It's Time to "Put Down the Pom-Poms"

8 Shevat 5785

The title is in reference to Esser Agarot's final remark on a recent blog post, Will Israel Continue to Fight America's Wars for them, wherein he said in response to the glee being expressed over Trump's announcement of a "takeover" of Gaza, "Isn't it time to put the pom-poms down?"

It reminded me of my 2013 blog post, Not-so-secret US military involvement in the Jewish State, when up to eight "secret" US military bases could be documented in Israel. 

However, I only recently heard about another revealed in 2017, thanks to our intrepid researcher.  Following are the contents of her report submitted to me on January 29, 2025.  (All emphasis mine.)

In 2017 the US established the first permanent base (site 883) in Israel at the Israeli Mashabim Air Base west of Yerucham.

US Army Opens Permanent Base in Southern Israel as Trump Slams Iran Deal
Years in the making, Site 883 expands on long-standing and active ballistic missile defense cooperation

For the first time in history, the United States on Monday established an official, permanent military base in Israel: an air defense base in the heart of the Negev desert. Dozens of US Air Force soldiers will call home the new base, located inside the Israeli Air Force’s Mashabim Air Base, west of the towns of Dimona and Yerucham.

Quietly, the U.S. builds its first Army base inside Israel
[Me:  Remember, this is the first "Official" base, the rest are supposed to be unacknowledged, "secret" bases]

In a little-noticed but significant move by the Trump administration, the United States has begun construction on its first military base within Israel.

The permanent facility flying the U.S. flag will be independently operated by American troops on the IDF Air Defense School grounds in southern Israel’s Negev Desert near Beersheba. Its mission was described as defending against rocket and missile attacks.

But it’s also both a symbolic gesture of the deep political and defense solidarity that both countries’ leaders have stressed and a substantive one, since it places an unknown number of American military members on the ground where hostile fire has fallen. Both Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have vowed that bilateral relations are now the closest in history.

Groundbreaking for the isolated, new U.S. base was first reported earlier this fall by Defense News, but attracted little immediate attention.

Speaking at the modest ceremonies, U.S. officers enigmatically called the facility Site 883 Life Support Area. “This life support area represents the first ever stationing of a U.S. Army unit on Israeli soil,” said Maj. Gen. John Gronski.

He added: “The U.S. and Israel have long planned together, exercised together, trained together. And now, with the opening of this site, these crucial interactions will occur every day. We’ll have Israeli airmen, U.S. soldiers living and working side by side.”

There is another US base just 20 miles from Gaza and five miles from Egypt. Started in 2008, it was just a radar station with 100 soldiers but 2 months before the Simcha Torah massacre, the US began expanding it into a base.

2008

Israelis Wary of a US Radar Base in the Negev

“When a contingent of U.S. soldiers opens a radar facility on a mountaintop in the Negev desert next month, Israel will for the first time in its 60-year history have a permanent foreign military base on its soil. And despite the early warning that the American radar would provide if Iran launches a missile attack on Israel, some senior Israeli officials are nonetheless wary about its presence. Complained one top official, “It’s a like a pair of golden handcuffs on Israel.”

"Israel has its own radar system trained on Iran, but its range is much shorter. Still, some see several drawbacks for Israel in the radar, and blame Defense Minister Ehud Barak for requesting its deployment in Israel without consulting anyone other than his chief of staff. Some in the upper echelons of the Israeli Defense Force fear that although the radar will enhance Israel’s protection against Iran, it may also open up Israel’s own military secrets to the Americans."

"The radar will allow the U.S. to keep a close watch on anything moving in Israeli skies, “even a bee”, says one top Israeli official who asked not to be identified. The U.S. may be a close ally, but Israel nonetheless has aviation secrets it would rather not share. “Even a husband and wife have a few things they’d like to keep from each other,” explains this source. “Now we’re standing without our clothes on in front of America.”

2012

This X-Band Radar System Is What Keeps Iran and Israel from Nuking Each Other

[Me:  Note, it works for us or against us however the US decides.]

“First, while the US shares all data regarding potential inbound strikes with its Israeli ally, the US does not share all collected data. This tethers any potential Israeli response to an American chain of command located in California, at the U.S. Missile Defense Agency. “We share a lot, but there’s a valve on the pipeline, and it’s a one-way valve,” a Western military official involved in the program told Time. Second, the hyper-accurate detection works both ways. AN/TPY-2 is just as capable of noticing an Israeli surprise first strike against Iran as it is the other way round. This prevents both sides from throwing up missiles willy-nilly; and that fact alone could be keeping us from World War III.” [Me:  Or an attack on Iran without US approval, which is why the PM has made no move as of yet.]

