War on Another Front - Part 1

10 Menachem Av 5773

We have enemies within and enemies without; among Eisav as well as among Yishmael.  And just as the secular Zionists, for their own misguided reasons, encouraged the Arabs to remain on this land, today, we have religious Zionists who, for similar misguided reasons, are encouraging and facilitating the settlement of Xians in the Shomron.

I have written about the so-called Ephraimite Movement before, most recently in a blog post entitled Threat Assessment.  See there for more about who they are and what they believe.

Briefly, they are Xians who still believe the New Testament is equal in inspiration and authority to the Torah and who define and worship the man Yeshu as a deity.  However, they have been brainwashed to believe that they are descendants of one of the ten "lost" tribes of Israel and that the Shomron is their long-lost homeland.  They're coming back to claim it and they're bringing Yeshu with them.  Their numbers and influence in the Shomron region are growing.  It must be stopped and soon!! It's not only the land that is at risk, but the children and youth are at risk of assimilation and that is even more dire.

This report will be the first of three parts which will deal with 1) the operation of a guest house & tours aimed at bringing 'Ephraimites' into the Shomron; 2) the involvement of Ariel University in bringing 'Ephraimites' into the Shomron, and 3) the attempt to pass a law in the Knesset allowing for "Xian aliyah," God forbid!

It's very important that we all stay up to date on what is happening and share the information with as many people as we possibly can, especially those living and working in the area, and warn them of the consequences. Without calling the motives of those Jews involved into question, because they may just be very naive and ignorant of the halachic prohibitions, we must nevertheless expose their activities and call them to account.

THE OD SHOMRON CHAI GUEST HOUSE AND TOURS

OD SHOMRON CHAI features tours and a guest house for those who are "checking out conditions for ...settling in the Land."  One advertised tour offers "[g]uidance on the problems facing returning 10-Tribers, how to acquire property and settle in the Land."

With a clear reference to the Xian crowd who claim the Jewish "feasts" as their own while reading Yeshu into every aspect of them, the site offers tours "during the major feast times."  And if you still doubt who this endeavor is aimed at, note in the description of the services offered that they are geared to "visitors to the Shomron in Israel wanting to learn about the Original Bible Land - the ancient tribal lands of Ephraim - Samaria."  Tour titles:  "The Divinely-Destined Homeland &For the Returning 10 Lost Tribes of Israel."

It says, "Our Guest House overlooks the beautiful Valley of Wadi Kanah - the Biblical border between the territories of the ancient Israelite Tribes of Ephraim &Menashe."  This would, of course, appeal to those who call themselves Ephraimites.  (Search this blog for "Ephraimites.")  In short, they believe most American Evangelical Xians are descended from the "lost" tribe of Ephraim and that the Shomron by all rights belongs to them and they have every intention of claiming it and soon!.

The Guest House has been conveniently named Beit Yosef, a name which carries great meaning for those Xians who think of themselves as "The House of Joseph." 

There is simply no question that the owners/operators understand exactly who their clientele base is by the following quote from their Guest House page: "NO Evangelizing in Israel - Guests must honor a strict agreement to avoid evangelizing in all of Israel in any form whatsoever." Despite whatever they call themselves and whatever they believe about their identity, the bottom line is these are Yeshu-believers who continue to deify the man from Nazareth and worship him in the fields and vineyards of the Shomron with Jewish foreknowledge and assistance.

More quotes:

It is our conviction that God is now going to reveal the hidden spiritual treasures of this part of the Bible Land (which is majorly 10-Triber Land) in the sight of the nations, as we have no doubt entered the End-Time Scenario.

If you are a re-identifying 10-Triber:

See the Land and the ruins of cities where your forefathers started serving strange gods and pagan religions.

Come to know the Land of your future, which Divine Oath has promised to return you to.
Experience the bravery and hardships of Jewish settlers, who are settling and preparing the Land for your future.

Shomron is 10-Triber land. Come to realize the responsibilities resting on you to support Judah's (the Jewish) struggle to protect the Land from being bartered away by the Israeli rulers who do not honor the Divine Promises and see settler activities as a threat to their future survival.

The Guest House and tours are not all, folks.  Now, there is a "college," too:

Hebraic Restoration College - Prospective Target group for Course:

Ten Tribers and/or children of 10-Tribers. Anyone who truly wants to be educated in the intrinsic details of the Reconciliation between Judah and 10-Israel,....

We already tried to explain the meaning of "reconciliation" among the ten-tribe believers in previous posts, but to recap, it means "Joseph" must "reclaim the Torah" that it rejected and "Judah" (anyone identified as a Jew today) must accept Yeshu as Messiah and King. These are the two "historic errors" which  must be "rectified" for us all to "come together as one."  G-D FORBID!!

