torat yisrael issue 1
TRANSCRIPT
-
8/14/2019 Torat Yisrael Issue 1
1/16
Shabbat TimesJerusalem 6:49pm 8:12pm
Modiin 7:06pm 8:13pm
Bet Shemesh 7:06pm 8:13pm
Gush Etzion 7:05pm 8:12pm
Beer Sheva 7:04pm 8:13pm
The Holiness of The Land and
Its CommandmentsRabbi Yoel Shwartz Shlita Ram, Yeshivat Dvar Yerushalayim & Founder Nahal Hareidi
She is Tziyyon; no one seeks her (Yirmeyahu 30:17)
no one seeks her: this implies that she requires seeking.
(Sukka 40a)
The holiness of Eretz Yisrael is integral, waiting for us to seek it; through the conquest and
ivision of the land, we expand this latent holiness, as the Abarbanel (Nachalat Avot 5:9) writes:
This is the truth of the matter: Eretz Yisrael has in its nature a wonderful treasure and a great
apacity to gather the divine spark. Divine providence is unique in this land, in a wonderful way; this
s not the case in any other land. Because of its nature and its relationship to the upper spheres, it is
he chosen one from among all countries. Aside from the people who reside in it, it is sanctified on its
wn terms. Therefore, many mitzvot are dependent on the land, as they are part of its labor.
The mitzva of shemitta comes in order to testify about this uniqueness of this land. As the Al-
hikh puts it (ad loc.): And the land will rest (Vayikra 25:2) just as man acquires a nefesh yeteira
extra life) and holiness on the Shabbat day, the land acquires holiness in the seventh year. Simi-
arly, the Abarbanel (ibid.) writes:
Eretz Yisrael is selected and desired by Him, Blessed be He, from among all of the other
ands, just as Am Yisrael is chosen from all the nations. Because of this, the Holy One, Blessed be
He decrees, that just as the Chosen Nation creates a remembrance by resting on the seventh
aya facet sanctified by the creation of the universe and its renewalso too the SeeSeePage 6Page 6
-
8/14/2019 Torat Yisrael Issue 1
2/16
You are now holding in your
hands the first issue of Torat Yisrael, Israels
first weekly journal of religious and nationalthought in English.
In the past few years the English
speaking population of Israel has grown
tremendously. Commensurate with this rise
must be a corresponding increase in Ameri-
can influence. Every group of Jews coming
home from the exile brings with them certain
skills and tools corresponding to the majority
culture of their host nation. As Western, Eng-
lish speaking Jews, we belong to a political
culture that is more mature and developed
than that of Israel. Anglos have come to Eretz
Yisrael with a low tolerance for bureaucracy,
a healthy respect for democratic institutions
and a great deal of idealism. It is the respon-
sibility of the English speaking population to
become involved in Israeli life on every level
and to change it for the better.
Recently I had a conversation with
HaRav Yoel Shwartz Shlita, RaM at Yeshivat
Dvar Yerushalayim. Rav Shwartz founded the
IDFs Nahal Hareidi battalion and is a staunch
advocate of Haredi involvement in Israeli po-
litical and national life. One of the things that
the Rav said to me is that the primary respon
sibility of a publication like Torat Yisrael must
be to impart pride in the Englishspeaking public. We bring
skills, education and wealth to
Israel which translate into an
ability to radically
transform our
state
for the better.
The Rav put forth the proposition that
by working hard to build up the nation, weshow how the religious can be the best in all
fields of Israeli endeavor, from medicine to
high tech, from accounting to the military. By
doing this, we create a Kiddush Hashem and
an example for the secular Israeli to follow.
We must inject the physical infrastructure of
Medinat Yisrael with holiness and be an ohr
layehudim.
Taking this idea to its logical conclu-
sion means getting involved in national life
on all levels, including the political. It is the
duty of the Western Jew to work to imple-
ment policies based on holiness and Torah.
From the Modern Orthodox to the
Hareidi, we plan on presenting various vi-
sions of Israel and its role in the world based
on Torah hashkofa and the halachik system.Torat Yisrael is here to provide you with the
raw ideas. It is up to you to make them a real-
ity.
May the zchus of our limud Torah
cause the speedy arrival of Melech HaMosh-
ioch in our days.
BAhavat Yisrael,
Shmuel Sokol, Editor in Chief
-
8/14/2019 Torat Yisrael Issue 1
3/16
"Hashem spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai
saying: Speak to the children of Israel and say to
hem: When you come into the Land that I give you,
he Land shall observe a Sabbath rest for Hashem."
This Torah-portion has everything to do with
he Land of Israel and yet its commandments and di-
ections are clearly marked as being given at Mount
Sinai. Why does the Torah make this unusual stress
on the place where these commandments are given?
Moreover, aren't all the commandments from Mount
Sinai? What makes these commandments different?
Hashem wrote the Torah, created the world,created man, and created man's psychology. He
knows that we, Am Yisrael, have a tendency to forget
Eretz Yisrael, to settle in the Exile and make it our
home. Even today, after the mira-
cle rebirth of Israel, we often hear
observant, Torah-true Jews saying
hat they cannot find the right
community in Israel, they cannot
make a living, or cannot get married here. It is not un-
usual to hear observant Jews say they can live a
uller Jewish life in the Diaspora.