How a U.S. Radar Station in the Negev Affects a Potential Israel-Iran Clash

On a desert hilltop in the remote southwest of Israel stands a compelling argument against any notion that the Jewish state will launch an attack on Iran without the United States. The discreet complex atop Mt. Keren is a U.S. military installation, and the 100 U.S. service members who staff it are the only foreign troops stationed in Israel. Most are guards; a few are support. The technicians are recognizable by the protective suits they wear to shield them from the extraordinary amounts of radiation generated by the no less extraordinary apparatus the base is built around.

Nov. 2023

Satellite image shows US expanding Israel military base amid escalating tensions

(Site 512)

The site houses a AN/TPY-2 Surveillance Transportable Radar operated in 2021 by the United States Army's 1st Space Brigade. Originally operated by approximately 100 soldiers, that number has increased significantly since the site's initial construction, with a $35.8 million expansion in 2023 increasing the base's capacity to 1000.  Other data indicates that the operating unit is now the 13th Missile Defense Battery, 52nd Air Defense Artillery Brigade, 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, United States Army Europe.

Israel, United States Site 512, a US military bubble in Israel's Negev desert

Private security contractors Constellis and SOC on frontline to secure US facilities in Israel

SOC and former Blackwater are reinforcing their armed security teams in Israel. Constellis is working for a secret Pentagon base near Beersheva that aims to give Israel advance warning of missile attacks. SOC, meanwhile, is protecting US diplomatic missions.

[Me:  This calls to mind the introduction of private contracted security now in Gaza:  Private Military Companies Find a Role in Gaza's Security Void.]

(Here is a google maps shot of the base.)

Shocking Newsweek article from October 13, 2023

How the U.S. Secret Presence in Israel Missed the Hamas Attack

I'll say it again, their presence here serves them and their interests, not us and it's just one more proof that they were in on it.  

They own and control us until HKB"H delivers us from their hands.  We are once again enslaved by Rome.  Hashem yerachem!!

When asked by reporters who would live in Gaza subsequent to its reconstruction, Trump replied, "world people."

Asked who he envisions living in Gaza, Trump said, “I envision the world people living there. The world’s people. I think you’ll make that into an international, unbelievable place,” positing that some Palestinians might live there one day.

What do you think he meant by that?  And what are its implications for us - for a Jewish State?

This is not why our children have sacrificed their lives and futures.  Hashem yerachem!!

"...Prophetic Link To Tu B'shvat?"

7 Shevat 5785 

Hostage, Prisoner Release!! Prophetic Link To Tu B'shvat?
Rabbi Richter

SHOCKER!

7 Shevat 5785

The new plan for "The Day After" in Gaza:
The US is taking possession.

But, as we Jews know so well:

"Man plans and God laughs."

This announcement is not nearly as shocking as the euphoria exhibited by so many Jews in its wake.  Really??  Eisav is plotting with the King of the Erev Rav and you think it's good for the Jews??  America is so going down.  Just make sure you are not caught in the down-draft of its collapse.  

PS:  In case you can't make out the picture on Drudge, it's a Trump Tower hotel built amidst the rubble of Gaza.  Delusion.  Completely unrelated to reality.

So said the Lord: For three transgressions of Gaza, yea for four, I will not return them; Because they carried away captive a whole captivity, to deliver to Edom. And I will send fire into the wall of Gaza, and it shall consume its palaces. (Amos 1:6-7)

A Healthy Water Supply is the Most Basic Requirement of Good Government

6 Shevat 5785

A lot of people think man's business in this world is to improve on the Creator's work.  However, reality intervenes and proves that no created being can do that.  Man destroys God's work and then offers a substandard substitute and waits to be praised for it.

This is what occurs to me while considering how often recently I have received this reply to my complaint of the lack of rainfall in Eretz Yisrael.  Someone actually said we no longer depend on the rain since we built seawater desalination facilities.  He might have said we no longer need God at all.  We can provide for ourselves without His input, God forbid!

Israeli Scientists Fear Public Health Risks from Desalinated Seawater

For Israel, seawater desalination has become an indispensable technology in the fight against the region’s deteriorating water situation. Today, the country produces around 600 million cubic meters of desalinated seawater per year, which constitutes 60% of the water provided to Israeli households and 50% of the nation’s entire water supply (including for agriculture). Despite its paramount importance to water security in the drying Middle East, desalination turned out to cause adverse human health effects – which are the concern of scientists as well as government officials in Israel.

