פרשת נח: השפה הגוססת שלנו / Parashat Noah: The Jewish People's Dying Language

ד׳ לחודש השמיני תשפ״ה

English follows the Hebrew.

א וַיְהִי כָל-הָאָרֶץ, שָׂפָה אֶחָת, וּדְבָרִים, אֲחָדִים. ב וַיְהִי, בְּנָסְעָם מִקֶּדֶם; וַיִּמְצְאוּ בִקְעָה בְּאֶרֶץ שִׁנְעָר, וַיֵּשְׁבוּ שָׁם. ג וַיֹּאמְרוּ אִישׁ אֶל-רֵעֵהוּ, הָבָה נִלְבְּנָה לְבֵנִים, וְנִשְׂרְפָה, לִשְׂרֵפָה; וַתְּהִי לָהֶם הַלְּבֵנָה, לְאָבֶן, וְהַחֵמָר, הָיָה לָהֶם לַחֹמֶר. ד וַיֹּאמְרוּ הָבָה נִבְנֶה-לָּנוּ עִיר, וּמִגְדָּל וְרֹאשׁוֹ בַשָּׁמַיִם, וְנַעֲשֶׂה-לָּנוּ, שֵׁם: פֶּן-נָפוּץ, עַל-פְּנֵי כָל-הָאָרֶץ. ה וַיֵּרֶד יְהוָה, לִרְאֹת אֶת-הָעִיר וְאֶת-הַמִּגְדָּל, אֲשֶׁר בָּנוּ, בְּנֵי הָאָדָם. ה וַיֵּרֶד יְהוָה, לִרְאֹת אֶת-הָעִיר וְאֶת-הַמִּגְדָּל, אֲשֶׁר בָּנוּ, בְּנֵי הָאָדָם. ו וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה, הֵן עַם אֶחָד וְשָׂפָה אַחַת לְכֻלָּם, וְזֶה, הַחִלָּם לַעֲשׂוֹת; וְעַתָּה לֹא-יִבָּצֵר מֵהֶם, כֹּל אֲשֶׁר יָזְמוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת. ז הָבָה, נֵרְדָה, וְנָבְלָה שָׁם, שְׂפָתָם--אֲשֶׁר לֹא יִשְׁמְעוּ, אִישׁ שְׂפַת רֵעֵהוּ. ח וַיָּפֶץ יְהוָה אֹתָם מִשָּׁם, עַל-פְּנֵי כָל-הָאָרֶץ; וַיַּחְדְּלוּ, לִבְנֹת הָעִיר. ט עַל-כֵּן קָרָא שְׁמָהּ, בָּבֶל, כִּי-שָׁם בָּלַל יְהוָה, שְׂפַת כָּל-הָאָרֶץ; וּמִשָּׁם הֱפִיצָם יְהוָה, עַל-פְּנֵי כָּל-הָאָרֶץ. (בראשית יא,א-ט)

עשר אגורות (2¢):
בתחלת התורה אנו לומדים את דעתו של הקב"ה לגבי המאמצים למען הגלובליסטיים (כיבוש עולמי) על ידי הגוים.

תגובתו הייתה לפלג את בוני מגדל בבל באמצעי בילבול תקשרתם.

עד היום אנו משתמשים בשורש ב/ב/ל בגלל מעשה מגדל בבל ואז העונש על ידי הקב״ה כגון לבלבל ולהתבלבל.

גם באנלגית יש קשר בין שימוש במילה babel לבילבול.

בתשנ״ז/1997 אני עליתי לארץ. התפלאתי כששמעתי הרבה מילים משפה אנגלית בשיחות בעברית! אני עשיתי סטאג׳ בבית ספר יסודי ואמרתי למורה אחרת על כמה זה מפריע לי.

בתגובה המורה הזו אמרה לי את זה:

בכל דור ודור הגויים מנסים לתקן תיקון מגדל בבל באמצעי שליטת העולם של שפה יחידה, כפי שהיה לפני הניסיון לבנות את המגדל. היום השפה הזו היא אנגלית.

לא מזמן השפה הזו הייתה צרפתית, ולכן הביטוי לינגואה פרנקה (השפה הצרפתית) שכוונתו היא השפה הבינלאומית.

בשנה הבאה בבית ספר אחר אני זוכר שפעם בישיבת הצוות המנהלת אמרה לנו שאסור להיות מופתעים כי זה לא משהו out of the blue (פתאום מן השמים).

כמה שנים אחר מכן, אני קיבלתי טלוויזיה-רדיו בשחור-לבן בגודל 3.5 אינץ'. גרתי בישוב עם שירות לווייני ואז קיבלתי שידור משלוש תחנות הטלוויזיה הישראליות. כמות האנגלית ששמעתי בטלוויזיה בשפה עברית הבהילה אותי. בשנת 2001, בעיקר מה ששמעתי היה בתכניות אירוח כדי לתת למנחה להשוויץ.

וגם השנה הזו ראש הממשלה דאז, אריאל שרון, הכריז ש"ערפאת לא רלוונטי" (לא קישור, שייך, או חשוב לעניין).

השימוש של שרון במילה העברית החדשה כביכול relavanti ציין את תחילת הקץ. הוא פתח את הדלתות למילים לועזיות להכנס לשפה עברית. מעשה זה נתן תעודת כשרות לבשר חזיר והתחיל את תהליך דילל של לשון עברית.

הטבלה להנן היא רק דוגמה של המון מילים אנגלית שהבריחו לעברית המדוברת והכתובה ב-25 השנים האחרונות ולפני כן.

עם האינטרנט והתלות שלנו בו שליטתה של השפה האנגלית בעולם נראת בלתי ניתנת לעצירה. וזה לשמחתו של הערב-רב (שמות יב,לח). היום הם כאילו התרומה שלנו למפעל הגלובליסטי (איחוד העולם בכוח שלטון יחידה).

ערב הוא לשון עירוב. הם אוהבים לערבב הכל כגון עמים, שטחי עמים, נישואים, וככל הנראה אפילו שפות, כל העירבובים האלה למען המטרה הסופית שלהם שהיא השמדת עם ישראל מבפנים. מתכוונים להשיג את המטרה זו באמצעי התבוללות היהודים בתוך אומות העולם.

ברור שהתורה נוגדת בגלובליזם של בגוים. אלא היא בעד לאומנית. ולאומיות היא לא רק לישראלאלא גם לכל אומות העולם. לכל אומה יש תפקיד שלו. כמה מהם בעולם הזה כדי לעזור לנו. כמה מהם כדי לבחון אותנו, או ללחוץ אותנו להתקדם ולהתפתח. והים זאת אומרת ללצאת מהגלות של אדום (המערב) גם מארצות הגולה וגם מראש גלותי. נראה שרובם לא מודעים לכך. אפילו יש יהודים מתבלבלים לגבי תפקידיהם, מי החברים שלנו ומי האויבים שלנו. (רמז: גם הנוצרים, וגם חברי הסכמי אברהם וגם השמאלנים חסרי מוסר מיני אינם חברים שלנו.)

המורה שהייתי בסטאז׳ שלי הבינה כמה מאוכזב אני הייתי לגבי מצב הלשון שלנו. לכן הוא אמרה לי:

אל תדאג כי יש רק תיקון אחד של מגדל בבל והוא עברית, לא אנגלית.

השפעת ישראל תגיע לארבע כנפות הארץ, אך לא למען גאוותנו, אלא למען כבוד ה'.

וַיֹּאמֶר, נָקֵל מִהְיוֹתְךָ לִי עֶבֶד, לְהָקִים אֶת-שִׁבְטֵי יַעֲקֹב, ונצירי וּנְצוּרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהָשִׁיב; וּנְתַתִּיךָ לְאוֹר גּוֹיִם, לִהְיוֹת יְשׁוּעָתִי עַד-קְצֵה הָאָרֶץ. (ישעיהו מט,ו)

עד ביאת המשיח תעשו לעצמכם טובה. ללמוד את טבלה להלן, ותקפידו על כך שבזמן דיבור עברית, תשתמשו במילים בעברית בפועל (מילות השפה שלנו) במקום במילים באנגלית (מילות השפה שלהם).

*צריך לתקן את מבנה הטבלה. בהתחלה יש רשימת המילית הלועזיות בבשימוש בעברית. בסוף יש רשימת הצעותשל מילים בעברית לשימוש במקום שימוש בתילים הלועזיות.