Behar's introduction, and its specific naming
of Mount Sinai, is written to address this classic Jew-
sh psychological weakness. Know this, the Torah
ells us, that the commandments of Eretz Yisrael,
Shmittah, Yovel, Walled Cities, Selling of Land, these
are at the heart of the revelation at Mount Sinai. This
s Torah MiSinai! You are not allowed to push these
commandments aside, to the edges of your con-
sciousness. If you claim to be a Torah-true Jew, thenknow that this is Torah, the Torah that was given at
Sinai to Moshe Rabbeinu.
Moreover, if you do find yourself in the bitter
Exile, keep these commandments close to your heart,
earn them, love them, and yearn for the Day that
Hashem will return you. When He does return you,
you will be prepared to implement these laws, and
ve your Torah-true life in the Land which He swore to
give to our forefathers.
Alas, today, when living in Israel has never
been easier, when Torah institutions abound, when
Yerushalayim is being built, there are still "Torah-true"
Jews who make excuses and claim that they can live
a more Torah lifestyle in Passaic, Monsey, Teaneck,
or LA. Comes our Torah portion and tells us: You
want Torah from Sinai, this is Torah from Sinai!
Shmittah, Yovel, Walled Cities, Selling of Land this
is at the heart of Torat Moshe MiSinai. Live it, or lose
it!
-------------------------
Parshat Behar also issues a challenge to
Jews in Israel today. While we Jews have achieved a
modern state with a governing body, an army, an edu-cation system, and health care, we are not satisfied
or complacent. Indeed, we pray and act everyday to
make the arms of the state more in line with the
Torah's will. We have alternative
political parties, we have special
army units, and we have Torah ed-
ucation all these try to reshape
the state with in G-d's image.
Moreover, we yearn for the Temple to stand in
Jerusalem, with a righteous Sanhedrin adjudicating
the nation.
Yet when is the last time you heard a push
for Torah economics?
Parshat Behar is a Torah portion dedicated
to Torah economics: the Shmittah cycle bids us to
leave the Land fallow every seventh year, the Yovel
heralds freedom for the Hebrew bondsman and a
return of sold land to its original owners,
while the prohibition to loan with interest
3
Yet when is the last time
you heard a push for
Torah economics?
SeeSee
Page 6Page 6
-
8/14/2019 Torat Yisrael Issue 1
4/16
Maybe you came this past
ummer, four years ago or back in 1970. Maybe youade Aliyah from Teaneck, Woodmere, Toronto, Mel-
ourne or Hendon. Maybe you came as a single, a
ewly married couple or with your eight children.
Whatever the case, whenever it was and wherever
oure originally from, the most important part is that
aruch Hashem you are now home!
The question that I would
ke to focus on is simply; Why?
Why did you do it? Why did you
ake such a major move in your life? Im sure itasnt easy. Im sure you left behind a lot of family
nd friends and Im doubly sure that many of them let
ou know about it many times throughout the year!
So, why why the Aliyah? Lets be honest
ith ourselves. If you picked up this publication I am
going to assume that you are werent born in Tel Aviv
or Beersheva. You are an English speaker who made
aliyah from the USA, Canada, England, Australia,South Africa or Ireland. Life in those countries for
Jews, in the last 30 years, has not been so miserable.
While anti-semitism is definitely on the rise, especially
in Europe, you probably didnt run away from a
pogrom, crusade or a horrific life. Actually, many of
you reading this, probably had wonderful lives in
Chutz LaAretz. Big houses, nice
salaries, 2-3 cars, fancy vacations,
fantastic sleep-away camp for the
kids and many comforts that most
people living here only dream about. So why did yougive it all up to move to Israel?
Dont get me wrong. I am not trying to dis-
courage you. I am elated that you are here and
more than that; I am one of you! I made Aliyah in
1990 with my wife SeeSeePage 11Page 11
So why did you give it all up
to move to Israel?
-
8/14/2019 Torat Yisrael Issue 1
5/16
-
8/14/2019 Torat Yisrael Issue 1
6/16
Chosen Land testifies to this through its
hemitta, in the seventh year. Because of its
reat holiness, it is as
this landeven though it does not speaktes-ies in this facet, just as Am Yisrael testifies
rough their
abbaths.
Thus, the land-depen-
ent commandments (mitzvot
a-teluyot ba-aretz) are not the
ause of the holiness of the
nd, but rather the result of
is sanctity. Rav Shelomoevin put it this way:
There is a difference between Eretz Yis-
ael and chutz la-aretz when it comes to the re-
tionship between mitzvot and holiness: in chutz
-aretz, the holiness comes from the power of
e mitzvot. The fact of the matter is that the ele-
ents of this world have no inherent holiness,
ut through the fulfillment of the mitzvot that are
ependent upon them, we sanctify these objects;
e opposite is true in Eretz Yisrael, for when it
comes to mitzvot ha-teluyot ba-aretz, the mitzvot
come from the power of its holiness. This is the
deeper meaning of Rabbas dictum (Gittin 47a),
For Mine is the land (Vayikra 25:23)Mine is
the holiness of the land.