Course details and Curriculum:

Full board accommodation in the Guest House in Karnei Shomron, Samaria, Israel.
In-depth studies of the entire Hebraic Restoration curriculum, from a Messianic 10-Israel perspective (3 month courses).
It will include Rabbinic lectures on Torah, the weekly Bible Readings and clarifying the misunderstandings regarding Jewish Halacha, Oral Torah and Rabbinic authority - not anti-Messianic.
Hebrew language course.
Periodic tours of the Shomron, the Promised Land for 10-Israel .
Free time for personal tours and hikes on our recommendations and advice.
Local hikes under our guidance.
Opportunity for those who wish to become acquainted with practical Synagogue services in our local synagogue and/or Yeshiva.
Talks by local community leaders about practical living in Israel and the Shomron.
Joining voluntary farm labour projects in the Shomron (Samaria). (See HAYOVEL)
Obtaining a personalized certificate of Rabbinic approval which may count for future attempts for Israeli citizenship and/or conversion.
And much more!

OD SHOMRON CHAI is a part of the KOL HATOR PROJECT.

It's impossible to know whether those involved are just cynically exploiting these people or if they are making the same classic mistake of others in the past who jumped the gun on Mashiach, so to speak, and tried to bring in the Messianic Age before its proper time.  Whether wittingly or unwittingly, they are clearly putting Jewish life and property in jeopardy.  Anyone who has any ability to help put a stop to it should do so.
_______________
TO PART 2.

Rabbi David Orlovsky - 9 Av 5773

Tisha b'Av 5773

HASHEM'S Revenge for His Temple

Tisha b'Av 5773

In Eichah, we read, at the end of chapter 4:

"Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, who dwells in the land of Utz; upon you also shall the cup pass, you shall become drunk and vomit. [The punishment of] your iniquity is complete, O daughter of Zion; He will no longer send you into exile; [but] your iniquity, O daughter of Edom, He shall punish - He will reveal your sins."

This is quite a prophetic statement by Yirmiyahu since his lamentation was describing his eye-witness account of the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchudnezzar's invading Babylonian forces. And here he is talking about Edom, otherwise known as Rome, the destroyer of the Second Temple and the ruling Empire of the World until the coming of Mashiach Tzidkeinu.

This has a very great bearing on the consciousness of THIS generation as we begin to see the fulfillment of these concluding prophecies in our lifetimes.

The fall of Saddam Hussein and the destruction of Iraq in our time fulfilled Yirmiyahu's predictions about Babylon's ultimate destiny in which he specified:

"...For behold I am arousing and bringing up upon Babylon an alliance of great nations from the north land, and they shall set themselves in array against her,.... Set yourselves in array against Babylon all around, all you who bend the bow, shoot at her, spare no arrow, for she has sinned against the Lord. Shout against her all around; she gave her hand, her foundations have fallen, her walls are torn down, for it is the Lord's vengeance; wreak vengeance upon her: as she did, do to her. ... Behold I visit retribution upon the king of Babylon and upon his land,... the vengeance of the Lord our God, the vengeance of His Temple." (Yirmiyahu, chapter 50)

Our tradition tells us that at the End of Days, Hashem will bring back all those who fought against Israel to receive their punishment. Saddam Hussein reportedly believed that he was a reincarnation of Nebuchadnezzar, so much so that he had coins issued with Nebuchadnezzar's image side by side with his own.



If Hashem took His vengeance upon 'Babylon' for the destruction of His Holy Temple, will He not also requite Rome/Edom at this time? Well, that is exactly what Yirmiyahu is telling us in Eichah.

Yesterday, I reposted a previous essay about Tisha b'Av being the Jewish 9/11, adding to it a feeble attempt to convey the destruction in terms of what it would have meant for America if she had suffered the fate of Jerusalem.  However, it does not compare to the following description given by one of the current events blogs of what a "currency collapse" in America (the present incarnation of Rome) would look like:

...Generally, when the currency collapses, a stock market crash is right on its heels. Because of the repeal of Glass-Steagall, a banking collapse will immediately occur following the collapse of the stock market. Your life savings will be wiped out. From this point on, the effect cascades like a roaring tsunami racing across the open ocean.

Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy demonstrated that gas stations will be bone dry within two days following a complete collapse. Subsequently, commerce will not move. If you are on vacation like I presently am, you may not make it home. On the second day following a currency collapse, being on the road will be a risky endeavor because of other desperate motorists.

With no available fuel, the grocery and drug stores will be empty within one to three days. There will be no food to be had except for that which is decaying in your refrigerator and that in which you can beg, borrow and steal from your neighbors who will also be begging, borrowing and stealing. If you have an adequate food and water supply, you better have an adequate gun and ammo supply in order to defend your assets. And when will you sleep? The protection of your critical assets is a 24/7 proposition. Therefore, having a cooperative survival plan is critical.