**האתר מורפיקס מומלץ כדי למצוא מילים בעברית להחליף את המילים הלועזיות מהשפה שלנו.

Hebrew verb bulbal: mistaken; misled

ללחוץ כאן כדי לרואת מעל 200 דוגמאות
Click here to see over 200 examples

מגדל בבל, פיטר ברויגל האב
The Tower of Babel, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1563

1 And the whole earth was of one language and of one speech. 2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelled there. 3 And they said one to another: 'Come, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly.' And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar. 4 And they said: 'Come, let us build us a city, and a tower, with its top in heaven, and let us make us a name; lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.' 5 And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men had built. 6 And the Lord said: 'Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is what they begin to do; and now nothing will be withholden from them, which they purpose to do. 7 Come, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.' 8 So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth; and they left off to build the city. 9 Therefore was the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth; and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth. (Gen. 11:1-9)

Esser Agaroth (2¢):
Very early on in the Torah we see The Almighty's attitude toward the globalist efforts of the goyim (non-Jews).

His response was to divide them by confounding their ability to communicate.

Even today, we use the word babel. This comes directly from the name of this city and tower of Bavel (Babylon).

babel | ˈbāb(ə)l, ˈbab(ə)l |
noun [in singular]
a confused noise made by a number of voices: the babel of voices on the road.
• a scene of noisy confusion: the potential for confusion in this babel of textual formats is enormous.

Babel is also the root in Hebrew confusion: לבלבל to confuse; להתבלבל to become confused.

When I first arrived in Israel in תשנ״ז/1997, and was doing my student teaching, I mentioned to the teacher I was working with, all of the English words I was hearing used instead of Hebrew. It bothered me greatly.

The teacher with whom I was working offered the following suggestion:

In every generation, the goyim attempt to make a tikkun (repair, correction, improvement) for the "Tower" by establishing the dominance of one language, as there was was before the attempt to build the tower. 

Today that language is English. Now so long ago, that singular language was French, thus the expression Lingua Franca.

My next year of student teaching was marked by a principal telling the staff that we shouldn't be surprised (by whatever she was talking about), because it wasn't something "out of the blue."

A couple years later, I was given a 3 1/2 inch black and white television/radio. I was living in a town which has satellite service, so I ogt the three Israeli television stations perfectly. The amount of English I heard on television, which had sneaked into usage by native Hebrew speakers was astounding. Yet in 2001, it was still mostly just thrown around by talkshow hosts in order to show off.

However, 2001 was also the year in which then Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon declared the "Arafat was not relevant," using the newly concocted Hebraicized word רלוונטי relavanti.

Sharon's use of the new fangled word relavanti marked the beginning of the end. He had opened the floodgates, giving legitimacy to Hebraicizing English words, and incorporating them into the fabric of the increasingly non-Hebrew, Hebrew language.

The embedded table is only a sample of the avalanche of English invading spoken and written Hebrew over the past 25 years and before.

With the exponential growth of the Internet over the years, and our dependence on it, the dominance of the English language in the world has seemed unstoppable, to the joy of the Erev Rav, the Erev Rav being descendants of false converts who left Egypt with us (Ex. 12:38). They are now the Jewish People's embarrassing and destructive contribution to the globalist enterprise.

Erev is from the Hebrew to mix. They like to mix everything, peoples, territories, marriages, and apparently even languages, all for the ultimate goal of the destruction of the Jewish People from within. This goal is to be achieved in part through the active assimilation of the our people among the non-Jewish cultures of the world.

The Torah is clearly the antithesis of globalism, in other words, it is nationalist. And nationalism is not just a mandate for Israel, manifested though it separate and distinct status. All peoples on this earth have their have their role. Some of them are here to help us. Some of them are hear to test us, or to push to come into our own, most of them do not seeming to be aware of this. Even Jews can get confused over who is who, which are our friends and which are our enemies. (Hint: Neither Christians, Abraham Accords members, nor progressives are our friends.

The teacher I mentioned before also had this to say, when she saw how disappointed I was with her accurate assessment of world's linguistic situation:

Don't worry, because the only tikkun of the Tower of Babel is Hebrew, not English.

Surely in the end, the Mashi'ah (Messiah) will rule, and the majority of the world will finally accept the Torah as the only truth. Israel's influence will reach the four corners of the earth, but not for our own gain, but rather for the Glory of The Almighty.

As it is written...

Yea, He says: 'It is too light a thing that you should be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the offspring of Israel; I will also give you for a light of the nations, that My salvation may be to the end of the earth.' (Isaiah 49:6)

In the meantime, do yourselves a favor by studying the embedded table, and make a point that while speaking Hebrew, use actual Hebrew words (our words) instead of English words (their words).

*The table's format needs some correction. For now the columns at the beginning include the foreign words written in Hebrw with their tranliterations. Suggestions for Hebrew replacements are found at the end.

**The Hebrew-English dictionary site Morfix is highly recommended, and was used to construct this table of words.

פרשת וירא: בן הגר מצחק / Parshat Vayira: What Did Ishmael Do To Isaac?

כ״ד לחודש השמיני תשפ״ד

English follows the Hebrew.

בראשית פרק כא עם הפרשנות של רש״י
ט וַתֵּרֶא שָׂרָה אֶת-בֶּן-הָגָר הַמִּצְרִית, אֲשֶׁר-יָלְדָה לְאַבְרָהָם--מְצַחֵק.

(ט) מצחק -
לשון עבודה זרה, כמו שנאמר ״ויקומו לצחק״ (שמות לב,ו).

דבר אחר:
לשון גילוי עריות, כמה דתימא לצחק בי (להלן לט,יז).

דבר אחר:
לשון רציחה, כמו יקומו נא הנערים וישחקו לפנינו וגו' (שמואל ב׳ ב,יד) 

י וַתֹּאמֶר, לְאַבְרָהָם, גָּרֵשׁ הָאָמָה הַזֹּאת, וְאֶת-בְּנָהּ: כִּי לֹא יִירַשׁ בֶּן-הָאָמָה הַזֹּאת, עִם-בְּנִי עִם-יִצְחָק.

(י) עם בני -
שהיה מריב עם יצחק על הירושה ואומר אני בכור ונוטל פי שנים, ויוצאים בשדה ונוטל קשתו ויורה בו חצים, כמו דתימא כמתלהלה היורה זקים וגו׳ ואמר הלא משחק אני (משלי כו,יח-יט) [מתשובת שרה כי לא יירש בן האמה הזאת].

עם בני עם יצחק -
מכיוון שהוא בני אפילו אם אינו הגון כיצחק, או הגון כיצחק אפילו אם אינו בני, אין זה כדאי לירש עמו, קל וחומר עם בני עם יצחק ששתיהן בו:

יא וַיֵּרַע הַדָּבָר מְאֹד, בְּעֵינֵי אַבְרָהָם, עַל, אוֹדֹת בְּנוֹ.

(יא) על אודות בנו -
ששמע שיצא לתרבות רעה. ופשוטו על שאמרה לו לשלחו:

יב וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים אֶל-אַבְרָהָם, אַל-יֵרַע בְּעֵינֶיךָ עַל-הַנַּעַר וְעַל-אֲמָתֶךָ--כֹּל אֲשֶׁר תֹּאמַר אֵלֶיךָ שָׂרָה, שְׁמַע בְּקֹלָהּ: כִּי בְיִצְחָק, יִקָּרֵא לְךָ זָרַע.

(יב) שמע בקולה -
למדנו שהיה אברהם טפל לשרה בנביאות:

עשר אגורות (2¢):
מה זאת אומרת ישמעאל מצחק את יצחק?

לפי רש״י יש שלוש אפשרויות: עבודה זרה, גילוי ערוות, כלומר הטרדה מינית, או התנהגות קישורה לרציחה.

אנו נזכרים בפרשה הקודמת ישמעאל יהיה פרא אדם לנצח. אז אי אפשר להתפלא שפגיעה מינית תקיפה מינית אונס ורצח עדיין השיטות המעדפות של ישמעאל.