The holiness of the land is what obligates
us in mitzvot ha-teluyot ba-aretz. It turns out that,
in essence, the power of shemitta is already fixed
and extant in the land. As a
mitzva which is dependent on
the land, shemitta is rooted in
the essence and character of the
land and its holiness. Therefore,
the Torah introduces the laws ofshemitta with: It will be when
you come to the land (ibid., v. 2)immediately
this land has, in potential, its Shabbat, its
shemitta year, though two decades of conquest,
division and labor precede the first shemitta.
When it finally arrives, what had been hidden in it
from the beginning of its holiness, in potential, is
revealed, in the actual.
This column is a serialization of Rav Shwartzs Dvar Bito
on Chumash. Article translated by Rav Yossie Bloch.
The land-dependent com-
mandments (mitzvot ha-
teluyot ba-aretz) are not the
cause of the holiness of the
land, but rather the result ofthis sanctity.
rotects the destitute.
The Torah has an economic system in mind
r Jewish life in Israel yet our economic system today
not much different from those of other countries.
he Torah's economic laws are a secret insight as toow to make it here in the Land and yet we barely use
em! We must establish Torah institutes that will
study and unravel what Torah economics means in the
modern age. The closer we follow Hashem's economic
vision the more we will merit to live here with His
blessing.
Yishai Fleisher is the Program Director for Israel NationalRadio (Arutz-7) and a co-founder of Kumah and coiner of
the term Neo-Zionism
Read Torat Yisrael Online at www.TorahfromZion.com
-
8/14/2019 Torat Yisrael Issue 1
7/16
his week I wish to deviate from the weekly Parsha
nd share with the readers something astounding that
saw in the book Bnei Yisaschar concerning theays of the Omer and Lag Baomer. I will add to it
ome insight of my own.
It says in the Mishna in Pirkei Avoth (2; 9) that
abbi Yochanan ben Zachai had five disciples. He
sked them to go and see what is the right way that
an should go. Each student gave his own answer.
abbi Eliezer said: a good eye. Rabbi Joshua said:
good friend, Rabbi Yossi said a good neighbor.
abbi Simon said: someone who foresees the fu-re. Rabbi Elazar son of Arach said: a good heart.
abbi Yochanan praised the opin-
n of Rabbi Elazar as it contains
e opinions of the other sages.
Asks the Bnei Yisaschar
How did the disciples come up
th their answers. Certainly the
nswers should come from the
orah that is the ultimate good??
Why does the answer of Rabbiazar include all the others? How
oes it include seeing the future?
He answers as follows.
bviously, the place to look for
uch an answer is the Torah. The place in the Torah
here we find the definition of things is the first time
at they are mentioned in the Torah. The first time we
nd the term good in the Torah is in the beginning of
e Parshath Bereishis. It says there that Hashem saw
at the light was good and he separated between
ht and darkness (1; 4). Each one of the disciples ex-
mined this verse and searched for an answer. Rabbi
iezer says that the verse starts by saying that
ashem saw that the light was good. This means
at a good eye is the most important. In practice he
as probably referring to the virtue of being a gener-
us person who views the world with a positive eye
shing good to all. Rabbi Joshua said a good friend.
the beginning there was only darkness. Then
ashem created light. Light and darkness wereends. This means that good friends are the best.
ere we must add that another Mishna that says that
at we must acquire a friend. This means that a
ood friend does not just happen we must work on it
y choosing the right person and properly cultivating a
relationship with him.
Rabbi Yossi says a good neighbor. The versestates that Hashem separated the light from the dark-
ness. Now they were neighbors. Indeed, despite the
importance of a good friend, man is influenced and af-
fected by his immediate surroundings. If good people
and things surround him he will have a good life.
Rabbi Simon said it is important to see the future. Our
sages learn that Hashem saw that in the future there
would be evil people. Therefore, he took the light that
was good and put it in storage for the righteous to
enjoy in the future. Therefore, it is most important tolook into the future and make sure to plan now for the
future. Of course this also includes
planning for the world to come even
in this world. Rabbi Elazar son of
Arach had a completely different
approach. He counted that there
are 32 words from the first word
Breishis until the word Tov good.
This is the value of the word Lev
heart and from here he concluded
that good depends on the heart.This is why Rabbi Yochanan
praised his approach because the
way he reached it included using all
the words from Breishis until the
word Tov and thus include the
words used by the other disciples to reach their state-
ments!
Now let us see. Lev Tov in numbers equals
49. The first 32 are the heart. They represent the
thirty-two roads to wisdom as you can find mentioned
in the song bar Yochai about rabbi Simon son of
Yochai author of the Zohar. These 32 roads are not
explicit in the Torah and only hinted in the 32 words
until the word Tov that represents the revealed Torah.
The way I understand it is that we toil and work at es-
tablishing a relationship with Torah in the thirty-two
ways of wisdom. This is a hard period for us as we are
working and not yet seeing the light and good of the
Torah. If we get through this primary hard period we
emerge to the last seventeen steps toward the receiv-ing of the Torah. These are in the word Tov. Here we
already feel that the Torah is good and we have a
much easier time studying it and preparing our-
selves for it.
