Devarim

Finally, my oldest daughter will be returning after a month-long exile from home!  I think nobody is happier than her 12-year-old sister, who has done a great job taking her place with household chores, and has promised us that she will be going on HER vacation immediately.

It was an interesting experience.  When my daughter first came up with this idea of working at a camp with a friend, we were a bit hesitant.  However, we made some calls to other parents who had sent their kids to do the same, and everybody responded positively, saying "she'll come back better."

And while she hasn't come back yet, she has mentioned to us how surprised the Israeli girls were in regards to the spiritual level of the non-Israeli girls.  Some people get this thing in their head when they live in Israel, they are automatically on a higher spiritual level than those living outside of Israel. (Perhaps 60 years ago there was something to it,  but it was not automatic … but today … sorry.) So, it was a pleasant surprise for her to see that it certainly was not true; to the point that she and another girl from Bnei Brak were discussing what to take from the [spiritual] experience to bring home and how keep it.

"… as far as the Great River, the river Euphrates" (Devarim 1: 7).

When commanding the Jewish nation to head towards Eretz Yisroel, Hashem refers to the Euphrates River as "the great river."  Rashi writes that the only reason that the Euphrates is referred to as "the great river" was because of it's relationship with Eretz Yisroel.

Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz cites a Midrash to bring out this point.  Yosef was granted a burial in Eretz Yisroel because he was an "Ish Ivri" (a man from the other side [of the river]), referring to Eretz Yisroel.  Yet Moshe, who was called an "Ish Mitzri" (an Egyptian man) was not.

A person's connection to Eretz Yisroel, whether he is actually living there or living in another land, can have a positive impact on his spirituality.  When he recognizes the greatness of Eretz Yisroel and the potential that is within Eretz Yisroel, and when he cleaves to it in his or her davening, he makes a connection to it.

However, one should be warned that this does not come automatically.

The Gemara (Kesubos 111a) says "Whoever lives in Eretz Yisroel lives without sin." The Pnei Yehoshua writes in his commentary, "It would appear that this is only true if the person lives there solely to fulfill the commandment of settling the land of Israel, in contrast with someone who only lives in Israel on a transient basis or because he was born there or because it is a nice place to live…"

So it seems that our connection, whether by living in Eretz Yisroel or yearning for it, needs to be for spiritual reasons.  Being, a person living in Chicago, yearning to return to Eretz Yisroel in all its spiritual glory, will have more of a connection to it, than a person who lives in Yerushaliyim simply because they were born there, who does not give any thought to the spiritual aspects of Eretz Yisroel.

With that, I wish you all a "good Shabbos."

For the past four days I was able to rent a seven-seater from somebody I know, which was a huge boost to the family morale (all kids are home for a few months…no camp).

The most exciting time was when we decided to go the one of the tributaries of the Jordan river.  I found an "off the road" place, which was only traversable via 4x4 trails.  One trail, which was "in the thicket" ran parallel and next to the river.  The other trail, which was a 4x4 trail, but open, was running parallel to that, but at a higher elevation.  At one point I had enough peering down to see if there was a place for us, so I took us down, which resulted in my wife's questioning my sanity.

Thankfully, we found a nice spot, where we had to climb down the bank to get into the river.  However, I forgot that the river comes from Mt. Hermon, which means, it's FREEZING COLD.  I went halfway in, sang soprano, and felt my body go into shock.  The rest of my family wisely decided to put their feet in and not risk death.

On the way back, my family say how I was contemplating getting the van back up the incline (of 45 degrees).  At that point they begged me not to try, and to look for a better location, let the van and occupants all end up in the river.  Of course, I would hear not of such foolishness.  After all, I'm a man!  I put the van in reverse and hit it!  We somehow, barely, made it to the top in one piece, though my families white faces told me otherwise. 😊

This week's parsha deals with the Nirtzah, the Jewish slave who decides to remain with his master for the rest of his life, even after his six-year term has been completed.  As a sign of this decision, he is to be taken to the local door post and have his ear pierced.  The Torah considers this to be a punishment for choosing one master (his human master) over another (Hashem).

Rav Avigdor Miller writes that Tosfos in Kiddushin discusses whether a Jew can place himself in employment under somebody else.  Even if he is working for a Ben Torah, he has placed a master over himself and has tied his sustenance to the "will" of his boss.