וגם אי אפשר שההסתערות והטבחשל החודש הזה על ידי בני ישמעאל מפתיעים לנו. אירועים כאלה מתועדים בספרותנו גם בתנ"ך וגם בתלמודים ובעוד ספרותנו על ידי חז"ל. אפילו המוסלמים עצמם מזכירים אירועים כאלה בספרותם, כגון השמדת היהודים בעיר מדינה נמצאת כיום בערב הסעודית. וכן פעם היו יהודים בערב הסעודית, כלומר עד שמוחמד ימש״ו רצח אותם. אפילו המילה ״מדינה״ היא מילה בעברית.

חכו רגע. הלא נכון שחז״ל מלמדים ישמעאל חזר בתשובה? (תלמוד בבלי, בבא בתרא י,ב) 

כן ישמעאל חזר בתשובה. אבל הבנים של ישמעאל לא חזרו בתשובה.* היום אנו עוברים את חוויות שמציגות את התוצאות שהם לא חזרו בתשובה. אבל אין מספיק מילים שיכולות לתאר את מה שאנו עוברים כעם קל וחומר מה ש הנרצחים עברו מה שהחטופים עוברים ומה שמשפחותם עוברים.

חבל שלא נותנים לנו ללמוד את הספרות הנזכרת לעיל. הם יוצאים מדרך הפוליטיקאים שלנו יותר מדי להם לסבול. כשכן מזכירים את ספרות כזו אנו לומדים אותם מהר מדי, מסלפים אותם, מתנצלים עליהם. אם כן נתנו לנו ללמד את הילדים שלנו את הספרות וההלכות בתוכם ברצינות אז אולי יותר מהאהובים שלנו עדיין היו איתנו. ולא היינו עדיין תקועים ב-#BitterCycleofTerror מעגל הטרור המתמשך.

*יש מציעים שהרבה מהדרוזים הם יוצאים מהכלל של בני ישמעאל שלא חזרו בתשובה. אלא הרבה מהדרוזים הולכים בעקבות הדוגמה של ישמעאל. אבל אין לי מושג מה המקור של הדעה הזו. יש אחרים טוענים יש קשר בין הדרוזים לעם הקיני הנזכר בבראשית טו,יח-כא, שופטים א,טז ועוד.

Genesis, Chapter 21 with commentary from Rabbi Shlomo Yitzhaqi (Rashi)
9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had born to Abraham, making sport.

An expression of foreign (forbidden) worship, as it is said “and they rose up to make merry” (Ex. 32:6)

Another explanation: An expression of inappropriate sexual relations, as it is said, “to mock me” (Gen. 39:17)

Another explanation: An expression of murder, as it is said, “Let the boys get up now and sport before us...” (II Sam. 2:14)

10 So she said to Abraham: 'Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not inherit with my son, with Isaac.'

with my son -
He would quarrel with Isaac regarding the inheritance and say, “I am the firstborn and should take two portions,” and they would go out to the field, and he would take his bow and shoot arrows at him, as it is said, “Like one who wearies himself shooting firebrands, etc. and says: Am I not joking?" (Prov. 26:18)

with my son, with Isaac -
Just because he is my son, even if he were not as deserving as Isaac, or  deserving as Isaac, even if he were not my son, this one [Ishmael] does not deserve to inherit with him. How much more so with my son, with Isaac, who has both qualities!

11 And the thing was very grievous to Abraham, on account of his son.

on account of his son -
Because he heard that he went over to a bad culture (ways). According to its simple meaning, she told him to send him away.

12 And God said to Abraham: 'Let it not be grievous in to you because of the lad, and because of your bondwoman; in all that Sarah says to you, heed her voice; for in Isaac shall seed be called to you.

heed her voice -
We learn that Abraham was secondary to Sarah in prophecy. (Tanhuma Shemoth 1)

Esser Agaroth (2¢):
What does it mean Ishmael makes sport with Isaac?

When I first saw this ages ago, since the make sport is from the same root as to laugh, like many of you, I figured that it had to mean to make laugh, to lead Isaac away from Torah to more frivolous matters, or to tease him.

So much for my Western cultural background and logic!

According to Rashi there are three possibilities at to what Ishmael does to Isaac: behavior associated with foreign forms of worship, inappropriate sexual contact (ie. sexual molestation), or murderous type behavior.

We remember in the previous chapter that Ishmael would be a wild ass of a man forever. So it should come as no surprise that sexual impropriety sexual assault rape and murder are still very much on Ishmael's agenda.

Nor should anyone be surprised by this past month of their onslaught and massacre. These events have been recording throughout history in our literature, the Tana"kh (Bible) and writing from Our Sages z"l.

Not only that, but Muslims themselves have recorded such events, such as the annihilation of the Jews in Medina, in which is now Saudi Arabia. Yes. There were Jews in Saudi Arabia, that is until Muhammed ym"sh wiped them out. Even medina is a word in Hebrew. It means city-state, now used to mean "state," as in Medinath Yisrael - the State of Israel.

But wait! Don't Our Sages z"l teach that Ishmael repented? (Babylonian Talmud, Bava Batra 10b)

Yes, he did. However, the children of Ishmael did not repent.* And today we are experiencing the ultimately understated lack of of that repentance.

If only we had been allowed to learn such politically-incorrect texts in school, and not simply gloss over or apologize for them. Perhaps then we would not have been stuck in our ongoing #BitterCycleofTerror for as long as we have been.

*Some have suggested that many Druze make up the exception, which followed Ishmael's example. Others have suggested a connection between the Druze and the Kenites, mentioned in Gen. 15:18-21, Judges 1:16, and elsewhere.

פרשת לך לך: ישמעאל יהיה פרא אדם / Parshat Lech-Lecha: Ishmael will be a Wild Ass of a Man

כ״ב לחודש השמיני תשפ״ד

English follows the Hebrew.

וְהוּא יִהְיֶה, פֶּרֶא אָדָם--יָדוֹ בַכֹּל, וְיַד כֹּל בּוֹ; וְעַל-פְּנֵי כָל-אֶחָיו, יִשְׁכֹּן. (בראשית טז,יב)

חדשות JDN: הוא יהיה פרא אדם / האנחה של החפץ חיים
הרב שמעיה דיכובסקי ביקש לשמוע מפי מרן ה"חפץ חיים", האם כדאית היא העליה לארץ ישראל. ה"חפץ חיים" נאנח ואמר: מי יודע מה פרא אדם זה עלול עוד לעשות לעם ישראל באחרית הימים!
חיים וינשטוק כ״ה בתשרי ה׳תשפ״ד (אוקטובר 10, 2023)

היה זה בשנת תרצ"ג. הגאון הרב שמעיה אליעזר דיכובסקי (בנו הוא הדיין הגאון רבי שלמה דיכובסקי שליט"א) ביקש לעלות לארץ ישראל. באותה שנה הרימה האנטישמיות ראש באירופה כשהצורר הנאצי עלה לשלטון. המוני יהודים חשו כי הקרקע שתחת רגליהם אינה בטוחה. הרב שמעיה דיכובסקי ביקש לשמוע מפי מרן ה"חפץ חיים" (רבי ישראל מאיר הכהן), האם כדאית היא העליה לארץ ישראל.

וכך הוא מספר בספרו "נאות דשא":

"בטרם הספקתי להביע בפניו את החששות שבלבי, ובייחוד את החשש הגדול מפאת המצב הבטחוני השורר בארץ ישראל בגלל בני ישמעאל המתנכלים ליהודים, כי רק כמה שנים חלפו מאז טבח חברון (בתרפ"ט), אבל הוא הקדימני ולא הייתי נצרך להעלות שאלה זו כלל. וכך הוא אמר:

התורה הקדושה אומרת על ישמעאל: 'והוא יהיה פרא אדם' (בראשית ט"ז, י"ב). הלא ידוע כי התורה שלנו היא נצחית, ואם היא אומרת זאת על ישמעאל, משמעות הדברים היא, שישמעאל ישאר לנצח פרא אדם. גם אם יתאספו כל עמי התרבות שבעולם וירצו לחנך את ישמעאל ולעשותו בן תרבות, לא יעלה הדבר בידם. התורה העידה עליו שיהיה פרא אדם, ו"יהיה" פירושו גם לעתיד, לנצח.

ה"חפץ חיים" נאנח ואמר: מי יודע מה פרא אדם זה עלול עוד לעשות לעם ישראל באחרית הימים!....

עשר אגורות (2¢):
הרב שמעיה דיכובסקי כן עלה לארץ ישראל למרות המצב הבטחוני שהיה בזמנו. הבן שלו הוא הדיין הגאון רבי שלמה דיכובסקי שליט"א והוא נולד בירושלים.