Rabbi Elazar son of Arach
had a completely different ap-
proach. He counted that there
are 32 words from the first
word Breishis until the word
Tov good. This is the
value of the word Lev
heart and from here he con-
cluded that good depends on
the heart.
SeeSee
Page 11Page 11
7
-
8/14/2019 Torat Yisrael Issue 1
8/16
If you have Halachik questions that you wish answered, please email them in to
Question: If someone lives in Eretz Yisrael, is he allowed to rely on Rav Feinstein's teshuvaon American chalav nochri when he finds or is given an American product labeled avkat chalav
nochri? Would the Din be different for someone who is an American tourist and not a resident of
Eretz Hakodesh?
Answer: First for some background. The Shulchanruch says that one is not allowed to drink milk that
as produced without Jewish supervision because
ere is a chance that milk from a non-kosher animal
ay have been mixed with the cow's milk. Rav Moshe
rites that in the United States where there is govern-
ental supervision (FDA) over all milk produced to thextent that anyone who would sell anything other than
ow's milk would be in big trouble (heavy fines and
ossible imprisonment), one can rely on this and drink
ilk even though no Jew was present during the pro-
uction. This is now called Chalav Stam. The OU re-
es on this p'sak when they give their hechsher to
airy products.
Now, there is no question that anyone who
wants to rely on Rav Moshe's heter concerning chalav
nochri can most certainly do so - there are no ques-
tions at all as to his status as a posek. However, there
are two points to keep in mind. First of all, even Rav
Moshe himself indicates that his p'sak was given be-
cause it wasn't easy to get Cholov Yisroel. He would
certainly say that if Cholov Yisroel was readily avail-able, then the proper thing to do would be to drink the
Cholov Yisroel. Also, many Poskim don't agree with
his heter.
Here in Israel, all the local products are
Cholov Yisroel. The only way to get Cholov Stam is to
import it. That is why it would certainly make sense for
people who are in Israel, even if they are only visiting,
to try and drink Cholov Yisroel and not to have to rely
on any heterim.
-
8/14/2019 Torat Yisrael Issue 1
9/16
There is no shortage of references to Eretz
israel in the holiday of Pesach and the Haggadah we
ead at the Seder. In fact, the entire goal of the Exo-us was to enter the Land of Israel, as we say at the
nd of Maggid: The Holy One Blessed be He did not
edeem only our forefathers. Rather, He redeemed us
with them, as it says, He brought us out of there, in
rder to bring us, to give us the Land that He swore to
ur forefathers (Devarim 6:23).
One passage in the Haggadah is particularly
elevant for our Jewish brethren living abroad:
He [Yaakov] descended to Egypt (Devarim 26:5)
orced by [Gods] command. And he sojourned therebid.) this teaches that Yaakov Avinu did not go
own to Egypt to settle there; rather, to sojourn there,
s it says, They said to Pharaoh, We have come to
ojourn in the land, for there is no grazing for your ser-
ants sheep, for the famine in
he Land of Canaan is severe
BeReishit 47:4).
There is a well-known
ule, made famous by the Ram-an, that maasei avot siman
ebanim the deeds of the Patri-
rchs are a sign for their descendants. We are sup-
osed to learn from our ancestors behavior and apply
heir lessons to our lives. From the above-cited pas-
age, we learn that a Jew should never leave (or stay
way from) Eretz Yisrael willingly, only if he has no
hoice. And even then, he should make sure not to
ettle down and get too comfortable in the Diaspora,
est he forget where he really belongs.
But how does a Jew who was born and bred
utside the Holy Land develop a love for and connec-
on to Eretz Yisrael, a foreign country from his per-
pective? The following story might give us some
nsight:
Rav A. Y. HaKohen Kook ztl once came to
he British High Commissioner to ask him not to expel
egal Jewish immigrants from the Land.
The High Commissioner claimed: I know
hat Your Honor greatly appreciates the importance of
aw and order, for it says in the Talmud, The Law of
he kingdom is law. These people broke the law by
ntering the Land illegally. How, then, can you ask
me to pardon them?
The Rav replied: The laws restricting immi-gration to the Land of Israel do not apply to the Jews,
for they are not new immigrants, but returning citi-
zens.
How so? queried the High Commissioner, Are they
not natives of Europe?
Rav Kook answered: Honorable Sir, since
you relied on a Talmudic statement, that obligates you
to take into consideration another statement in the Tal-
mud.
Your people respect the book of Psalms, just
as we do, and one of its verses states: Of Zion it can
be said, [this] man and [that] man was born in it
(Tehillim 87:5). What is being added here? Who is
the [other] man that is also born
there, being considered like a son
of Zion? The Sages of the Talmud
answer (Ketuvot 75a), Both the
one who is born there and the one
who anticipates seeing it. A Jewwho is born elsewhere but yearns
for Zion, for Jerusalem, is also
considered her son.
These Jews who struggled to get here in cir-
cuitous ways, with one aspiration in their heart to
reach Zion and ascend to Jerusalem they are her
children. They have returned to her, not as new immi-
grants, but as returning citizens. And the Land must
accept them, just as any mother would accept her
children when they return to her, even after manyyears of separation. (Haggadat Ayelet HaShachar, p.
