizing the value and contributions of the women soldiers.  One of the invited speakers was described as a "religious"  who had never "compromised" her "values" while serving in "her mixed gender service."  She expressed her desire to "send a message" and proceeded (again, according to this report) to assure young women from "religious high schools" that the IDF accommodates their "values" and their decision whether to enlist should not be influenced by "ignorant views."  [Note: I have a policy not to link to that site.]

Of course, Torah and halachah do not come up.  Of course, they want the women - the future mothers who will mold the minds of the next generation.  

Female troops are under assault, and not just in Bnei Brak

...the last several years have seen young women coming from national-religious backgrounds increasingly joining their secular counterparts, rather than signing up for the civilian corps [Sherut Leumi].

According to the data, between the years 2018 and 2025, the rate of women identified as part of the national-religious community enlisting in the IDF rose from 25% to 31%. This upward trend began even earlier, despite aggressive campaigns by conservative rabbis against women serving – especially in combat roles.

Though there is some overlap in belief and practice, the national-religious community is distinct from the ultra-Orthodox community in several key ways. While both are God-fearing, those who count themselves as national religious are usually more willing to engage with secular society, including in education, employment, and culture. As a whole, the community is ardently Zionist and supports the military.

However, if they can't get them this way, they'll get them another way.  

Finally, women like me can take the Rabbinate’s exams in Jewish law

...We filed the petition to ensure that any woman with advanced halakhic knowledge could be examined on her knowledge through officially recognized exams in Israel — not solely through private programs, which resonate within certain social circles but lack official recognition. We knew that certificates from official halakhic exams carry economic significance, and that, without them, women face barriers to accessing state tenders. We also knew that official certification matters for professional standing in the eyes of the public and, truthfully, in the eyes of the learner herself. The petition is a public act. The fact that our personal biographies share common threads reflects a collective portrait of women’s Torah scholarship in Orthodox society.

...Throughout, we held firm to the principle that “separate is not equal” and insisted that we be assessed via exactly the same exams, at the same time, and by the same examining staff as the men candidates.

From the heart of the home (woman) to the home of the Shechinah, they never slack in their efforts to bring down the Torah from its pedestal. 

Will the High Court Approve Mixed Prayer at the Kosel? Chief Rabbis Issue Strong Warning: “This Would Be a Grave Violation”

On the eve of a pivotal Supreme Court hearing regarding petitions over tefillah arrangements at the Kosel, Israel’s Chief Rabbis, Rav Dovid Yosef and Rav Kalman Ber, submitted an urgent notice along with a detailed halachic ruling clarifying their uncompromising position on preserving the sanctity of the site.

The High Court of Justice is set to convene Tuesday morning to deliberate on petitions challenging the current prayer framework at the Kosel. In advance of the hearing, the Chief Rabbis released a clear and forceful psak addressing the kedushah of the remnant of the Beis Hamikdash.

This is the War against God and His Torah.  This is the War with the 

Erev Rav, of which the GR"A taught the following... 

...Our chief effort on behalf of the ingathering must be to produce men of faith worthy of being the two Messiahs in the gates of Jerusalem and of restoring the Divine Presence, the aim of complete and true redemption and Kiddush Hashem. According to our master, the Gra, we must come to G-d's aid through men of valor, the two Messiahs, and learn in practical terms everything there is to know about their characteristics and duties.

The general duty of the two messiahs, Mashiach ben Yosef and Mashiach ben David, together throughout the generations, is defense and war against the three chiefs of impurity - Esau, Ishmael and the erev rav, the "mixed multitude." Mashiach ben Yosef's special duty is confronting Esau, the impurity of the left, that of Mashiach ben David is confronting Ishmael, the impurity on the right, and together they work against Esau and Ishmael, the ox and the donkey of impurity. The mating of Esau and Ishmael comes through Armelius, angelic prince of the erev rav, and it can destroy Israel and the whole world, Heaven help us! The main striving of the erev rav is to mate Esau and Ishmael and separate the two Messiahs, and our own main battle is to shatter and rout the power of the erev rav, the impurity of evil Armelius, from Israel.

The erev rav is our greatest enemy. It is what separates between the two Messiahs. Its impurity operates only via indirect deception. Hence, the war against the erev rav is the hardest and most bitter, and we must gird ourselves with our last strength toward this end. Whoever does not actively take part in the war against the erev rav automatically becomes a partner to its impurity, and whoever he is, he is better off not having been born. The main strength of the erev rav is in the gates of Jerusalem, especially at the entrance to the city on the western dividing line.

The erev rav is that part of the Jewish People intent on war against G-d and against the truth and credibility of His Torah. With them we face an uncompromising battle to the finish, and the Gra emphasized this in his call to holy war against them. When he says that whoever does not actively fight the erev rav becomes their partner and is better off never having been born, he means to warn against the distorted tolerance and groundless love which are the main impediments in this war. (Kol HaTor, Ch. 2, Part 2:2) 

 The Battle has already been engaged.  It only remains for you to pick your side.

“Even the Israelis Will Not Prevail Over the Jews”:
Sharp Editorial in Israeli Yated Takes Aim at
Courts and Military

If Paras Starts It, Then Tonight / If Edom Starts It, Then Tomorrow Night

30 Shevat 5786
Rosh Chodesh Alef Adar

MI'SHE'NICHNAS ADAR / MARBIM B'SIMCHA!

CHODESH TOV UMEVORACH!!

Laissez Le Bon Temps Rouler!!!