אז נו? איפה כל היהודים האמריקאים?

נכון שכ-300,000 חזרו ארצה כבר מתחילת המלחה הזו. אני מתפלל שהפעם פחות מ-80 אחוזים ייאבדו בחושך כמו שנאבדו במצרים ושיותר מ-20 אחוזים יצליחו לצאת מהגלות הנוכחית שלנו של אדום (עולם המערב).

Haredi journalist Aryeh Erlich beat me to this. Read about his citation of the Chofetz Chaim on Ishmael in English here.

And he shall be a wild ass of a man: his hand shall be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the face of all his brethren.' (Gen. 16:12)

JDN News: He will be a wild man / sigh of the Chofetz Chaim (Translation of above JDN piece)
Rabbi Shemaya Dichovsky asked to hear from Maran the Chofetz Chaim, whether it would be worthwhile to immigrate to Eretz Yisrael. The Chofetz Chaim sighed and said: Who knows what this savage man might still do to the people of Israel in the end of days!
Chaim Weinstock 25 Tishrei 5784 (October 10, 2023)

It was in the year 1833. The Gaon Rabbi Shemaya Eliezer Dichovsky (his son is the Dayan Gaon Rabbi Shlomo Dichovsky shlit"a) asked to immigrate to Eretz Yisrael. That year, anti-Semitism reared its head in Europe when the Nazi oppressor came to power. Masses of Jews felt that the ground under their feet was not safe. Rabbi Shimaya Dichovski asked to hear from Maran the Chofetz Chaim (Rabbi Israel Meir HaCohen), whether he should immigrate to Eretz Yisrael.

And so he tells in his book Naot Desha:

"Before I had time to express to him the concerns in my heart, and especially the great concern due to the security situation prevailing in the Land of Israel because of the Ishmaelites harassing the Jews, because only a few years had passed since the Hebron massacre (in 1929), but I would not have had to raise this question at all. And so he said:

About Ishmael the Holy Torah says: 'And he will be a wild ass of a man' (Gen. 16:12). Is it not the case that our Torah is eternal, and so if it says this about Ishmael, the meaning of this is that Ishmael will forever remain a wild ass man. Even if all the civilized peoples of the world gathered and wanted to educate Ishmael and make him a civilized person, it would not be up to them. The Torah testifies that he would be a wild man, and the meaning of "will be" indicates the future, forever.

The Chofetz Chaim sighed and said: Who knows what this savage man still might do to the people of Israel at the end of days!....

Esser Agaroth (2¢):
You will be happy to know that Rabbi Shemaya Dichovsky did immigrate to Israel despite the security situation at the time. His son, Rabbi Shlomo Dichovsky, mentioned above, was born in Tel Aviv.

So? Where are all the American Jews? Why aren't they coming to invest their blood, sweat, tears, and money in our only true, homeland?

Although it is true that approximately 300,000 Jews have returned to Israel since the beginning of this war, I worry about Jews being lost along the way. Only 20 percent made it out of our first exile, our exile in Egypt. Eighty percent of Israel was lost in Egypt during the plague of darkness, will be lost this time.

As I pray that our impending Redemption from the clutches of our fourth exile, the exile controlled by Edom (The West), will be our final exile, I also pray that more of us survive, and succeed in leaving this this time, than the only 20 percent of us who made it out of Egypt.

פרשת שמיני: עופות נוצה נוהרים יחד / Parashat Shemini: Birds of a Feather

ערב שבת קודש פר' שמיני תשפ״א

English follows the Hebrew.

וְאֶת-אֵלֶּה תְּשַׁקְּצוּ מִן-הָעוֹף, לֹא יֵאָכְלוּ שֶׁקֶץ הֵם: אֶת-הַנֶּשֶׁר, וְאֶת-הַפֶּרֶס, וְאֵת, הָעָזְנִיָּה. וְאֶת-הַדָּאָה--וְאֶת-הָאַיָּה, לְמִינָהּ. טו אֵת כָּל-עֹרֵב, לְמִינוֹ. וְאֵת בַּת הַיַּעֲנָה, וְאֶת-הַתַּחְמָס וְאֶת-הַשָּׁחַף; וְאֶת-הַנֵּץ, לְמִינֵהוּ. וְאֶת-הַכּוֹס וְאֶת-הַשָּׁלָךְ, וְאֶת-הַיַּנְשׁוּף. וְאֶת-הַתִּנְשֶׁמֶת וְאֶת-הַקָּאָת, וְאֶת-הָרָחָם. וְאֵת, הַחֲסִידָה, הָאֲנָפָה, לְמִינָהּ; וְאֶת-הַדּוּכִיפַת, וְאֶת-הָעֲטַלֵּף. (ויקרא יא,יג-יט)

עשר אגורות (2¢):

העורב לא כשר לאכילה.

היונה כן כשרה לאכילה.

נשלחו אליי הסרטונים האלה. הם דומים לסרטוני אילוף החתולה שלי. הבנראה לי שהביטוי הזה "עופות נוצה נוהרים יחד" לא שייך כל-כך לעורב. אלא אולי העורב, הידוע כציפור נבונה, לומד לעקוב מאחרי היונים מפני שבני אדם (מקורות האוכל) נמשכים לציפורים החמודות כאלה ודווקא לא לעורבים.

אני לא בטוח.

בכל מקרה, הסרטונים נמצאים כאן כדי להציג את האפשרות ללכוד יונים בקלות למען השרדנות אם (חס וחלילה) בעתיד תתקיים בעיה באספקת המזון במצב מלחמה או דומה כזה.

כנראה חל איסור לצוד ולשחוט יונים לפי חוקי מדינת ישראל. אני לא בטוח. לפחות יכול להיות איסור כזה באזורים ו/או בעונות מסויימים. ולכן כדאי לברר את העניין לפני שיוצאים לשטח לצוד או אפילו להאכיל את הציפורים.

And these you will have in detestation among the fowl; they shall not be eaten, they are a detestable thing: the great vulture, and the bearded vulture, and the osprey; and the kite, and the falcon after its kinds; every raven after its kinds; and the ostrich, and the night-hawk, and the sea-mew (seagull), and the hawk after its kinds; and the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl; and the horned owl, and the pelican, and the carrion-vulture; and the stork, and the heron after its kinds, and the hoopoe, and the bat. (Lev. 11:13-19)

Esser Agaroth (2¢):
The crow is not kosher for Jews to eat; the pigeon is.

The above videos were sent to me. They are similar to my kitten training videos. 

It seems that the phrase "Birds of a feather flock together" doesn't quite fit the crow so much. But perhaps the crow, well-known as a particularly intelligent bird, learns to follow the pigeons because humans, ie. sources of food, are attracted to them, and not necessarily to crows. 

I'm not sure.

In any case, the videos are here to show the possibility of capturing pigeons easily for survival's sake, if, God forbid, a future problem with obtaining food during a state of war or similar situation.

In the meantime, I suggest that it could very well be against the law to hunt and slaughter pigeons in the State of Israel. I'm not sure. At least there may be restrictions in certain areas and/or seasons. And so, I recommend getting clarification about this before going out to hunt or even feed the birds.

פרשת שמות: עם ישראל צריך להשתתף בגאולתו / Parshat Shemot: Jews Need to do Their Part for Redemption

כ״ז לחודש העשירי תשפ״א

English follows the Hebrew.

עשר אגורות (2¢):

למרות שהעניינים האלה שייכים יורת ליהודים המגורים בגולה, אני כותב את הכתבה הזו גם בעברית בכדי שיהודים בארץ יכולים להתעדכן לגבי מה שקורה בגולה וגם לוודא למרות שהעניינים האלה שייכים ליהודים המגורים בגולה יותר מליהודים שבארץ, אני כותב את הכתבה הזו גם בעברית בכדי שיהודים שבארץ יכולים להתעדכן לגבי מה שקורה בגולה וגם להדגיש לישראלים המגורים בגולה על מה שקורה בסביבתם.

כנראה רבים מכם בהלם שאני מפרסם את הסרטון הזה (להלן), ונותן לגבר הזה טיפה של פרסום בחינם, קל וחומר, לגבר נוצרי. בדרך כלל הייתי מסכים איתכם ואפילו ממליץ למנוע מלענות למישהו כזה כשהוא שואל ״מה השעה?״

כדאי לכולנו לשים לב לא רק לקיומם של אנשים כאלה, אלא גם למה שהוא אומר.  