111)
The way to develop a love for Eretz Yisrael is,
first and foremost, to realize that you belong here, to
realize that this Land is your only true Motherland,
your natural habitat. Just as a child who finds out that
he is adopted yearns ever so strongly to meet and get
to know his real parents; so too, a Jew who has lived
his whole life on foreign soil should pine to meet his
true Homeland to become acquainted with it, to
seek out its special qualities, and to develop a close
relationship with it.
So, let us learn from Yaakov
9
A Jew should never leave (or
stay away from) Eretz Yisrael
willingly, only if he has no
choice.
SeeSee
Page 11Page 11
-
8/14/2019 Torat Yisrael Issue 1
10/16
One of the topics found in
his weeks Parshah is Shmirat Shabbat both thehabbat year of the Land of Israel and the weekly
habbat day.
As a sign of the Torahs eternity, we read its
nal words on Simchat Torah, ... -
efore the eyes of all of Israel, and begin it again im-
mediately thereafter with the words,
- - In the beginning Hashem cre
ted The positioning of these two verses is meant
o provide us with a message, - Before the eyes of
srael, in the beginning (or in Hashems wisdom),
ashem created [the world]. Hashem is saying, by
he juxtaposition of the last and first verses of the
orah, that He took all of the Nation of Israel as wit-
esses of the creation of the world. All the souls of the
ation of Israel were thus present at the time of cre-
tion, and therefore inside every soul of Israel, there
xists the clear knowledge that the Holy One Blessed
e He, in His great honor, created the world. Israel -
in Gematriya (the numerical value of Hebrewetters) equals soul of the world. This
means that based on the principle that the creation of
he soul is performed before the creation of the physi-
al human body, the creation of the souls of Israel
ame before the creation of the world; and thus this
world was created for the sake of Israel for the pur-
ose of Israel fulfilling its mission in this world.
In order to bear witness today to our knowl-
dge that Hashem created the world, we guard the
habbat day, the day of meeting and oneness be-
ween Hashem and His nation, the day sanctified for
oliness and Torah learning that brings the powerful
oy of the closeness between the nation and Hashem.
And on the seventh Day He rested and was
efreshed -
he meaning of the word and He was re-
eshed is that on the day of Shabbat, Hashem invites
imself inside the soul of each and every person
mong Israel who is keeping Shabbat and this is byhe addition of an extra soul. Thus on
habbat, the Jew is strengthened by an additional
oseness and devotion with the Holy One Blessed Be
e.
Based upon this idea, Hashem gave us the
mitzvah of Shemittah the Sabbatical (Seventh) year
to work the land six years and rest from all work the
seventh year like Hashem rested from His work.Just as the Shabbat day is sanctified for Torah and
Holiness, so too the Shemittah year is a unique and
special time for the learning of Torah. All Jews who
dont observe the mitzvah of Shemittah are consid-
ered to have denied a basic principle of Judaism
that of denying that the world was created by Holy
One Blessed Be He and thus they are responsible
for the exile of the Nation of Israel and are liable to
lose their share in the world to come as a result of
their lack of belief.
Those who find it difficult to keep Shemittah
are afraid that they will be left without food and without
a livelihood, but they shouldnt worry because
Hashem promised (Vayikra 25:21), I ordained my
blessing for you in the sixth year and it will yield a crop
sufficient for three years.
The world and the land were created and
planned in order to bring blessing and great abun-
dance to all who keep the mitzvot of the Torah, andespecially the mitzvot of Shabbat and Shemittah. In
essence, the fulfillment of the mitzvah of Shemitta is
the most appropriate answer to our enemies who want
to scare us! The torah teaches us that fear belongs
only to the Holy One Blessed Be He, as it says in De-
varim 28:7-11: Hashem shall cause your enemies
who rise up against you to be struck down before
you Hashem will command the blessing for you in
your storehouses and your every undertaking; and He
will bless you in the Land that Hashem your G-d gives
you Then all the peoples of the earth will see that
the Name of Hashem is proclaimed over you, and they
will revere you.
So we see that if were afraid exclusively of
Hashem and we keep, with love and fear, the mitzvoth
He gave us, then from the strength of our holiness, we
will overcome the fear of our enemies, and they will be
incapable of touching us.
Our sages teach us that the Canaanim, de-spite being giants, were dying of fear against the Na-
tion of Israel. At the sound of Israels footsteps,
Canaan trembled, because after the walls of Yeri-
cho fell, they understood the volume of the
power that is found in the mouth andNextNext
PagePage
-
8/14/2019 Torat Yisrael Issue 1
11/16
nd four children from the Five Towns (Long Island,
Y) and Baruch Hashem, added two more Bnei Brak-
orn Sabras to that list. My only reason for asking that
uestion is to focus your attention and open your eyes
what has been forgotten by most English speaking
im: We came here to make a difference!!!
I will be the first to admit that theres no com-
arison to raising kids in Israel vs. Chutz LaAretz. Iill further admit that our quality of life is far superior
what it was back in the old country young and
d. And finally, I agree that living in Israel helps you
arrange your list of priorities in a manner that most
f our friends back there simply cannot comprehend.