In 2002, Israel ventured on an unprecedented path by drastically shifting the country’s source of water supply towards seawater desalination. For this purpose, large-scale desalination plants were built along the Mediterranean coast using reverse osmosis, a technique whereby pressurized water is forced through a membrane which filters out the salts. So far, the decision to switch to desalination enabled Israel to stay ahead of the increasing water scarcity in the region.

However, this technology comes at a price. According to Prof. Yona Amitai, a pediatrician, toxicologist, and expert for public health at the Bar Ilan University in Israel, desalinated seawater is lacking four essential minerals that are vital to human health – calcium, magnesium, fluoride, and iodine. The minerals are removed during the desalination process, along with the salts.

...In 2016, Israeli researchers for the first time examined the possibility of desalinated water being the cause of iodine deficiency and thyroid diseases. The study, conducted at the Barzilai University Medical Center in Ashkelon – a city located on Israel’s Mediterranean coast, getting most of its municipal water from the nearby desalination facility – showed that 70% of the 74 participants had iodine intake below the Estimated Average Requirements (EAR). Twenty-nine participants were diagnosed with non-autoimmune thyroid disease (NATD). It was concluded that the iodine intake of those patients living in areas depending on desalinated seawater is too low, which might be directly connected to iodine deficiency and thyroid health.

...The Ministry of Health (MoH) acknowledges the problem of iodine deficiency in Israel but dismisses the notion of adding iodine to desalinated seawater due to the risks involved in such an application. “It should be noted that worldwide it is not acceptable to add iodine, even in countries with substantial shortages,” a spokesperson of the ministry says. The ministry thus recommends the public to switch from regular salt to iodized salt, and keep a balanced diet rich in iodine. Amitai, however, says that the World Health Organization recommends adding iodine to salt, which is done in more than 100 countries, but not in Israel.

Unlike iodine, calcium seems to be less of a problem in Israel, as it is already being added to desalinated seawater in order to avert pipe corrosion.

...But by far, the most controversial issue at the moment is the lack of magnesium in desalinated seawater, which, according to estimates by the Ministry of Health, is responsible for the death of 250 Israelis every year. However, these are estimates made ten years ago when the supply of desalinated seawater was less than half the supply of 2019.

Close to ten years ago, a committee appointed by the Ministry of Health and headed by Prof. Avner Adin developed new regulations on drinking water quality in Israel, which included the assessment of desalination issues.

According to Prof Amitai, the Adin Committee decided, although aware of the importance of magnesium, against its addition to desalinated seawater, intending to closely watch the population for ten years and see what the actual consequences are going to be.

...Magnesium deficiency can cause a variety of adverse health effects and increase the risks of cardiovascular diseases, such as myocardial infarction, hypertension, cardiac arrhythmia, and atherosclerosis, but also diabetes and even colon cancer.

... a high-profile research study conducted at Bar Ilan University by Prof. Amitai, PhD Student Meital Shlezinger and in collaboration with Prof. Michael Shechter and Prof. Ilan Goldenberg both from the Sheba Medical Center, found mortality from myocardial infarction was significantly higher in subjects living in those regions that are supplied with desalinated seawater.

The findings had a significant impact on the public and caused countrywide outrage as the scientists could establish that mortality rates before the introduction of desalination were similar in all regions.

In the wake of the bombshell report, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prompted the Ministry of Health to carry out a feasibility study of adding magnesium to desalinated seawater. Although the Ministry of Health took a stance by recommending to add magnesium to the water, no measures have been taken so far.

According to Amitai, appropriate steps have been deferred because the Water Authority opposes the idea of adding magnesium to the municipal water system, claiming the costs were too high and outweighed the benefits.

...Recently scientists from Gilat Research Center in the Negev examined the effects of desalinated seawater on agriculture. The study found a gradual decrease of magnesium and sodium concentrations in produce grown in Israel since the inception of nationwide seawater desalination in 2008. The researchers tested over 500 samples of 29 different fruits and vegetables for magnesium levels and compared them to the same products from the USA. It turned out that levels in all 29 products were considerably lower than those taken from the USDA database.

The results of the study have caused Prof. Amitai to believe that mortality in Israel due to magnesium deficiency in desalinated seawater is even higher than the estimate made by the MoH ten years ago, and might claim the lives of up to 600 Israeli’s every year.