אני צפיתי בכל הסרטון הזה. למרות שהמציג לא מאשים את היהודים במפורש, הוא בהחלט רומז את ההאשמות ביהודים, כגון הצגת נעבעך (אידיש: מסכן) יהודי המזכיר את שואה (6:24). הוא גם מודיע לנו תמיכתו של מנכ"ל הליגה נגד השמצה [ADL] ג׳ונת׳ן גרינבלט לחסימת חשבון טוויטר אל הנשיא טראמפ (4:52).

אני הופתעתי שהוא לא אמר שום דבר על המיליארדר ומשתף פעולות הנאצים, ג'ורג 'סורוס, שגם מממן הרבה קבוצות ומאמצים המתנגדים ליהדות וליהודים שומרי תורה ומצוות. אולי הוא הזכיר אותו בעבר. אני לא יודע.

הרב משה ליכטמן, בספרו Eretz Yisrael in the Parshah (ארץ ישראל בפרשה), כותב שהיהודים שכחו שהגלות היא עונש.

אין שום ספק שהרב צודק. לאורך הזמן אנחנו רואים שהמצב הזה מתפתח. ואני ניסיתי וממשיך לנסות להזכיר לכם על זה.

כנראה אתם שואלים ״האם הגבר הזה פשוט חבר אחת הקבוצות הקיצוניות של ארה"ב והוא במיעוט״ אני לא יודע וזה לא אכפת לי. הוא לא האיום לנו הכי גדול. הוא פשוט מקיים את תפקידו כצאצא רוחני של עשו, האח התאום של יעקב.

האיום העיקרי, הפיזי והרוחני, על העם היהודי הוא עצמנו.

כתוב בפרשת השבוע שמות:

כג וַיְהִי בַיָּמִים הָרַבִּים הָהֵם, וַיָּמָת מֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם, וַיֵּאָנְחוּ בְנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל מִן-הָעֲבֹדָה, וַיִּזְעָקוּ; וַתַּעַל שַׁוְעָתָם אֶל-הָאֱלֹהִים, כד וַיִּשְׁמַע אֱלֹהִים, אֶת-נַאֲקָתָם; וַיִּזְכֹּר אֱלֹהִים אֶת-בְּרִיתוֹ, אֶת-אַבְרָהָם אֶת-יִצְחָק וְאֶת-יַעֲקֹב. כה וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים, אֶת-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל; וַיֵּדַע, אֱלֹהִים. (שמות ב,כד-כ)

בפרק הבא של שמות, הקב"ה מגלה למשה את כוונתו לגאול [להוציא, ללהציל, ולקחת (שמות ו,ו-ז)] את בני ישראל ממצרים.

כמובן, הקדוש ברוך הוא יודע את הכל, את מה שקרה בעבר, קורה עכשיו, ויקרה בעתיד. הוא כבר ידע על שועתם, זעקתם, גנחיהם, ועניהם במצרים. הוא כבר גילה לאברהם שצאצאיו יגורו בארץ לא שלהם.

אך לפני שהקב"ה התחיל המשיך את תהליך גאולת בני ישראל, הם היו צריכים לקחת חלק בה. והחלק הזה היה לזעוק אליו.

כיום היהודים גם זועקים, אבל לא בכיוון הנכון או בכוונה הנכונה. אלא הם זועקים לבני אדם אחרים; הם זועקים ל"מנהיגיהם "היהודים. הם זועקים לגויים. הם לא זועקים להקב״ה. אולי החרדים ועוד כמה דתיים כן זועקים אליו להציל אותם. אבל חוץ מהם?

היהודים השמאלנים והמבוללים זועקים לג'ו ביידן ולעוד השמאלנים כמוהם. היהודים השמרנים זועקים לנשיא טראמפ ולחבריהם נוצרים האוונגליסטים. כולם גונחים על איך הגויים מתיחסים אליהם ואיך זה לא הוגן. מה הם מצפים? הם גרים בארץ לא שלהם. אבל לצערנו, הם מסרבים להודות ולקבל את זה.

הרבה יהודים בארה"ב היו קוראים לי בוגד מפני שאני מציג את הסמלילים של ארגונים יהודיים כאלה בצורה שלילית. שונאי היהודים היו חושדים על הכוונה שלי והיו מאשימים אותי שיש לי תכנית מסובכת, עם מניעים נסתרים.

בכל פעם שיש פיגוע ירי בבית כנסת, גפיטי מסית שינאה ליהודים, האשמות מגוחכות ביהודים, כולם ממשיכים להשלות את עצמם ולהשאר במצב של החכשה, להתקבץ ולהחזיק ידיים ולשיר קום-בה-יה, ואז לשכוח את האירוע עד שמגיע הזמן לאזכרה נוספת. מעט מדי יהודים מתכוננים לעלות ארצה. אפילו הקומוניסטים היהודים בברית המועצות הצעירה הבינו שלא יתתנו להם להשתתף ב"חלום הקומוניסטי "שלהם ולכן הם החליטו להביא את הקומוניזם לישראל, ... לצערנו.

לפני שנים הר געש באיסלנד מנע מהיהודים מלהיכנס לישראל. ועכשיו "מגפה", בין אם אתה מאמין בזו או לא, משמשת כתירוץ למנוע מיהודים שאינם אזרחים ישראליים מלהיכנס. ומה עם אזרחי ישראל המנסים לחזור מאנגליה ואו מדרום אפריקה?

כמה גרוע יותר המצב צריך להיות כדי לשכנע את יהודים לעזוב את הארצות האלה של הגויים ולעלות לארץ מולדתם היחחידה שלהם?

אני כותב דבר נוסף לאחיי היהודים בארה"ב ובארצות אחרות בחוץ לארץ: כשאתם עוזבים את ארצות מגוריכם הזמניים, זאת לא אומרת שאתם מפסיקים בשום קרב. וזאת לא אומרת שאתם בורחים. אלא אתם יוצאים מארצות השייכות לגויים ועולים לארץ מולדתכם היחידה.

וליהודים שמסרבים לעלות ארצה בגלל כל הפעולות הלא כשרות של ממשלת ישראל, תפסיקו כבר להתלונן על הבעיה ותשתתפו ביצירת הפתרון. עלו כבר למטוס! בואו והצטרפו למאמצים לעזור לישראל למצוא את הדרך שלה שוב.

(Tip credit: Jerusalem Urban Discussions)

Esser Agaroth (2¢):

Many of you will be shocked that I am posting this video, giving this guy a drop of free publicity, and a Christian no less. Normally, I would agree, and not even give someone like this the time of day.

It behooves us to pay attention to not just the existence of such individuals, but to what he says.

I watched the entire video. Although there were definitely some inferences, like the portrayal of a stereotypical nebakh (weak and whiny Jew) invoking the Holocaust (6:24), there weren't any explicit accusations of Jews. There was mention of the Anti-Defamation League [ADL], and its current CEO Jonathan Greenblatt (4:52). 

I was surprised he didn't make any references to billionaire, and Nazi collaborator, George Soros, who has been funding so many groups and endeavors poisonous to Judaism and Torah-observant Jews. Perhaps he has done so in the past. I do not know.

Rabbi Moshe Lichtman, in his book Eretz Yisrael in the Parshah, (The Land of Israel in the Torah Portion) states that Jews have forgotten that the exile is a punishment.

It most certainly is. We have seen over the years, and I have desperately attempted to remind you that the Exile is indeed a punishment.

But isn't this guy just part of one of the U. S.'s fringe groups? I don't know, and I don't care. He's not the threat. He's only fulfilling his role as a spiritual descendant of Esau, Jacob's twin brother. 

The primary threat to the Jewish People, both physical and spiritual, is ourselves.