But thats not why I made Aliyah. I came here
make a difference. I came here because I loved Is-
el so much and didnt want to just complain about it
l day long. I came here because I smelled the geu-h yet couldnt touch it in New York. After 6,000,000
rothers and sisters of mine were thrown into ovens
nd gas chambers, I couldnt allow myself to sit com-
rtably and watch Jewish history play itself out on a
V screen. I needed to be a part of that history.
As you read these words, I want you
to focus and meditate on why you
came here as well.
I am certain that most of you will arrive at the same
conclusion; you came here to make a difference!
The problem, however, is that most of us
dont know what to do or how to turn that energy anddream into positive action. Yes, we want to make a dif-
ference but we simply dont know what to do.
I have good news for you. That excuse has
officially come to an end. I will be writing a weekly arti-
cle in this publication with one goal in mind: To tell you
what needs to be done so you can make that differ-
ence you always dreamed of! Get ready to fulfill that
dream!
Shmuel Sackett is the co-founder of both Zo Artzeinu and
Manhigut Yehudit. Together with Moshe Feiglin, he is
spearheading a campaign to rise to the leadership of Is-
rael with an ideology based on Jewish identity and val-
ues. He has spoken in 500 USA cities and universities in
the last 5 years. His website is: www.JewishIsrael.org His
email is: [email protected]
Let us enjoy these days of Tov and eagerlyepare ourselves to receive the Torah on the festival
Shavuoth!
Rabbi Haim Perlmutter is the author of Grow
With Gemara (Targum Feldheim). He can be
reached at [email protected].
11
vinu and our revered Sages how relate to the exile and how to appreciate our only true Homeland.
nd in this merit, may we soon be zocheh to witness the return of the children to their borders, speed-
y in our days. Amen.
lowing a maaser ani year, those gifts from the previous three years which can be eaten anywhere
e distributed to their rightful owners: kohanim get teruma and terumat maaser; Levites get maaser
hon; poor people get maaser ani. However, the gifts which should have been brought to Yerushalayim,
kkurim and maaser sheni, must be destroyed.
Curiously enough, although this requirement is explicit in the Written and Oral Torah, biur maaser is not
unted one of the 613 mitzvot! Why is it missing? We will, beH, address this mystery in next weeks shiur.
rayer of the Nation of Israel.
If we understand that the answer to terror is
eeping the mitzvoth, then we will soon merit to see the
lfillment of the pasuk (Devarim 28:10): Then all the
peoples of the earth will see that the
Name of Hashem is proclaimed over you,
and they will revere you.
May Hashem bless his people with peace!
-
8/14/2019 Torat Yisrael Issue 1
12/16
Recently, on a shopping trip in Jerusalem, I
opped by a Superpharm, Israel's largest drugstorehain. Being the kind of girl who used to meander
rough Duane Reade back in the day to see what our
ends at Maybelline were thinking up, or if there had
een any advances on the toothpaste front, I popped
, with an eye toward some Ahava products to give
ut in the Exile on my upcoming trip. Nothing says "Is-
ael is WAY more awesome than America" more than
jar of scented sea salts or a packet of squooshy, nu-
tive mud.
As my 5 and a half month old daughter needs
ome early training in the shopping arts (get them
hile they're young, ladies), I took her along, pushing
er eager, pudgy little body through the store in her
roller.
For those of you who
ren't familiar with Israeli drug-
ores, they aren't the casual
rowsing exp riences you recog-
ze from the Diaspora. Israelirugstores also contain WILDLY
verpriced American and European cosmetics and
eir corresponding makeup counter ladies. These ag-
ressive but friendly women are squeezed together in
e middle of the store, guarding the really expensive
akeup and perfume
nd concurrently trying to get you to wear it, making
at the very, very last place in the store one wants to
o. However, like an onion with so many layers, there
a second layer - the lamer European cosmetics and
e Israeli stuff, like Ahava and Dr. Fischer. These
rticles are found in the aisles on either side of the
ain center aisle, and are serviced by only a few
omen, who are generally more relaxed, though
qually as made up as their Estee Lauder-touting
ounterparts.
So I maneuvered my carriage through the
ghtly-stocked store, arriving finally at the Ahava sec-
on. At that point, my daughter started to cry, so I took
her out of the carriage, and carried her with me as I
looked through the products. That's when she saw us
- I don't know her name, but you know her. She sportsa big grin, powerfully highlighted hair heretofore un-
seen in her native Morocco, long acrylic nails and a
snug cotton/lycra shirt not stamped with the Badatz
seal of approval.
"[Gasp!]" I turned around quickly to see what
could have gone wrong, who fell, who died, whose
pants ripped up the back.
"Wai wai wai!!!! Aizeh metukah! Chamudah!Kapparah aleichem!! tfoo tfoo tfooo!" Translation:
"Wow, wow, wow! What a sweetie! Cutie! ...[not trans-
latable - if you want to understand, come live in Is-
rael]"
She approached us with en-
thusiasm generally reserved for
long lost relatives or the Pub-
lisher's Clearinghouse Sweep-
stakes. She asked if she could
hold my baby, who, like a trueFleisher, was glowing from all the
attention, and smiling a big toothless smile. So I
agreed, inherently trusting most Moroccan women of
any hair color. She started to play, to coo, to dance
with my baby. She asked her name, which I
told her, and she started talking and singing to the
baby. I thought to myself "that's so sweet. Gosh, peo-
ple are nice."