Without gas, people will stop going to work. Corporations will disappear overnight. Hurricane Katrina showed America that the police cannot be expected to stay on the job more than 48-72 hours as they will be home protecting their families and foraging for food and water like everyone else. The emergence of former police gangs will become common in an effort to secure the products which will ensure survival. Therefore, when your home is under attack, there will nobody to call. Everyone will be on their own.

The elderly and the chronically ill will be the first to die. Too old to defend their assets, the elderly will find themselves overpowered as they will make easy preys of opportunity for the roving gangs. The chronically ill will have no way to procure their medication and even if they survive the looting rampage which will follow a currency collapse, these poor souls will perish without access to their life-sustaining prescriptions.

The money in your wallet will be useless. Cell phones will not work. Heating and air conditioning will not work either and depending on the time of year, the environment could prove deadly to untold numbers of people.

Water treatment plants will stop operating for the same reasons that you will not be able to find a cop during this crisis nobody will be manning the water treatment plants. Toilets will back up and diseases will spread like wildfire. Something as simple as toilet paper will become a prized commodity. There will be no trash pickup and more disease will result due to the increased rodent population.

Clean drinking water and hunger will become the dominant motivator in society. Roving bands of looters, turned murderers, will sweep through neighborhoods seeking to obtain these critical elements of survival. Young women will sell themselves for a can of food for their children. Society will see the widespread loss of human dignity and self-respect.

Infanticide and euthanasia of the weak will become common events because there will be decided efforts to reduce the amount of mouths to feed. There will be the stark realization that the lights are not coming back on and the ensuing sense of hopelessness will lead to murder-suicides within families and simple incidences of suicide will be used as a means to escape the horrendous circumstances.

There will come a time when all the available animals will be devoured and then there will be only one place to turn to for food. History shows that cannibalism will set in by the beginning of the third week. Extreme hunger will lead to humans hunting humans as an available food supply. This will begin to occur within 15-20 days following the currency collapse.

It is chillingly parallel to the tragedies and atrocities mentioned in Eichah - midah k'neged midah.  I think Yirmiyahu left us a clue to the timing of this event - "He shall punish - He will reveal your sins." Does WIKILEAKS ring a bell? Does EDWARD SNOWDEN ring a bell?

The article concludes with:

"It is not a matter of if we are going to have a currency collapse, it is when. And the when is much sooner than later. It could happen tomorrow, next month and even next year. We do not have two years left in the American economic engine."

Jews in the West, take heed. Judgment Day is here!

IS AMERICA A NEW ROME?

"The Original 9/11"

8 Menachem Av 5773
Erev Tisha b'Av

Counting from Tishrei, Av is the eleventh month on the Jewish calendar and in Eretz Yisrael, we place the day before the month. That makes Tisha b'Av the Jewish 9/11.

Look at the impact that America's 9/11 had on their nation and upon the world and yet it pales in comparison to what happened to the Jewish nation on Tisha b'Av.  And not just once, but twice, and that's not counting the numerous tragedies throughout our history in the Diaspora!

To put it into perspective, for America's disgrace on 9/11 to even come close to that of Jerusalem's in 68 ce, tens of millions of Americans would have been killed and tens of millions kidnapped and sold into slavery, shipped to Arab countries to serve their masters in whatever way they chose.  Its capital city would have been burned to the ground and bulldozed flat. All its governmental institutions would have ceased to exist and Arab overlords would have been placed over every community that survived.  Taxes to the Arab masters would have come out of the economy before anyone lucky enough to make a living would see any income from it.  The country and the capital would have been renamed in Arabic (since it was the Arabs who attacked America).

One cannot even imagine it, but that is what happened to us.  Now, let's look back and see why...

"They returned from spying out the Land at the end of forty days. They went and came to Moshe and to Aharon and to the entire assembly of the Children of Israel...and brought back the report....

'We arrived at the Land to which you sent us, and indeed it flows with milk and honey, .... But ---the people that dwells in the Land is powerful, the cities are very greatly fortified, and we also saw there the offspring of the giant. Amalek dwells in the area of the south; the Hittite, the Jebusite, and the Emorite dwell on the mountain; and the Caananite dwells by the Sea and on the bank of the Jordan.'

Calev silenced the people toward Moshe and said, 'We shall surely ascend and conquer it, for we can surely do it!'

But the men who had ascended with him said, 'We cannot ascend to that people for it is too strong for us!' They brought forth to the Children of Israel an evil report on the Land that they had spied out, saying, 'The Land through which we passed, to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitant! All the people that we saw in it were huge! There we saw the Nephilim, the sons of the giant from among the Nephilim; we were like grasshoppers in our eyes, and so were we in their eyes!'