We have from this past week's Torah portion:

כג וַיְהִי בַיָּמִים הָרַבִּים הָהֵם, וַיָּמָת מֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם, וַיֵּאָנְחוּ בְנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל מִן-הָעֲבֹדָה, וַיִּזְעָקוּ; וַתַּעַל שַׁוְעָתָם אֶל-הָאֱלֹהִים, כד וַיִּשְׁמַע אֱלֹהִים, אֶת-נַאֲקָתָם; וַיִּזְכֹּר אֱלֹהִים אֶת-בְּרִיתוֹ, אֶת-אַבְרָהָם אֶת-יִצְחָק וְאֶת-יַעֲקֹב. כה וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים, אֶת-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל; וַיֵּדַע, אֱלֹהִים. (שמות ב,כד-כ)

23 And it came to pass in the course of those many days that the king of Egypt died; and the children of Israel sighed because of the bondage, and they cried out, and their cry came up unto God. 24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 And God saw the children of Israel, and God was cognizant of them. (Ex. 2:23-35)

In the next chapter of Exodus, The Almighty reveals to Moses his intention to redeem Israel from Egypt [and bring them out, and save them, and take them for a people (Ex. 6:6-7)].

Of course, The Almighty knows all. He knows the past, present, and future. He already knew of the suffering of His People in Egypt. He had already revealed to Abraham that his descendants would dwell in a land not their own.

But, before The Almighty would intervene, Israel had to do its part. And that part was to cry out to Him.

Today, the Jews are crying out alright, but in the wrong direction. They are crying out to other human beings; they are crying out to their Jewish "leaders." They are crying out to non-Jews. They are not crying out to God. Only the Haredim (ultra-orthodox) and some other Orthodox Jews are quite possibly crying out to God to save them.

The leftist, assimilated Jews are crying out to Joe Biden and to their fellow leftists. The conservative Jews are crying out to President Trump and to their Evangelical "friends." They are all moaning and groaning about how unfair their treatment is. Well, what to they expect? They are dwelling in a land not their own. But, unfortunately, they refuse to acknowledge this.

Many Jews in the U. S. will call me traitor for posting anti-Jewish organization graphics such as these. On the other hand, Jew-haters will accuse me of some kind of tricky subterfuge, with deep ulterior motives,...as if I care.

Every time there is a shooting at a synagogue, Jew-hating graffiti, ridiculous accusations of Jews, they all continue to delude themselves, hold hands and sing Kum-ba-yah, then shove the incident away until it's time for another memorial service. Far too few Jews actually pack their bags. Even the Jewish communists in the young, Soviet Union realized that they weren't going to be allowed to participate in their "communist dream," and so decided to bring communism to Israel,...to our dismay.

Years ago, a volcano in Iceland prevented Jews from getting into Israel. And now a "pandemic," whether you believe in one or not, is being used as an excuse to prevent non-Israeli citizens from getting in. And what about Israeli citizens trying to get back from the UK and South Africa?

How much worse will it have to get before Jews see the writing on the wall, and start packing those bags?

One final note to my fellow Jews in the U. S. and elsewhere outside of Israel: You are not quitting any fight, nor running away with your tails between your legs, by leaving your temporary dwelling places, belonging to non-Jews; you are running toward the Land where you are supposed to be.

And to those Jews who refuse to make aliyah (Jewish relocation to Israel) because of the shenanigans of the Israeli Government, for goodness sakes, stop complaining about the problem, and be part of the solution. Get on the plane already! Come and join the efforts to help Israel find its direction again.

Parashath Beshalah: Which 20% of the Jews Will Survive this Time?

מוצש״ק פר׳ בשלח תשע״ו

Leading up to the parting, and then crossing, of the Red Sea, the Torah teaches that...

...וַחֲמֻשִׁים עָלוּ בְנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל, מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם.(שמות יג,יח)

...and the children of Israel went up armed out of the land of Egypt. (Ex. 13:18)

חמושים (hamushim) here means "armed," explaining that we left Egypt with weapons (kli zayan/swords). It is no surprise that Hamush is used to mean the same thing today.

However, Rashi explains that this word can have another meaning, as well.

דבר אחר: חמושים אחד מחמשה יצאו, וארבעה חלקים מתו בשלשת ימי אפילה:

Another thing: hamushim - one out of five left; and four parts [out of five] died during the three days of darkness.

Hamush meaning "one fifth" is derived from the root word hamesh, meaning five.

Torah scholars have suggested that parallels exist between the exodus from Egypt and the future exodus from our current fourth, and presumably last, exile of Edom (Esau/Rome/The West).

One Torah scholar in particular, the Kol HaTor, the last hevrutha of the Vilna Ga'on, writes that the percentage of Jews surviving the exodus from Edom could be one of these parallels with the exodus from Egypt.

Think about it. As few as only 20 percent of the Jews from around the world might survive leaving Edom.

Fortunately, we are taught the rule of thumb concerning prophecy. Positive prophecies always come to fruition. We just do not always know exactly how and when.

Negative prophecies, on the other hand, do not have to be fulfilled at all. They might be. But, because of The Almighty's Mercy, and our through tefilllah, tzedaqah, and teshuvah (prayer, charity, and repentance), negative prophecies can be commuted, if not cancelled.

The classic example of this can also be found in Egypt. The Almighty informs Avraham Avinu that his descendants will be in exile for 400 years. But, a look at the timeline reveals that they were in Egypt for 210 years. So, was the prophecy wrong? No, of course not, The Almighty Himself having revealed directly to Avraham Avinu, that his descendants would be in a land not theirs (Gen. 15:13).

Rather, this sentence of 400 years in exile was commuted 210 years. This was done by moving the beginning of the 400 years all the way back to the birth of Avraham's son Yitzhaq, 131 years before his son Ya'aqov's descent into Egypt.

The percentage of Jews surviving the exodus from our current exile does not have to end up being as low 20 percent. If we merit having a higher percentage survive, the question is "How will The Holy One, Blessed Be He commute this sentence, reducing our punishment?

Will a countable number higher than 20 percent simply survive? Or will the commuting of the sentence be much more subtle, perhaps even hidden, from us?

Will each goy who has through a false conversion (ie. through a false beth din)? And thus, will her children who are believed to be Jews, but really are not, be counted against the lost 80 percent?

Will the goyshe children born to proudly intermarried couples save the same number of Jews from the exile of Edom?

What about those Jewish babies, who were aborted, counter to Torah Law?

Or, will we be subjugated to a different strategy?

Will Jews who run away from Israel (and perhaps obtain a foreign passport like former K'nesseth Speaker Avraham Burg), forsaking the Land and the final battles for it, simply be lumped into the lost 80 percent?

What about those who just cannot handle it here in Israel, for whatever reason? Will they be lost, too, or will they just have fight even harder to get back, when they realize they have made a big mistake?

Then, of course, there is the big one, the Holocaust. Will those lost in the Holocaust be counted against the 80 percent, saving millions of Jews this time around? (Shuqi)

I have no idea how this will pan out. But, besides tefilllah, tzedaqah, and teshuvah, I would like suggest that we remain calm, and know that who are ideally supposed to be here in Eretz Yisra'el, not in Egypt, and not in Edom (The West). And while here, we are not suppose to cry about it, like the Erev Rav.

Parashath Sh'moth: What's In A Name? (Part 1: People)

ערב שבת קודש פר' שמות תשע"ד

וְאֵלֶּה, שְׁמוֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, הַבָּאִים, מִצְרָיְמָה: אֵת יַעֲקֹב, אִישׁ וּבֵיתוֹ בָּאוּ. שמות א,א

Now these are the names of the sons of Israel, who came into Egypt with Jacob; every man came with his household: (Exodus 1:1)

Once upon a time, there was a class of boys in a religious school in New York. The class had three Ephraim's in it. To differentiate among these boys, the teacher came up with a clever idea. He would call one of these boys Ephraim, one of them Effie, and one of them Jeff, his English name.

This was a religious school? This was Jewish school?

I suppose the thought never occurred to this teacher to call each of these boys "Ephraim ben...[father's name]."

Another man I know made aliyah when he was a teenager. His name was "Joshua," and that is exactly what he had been called all of his life. Yet, he looked forward to changing his name on his freshly issued Israeli ID Card to Yehoshu'a. When the time came, when his turn at the Ministry of the Interior came up, he submitted his name-change request. The clerk actually discouraged him, saying, "You're in luck! Foreign (non-Hebrew) names are very popular. Keep yours!"

This was in Israel at a government agency, in a country where the official language is Hebrew? And this is a supposed to be a Jewish State?

So, why are there still rabbis, not just outside of Israel, but IN Israel going by goyshe names? What kind of example does that set?

Sorry, but there is NO excuse for "rabbis" in Israel to be called by their slave names such as "Jeff," "Steve," or "Richard." Even "Mark" is considered by some in Israel as a nickname for "Meir" (Merik/Mark).