No other western country depends on desalination as Israel does.

Whether it is lab-grown meat or drinking water stripped of its minerals, man's "improvements" always seem to result in less health, more sickness and even death.

In answer to my question: "How much water does Israel provide to Jordan each year and what is its source?"

ChatGPT replied...

Israel provides up to 100 million cubic meters (MCM) of water annually to Jordan, as part of agreements outlined in the 1994 Israel-Jordan Peace Treaty and later agreements.

Breakdown of Water Supply:

Original Treaty Obligation (1994)

50 MCM per year from the Sea of Galilee (Kinneret).

Additional Agreement (2021 Expansion)

Additional 50 MCM per year, doubling the supply to 100 MCM annually.

This additional supply is sourced from desalinated water from the Mediterranean.

Sources of the Water:

Sea of Galilee (Kinneret) – Historically, much of the water supplied to Jordan has come from this freshwater lake.

Desalinated Water – The newer agreements rely more on Israel’s advanced desalination plants along the Mediterranean coast.

Again I queried ChatGPT: "How much water does Israel provide to the Palestinian Authority each year and what is its source?"

And again, it replied...

Israel provides approximately 90–110 million cubic meters (MCM) of water annually to the Palestinian Authority (PA), though this amount fluctuates based on agreements and actual supply.

Breakdown of Water Supply:

Oslo II Accords (1995)

Israel committed to supplying 31 MCM per year to the West Bank.

The agreement recognized the PA’s future water rights but left final allocations to a permanent status agreement, which has not yet been reached.

Over the years, Israel has supplied significantly more than the agreed 31 MCM, reaching around 90–110 MCM per year.

A 2017 agreement between Israel and the PA increased water sales by an additional 32 MCM per year. 

Sources of the Water:

The Mountain Aquifer – A key groundwater source shared by Israel and the PA.

The Coastal Aquifer – Supplies parts of the Gaza Strip but is over-extracted and contaminated.

Israeli Desalination Plants – Some of the additional water comes from desalinated sources in Israel.

There was, however, some good news. I asked a third time: "What is the source of the drinking water supplied to Judea and Samaria?"

And received this answer...

The drinking water supplied to Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) comes from a combination of natural and desalinated sources, with the Mountain Aquifer being the primary natural source. The water is distributed to both Israeli settlements and Palestinian communities through a network managed largely by Mekorot, Israel’s national water company.

Main Sources of Drinking Water in Judea and Samaria

The Mountain Aquifer (Primary Source)

This is the largest and most important freshwater source in the area, extending under both Israel and the West Bank.

It has three sub-basins:

Western Aquifer (largest, most productive).

Eastern Aquifer (serves many Palestinian towns).

Northeastern Aquifer.

Israel extracts water from this aquifer and supplies both Israeli and Palestinian communities.

Israeli Desalination Plants (Growing Contribution)

Israel’s Mediterranean desalination plants provide an increasing share of the drinking water.

Some of this desalinated water is piped into the West Bank, supplementing natural sources.

Local Palestinian Wells and Springs

Palestinians operate hundreds of local wells and springs, but many have limited capacity.

Over-extraction, pollution, and insufficient infrastructure limit their reliability.

Since the article I quoted above was published in 2019, I asked my final question of ChatGPT: "Has Israel made any headway in replacing minerals necessary for health in the desalinated water provided to Israeli citizens?"

Answer...

Key Developments in Remineralization of Desalinated Water:

Calcium Remineralization (Widespread Implementation)

Israel adds calcium to desalinated water before distributing it.

This is done by passing the desalinated water through limestone filters, which dissolves calcium into the supply.

This step helps prevent corrosion in pipes and improves water taste.

[Which, as we saw from the article was only instituted because of the pipes not because of citizen health concerns.]

Desalinated water lacks magnesium, a mineral crucial for heart health, bones, and nerve function.  Studies in Israel linked low magnesium intake to an increase in cardiovascular disease.  Unlike calcium, adding magnesium to the water is more complex and costly. 

The Israeli government has explored methods to add magnesium to desalinated water, including:

Injecting magnesium salts into the supply.

Using natural dolomite rock to dissolve magnesium into water. 

While pilot projects have been conducted, full-scale implementation has been delayed due to cost concerns.  Since magnesium enrichment is not yet universal, health officials recommend that citizens increase dietary magnesium intake through food or supplements.

Calcium is already reintroduced into the water supply.