If he has his own farmland, than that is ideal, he says.  There, h needs to answer only to Hashem.  However, not everybody is cut out to be a farmer.  Tosfos, in the end, agrees that since a man has an obligation to support his family, this worry (of taking another "master") is pushed aside.

On one hand, I can hear many people say, "Duh!" to Tosfos's conclusion.  Yet, on the other hand, we see a very real worry that Tosfos had, which we, unfortunately, blunder in too many times.

While we still work for our employers, we must always remember, and this is the tough part, that we are ultimately working for Hashem.  I know of many cases of people who were being abused by their bosses, and seeing how it was draining them spiritually, left their job, despite having nothing in reserve, and they found more and better work elsewhere.

Everything we do in our work, must be done in a kosher way, knowing that we are fulfilling the MITZVAH of supporting our families.  A computer nerd who is writing code all day, if he is working in a kosher manner, will receive reward for his time.  But, he must always remember that in the end, he is working for the Ultimate Boss.

With that, I leave you all with a great Shabbos!

Well, Israel is quickly heading to heck.

After shutting down the economy and putting 25 percent of the population on unemployment, Israel was able to keep the infection rate and casualty rate down.  While they put together a plan to open up slowly, the plan was scrapped, and everything was opened all at once.  Naturally this, along with a lack of personal responsibility on the individual level, lead to a 7 percent infection rate, and growing numbers of infections, hospitalizations, and deaths.  Just to make things worse, the government keeps arguing about and changing their rules and regulations, without rhyme or reason.

Whether or not the decision to close everything down was correct is a big question.  However, it worked because the government had a clear plan and direction.  However, you see what happens when a government of a small nation loses direction.  It also loses confidence of the people, and it affects nearly every area of life.

One of our favorite stories came from a friend of ours in Yerushaliyim who just recovered.  He called the Ministry of Health to find out how to get tested, so he can get out of quarantine.  Thinking that they will send somebody over, like they did with all the other people, he was told "no" and he must find his way to the closest testing center, 45 minutes way.  "Well, how am I to get there?  Take a bus?!?!?"

"Of course not!  You're in quarantine!"

"So, how could I get there?"

"Just take a taxi"

Silence.

No wonder nobody trusts them.

Rav Avigdor Miller writes that there are many fundamental lessons to be learned from the prophet Yeshaya, who warned the nation about and witnessed the destruction of the first Beis HaMikdash.  For the first many chapters, Yeshaya gave bitter criticism of the Jewish people warning them of their impending destruction.  Needless to say, Yeshaya did not gain the greatest name for himself and is forever connected with the destruction of the first Beis Hamikdash.

However, the real Yeshaya, says Rav Miller, comes next Shabbos, when we read the Haftorah, "Consolation, consolation…"  He is also the prophet of consolation and comfort.

This is one of the hallmark characteristics of a proper Jew: the ability to take criticism, internalize it, make a true change, and in the end, is "consoled" with true growth.

This is true both on an individual level and on a communal level.

I have a friend who lives in a smaller community.  The community is basically run by a handful of people, all friends with each other.  One is the principal of this school, one is the principal of another, one is the rabbi of the shul, etc.  He told me that while this community has been around for a while, it has hit its peak, physically and spiritually speaking, and will never grow beyond what they have.  All the "leaders" are happy with what they have going and are unwilling to acknowledge any problems that have arisen.  Their answer is to simply ignore the problem, hoping it will go away, or put a "band-aid" on it.  Why?  Because nobody wants to hear criticism.  Nobody wants to grow.  All is good.  And if you don't think so, it's your issue.

When a person is open to real criticism (not simply insults or criticism without any basis), and internalizes it, he will grow in ways that he could not in any other way, and in the end, will be consoled for the embarrassing feelings he experienced when receiving such criticism in the first place.

With that, I wish you all a wonderful Shabbos and a meaningful Tisha B'Av.

Last Shabbos was . . . full of excitement amongst the children, as alliances were made and alliances were broken.

My wife and I were discussing what in the world are we going to do over the next three weeks, with no school, no camp, and no car (only 10,000 shekels (minimum) to rent a mini-van for two weeks!).