Ephraim and Joshua at least made some effort to go by their Hebrew names. When Ephraim came to Israel, he was called Effie in the army [IDF]. But, after that, try as he may, everyone continued to call him Jeff. Kol HaKavod to the IDF. Go figure.

Years ago, I was teaching Hebrew at a "Reformist" institution,...fourth grade boys. It was not the kind of place which would have even heard of thing such as gender segregation. I was simply given the small group of students with so-called "attention difficulties," which happened to have been made up of only boys.

I started the year with an announcement to my students that during class, as this was a Hebrew [and Judaism] class, we would be using our Hebrew names.

So as not to embarrass anyone, I immediately qualified this by saying that one or more of them might not yet know his Hebrew name or even have one, and that this was [unfortunately] not uncommon. The boys were to go home, and ask their parents about this, and if they did not already have a Hebrew name that, with the help of their parents, they could pick their own.

I actually adapted this use of Hebrew names in Hebrew class from my own junior high school Spanish experience, in which we had to pick Spanish names to use during class.

One boy Craig came to the next class, quite pleased with himself that he had a Hebrew name that he could present to me and to the class.

He said that his parents told him that his Hebrew name was Hanan. Like with all of the students, I explained what I knew about their names, in order that their names would have even more meaning to them. Of coruse, some of them were named for deceased relatives. For that aspect of their names, they would have to ask their parents, or in some cases their grandparents, about those relatives for whom they were named. In addition to providing them with meaning to their own names, they would be engaged in keeping the memories of those relatives alive, which is the point of naming children after them. But, this assignment was also designed to get their parents more involved with their Jewish education,...hopefully in a painless manner.

I explained to Hanan a little bit about his name.

Hen = charm (He really liked this one! ie. charming)

Honen HaDa'ath = implanter/endower of wisdom

Hananiah (AKA "Shadrach," Daniel 1:1-3:33)

He insisted that I only call him Hanan, even outside of class. Uh-oh, I thought. Did I create a monster? Would I receive a phone call from parents complaining that I was brainwashing their son?

That's OK. I was willing to take that risk. And, as it happened, I did not receive any phone calls from irate parents. Parental trust in their Jewish institution? Parental apathy? I would never know.

רב הונא אמר בשם בר קפרא בשביל ד' דברים נגאלו ישראל ממצרים שלא שנו את שמם ואת לשונם ולא אמרו לשון הרע ולא נמצא ביניהן אחד מהן פרוץ בערוה לא שנו את שמן ראובן ושמעון נחתין ראובן ושמעון סלקין לא היו קורין ליהודה רופא ולא לראובן לוליאני ולא ליוסף לסטיס ולא לבנימין אלכסנדרי. -ויקרא רבה לב,ה

...Rav Huna said in the name of Bar-Qafra for the sake of four things, Israel was redeemed from Egypt, they did not change their names, nor their spoken tongue, and they did not say lashon hara', and there was not one found among them who acted lewdly. They did not change their names: Reuven and Shimon when they entered; Reuven and Shimon when they left. They did not call Yehudah Rofe, and not Reuven Luliani, and not Yosef Listim, and Binyanin Alexandrei.... (Wayiqra Rabba 32:5)

I am willing to bet that wherever Craig is, and whatever Craig is doing with his life, he will at least always have a positive, Jewish identity. Who knows? Maybe it will lead him to more.

Maybe it already has, due to the power of having an authentically Jewish name.

*********

Craig/Hanan is his real name. He would be about 30 years old by now. The Reform schul above is on the East Coast of the U. S. I mention this on the unlikely chance that he, or someone he knows, will read this, and I could perhaps find out what really happened to student who made my day.

Who knows what kind of Jewish identity he was being raised with, but it seemed that his Jewish name was what clicked for him.

Ephraim and Joshua were not really named these names. However, those stories did occur, as they were related to me.

Parashath Korah: Time For A Real Chief Rabbinate

ערב שבת קודש פר' קרח תשע"ג

Rabbi David Lau, Rabbi Ya'akov Ariel, Rabbi David Stav
Chief Rabbi "Candidates"

The elections for Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi of Israel are imminent.

Elections? In other words, whoever garners the mote votes will be the new Chief Rabbi for the next 10 years.

Will this individual be the rabbi who knows the most Torah? An halakhic (Jewish legal) expert in contract disputes? Kashruth? How to deal with enemy combatants or Shabbath desecraters?

Perhaps. Or perhaps popularity, charisma, and political savvy will be the attributes which get him elected.

Rabbi David Stav is campaigning hard for the position...hard. Or, now it seems that Rabbi David Stav was campaigning hard for the position?

I have not been keeping track of the latest Chief Rabbi election news, so I do not have a clue what this means about how he was campaigning. And now he's not?

Rabbi Ya'akov Ariel then entered the frey, needing a legal change to the maximum age a Chief Rabbi can be.

Doesn't that sound like the Vatican's restriction of voting rights on elderly cardinals? (להבדיל)

I am not sure what the point is anyway. ten years ago, Rabbi Ya'akov Ariel was the favored candidate. Then some outside force (who will remain nameless) stepped in, and decided that Rabbi Yonah Metzgar would be the Chief Rabbi, and that was that.

So much for democracy.

And now, I hear that the leading candidate is Rabbi David Lau. Who's that? I have no clue. Although when I searched for his image, a photo of his milu'im (IDF reserve duty) card came up. So, even though he wears traditional Lithuanian (ie. non-Jewish) clothing, he's a tzi'eini??? How 'bout that? He is even an officer. But, would Rabbi David Lau encourage the full implementation of the halakhoth related to running a truly Jewish military, as well as the halakhoth related to fighting a war?

Yep! Such things exist, but were you ever know it, if you depended solely on the Jewish education of Israeli government schools?

I think not.

Anyway, I'm confused.

What does a popular vote have anything to do with being leading dayan and poseq, even an election by rabbis who were appointed by a self-perpetuating committee??

Absolutely nothing.

Rafi at Life In Israel stated this quite well in his piece The Desecration of the Chief Rabbinate, criticizing the wheeling and dealing, as it were, and suggesting that the rabbi most deserving of the position would be the one who does not participate in the dirty and ruthless process.

It is said that Korah was a hakham, very learned in Torah. But, that unlike Moshe Rabbeinu, who learned Torah lishmah, for the sake of learning Torah, for the sake of the misswah, and for the sake of understanding HaShem's Will, Korah learned Torah in order to receive kavod (honor).

I will assume that the above pictured candidates all have only the best of intentions for Am Yisra'el and Eretz Yisra'el, and the utmost respect for Torath Yisra'el, and are not in the least bit interested in the honor which comes with the position.

But, how will the winner be able to function at his utmost, if he will be stopped at every possible politically-incorrect corner by the Israeli government? In particular, the Israeli Supreme Court has already overruled the Chief Rabbinate's decisions on the kashruth certification of a Christian bakery in Ashdod and a meat company.

It also intervened in the dispute between Rabbis Sherman and Rabbi Drukman over the proper approach to conversions. Why was this dispute not resolved by the Rabbinical Courts by Rabbinical judges knowledgeable in these halakhoth? And, why did Rabbi Drukman accept the Court's ruling. Because it ruled in his favor? Or because he's a Mamlakhti?

Why is the Israeli Supreme Court sticking its nose. Soon, it will undoubtedly do the same regarding marriage and divorce, resulting in countless mamzerim running around, not to mention the increased violation of halakhoth related to gilu'i arawoth.

Then not much later, look for it to declare brith milah (ritual circumcision) "sexual mutilation."

So, what it the point of a Chief Rabbinate anyway, if the Israeli Supreme Court has the final say on everything, anyway??

Israel's Real Chief Rabbinate?

And even when the Israeli Court system was not so outspoken on religious matters, where were the Chief Rabbis? Where were the Chief Rabbis when women began entering male combat units, and the amount of promiscuity in the IDF sharply started to rise? Where were the Chief Rabbis when the safety of IDF soldiers has been compromised for the sake of "innocent civilians," ie. human shields for terrorists? And where were the Chief Rabbis whenalmost 10,000 Jews were thrown out of their homes and off of their lands in Azza (Gaza) in תשס"ה/2005, and the land handed over to hostile Yishma'elim (Arabs)?