The entire assembly raised up and issued its voice; the people wept that night. All the Children of Israel murmured against Moshe and Aharon, and the entire assembly said to them, 'If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness! Why is Hashem bringing us to this Land to die by the sword? Our wives and our young children will be taken captive! Is it not better for us to return to Egypt?'

So they said to one another, 'Let us appoint a leader and let us return to Egypt!'

Moshe and Aharon fell on their faces before the entire congregation of the assembly of the Children of Israel.

Yehoshua, son of Nun, and Calev, son of Yefuneh, of the spies of the Land, tore their garments. They spoke to the entire assembly of the Children of Israel, saying, 'The Land that we passed through, to spy it out---the Land is very, very good! If Hashem desires us, He will bring us to this Land and give it to us, a Land that flows with milk and honey. But do not rebel against Hashem! You should not fear the people of the Land, for they are our bread.

'Their protection has departed from them; Hashem is with us. Do not fear them!'

But the entire assembly said to pelt them with stones---and the glory of Hashem appeared in the Tent of Meeting to all the Children of Israel.

Hashem said to Moshe, 'How long will this people provoke Me, and how long will they not have faith in Me, despite all the signs that I have performed in their midst? I will smite them with the plague and annihilate them, ....

...and the people mourned exceedingly."

Read the entire unabridged account in Parashat Shelach, Bamidbar (Numbers), chapter 14.

The evil report brought by the spies inspired an even greater sin by the people. The spies spoke lashon hara against the beautiful gift of the choicest Land that Hashem was presenting to us. But the people took that and turned it into lashon hara against Hashem! They falsely accused Him of bringing them to Eretz Yisrael to kill them and sell them back into slavery!

If they could really believe such a thing of Hashem after all the tender loving care He had lavished upon them throughout the Egypt, Sinai and Wilderness experiences, even to taking them back after committing the spiritual equivalent of adultery on the wedding night with the golden calf... After forty years, they still did not believe in or trust Hashem.

This is the foundation of everything that is wrong with us. If we can correct this flaw, we will be ready for Mashiach and the complete redemption and the end of all future 'Tisha b'Avs.'

Have a successful fast. It should accomplish all the spiritual work it is intended to do.

"Revisiting Kamtza - Bar Kamtza"

7 Menachem Av 5773

Every year at this time someone drags out that classic Jewish story about Kamtza and Bar Kamtza and they use it to beat us over the head and try to make us believe that the failure to appease the evil Bar Kamtza was the ultimate cause of the destruction of the Second Temple. They tell us that the refusal to allow Bar Kamtza to remain at the party was an act of "baseless hatred" and that the rabbis were complicit and therefore the only remedy for it is "baseless love."  It's worthwhile for you to hear...  the rest of the story:

B"H

Revisiting Kamtza Bar Kamtza - why was the Temple really destroyed
by Yekutiel Guzofsky

If you ask the average Jew, “What was the cause of the destruction of the Second Temple?”, he’ll likely answer based on the popular interpretation of the story of Kamtza/Bar Kamtza in Tractate Gittin 55b, that the destruction was brought upon us due to internal strife – and, in particular, a host who offended Bar Kamtza when he expelled Bar Kamtza from his banquet. In an article written in the Bnei Haneviim Journal of Av 5757, Rav David Cohen shatters this myth and the misinterpretation of the Aggadic story brought down in the Talmud.

As the story unfolds, our anonymous host requested of his servant to invite his friend Kamtza to his party. The servant mistakenly invited Bar Kamtza instead of Kamtza. When the host realized that Bar Kamtza, his enemy, was sitting at the banquet, he ordered him to leave. Bar Kamtza pleaded to be given the opportunity to stay, offering to pay for his meal, and even for the entire banquet; but the Host remained steadfast and forcibly removed him. Bar Kamtza said: “since the Rabbis did not protest, this is proof that they agree with what happened. I will go and become an informant to the authorities.” (There are sources that indicate that Bar Kamtza was already a known informant, and that this is why the Rabbis did not come to his defense and also why he was not invited to the banquet, see Chatam Sofer on Gittin, Maharal in Netzach Yisrael Chapter 5).

Without going into the full story, Bar Kamtza conspired to incite the Romans against the Jews and bring about the destruction of the Second Temple. During the deliberations, the Rabbis considered the possibility of killing Bar Kamtza before he could complete his evil plot. Rabbi Zachariah was opposed to this measure and the Gemorrah concludes the story: because of Rabbi Zachariah, the Temple was destroyed, the Heichal was burnt, and we were exiled from our land.
Rav David Cohen explains that Bar Kamtza, the treasonous Jewish informant, indeed played a central role in the events that caused the Temple’s destruction, however the Talmud does not focus on him or the host who insulted him, as we have always been taught. We have always been led to believe that over the small mistake in the confusion of the names Kamtza and Bar Kamtza, and over the harsh insult to evil Bar-Kamtza, the Temple was Destroyed. We are urged to accept the erroneous moral of this story, that we must show compassion for evil people such as Bar Kamtza the informant, and we must never insult even an evil Jew. While there are sources for this interpretation, Rashi and the Meiri clearly place the blame on Rabbi Zacharia for hesitating to kill Bar-Kamtza, and Rashi’s view clearly fits well within the text.