And then it happened. "Rachel!! Come over
here! Did you see this baby?!" Rachel (not necessarily
the actual name, but bear with me for purposes of the
story) turned around, saw my daughter, and the same
ecstatic greeting was repeated. Rachel skittered off to
another aisle to alert the cell phone saleswomen, who
turned the corner, saw my baby, and emitted a high
pitched noise I have only heard from dog whistles
and Russian women. The cell phone sales-
woman, with high, scary heels, asked if SHE
could hold the baby, which I acqui-NextNext
PagePage
"[Gasp!]" I turned around
quickly to see what could have
gone wrong, who fell, who died,
whose pants ripped up the
back.
-
8/14/2019 Torat Yisrael Issue 1
13/16
13
sced to. Then the first lady scurried over to the main
osmetics area to get the other cosmetics sales-
omen, who arrived in a group of about 5, while the
econd lady went off to help a customer in the now
ervice-free store.
At some point, I just kind of walked away, and
und the Dead Sea creams and salts I was looking
or, while my baby was celebrated and shared, passed
om a Russian lady to a Yemenite, to another Moroc-
an, to a German. They squeezed her legs, pinched
er cheeks, bounced her up and down and blessed
er with a long life and good health. When I
ame back, the newcomers asked me her name,
here we were from (good PR for Samaria!), and
ished me lots of nachat (nachas for you in the
xile) from her, with glowing faces and real warmth.
ome of them saw her and proposed shidduchim
marriage proposals) with their sons and grandsons.
ne by one, after wishing me a good day and a mazalov, they returned to their work, pushing eye shadow
nd body creams to the Israeli masses.
Twenty minutes after arriving in the Ahava
sle, we left the store with our purchases. I put the
aby back in her carriage, where she lay quietly gur-
ing to herself, fully satiated by all the love and
dmiration.
I thought about America, where "other peo-
e's children" are rarely handled, except by a licensed
rofessional, and then frequently with some sort of su-
ervision or bio hazard barrier for fear of someone
eing accused of or contracting something. I was grati-
ed by the honest, effervescent love of these Jewish
omen for my baby, and for me by warrant of being
er mother. Superpharm ladies, we love you, too.
-
8/14/2019 Torat Yisrael Issue 1
14/16
Article used with Permission of Arutz Sheva- IsraelNationalNews.com
On the eleventh of Av, 5689 (August 17, 1929),
bloody riots erupted in Eretz Yisrael. Hundreds of Jews
were murdered or injured by Arab mobs during these up-isings. Worst hit was the Jewish community of Hebron.
When the riots subsided, rumors spread throughout the
Yishuv that the British authorities actually cooperated
with the rioters. Accusations pointed specifically to Harry
Charles Luke - the son of assimilated, Hungarian Jews
his father immigrated to England, where he converted
o Christianity). At the time, Mr. Luke served as Secre-
ary General of the British Mandatory Government, and
umor had it that he encouraged the Arabs to murder
and pillage the Jews.
During the rioting, Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak
Kook called Mr. Luke on the telephone and demanded
hat he take stiff action against the Arab marauders.
"What can be done?"asked Luke.
"Shoot the murders!"replied Rabbi Kook.
"I have not received any such orders,"retorted the
British official.
"I order you!"said the rabbi. "I demand this in the name
of human dignity."
Sometime later, the heads of the British govern-
ment in Palestine held a formal reception for the most
prominent Jewish figures in the Land. Mr. Luke cordially
held out his hand to Rabbi Kook, but the rabbi refused to
shake it, saying sternly, "I will not shake a hand stained
with Jewish blood."
Afterwards, Luke said to the rabbi: "You Jews!
Go and defend yourselves, but do not attack others."
The rabbi replied: "Do not preach to us, you
who violate the commandment of 'You shall not murder'.
[Our rule is,] if someone rises to kill you, kill him first."
The rabbi's bold stance made a profound im-
pression upon the entire Jewish world, as Avigdor
HaMe'iri (a writer of the time) testified: "If not for one
unique, extraordinary man, who stood guard over our
national and human pride, we would now be rending our
garments over the loss of our honor as well."
News of the rabbi's bold response spread
swiftly throughout the Yishuv, creating an uproar wher-
ever it reached. Most people praised his valor, but some
criticized it, mainly out of fear that Mr. Luke would take
evenge on the Jewish settlements, which were largely
at his mercy. Whenever the rabbi appeared in public,
two opposing groups immediately formed, arguing bois-
terously for and against the him.
Around that time, Rabbi Kook was invited to a
Brit Milah (circumcision). Before the ceremony began, a
heated debate broke out over the rabbi's defiant re-
sponse to the high-ranking officer, who represented the
gentile lords of the Land. When the rabbi realized what
was happening, he signaled to his attendant, Rabbi Meir
David Schotland, a clever and learned man, to restore
order to the crowd.
Rabbi Meir David rose at once and said em-
phatically:
Gentlemen! Very soon, we will usher the newborn
baby into the room and bring him into the covenant (brit)
of Avraham Avinu. At that time, we will all stand up and
welcome him with the traditional greeting of "Baruch
HaBa." ("Blessed is he who arrives.")