One hakham, who brought these issues into the forefront, Rabbi Elitzur HaLewi Sege"l was recently "convicted" of making "anti-disengagement" statements, disengagement being the preferred euphemism for expulsion. In other word, Rabbi Sege"l was convicted of exercising his freedom of speech," which demonstrates that such a concept does not actually exist in Israel, unless, of course, the Erev Rav-controlled government approves, or can at least tolerate your statements.

Gee. Do you think that the fact that their salaries came from the government instead of from some secured, independent fund, may have influenced them?

דברים טז,יט לֹא-תַטֶּה מִשְׁפָּט, לֹא תַכִּיר פָּנִים; וְלֹא-תִקַּח שֹׁחַד--כִּי הַשֹּׁחַד יְעַוֵּר עֵינֵי חֲכָמִים, וִיסַלֵּף דִּבְרֵי צַדִּיקִם. 

Deuteronomy 16:19 You will not wrest judgment; you will not respect persons [over others]; nor should you take a gift; for should a gift blinds the eyes of the wise, and perverts the words of the righteous. 

Democratic process touching the selection of rabbis sounds too much like the supposedly Jewish "civil religion" of the supposedly Jewish movement of "Reconstructionism." "The past has a vote, not a veto," is one of its dicta, and the "voting process" carries a heavy roll in congregational life,...sometimes even to the dismay of the congregation's spiritual leader, to whom they refer as "rabbi".

MK Moshe Feiglin's unifying idea of having only one Chief Rabbi, serving all Jews, regardless their ethic backgrounds, seems to have fallen on deaf ears.

Although I certainly like the idea of unity, what good is one, two, or twelve Chief Rabbis, if they're just going to be puppets?

One friend suggested that this would eliminate some bureaucracy. Maybe. But the Israeli government, whether Left-wing or Right of center has always been proud to display its expertise in increasing bureaucracy, so I would hold my breath. 

A real Chief Rabbinate is chosen through the consensus of hakhamim on a single hakham, who becomes the first samukh, and semikha who then grants [real]  to then next Jews who are also hakhamim. Or at least that is an oversimplification of the process brought down by the Ramba"m. Not everyone is qualified to sit on this court, not women, nor anyone else pasul for eiduth.

A real Chief Rabbinate is not chosen through democratic (קל וחומר pseudo-democratic) selection committees, with women OR men.

What we need is a truly Jewish, Chief Rabbinate, for the sake of Jewish Unity, for the sake of returning to the path of living authentically Jewish lives, and for the sake of the misswah.

What we need is the return of the court begun by Moshe Rabbeinu, the leadership which stood up to the challenge of Korah, Korah, who at the will of the The Almighty was then swallowed up by the mouth of the earth.

We do not need any harmful Korahs, whether they be in the forefront, sitting as Chief Rabbi, or behind the scenes in the backrooms of the K'nesseth and Israeli Supreme Court, pulling the strings. 

What we need is a Sanhedrin.

Parashath Shofetim: Which Justice Will You Pursue?

Mota'ei Shabbath Qodesh Parashath Shofetim 5771

This week's parashah includes a few words being thrown around at the housing protests.

In fact these same three words are very popular to throw around in the U. S., anytime a Jew thinks there is an injustice, or miscarriage of justice.

דברים טז,כ
צֶדֶק צֶדֶק, תִּרְדֹּף

Deuteronomy 16:20
Justice, justice you shall pursue....

Of course, many Jews comfortably entrenched in the U. S., intentionally or unintentionally, leave out the rest of the verse:

דברים טז,כ
צֶדֶק צֶדֶק, תִּרְדֹּף--לְמַעַן תִּחְיֶה וְיָרַשְׁתָּ אֶת-הָאָרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ.

Deuteronomy 16:20
Justice, justice you shall pursue, that you will live, and inherit the land which the LORD thy God given to you.

To all such Jews, I remind you that this verse is specifically related to taking and residing in the Land. If you want to cry out about "justice," then there are a few other verses in the Torah which are more precise to express your feelings about a generic justice.

I believe that Rash"i backs me up in this regard:

Rash"i says:
Justice, justice you shall pursue - follow a proper court of law.

...that you will live, and inherit.... - one should have kosher judges appointed, to maintain Israel's existence, and to settle [the children of] Israel in their Land.

Meanwhile, the above three words have been used in conjunction with the phrase social justice being thrown around quite a bit at the housing protests.

In a previous post, The Agenda Within The Tents, I said that the phrase "social justice" was a buzz word of the Reform movement in the U. S. Most every Reform community in the U. S. has a "social justice committee."

The Tent/Housing protests had been hijacked by the Left, excluding all other communities it does not like, such as Haredim and Settlers, even though they too have been affected by the high cost of housing in Israel.

One tent set up by settlers on Rothschild Street in Tel-Aviv was even burned down.

The banner I saw on Rothschild Street decrying צֶדֶק צֶדֶק, תִּרְדֹּף/Justice, justice you shall pursue.... was that of the תנועת יהדות הרפומית בישראל/the Reform movement in Israel.

Furthermore, the justice referred to in the Torah means none other than Torah justice, the removal of those carrying the halakhic status of "enemy" from the Land, the removal of those carrying the of practitioners of "avodah zarah," and the execution of punishments to those obligated to receive them.

That's Torah justice, and not the Western, assimilationalist, "politically-correct" version of justice to make you feel good.

Leaving off the remainder of the verse does not change the meaning of the verse, albeit those who deny, distort, or otherwise play with the Oral Torah, would like it to.

So, which justice will you pursue? The justice command by the Holy One Blessed Be He through His Torah? Or the pseudo-"justice" you make up according to your feelings are the results of 2,000 years of assimilation?

The Politically-Incorrect But True Story Of Hanukkah

Erev Shabbath Qodesh Parashath Wayeshev/Hanukkah 5770

In a nutshell, here is the prelude to the valiant war fought by the Hashmonaim (Makkabim) about 2,165 years ago:

The powers that be at the time offered "the honor" of performing an act of avodah zarah to Mattithiyahu ben Yohanan, the High Priest.

He refused.

The powers that be offered it to another, who accepted.

However, before he had a chance to perform this act of avodah zarah, he was killed by Mattithiyahu.

As one could imagine, the powers that be were not at all thrilled the prospect of having their authority threatened. Sound familiar?

And so, Mattithiyahu, his sons, and increasing number of followers retreated, plotted and planned, and fought on of the most spiritually important wars, Israel has ever fought. Well, they were all important.

But who was it that they fought?

Do most Jews, inside or outside of Israel, even know the answer to this question?

Examples of attempted answers to this question include:

1. Syrians
2. Greeks
3. Syrian Greeks
4. Selucid Greeks

How about Jews? That's right. Jews. Jews were among those the Hashmonaim fought and killed.

Assimilated, Hellenized Jews.

"Oh, but that was then; this is now." (Huh?)

"No, the Westernized Jews of today have a different status now." (Why?)

"No, you don't understand. There aren't really any rasha'im (evil people) today. It's not their fault. We have to show them, and bring them back to Torah." (Even though the Gemara says otherwise. Uncensored Rav A. Y. says otherwise as well.)

And these responses are coming from religious Jews! I do not even have to complicate matters by listing some of the responses from the non-religious, or so-called "liberal" ones!

Now, I am by no means, suggesting the we go around killing people that we don't like, let alone try to sort out all who I think is evil or who you think is evil.

No. What I am suggesting is that we remember a very important detail behind the holiday most popularly celebrated by your average American Jew, and not allow it it to be edited out of our history.

We Jews were never afraid of a fight. It was only living in galuth (diasporah) and the need to kowtow to the goyim, so they wouldn't beat us up, try to convert us, kidnap us, or kill us, which has tamed us.

Today, now that we have begun the process of taking back our Jewish Homeland, there are actually plenty of Jews out there who do not hesitate to talk about "those who want to kill us" (Yishma'elim/Arabs) and "those who want to steal our souls" (Esau/Christians). There are even those who are willing to talk about the various traitors in our midst (Erev Rav).

Yet, there are very few Jews out there who have any clue as to what to do about combating any of these threats. We must learn Torah AND be physically strong and courageous.

It is high time we rediscovered the righteous, Jewish warrior of old, he who recognized evil, and following one with authority, did not hesitate to stamp it out. This is this Jew we need today, along with the hakham (scholar).

This is the Jewish image we must rediscover and develop within ourselves, and convey to our children, if we are going to survive as a people.