My wife decided that we’re going to start a boot camp, and keep them moving throughout the day. Wake up is early, starting with physical training, davening, breakfast, etc. If you don’t eat during the 20 minutes, you lose out, son! I came up with the idea of buying the traditional “black hats” that drill sergeants use and marching the kids in formation up and down the street chanting:

Me: Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear!
Them: Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear!
Me: Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair.
Them: Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair.
Me: Sound Off!
Them: One Two!
Etc. etc.

The really annoying part about this? My wife and I have had this in our heads the whole week.

Now, it’s my gift to you. :)

Before we begin, since I’m not sure what in the world my life is going to bring over the next three weeks, Frumg.org might or might not be on vacation.
“Hashem, our G-d, spoke to us in Horeb (Mt. Sinai), saying, ‘You have had much dwelling by this mountain . . .’” (Devarim 1:6)

Rashi comments, “There is much eminence for you, and reward for your having dwelt at this mountain. You made the Mishkan, the Menorah, and the other holy vessels; you received the Torah; you appointed the Sanhedrin . . . .”

Several years ago, my Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Asher Rubenstein, spoke Erev Tisha B’Av. He noted that Tisha B’Av is the end of the “yeshivish” year, since the standard calendar for yeshivos and kollelim begins on the first day of Elul (in three weeks) and ends on Tisha B’Av. Like all end-of-years, it’s good that a person should look back and see his accomplishments.

In this week’s parsha, he said, we see a hint of this. While we were at Mt. Sinai, we received the Torah and built the Mishkan. We focused on the positives. So too, on the day before Tisha B’Av, we should look back at our accomplishments and take some pride on what we have accomplished. It’s important to do so, having this positive mentality will help push us for the upcoming year of learning.

However, Tisha B’Av comes. And on Tisha B’Av, we realize everything we didn’t accomplish that we could have.

Let us clarify that for a moment.

Let’s take people who lived a mere 100 years ago and bring them into this world. Can you imagine their shock? Cars, trucks, planes, internet, cellphones, etc., they would have no concept of how our world works. Rav Shimshon Pincus says that the opposite is true spiritually speaking. Today’s Jew is a much more different Jew than a Jew from 100 years ago. And we’re not talking religious vs. non-religious. We’re talking religious vs. religious. It’s a concept that we can barely fathom. Can you imagine a Jew from two-thousand years ago? Can you fathom what a Jew was when the Beis HaMikdash was standing? When there were korbonos? When there was a Kohen Gadol? No, you can’t, because we have no real connection to it any more. However, we do know that the Torah, and obligations that it has, is the exact same Torah and obligations that we have today.

Tisha B’Av is a time that we cry for what we are missing. Not only are the Jewish people still in exile, but so is Hashem, so to speak. When He is in exile, we are missing a major component in our lives. Our potential drops further and further as each passing generation goes by.

However, we don’t give up, because that is not a Torah concept. We continue to push ourselves, and daven that Hashem should help us and return even a small portion of that potential to us. But we cannot just daven for it, we must ACTUALIZE it. We must push ourselves 100 percent, so Hashem will add on another 10 percent.

We are told that “Moshiach is born on Tisha B’Av.” What does that mean? It means our personal “Moshiach” is born when we cry over Tisha B’Av and ask Hashem to bring Himself and us out of exile together, and to restore our spiritual potentials. Through acknowledging and crying over the fact that we are missing so much, spiritually, and promising to do our part, our “Moshiach” is being born.

And when the entire nation does this . . . Moshiach himself is being born for the community.

This Shabbos, we should look back over the year, and take some pride over what we have accomplished. Yet, after Shabbos, when Tisha B’Av begins, we should acknowledge the fact that we could have and need to push harder. We realize that we are missing so much, spiritually-speaking, than the previous generations, and that our only desire is to return to such a level. When this concept becomes a reality to us, Moshiach will arrive.

Have a wonderful Shabbos and a meaningful Tisha B’Av.

Michael Winner

“And your children who did not know good from evil this day” (Devarim 1:39)

Rav Yitzchok Zilberstein learns from this pasuk the importance of watching one’s children and who they interact with.