The common interpretation of the story contradicts the actual conclusion brought both in the Babylonian Talmud and the Midrash, which transfers the blame from Bar Kamtza the informant and the host who embarrassed him to Rav Zachariah ben Ifkulas! “Rabbi Yosef says: the humility of Zacharia ben Ifkulas burnt the sanctuary.” Rashi explains: “Humility – that he tolerated this and did not kill [Bar Kamtza].” This is also the conclusion of Meiri: “You learn from here that it is permissible to kill one who incites the government against the people.”

Thus, the Temple was destroyed due to the fact that the Jews were hesitant to kill an evil informant. It was this lack of bloodshed that brought about the destruction. Quite different, indeed, from the false interpertation of the Gemorrah that we were raised upon.

It is more than ironic that the common interpretation of the Talmudic story stands diametrically opposed to the basic reading of the text, and the basic explanation given by Rashi and the Meiri. We are urged to display hospitality and break bread with the Evil, in spite of the fact that the Rishonim learned the exact opposite lesson from the story, and concluded that it was tolerance of the evil Bar Kamtza and hesitation to kill him that triggered the destruction of the Temple.

PRE-TISHA B'AV SPECIAL

7 Menachem Av 5773

REMEMBERING THE BEIT HAMIKDASH...

Parshat Devarim - Hazon 5773

5 Menachem Av 5773

Parashat D'varim/Shabbat Hazon: Crossing the River
by Daniel Pinner

The Book of Deuteronomy, and therefore Parashat D’varim, opens with the words: “These are the words which Moshe spoke to all Israel in trans-Jordan, in the desert, in the plain, opposite the Red Sea, between Paran and Tophel and Lavan and Hatzerot and Di-Zahav” (Deuteronomy 1:1).

There is much that is puzzling in this brief geographic description. First of all, why does the Book of Deuteronomy have to tell us where the Children of Israel were encamped? After all, the Book of Numbers already told us that the final journey of the Children of Israel’s forty-year desert trek was that “they traveled from the Avarim Mountains and they encamped in the Plains of Moab on the Jordan, by Jericho, and they encamped on the Jordan from Beit Yeshimot unto Avel Shittim in the Plains of Moab” (Numbers 33:48-49). We were still there when God gave us the final mitzvot in the Book of Numbers (Numbers 35:1), and the Book concludes by informing us that the Children of Israel were still encamped “in the plains of Moab, at the Jordan, by Jericho” (Numbers 36:13).

Second, the word the Torah uses here for “opposite” is “mol” (“mol Suph…”, “opposite the Red Sea…”). The word for “opposite” is “mul”; so why does the Torah say “mol” instead of “mul”?

Third, the implication is that “Suph” means “Yam Suph”, literally “the Sea of Reeds”, meaning the Red Sea. But the Torah invariably refers to the Red Sea as “Yam Suph”; why here does it uniquely omit “Yam”, and call it simply “Suph”? (Indeed many English translations render “Suph” rather than “the Red Sea.)

Fourth, describing the area facing Jericho on the east bank of the River Jordan as “opposite the Red Sea” is unexpected to say the least. Jericho is about 12 km (7½ miles) north of the northern shore of the Dead Sea; the region 12 km north of the Dead Sea on the east bank of the Jordan is hardly “opposite the Red Sea”.

Fifth, describing the area as “between Paran and Tophel and Lavan and Hatzerot and Di-Zahav” hardly helps to locate the vicinity. True, the Rashbam (Rabbi Shmu’el ben Meir, c1080-c.1160), a grandson and close student of Rashi, writes that “these are all places, following the simple meaning”. However Paran is in the south-western Sinai Desert, some 500 km (300 miles) south-west of where Israel was encamped; Tophel is an unknown location, mentioned here for the only time in the entire Tanach; Lavan is presumably a reference to Paddan-Aram, the hometown of Lavan, Rebecca’s brother, some 650 km (400 miles) north; the precise location of Hatzerot is unknown, beyond that it is in the Sinai Desert, north of Mount Sinai; and Di Zahav is an unknown location, mentioned here for the only time in the entire Tanach.

Clearly, the Torah is telling us something other than just a geographical location.

The Midrash Lekach Tov addresses this. “Said Rabbi Shimon bar Yochay: I have gone through all the places where Israel travelled to find out if Israel travelled in Tophel and Lavan, but all I found were words of ‘tiphlut’ (‘frivolity, obscenity’) which they said against the manna [Numbers 21:5] which is ‘lavan’ (‘white’)”.