Magnesium is still largely missing, though ongoing discussions and pilot projects may lead to future implementation.

Desalinated water is blended with groundwater in some areas, which helps mitigate mineral loss.

Just as I suspected, nothing has actually changed.  And it won't, until Mashiach comes.  The good news is rain is coming tonight and Mashiach is due any day now!!

~ ~ ~

PS:  Before anyone comes along and suggests buying bottled mineral water as a solution, keep this fact in mind...

...researchers found that, on average, a liter of bottled water included about 240,000 tiny pieces of plastic. About 90% of these plastic fragments were nanoplastics. This total was 10 to 100 times more plastic particles than seen in earlier studies, which mostly focused on larger microplastics. (Source)

Eyes to the Skies

4 Shevat 5785 
Shavua Tov!

TU b'Shevat is the next holiday coming up . . .

Pray with extra kavanah for rain.  We are in the worst drought I've seen in my almost 30 years here.  A major system is currently on its way and a good cold rain is being forecast across three days.  Please Hashem!

No Concessions, No Compromises, No Capitulation!!!

2 Shevat 5785
Erev Shabbat Kodesh
Parashat Bo 

Compare the following to the current agreements which have been made with Hamas and Hezbollah/Lebanon and tell me Trump or Netanyahu are messianic figures.  When Mashiach is revealed and comes forth to lead this nation, worldwide hatred of Jews and Israel will soar to unimaginable heights hatred and why?  Because Mashiach will never concede or compromise even one centimeter!!

Parashat Bo – No concessions!
by Rabbi Meir Kahane, ztz"l, Hy"d

G-d's name cannot be sanctified through concession or compromise. The essence of Kiddush Hashem is complete trust in G-d, without the least fear of mortal man. The moment a person is ready to concede, when crowning G-d Supreme King would require total submission by the non-Jew [in this case, Pharaoh], his concession robs G-d of complete sovereignty. And if his concession stems from any kind of fear, his sin is sevenfold.

After nine Plagues which brought wicked Pharaoh and his land to the brink of collapse, that evildoer finally broke down: “Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, 'Go – serve the L-rd, only your flocks and herds stay behind. Let your little ones also go with you'” (Ex. 10:24)

Should this not have been a source of great joy? Could Moses not agree? Israel had been slaves and foreigners for 210 years. Now the violent despot had capitulated, opening the prison gates. With the light of freedom shining on them, could it be that due to this one minor condition, “only your flocks and herds stay behind”, Moses would remain stubborn? Must freedom and tranquility be postponed for the sake of flocks and cattle?  

If this small concession is the price for going out from servitude to redemption, why not pay it? Yet Moses responded: “You yourself must give us sacrifices and burnt-offerings that we may sacrifice unto the L-rd our G-d. Our cattle also shall go with us. There shall not be a hoof left behind.” (Ex. 10:25-26). 

G-d's main purpose in redeeming Israel from Egypt was much more profound than just to redeem them from slavery. G-d wished to prove to Pharaoh, his kingdom and his world, all of whom arrogantly proclaim, “I do not know the L-rd” (Ex. 5:2), that there indeed exists a G-d in Israel, Whose kingdom rules over all, that indeed , all life is in His hands. 

The point of the Exodus was for G-d's name to be magnified and exalted. Kiddush Hashem! The Torah teaches us that when Kiddush Hashem is at stake, there are no concessions or compromises. In our own modest times, who is wise enough to grasp this?

Another halachic principle applying to Kiddush and Chilul Hashem is this: Kiddush Hashem must be performed triumphantly and shamelessly. Kiddush Hashem on a national level cannot possibly take place in secret. The very idea of sanctifying G-d's name is something that must be done before nations. When it is performed in secret out of fear, it turns into Chilul Hashem and is better off not being done at all. 

After Moses rejected Pharaoh's compromise, Egypt was struck by the terrible tenth Plague, the smiting of the firstborn. “There was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead.” (Ex. 12:30). In panic, in the middle of the night, Pharaoh totally capitulated and called to Moses, “Rise up, get you forth from among my people, both you and the Children of Israel...Take both your flocks and your herds, as you have said” (Ibid., 31-32). Pharaoh wished Moses to leave right then, in the middle of the night! 

It was now clear that the oppressive foe had totally capitulated. This was unconditional victory. The men, women, children, sheep and cattle – all would leave. Ostensibly, Moses should have agreed and right then and there marched the myriads of Israel to freedom. Yet G-d's thinking is different from our own: “G-d said to Moses, 'Shall you take My children out at night? You shall not! Take them out openly, at midday!” (Shemot Rabbah, 18:10). 