Rebbetzin Feinstein, the daughter of the Brisker Rav, recalled that when her friends would come over to play, her father would often stand outside of the door of the room that they were in and listen to their conversations to make sure that not only that her friends were good children, but to also make sure no inappropriate behaviour was occurring. We’re talking about the Brisker Rav, whose whole existence belonged to Torah! And what is part of the Torah? Raising one’s children properly to make sure that they stay away from negative influences.

I hope everybody has a wonderful Shabbos, and, a meaningful Tisha B’Av.

I’ve been doing a social experiment over the past month.

Usually, my home page was set to my Yahoo page, which displayed highlights of today’s news, so I can have some idea on what’s going on in the world.

I decided to see if I can live without it.

So, for the past month, my opening home page has been blank. My access to the internet has been only for work and whatever else I need to find out. No, “oh, that looks interesting”. Just using it for specific things and that’s it.

I know that in today’s technological world, it’s practically impossible to do in America, but in my world here, it’s pretty easy. I heard about some highlights, like the shooting in Europe, but no details. Other than that, I feel pretty removed from it all.

And you know what? The world is still going, and I’m still alive.

Plus, my brain is thinking about a lot less worthless things, and focusing more on real life.

It’s an interesting experiment, if you can try it out.

Okay, on to Torah!
In this week's parsha, Moshe describes his need to appoint judges throughout the nation, instead of him being the sole judge.

"How can I bear alone your troubles (tarchachem), your burdens (masa'eichem), and your disputes (v'rivchem)?" (Devarim 1:12)

Rashi explains that Moshe was giving rebuke to the nation for having so many problems with inter-personal relationships and internal fighting. The Ramban, however, gives a different outlook on this pasuk. He says "troubles" or tarchachem, refers to Moshe's teaching Torah, "burdens" or masa'eichem, refers to his davening on their behalf, and "disputes" or rivchem, refers to his judging the nation (see the Ramban for more explanation on how each word is related to each concept).

Our custom, when reading the pasuk, is to read it with the tune we use when reading Eicha, which is read on Tisha B'Av.

According to Rashi, we can understand why we read it with this tune: it was our baseless hatred that was one of the main causes of the destruction of the second Beis HaMikdash, so here, when we are dealing with that very same concept, we should read it with the tune of Eicha.

However, how would the Ramban explain the use of this tune?

Rabbi Brueckheimer explains that these three aspects in our lives, Torah, Tefillah (prayer), and Justice, are aspects that we were able to enjoy fully when the Beis HaMikdash was standing. However, since its destruction, we are lacking in all three.

Since the destruction, our Torah has become "heavier" for us and harder to comprehend and internalize. According to Tosfos in the Gemara (Taanis 16a) the pasuk, "Ki miTzion teitzei Torah - From Tzion will come forth Torah" (Yeshaya 2:3), translates Tzion as the Beis HaMikdash. With the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash, our understanding and clarity of Torah has diminished greatly.

Concerning prayer, it is much more difficult to be aware of Whom you are davening to. The Gemara in Brachos states that since the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash, the gates of prayer have been locked.

Justice as well is lacking. We davening every day for the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash, the return of the Sanhedrin, and the return of true justice in our world. In the mean time, the world is ruled by injustice, and our inability to recognize what is or is not true justice has been impaired.

Hopefully, if Moshiach has not come beforehand, this Tisha B'Av, will be our last. With that, we will be able to reach our potential in Torah, Tefillah, and Justice.

Have a great Shabbos!

We had a test earlier this week that took a day and a half to complete. I started mine on Friday morning, while my chavrusa started his Sunday morning. So, on Monday I was done and had the morning to myself.

At that time, an interesting question came to mind that dealt with the concept of dina d'malchusei dina, the "law of the land" is the law. For example, if person A runs a red light and hits person B's car, he can't say, "Where in the Shulchan Oruch does it say that I did anything wrong? Show me where it says it’s assur to run a red light!" The law of the land is not to run red lights, then that is halacha.

I've seen this term thrown around several times by people and used as a blanket statement to prove whatever point they have. So, I sat down for a few hours to do a little research. Like many concepts in halacha, this was not a simple thing. There are many times that the law of the land is not "the law", such as when it is contrary to Torah. Questions need to be asked when considering using “dina d’malchusei dina”: When does it apply? How does it apply? Where does it apply? In the question I was thinking about, things got even more complicated: Dina d’malchusei dina applied in Eretz Yisroel is different than outside of Israel. A Jewish government is different than a non-Jewish government. Here in Israel, is our government considered Jewish, since Jews are in it? Or is it considered non Jewish, since it's not run according to the Torah?