The Targum Onkelos, which is usually a direct translation into Aramaic, paraphrases Deuteronomy 1:1: “These are the words which Moshe spoke with all Israel in trans-Jordan; he rebuked them for their sinning in the desert, and for having angered [God] in the plain, opposite the Red Sea, in Paran where they slandered the manna, and in Hatzerot where they angered Him by [demanding] meat and by worshipping the golden calf”.

The Targum Yonatan, as usual, has a much more Midrashic paraphrase: “These are the words of rebuke which Moshe spoke to all Israel who assembled to him when they were in trans-Jordan. He responded to them by saying: Behold in the desert, at Mount Sinai,the Torah was given to you, and in the plain it was explained to you. How many wonders and miracles God performed for you, from the time you crossed the shore of the Red Sea, when He made a path for each Tribe! But you strayed from His decrees and angered Him in Paran with what the spies said, and you ascribed [‘tephaltun’, a reference to Tophel] to Him untrue words. You complained about the manna which He brought down for you white [lavan] from Heaven and you asked for meat in Hatzerot; you deserved to be destroyed from the world, had He not remembered for you the merit of your righteous forefathers, the Tent of Meeting, the Ark of the Covenant, and the holy vessels which you saw made of pure gold [zahav] which atoned for your sin of the golden [zahav] calf”.

The Sifrei (D’varim 1:1) has a similar analysis: “‘These are the words which Moshe spoke…’ – but did Moshe prophesy only these words? Did he not write the entire Torah?!... So what does ‘These are the words which Moshe spoke…’ mean? – It teaches that these were words of rebuke… ‘To all Israel’, teaching that they were all deserving of rebuke, and they could all cope with the rebuke… ‘In trans-Jordan’, teaching that he rebuked them for what they had done in trans-Jordan. ‘In the desert’, teaching that he rebuked them for what they had done in the desert… ‘In the plain’, teaching that he rebuked them forwhat they had done in the plains of Moab [with the Moabite women, Numbers 25:1-3]… ‘Opposite the Red Sea’, teaching that he rebuked them for what they had done by the sea when they rebelled by the sea and turned their backs on Moshe… Maybe he rebuked them only at the start of each journey? – ‘Between Paran and Tophel’ indicates that he rebuked them between journeys. ‘Between Tophel and Lavan’ refers to the words of ‘tiphlut’ (‘frivolity, obscenity’) when they slandered (‘tiphlu’) the manna … ‘And Hatzerot’ – he told them: You should have learnt from what I did to Miriam in Hatzerot (Numbers 12)!  If I did not even show favouritism in judgement to Miriam who was so righteous, how much more so [will I not show favouritism in judgement] to other people! ‘And Di-Zahav’ – see that of all you did, the sin of the golden (‘zahav’) calf is worse than everything”.

Hence each of the names in this opening verse of Deuteronomy (trans-Jordan, the desert, the plain, Suph/Red Sea, Paran, Tophel, Lavan, Hatzerot, and Di-Zahav) is a coded allusion to one of Israel’s national sins during the 40-year desert trek.

We are still left with the peculiarity of the words “mol Suph” (which we have translated “opposite the Red Sea”), instead of the expected “mul Yam Suph”. The Ba’al ha-Turim (Rabbi Ya’akov ben Asher, Germany and Spain, c.1275-1343) notes that the word “mol” appears only twice in the entire Tanach. The first is here, “mol Suph”. The second is two and a half months later, immediately after Joshua led the Children of Israel over the River Jordan into the Land of Israel. “At that time Hashem said to Joshua: Make knives of flint, and circumcise (‘mol’) the Children of Israel for the second time” (Joshua 5:2).

The Ba’al ha-Turim continues by citing the Talmudic ruling that there are five restrictions on the use of the stalk of a reed: it is forbidden to use it to slaughter an animal, to circumcise, to cut meat, to floss teeth, or to cleanse oneself (Hullin 16b). Therefore God told Joshua to make knives of flint, and not to circumcise them with the reeds. And this, concludes the Ba’al ha-Turim, is the inference of “mol Suph” – circumcise the Children of Israel.

It is of course significant that when Hazal standardised the annual Torah-reading cycle in the late Second Temple period, they ensured that we would always read Parashat D’varim, beginning with Moshe’s rebuke of the Children of Israel, on the Shabbat that immediately precedes or coincides with the ninth of Av. It is a fundamental principle of Judaism that history is not random, that we have to learn from such disasters as come upon us.

Earlier, we cited the Sifrei, “that of all you did, the sin of the golden calf is worse than everything”. A parallel passage in the Talmud says: “‘…And Di-Zahav’ – Aaron said to them: Enough (‘di’) for you the sin of the gold (‘zahav’) which you brought for the calf. And Rabbi Eliezer ben Ya’akov says: This sin is enough for Israel to be punished for it from now until the Resurrection of the Dead” (Avot de-Rabbi Natan 34:1).