Moses said to Pharaoh, “Are we thieves that we should leave by night? We shall leave triumphantly, for all of Egypt to see!” (Tanchuma, Bo, 7). Similarly, we find in Mechilta (Bo, Mesechta DePischa, 13): Moses said to him, 'We have been warned to leave only publicly: ”None of you shall exit the door of his house until morning”'(Ex. 12:22).  

May we live and survive to witness with our own eyes that great day of Kiddush Hashem when our righteous Mashiach will once and for all, loudly and publicly, reject all concessions and compromises with the nations of the world and thereby bring on the Geulah Shleimah!

~ Shabbat Shalom ~

Agam Berger Is Home!!

1 Shevat 5785
Rosh Chodesh 

All thanks to HKB"H!!!

Family and friends gathered at her home to await her release broke out in
celebration with prayers of thanks upon the welcome and long-awaited news. 
We join them in spirit!

Source:  meaningfulminute instagram

Agam Berger, at age 19, had only been in the IDF for three months and actually on the base for only two days prior to her abduction.

(Part 1)

(TOI) ...With her cousin Agam Berger on the list of the 33 hostages expected to be released in the first stage of the ceasefire deal, YouTuber Ashley Waxman Bakshi headed to Tel Aviv Hostages Square on Thursday night for another evening of baking challah and praying for the safe return of the captives.

“We’ve been doing hafrashat challah events for the entire 16 months, but this is the most important one,” said Waxman Bakshi, referring to the tradition of separating a piece of challah dough to bless it. “We’ve been inviting everyone because this is the one that matters.”

Religious practice has not always been a part of the YouTuber’s life or played a major role in Agam Berger’s family life either, but according to Waxman Bakshi it has offered them all much succor in the last 16 months.

“I was completely atheist two years ago, but Agam has really inspired all of us,” she said.

When 105 hostages were released from Hamas captivity in November 2023, some of those who were held alongside with Agam told her family that she was saying blessings over her food, and that she had told her captors she wouldn’t cook food for them on the Sabbath.

These testimonies on Agam’s acts of faith and religious ritual have inspired the rest of the family since she was taken hostage during the Hamas terror onslaught on October 7, 2023, which started the Gaza war.

“We’ve done a lot of praying over the last year,” said Waxman Bakshi, who started going to synagogue for Shabbat services.

Agam’s parents, Shlomi and Merav, have been observing Shabbat since Agam was taken hostage, taking their faith “to the next level,” said Waxman Bakshi.

Baruch Hashem!!!!  SHE'S HOME!!!

Agam's family and friends are celebrating her release
 by waving Israeli flags and holding a Torah.

 

"The Month of Salvation and Miracles"

1 Shevat 5785
Rosh Chodesh

An excerpt from Shevat: The Month of Salvation and Miracles
by Rabbanit Chagit Shira

The month of Shevat...is a special month that has great salvations hidden inside it. Shevat is the month of miracles, blooming and renewal. Shevat means stick in Hebrew, like the stick of salvation that can literally rest in your hands.

Our sages tell us that there were 10 things G-d created at the end of the 6 days of creation right before the onset of the first Shabbat in the world. Among them was the staff with G-d’s name engraved on it which Moses used upon leaving Egypt. Before leaving the Garden of Eden Adam took a branch from the tree of knowledge and that is the staff that went from Adam to Enoch. Enoch gave it to Noah who gave it to Shem who gave to Abraham to Isaac to Jacob. Of This staff Jacob said: “With my staff I crossed this Jordan River (and now I am two encampments)”...

The staff went to Yehuda and was given as collateral to Tamar. It got to Yosef in Egypt and when Yosef dies all his possessions were taken to Pharaoh’s palace including the staff. Yitro who was one of Pharaoh’s astrologers saw the staff with the letters engraved on it and he desired it for himself. He took it and planted it in his garden in Midian. The Midrash says that no one could approach the staff and remove it from its place until Moses came along.

Moses goes to Yitro’s house and prays in the garden. He notices the staff (made of sapphire) planted in the garden. He approached it and saw the name of G-d engraved on it. He took it out easily and it became something always with him and ultimately something inseparable from the process of redemption which continues till this very day. The staff will be given to Moshiach in the final redemption, we hope real soon.

~ CHODESH TOV UMEVORACH ~