Like many other things, dina d'malchusei dina is a complicated subject. I’ve been reading a small sefer by the Chazon Ish. In it, he pushes the reader to apply himself to learn halacha properly in depth, and not just sit and read ethics or learn Gemara on a surface level. Why? So instead of throwing around terms while knowing just the basics of it, you can properly apply it to your life.
"And I commanded your judges at that time saying, listen among your brothers" (Devarim 1:16)

Rav Zalman Sorotzkin writes that sometimes people in high positions, such as judges, might come to think of themselves as being on a higher level than everybody else. When the Torah states "listen among your brothers", it's reminding them that they are "one of them". They are not to look down at others from a position of authority; rather he should look at them as they would their own relatives.

This rule equally applies to anybody in any position of power, be it political, spiritual, financial, etc... When a person is blessed with large amounts of money and is constantly being asked to help people and institutions, he must remind himself that he is dealing with his brothers, not mere subjects. He should try to understand the person and the pain that he is currently going through and treat him accordingly.

Have a great Shabbos!

Postscript: I pulled in 86% on the test :)

“And all of you approached me, and you said, ‘Let us send people before us to explore the land for us’” (Devarim 1:22)

Rashi states that from this pasuk we see how the nation approached Moshe. “All of you” implies the entire nation came, children pushing their elders, the elders pushing their leaders, etc… If they came in a more proper manner, it would have said, “Your leaders”.

From here we see that that nation, at this time, lacked derech eretz, proper manners.

Rav Naftoli Tzvi Berlin cited his father-in-law, Rav Yitzchok of Volozhin, who pointed out that this lack of derech eretz was mentioned with the sin of the spies to show the severity of having a lack of derech eretz.

Yes, it was terrible that the nation sent spies and listened to their evil reports about Eretz Yisroel, but it was ALSO evil to have a lack of proper manners. We see from here that their intent from the beginning was not to be positive, for anybody who lacks such derech eretz cannot be coming with good intentions.

Having good manners is an integral part in being a Torah Jew. To push your way through life treating others with disdain and disrespect is saying that you have no positive point in your life goals, but to get what you want. It shows not only disdain for your fellow human being, but it shows disdain to the Torah itself.

Just this week, I came into a financial… dispute, if you will, with somebody. It’s not really a dispute, in the real sense. I can’t go into any details, but it’s a situation where halacha doesn’t force itself into; it’s something that this person and I need to work out and agree upon. Due to the current economic situation, both of us are doing our best to protect ourselves from losing money. Thankfully, the other person is a Ben Torah. He clearly doesn’t want to take advantage of me and demand more than is appropriate, and I have no interest in doing the same. The question between us is, what’s appropriate and what can we each do to see that neither losses out. We decided after our opening discussion, that we would both start davening for each other, and try to think of plans that would work out in both our interests. Thankfully, due to derech eretz, we were able to take a very stressful situation and bring it to a level of civility. As I told a friend, “If all fights in this world were like this, we would have a much better world”.

With that, I bid you a great Shabbos!

Well… it was a pretty boring week this week.

So you’ll have to fill in your own introduction over the Shabbos table with your family.

On to Torah!
"These are the things which Moshe spoke to all of Israel" (Devarim 1:1)

Rashi quotes the Sifra who says this section of the Torah contains a rebuke to the Jewish nation. By listing all the places that the Jewish people visited since leaving Egypt, he was able to subtly remind the nation of the sins that they committed at those places.

A person, who strives to grow, does so via every means possible. He doesn’t need a rav, a teacher, or a spouse (usually in the form of a wife), telling them what they are doing wrong in order to improve. They are able to look at the subtleties in the world to gauge whether they are doings something that is right or wrong. When somebody’s feelings are hurt, one does not need to hear it directly from that person. He can tell by simply looking at the person’s face. A growth-oriented person will be sensitive enough to see when and how he is hurting another person in order to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

These same people also able to take nearly any instance in their lives, no matter how mundane, and use it for self improvement.