The sin of the golden calf and Moshe’s consequent smashing of the Tablets of Stone occurred on the 17th of Tammuz, the day of tragedy which begins the Three Weeks. Indeed, we are still suffering the consequences of that sin even 3,325 years on.

And the sin of the spies – another sin whose consequences we are still suffering 3,324 years on – was on the 9th of Av.

Parashat D’varim, and the entire Book of Deuteronomy, is not merely rebuke. As the Sifrei quoted above says, the Children of Israel “were all deserving of rebuke, and they could all cope with the rebuke”. That is to say, they recognised the justice of Moshe’s rebuke, and they had the resources to improve their ways.

True, the Book of Deuteronomy is full of rebuke, both implicit and explicit. But it is also the address delivered to the nation on the very threshold of the Land of Israel, perched on the brink of redemption.

In these final days before the 9th of Av, Parashat D’varim exhorts us to internalise the rebuke of “the day which was predestined for disasters” (Rambam, Laws of Fasts 5:3; Mishnah Berurah, Laws of the 9th of Av and Other Fasts 549:1). On this self-same day we are poised on the brink of redemption: Mashiach was born on the day that the Holy Temple was destroyed (see for example Yerushalmi Berakhot 2:4, Eichah Rabbah 1:51, Midrash Abba Gurion, et. al.).

The choice to accept the rebuke, to rectify the sin of the golden calf and of the spies, to cross the River Jordan, and to enter the Land of Israel and bring the redemption is in our hands, in our hearts.
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SHABBAT SHALOM!

THREAT ASSESSMENT

4 Menachem Av 5773

Judea and Samaria - Yehuda and Shomron - are the very heart of our ancient homeland and heritage. It's the place where Avraham Avinu and Sarah Imeinu first entered the Promised Land. It's where the Tribes of Israel, freshly freed from servitude in Egypt, first crossed over to begin settling the Land of Israel. It's where the Tabernacle stood, in Shilo, for 369 years before the Temple was built and where King David ruled, in Hevron, for seven years before Jerusalem was conquered. It was in this place that our forefathers received the great promise from the Creator of the World: "Unto you and to your seed will I give this land." For this reason, Judea and Samaria are under threat today from our three ancient enemies – the Erev Rav, Yishmael and Eisav.

1) The Erev Rav are working day and night to give this land to our enemies, wanting only to be rid of the national mission and destiny that go with it.

2)  Yishmael is working day and night to rip it from us and create in it another murderous Arab country, wanting only to use it as a launching pad for taking it all.

3)  Eisav comes from two directions most commonly referred to as "left" and "right."  On the "left," they condemn us and boycott us and outright hate us without shame.  In their hearts, they wish that Hitler, y"sh had finished the job. However, on the "right," they claim to love us and support us to the extent that they want to absorb us - assimilate us.  But, the end result is still the same - annihilation, G-d forbid!

Each of these threats is well-perceived and well-understood by most Jews, all that is except the last one. The threat posed by the "right" hand of Eisav is simply unrecognized by most Jews.  And that creates a danger for us all.

Take, for example, the most visible face of 'Messianic'-Christian activity in Israel - the Waller Family and their HaYovel Ministries.  I've written about them before on this blog: "Why Isn't Every Jew an Anti-Missionary?"  When that blog post was written, they had increased their volunteer force from 36 to 100.  Today, they are bragging that in just a few weeks' time, they will be bringing in 500 volunteers - read "missionaries."  Yesterday, I listened, with nausea, to one of their teachers describe how in the course of a recent visit to Jerusalem, he had openly missionized Jews at some particular intersection.  He tells how when he told his friend Tommy Waller about it, Waller reportedly said "Man, you need to hang out at that intersection more."

However, this is nothing new... regrettable... tragic..., but not new.  What is new, in this generation, and a fact with which you may not be fully conversant is their "tribal" claim to the land in Samaria. When the Jews for J- group became over-saturated with Gentiles, not being Jewish, they began to feel like second-class citizens.  Along came a new 'prophetic' teaching that really appealed to their Eisavian ego - the so-called 'Messianic' Gentiles were in reality Israelites from the Ten Lost Tribes.  Wait, let me correct that.  Those who invented and propagated this lie were Americans, so, of course, they weren't descended from just any tribe, but the far 'superior' tribe of Joseph whose tribal portion is found in Ephraim; hence, they began calling themselves Ephraimites.  (See my video on the subject.)

