Torat Yisrael Issue 1

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


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

[email protected]


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

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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?


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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


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

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7


8/16

If you have Halachik questions that you wish answered, please email them in to

[email protected].

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.


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.

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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

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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!


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.


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.


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


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...


16/16

Torat Yisrael Issue 1

Documents

Transcript of Torat Yisrael Issue 1