There is a famous story of Rav Yisroel Salanter who, when passing by the home of a shoemaker late one night, saw that the shoemaker was still working.

Rav Salanter asked him, “It is very late and soon the candle will be extinguished.”

The shoemaker replied, “As long as the candle is still burning it is still possible to accomplish and mend”

Rav Salanter was moved by this and said, “If for our physical needs as long as the candle is burning one keeps mending, all more so for our souls, as long as the light of the soul is still going we must make every effort to accomplish and mend”.

After this, he would repeat to himself, “As long as the canle is lit, accomplish and mend”.

Every action and reaction can be used for growth. Use the world well and it can serve as a large source for self-improvement.

Have a great Shabbos and a meaningful Tisha B’Av!

There happens to law in Israel that members of Knesset are exempt from traffic violations.

That being said, a Knesset member was recently pulled over by a police officer for driving, shaving, and speaking on the cell phone at once. After a futile attempt at telling the officer that he cannot be ticketed, this MK (Member of Knesset), decided to hit the accelerator and speed off.


End of story. Despite the fact that this MK has over 70 traffic violations, he has received no tickets, no fines, no nothing, since he’s a Knesset member.

A group is suing the government to cancel the law and get this MK in trouble. His response: “Please… out of the 70 violations, less than half of them were serious”

What a funny country!

Okay, on to Torah!
"Provide for yourselves distinguished men, who are wise and understanding and well known to your tribes" (Devarim 1:13)

"Who is a wise man? One who learns from all men" (Avos 4:1)

Just as no two snowflakes are the same (though I have yet to see scientific evidence to back up this claim), no two people are the same. Each person is an individual with individual strengths, weaknesses, personalities, etc. Lessons in life can be learned from each person in some way or another, making each individual a teacher whether they know it or not.

A wise person has the ability to absolve himself of stereotypes and preconceived notions in order to learn from everybody he comes in contact with.

Rav Meir Bergman says, "The corporeal essence of man does not change as a result of chachmah (wisdom), just as wearing clothes does not transform a person. Knowledge and wisdom affect the individual externally. When a person demonstrates a positive attitude towards attaining and increasing wisdom by indicating a desire to learn from all people and all situations, he embodies the quality of chachmah"

In order to learn from each person, one must first humble himself, for it is only natural to learn from those he feels are on a higher plane then he is. While it is certainly true that this is a way of learning, one must recognize that we can learn many lessons from people who are below us in class, wisdom, age, etc... However, in order to properly do so, he must humble himself first.

Torah has often been compared to water. When a person is thirsty, he is not picky on who actually gives him the water, as long as the person seems like a person who won’t poison the water. He will take it from whoever is willing to give it.

This is the attitude that one must have with Torah and other wisdoms. Lessons can be learned in life from anybody.

With that, I wish you an excellent Shabbos!

"And you must remember the entire road which Hashem, your G-d, brought you these forty years in the wilderness" (Devarim 8:2)


This weeks parsha, and throughout the last book of the Torah, is a review that Moshe gives the nation, shortly before he dies and the nations enters Eretz Yisroel.

Moshe began by reviewing their journey with them, what Hashem did for them, and the lessons and Torah that they learned.

Rav Avigdor Miller teaches that this act of reviewing, in of itself is something to learn from. As only he can put it: "Now you are a Ben Torah with a big beard and a family; how did you get to this spot? What are the steps that Hashem took for you to bring you to this success in life? So many of your contemporaries took the wrong step at the wrong time in the wrong direction and they went lost. One wrong step is all it takes, but it did not happen to you. How did Hashem guide your steps?"

I was speaking to an old friend this past week. We were discussing where we came from and where we ended up. We spoke of friends who went this way and that. Neither one of us expected to be where we are today. It’s quite an amazing thing to look back and see how Hashem has directed your life.

Moshe reminded the nation of their personal history in order that they should remember where they came from, where they are today, and how Hashem guided them. With this 'history lesson' they were better able to understand Hashem's interaction with their lives, and be able to praise Him for all the goodness He gave them. We see this concept written in Ashrei: "They will speak when they remember Your great goodness, and Your righteousness they will sing exultantly" (Tehillim 145:7)

When we realize that Hashem has guided us throughout our lives, and properly thank Him, Hashem will say, "Ah, I see with this person it is a good investment. If he praises and thanks Me for all the good I do for him, then I will give him even more!"