Over the last fifteen years, an entire theology has been developed on this subject.  You can do that, you know, if you are already practicing a humanly-invented religion. Tommy Waller, his financial supporters (did you really think they worked for free?) and his volunteers participate in 'Messianic' Christian worship with open missionaries in Eretz Yisrael and associate with those who hold this belief. (You should also be aware that Tommy Waller is settling his kids here on a permanent basis.  They dress like settlers, speak Hebrew and they are already raising the next generation, no doubt to believe this land is theirs.)

They like to speak of "reconciliation" between Joseph and his brother Judah.  When they spell it all out, Ephraim must give up the Church's traditional pagan accouterments and swap them in for Judaic ritual.  (Nothing with them is ever more than skin-deep.) Instead of the New Testament, now it's the Brit Chadashah with a tallit thrown around it to make it kosher.  They speak of equality, love between brothers, breaking down the walls that separate us... in a word - assimilation.  But, it's even worse, because they don't just want to absorb us until there is no discernible difference between us and them.  They want us to become them.  Because, at the end of the day, how does Judah make amends to his 'brother' Joseph?  Why, he admits his "historical error" of having rejected J- as messiah at his first coming.  G-d forbid!

They want to obfuscate the primary issue by making our differences one of mere opinion about who is the messiah, when, in truth, the unbridgeable gap is really about who is and who cannot be G-d.

Getting back to the land issue.  These people who are coming to work the land every spring and fall are smiling into their Jewish hosts faces, all the time thinking:  "This land that I'm working is really mine by Biblical right.  I wonder where these Jews are going to live when I come to claim my birthright."

Is this too fantastic for you?  Who in their right minds would think like this?  Who in their right mind would believe in a religion like Christianity or Islam in the first place?  Once a person has bought into the lie, there is no end to the ability of a mind to deceive itself.

I realize this is long and I apologize for that. It's a very complex subject which requires a lot of background information.  For that reason, I will place corroborating quotes at the end.  You can always come back to it when you have more time or need the reference.

While we're on this subject, I would be remiss if I did not share with you this really beautiful video demonstrating how beautiful the land is that G-d has given us.  If you Jews in chutz laaretz don't want it, there are others who do - enough to kill your brothers to get it - by one method or another; through hate or through 'love.'

With thanks to Ezra Ridgley for this work of love for the Land and People of Israel:

The Spring of Judea and Samaria
(See his book here.)
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Quotes from an "Ephraimite" at 10losttribes.com

...The Jews cannot give away this strategic high ground. They have built roads but in other regards they have not greatly developed the heartland of the Shomron because it is reserved for Ephraim [i.e. these Ephraimites]

...The Messiah and the descendants of Joseph are still persecuted and rejected by the religious leaders of Judah even as Joseph was rejected by Judah and his brethren many years ago. The very harshness in Judah that led to the division of the ten tribes of the House of Israel from the House of Judah still exists today. It doesn't matter if you follow Torah or not. Yeshua is the problem.

...There came a time when Judah had to leave his land out of necessity in order to reach reconciliation with his brother Joseph. Pray that this reconciliation will happen before the Jews are forced to flee Joseph's land, the land of Shomron. God has given this territory to Judah at present as a sacred trust. [i.e. we are saving it for them.] And they have been faithful in many ways. But to persecute the descendants of Joseph to whom the Shomron was given puts the Rabbinic leaders in the Shomron in a very bad position. It puts them in the very eye of judgement at the very time that judgement is coming,....

... Reconciliation is already beginning with the increasing links between Jews and bible believing Christians. This cannot be stopped but rather it will accelerate. The author of this rapprochement is Yeshua. He is drawing the two houses [i.e. Jews and Xians] together. And it can be a messy business reuniting a hurt and broken family. Many things need to be discussed. There are false understandings of Torah and Messiah on both sides. It's like surgery, it can be painful for all involved as the collective body of Jacob comes together. There will be one house made of two. Two trees bound to the lamb of God, the word of God, the Torah made flesh [i.e. Yeshu].

...We for our part cannot disown the Messiah for the sake of brotherhood, the Messiah is not negotiable. ... It is Messiah Yeshua that breaks the wall of partition between Jew and Gentile including the lost tribes. ...We may not be in agreement in all parts of theology, but they, the Jewish settlers, have every right to be there as opposed to the Arabs. God promised the land to all 12 tribes of Israel. And Judah comes to the land first. So they are even holding the land for Ephraim before he returns too.

The Jewish people in the state of Israel are holding Ephraim's land for him, that is, the land of Samaria, or the Shomron in Hebrew. ...Ephraim will look to the highway and turn to his ancient cities when he has no place else to go. Once Ephraim's cities in the USA, Canada, Britain, Australia and New Zealand are destroyed he will turn! He will have no place to go but home. ...Soon large numbers of Ephramites will return to their land. The roads will be thick with bible believers [Yeshu worshippers] from America, Australia etc. Houses will be rapidly built and the hills will be alive to Israelite Music.