I have two questions concerning this practice. First,
why don't we greet a Bar-Mitzvah boy or a bridegroom in
the same fashion? They, at least, would understand the
meaning of our blessing, while the uncircumcised childsurely does not. Second, why don't we bid farewell to
the child after the circumcision by saying, "Baruch HaY-
otzei"? ("Blessed is he who leaves.")
Silence hovered over the crowd, as R. Meir
David continued his words:
The answer to these questions is quite simple. Sadly
and shamefully, we Jews admire every uncircumcised
Gentile we meet, taking every opportunity to show him
respect, whether it is necessary or not. Therefore, whenthe yet uncircumcised child enters the room, we honor
him by standing up and proclaiming "Baruch HaBa".
However, after he is circumcised and becomes part of
the Jewish people, we no longer show him any special
respect - no "Baruch HaBa" and no "Baruch HaYotzei".
It was clear towards whom Rabbi Meir's words
were directed. Rabbi Kook had dauntlessly stood up to a
distinguished Gentile, publicly condemning representa-
tives of the Mandatory Government for cooperating with
the Arab rioters, and there were actually people who crit-icized him for this.
[From 'An Angel Among Men' by R. Simcha Raz, trans-
lated by R. Moshe Lichtman, pp. 191-194]
20 Av 5766 / 14 August 06
4
-
8/14/2019 Torat Yisrael Issue 1
15/16
Israel Divided
The rift dividing the Jewish People in the
and of Israel can only be understood by penetrating
the spiritual roots that underlie the foundation of theodern State of Israel and the phenomenon of politi-
al Zionism.
Throughout two millennia of exile the Jewish
eople have been the most persecuted of nations.
istorically, Jews have reflexively attributed this per-
ecution to our differences from the nations and peo-
es amongst which we have dwelled. Hence there
as always been a desire to assimilate ourselves by
ending into the non Jewish world and thereby elimi-ating the fundamental cause of our woes. Theodor
erzl, the father of Political Zionism, was covering
e trial of Alfred Dreyfus, a
aptain in the French Army
ho was falsely convicted of
eason. Although the truth of
s innocence was exposed,
e French did not relent. As Dreyfus was paraded
rough the streets of Paris on his way to a life sen-
nce of exile and seclusion on Devils Island, mobs
hanted death to the Jews while spitting in his face.erzl, himself an assimilated and intermarried Jew,
as shocked that his beloved and enlightened France
ould sink to such depths and realized that the only
ace the Jewish people could be safe was in a land of
eir own. Only then, Herzl surmised, could the Jews
e a nation like all others and successfully assimilate
to the international community, finally creating a
ew nation - the Israeli nation - to replace the out-
ated and hated Jewish nation of the exile. This new
raeli nation would look to America and the western
orld to dictate both the culture and the values of the
ture State of Israel. Many Christians we have come
to contact with have been shocked to learn that the
tate of Israel was founded not as a means of ensur-
g religious freedom for The Jewish People but rather
s a vehicle for assimilation and integration.
This philosophy is the antithesis of Torah Ju-
aism and the spiritual vacuum that separates them
omprises the rift we see in Israel today. The Torah
estows 613 commandments upon the Jewish people
which serve to separate us from the Nations of the
world. Isaiah, the revered prophet, famously describes
the Jewish People as A Light unto the Nations whileJeremiah, his equally venerated contemporary, proph-
esizes Thus said the Lord: learn not the way of the
nations. These two prophecies go hand in hand and
clearly describe the true and final purpose for our Jew-
ish State. Israel was not designed to be a cultural re-
flection of America in the Middle East but rather a
spiritual conduit to bring truth and understanding from
G-d to the Nations of the world. Judaism is not a reli-
gion of conversion but example. Through the kind-
ness, humility, and modesty the Torah imparts on us,we are to show the world the only paradigm of mean-
ing and true happiness. In Leviticus, G-d tells us And
you shall be holy unto Me, for I
the L-rd am Holy, and have set
you apart from all the peoples
that you should be mine.
Moses, our greatest leader and
prophet, explains the inextricable relationship between
the Land of Israel and Jewish observance in
Deuteronomy Behold, I have taught you statutes and
judgments that you should do in the midst of theLand which you go to possess. The Jewish People
will not be able to provide the world with the light
which we owe it as long as the Jews of Israel seek to
be kchol HaGoyim as all the nations and the Jews of
the exile seek to remain bchol HaGoyim in the midst
of the nations. The secular Zionists mean no evil
they merely want rest and respite from the persecution
which has haunted us. However, the hatred that our
secular democracy has engendered is proof enough
of the failure of this approach. Only when we return to
The Land and reconnect with our Jewish spiritual
roots will the hatred stop for we can finally make good
on our promise to G-d and His promise to the world.
The question that is dividing the Jewish peo-
ple in Israel and around the world today is whether Is-
rael is meant to be a vehicle of assimilation or a
vehicle of separation and sanctification. The answer
will not only determine the future of Israel but the fu-
ture of the world as we know it.
15
Israel was not designed to be a
cultural reflection of America in
the Middle East...
-
8/14/2019 Torat Yisrael Issue 1
16/16