Have a great Shabbos!

The Mrs. and I spent the past Shabbos in Beitar, located right outside of Jerusalem. Beitar is a city of 30,000 people, ALL chareidi ('ultra'- Orthodox). Beitar also happened to have won the Cleanest City in Israel Award. And it shows! The funny thing is this. Beitar is located just over the "Green Line", being that it's technically in the West Bank. The land Beitar was built on was legally bought from the Arabs, compared to won in war. In fact, they have the deeds to the land all locked up, nice and safe. Recently, Beitar made the news because they were planning to build more homes on that land. The Arabs and groups such as Peace Now are livid. How could Jews build on land they legally own?!?! Terrible, isn't it?.

Anyhow, on Shabbos night I asked my host if they've had any problems with the local Arab villages (illegally built by the way), who hold some of the high-ground on neighboring hills. Despite the fact, one of the villages is a hotbed of bad guys, the only thing that separates them and Beitar is an 8 foot chain-linked fence. That's it. And how many problems have they had in the city? None. I asked how this was so, and his reply was perfect: "This is a city full of people who keep Torah and mitzvos. THAT has protected us!"

Okay, on to Torah!
One of the tenants of Zionism is that we need our own state so that we may be and treated just like any other nation. The Torah views us as, "a people which dwells apart and which is not reckoned with the nations" (Bamidbar 23:9). So here we have one of the many contradictory opinions between Zionism (and other groups) and Judaism.

This incorrect belief that we are just 'one of the nations' has unfortunately skewed young Jewish minds. We are not 'one of the nations'. We are not on equal standings. On one hand, we are the Chosen Nation. On the other hand we still are in exile. Being so, we are, whether or not we like it, at the whim of the rest of the world. Simply put, when the world turns against us, we cannot hope to fight on their level and win. We cannot say, "We have an army as well!" or "We have nuclear weapons as well!", or "We have our own country as well!"

On this topic, Rav Menachem Shach wrote an interesting piece, citing the Midrash (Devarim Rabba 1:19). In this week's parsha, Moshe recalls their journey around Mt. Seir, the home of Eisav (which later became the Roman Empire). Hashem tells the Jewish people, "You have encircled this mountain long enough, turn northward (tzifoneh)" (Devarim 2:3). The Sages ask: What is meant by "tzifoneh"? Rav Chiya answers: G-d told them, "If you see that Eisav wishes to start up with you, do not stand up to him, but hide yourselves (tzefinu) from him until his time passes". The Midrash continues: The Jews replied to Him: "Master of the Universe! Yitzchak, his father, blessed Eisav that he shall live by his sword, and You confirmed this blessing. Will You now tell us to hide from him? Where can we flee to?" G-d replied: "Flee to the Torah!"

The Midrash continues, what is meant by "tzifoneh"? Rav Yitzchok answers, "Wait for Moshiach to come and fulfill the verse "How much goodness have You hidden away (tzifones) [when Moshiach comes] for those who fear You" (Tehillim 31:20). Rav Shach summarized it as "Wait for the Moshiach to come, and in the meantime flee to the Torah; these are the instructions which the Sages have left for us.

For the past 57 years or so, many Jews inside and outside of Israel have wrongly thought, "We are now one of them, we are a force to be reckoned with". Nothing can be farther from the truth! What can one do to strengthen the Jewish people? Head "north", "Flee to the Torah!” There has only been one constant in the survival of the Jewish people, and that is our adherence and loyalty to following the Torah. Any other ideas outside the realm of Torah, is just that, outside the Torah. Our ONLY chance of survival is based off of learning and growing from the Torah. Nothing else has held us together in the past and nothing else will save us in the future. Let the other nations have their communism, socialism, democracy, capitalism, etc. We are "not reckoned with the nations". We have one thing that guarantees our survival: Torah!

On that I wish you all a great Shabbos! And G-d willing, next Shabbos I will be reporting live from Chicago. And if Moshiach doesn't come by then, have an easy fast this coming Tisha B'Av (Saturday night through Sunday night).

Dvrei Torah on Tisha B'Av can be found at: http://www.frum.org/dvreitorah/dvar.asp?ParshaID=64&Title=Tisha%20BAv