Yerushalayim! Oh, Jerusalem!

This week is an exciting one for us here in Israel, and especially in Jerusalem, but it doesn't go without its shadows as well. The most unlikely person to ever be a President of any country, let alone of the world's biggest Power, has done something remarkable that will forever etch him in the history of our nation. Donald Trump was the first head of nation to move his country's embassy to Jerusalem, exactly 70 years after its establishment, to the minute! And then the painful, sorrowful shadow of the Arab riots, their deaths, the big darkness clouding our happiness. I hope they will find room in their heart to accept reality - the land of Israel was given by G-d to the People of Israel, and Jerusalem was the city that He chose to call His name upon. It means that they cannot be sovereigns here, but they are welcome to coexist peacefully with us here, if they only want to. And many of them do, I know, because I talked with many of them who expressedly told me so.
The whole city is full of signs (sponsored by the FOZ museum) saying: "Trump, make Israel great again!". I found it funny at first, and then didn't. The signs should say: "G-d, make Israel great again!". Trump is just a tool in G-d's hands, no more than that. Anyway, it feels like we are 'reading' (or even 'writing') the last chapter in the history of the our nation, and even in the history of the world, the last pages in the modern day Bible, and as I said to a friend of mine today, it feels like we're reading the last three pages in that book... and the final words are soon to come.

I went to the Kotel (the Western Wall) tonight, to thank G-d for bringing about so many huge miracles for the People of Israel and for Jerusalem, for the whole world to see. On my way there, I saw on the Walls of the Old City a beautiful sound and light show, thanking the U.S. and President Trump, with flying flags of both of our countries. It was so moving to see:

One more happy thing that happened for Israel and Jerusalem this week, in an amazing unplanned timing right on the Jerusalem Day, was something that Europeans know about but other nations probably don't: Israel won the biggest, most important European song contest, the EuroVision. The Israeli singer who won it for us is a special character. She is big, in every sense of the word, she has a big personality, she is very confident of herself, and has an important message: the world should accept those who are different than the rest, like her. I don't like the song or her show or the EuroVision contest particularly, but I thought it is worth commenting upon this time, because this year it made me happy.
Europe voted for Israel. Why is it so important? First, us winning this contest means that this huge event is going to be hosted in Israel next year - the eyes of the whole world, which are already fixed upon us as it is, are going to be fixed on us even more. It is a huge touristy event, which is good for our country.
Second, the BDS movement activists were lobbying hard against Israel for weeks before the contest, trying to convince people not to vote for Israel - but they failed - a big victory for us. We, you won't be surprised, didn't lobby against anyone.
Third, as I said, it happened by an amazing coincidence (I believe G-d's will) right on our Jerusalem Day, the day we celebrate the Liberation of Jerusalem in 1967 from Jordanian hands.
And fourth, and perhaps most interesting, is the following story: When the hosts of this contest turned to each country to get their votes for the songs, they turned to each country by their capital city: "Hello London!", "Hello Berlin!", "Hello Oslo!", and so forth. When it was the turn of Israel's judges to give their vote for the contest, the EuroVision hosts turned to them: "Hello Israel", not "Hello Jerusalem" as they should have. And no, it was not a mistake, and it was not accidental. People from the Israeli press, who were there, informed us that the hosts received instructions from the directors of the event to not mention Jerusalem, because they don't recognize Jerusalem as our capital city. And you know what is the funniest, most ironic thing about it? Netta, our singer, won the contest, which means that next year not only the EuroVision people will have to acknowledge Jerusalem, they will have to BE in Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, because this event is going to be hosted here, in our eternal capital city, thanks to this victory. I love G-d's sense of humor. Thank you G-d, for this too!  (note from May 10th, 2019: we now know that the EuroVision will take place in Tel Aviv. The reason: The contest will take place at the end of Shabbat, which means that major rehearsals will take place on Shabbat, and will constitute violation of Shabbat. After much deliberation it was decided that Jerusalem, of all places, is not the appropriate place for such violations, so it will be in Tel Aviv. A few artists refused to participate in this contest because they do not want to desecrate Shabbat. I wish all of them had done the same, and that they would have moved the contest to another weekday, like Sunday night, for example. End of note).

Last week I wrote something here about Edom being the Western culture of today. A friend asked me about it, which sent me to do my homework and try to find the source for this common knowledge here. This is what I found, a stunning piece of information. It reminded me that while I was a student in Japan a few good years ago, someone told me about this piece of text from the Talmud, while I was still secular, and it blew my mind away. This was one (only one, there were more) of the things that helped me find the Truth.
Listen to this: The Talmud comments about the verse from Psalms 140:9: "Grant not, Oh Lord, the desires of the wicked; further not his evil device, so that they exalt themselves, Selah". The Talmud, which is a rabbinic commentary written and compiled by the wisest rabbis in our nation from the 3rd to the 5th century C.E., foresaw things that no one could ever foresee. Here it is: "Said Jacob to the Holy One: 'Master of the Universe, do not allow Esau his heart desire... this refers to GERMAMY OF EDOM, for if they were to be allowed loose, they would destroy the world!' " (Talmud, Megilla 6a-6b).
This was written more than 1600 years before World War II and the Holocaust happened! And have no doubts, GERMAMY is Germany, please make no mistake! The Sages of the Talmud, with their special spiritual powers and their deep knowledge of the Hebrew scriptures, could tell that Esau (which is Edom - see Genesis 25:30) is Rome and later Germany of today. And we are not talking about the genes necessarily, but rather about the world view - think of the Roman empire, think of Germany, think of all the violence and thirst for power and blood that these nations had. Esau was a red head hunter... unfortunately, the Germans (and Romans, and Russians, etc) were hunters of Jews for long, bitter, bloody years. The Talmud Sages knew this with their heightened spiritual capabilities and their meticulous study of the Hebrew scriptures.
To learn more about this and see the original text in the Talmud, in both Hebrew and English, please refer to this link:  https://www.sefaria.org.il/Megillah.6a.19?lang=bi

To my friends from Poland, Norway, the USA and other countries who love Israel, and yes, also my friends from Russia and Germany: this doesn't mean that all of Europeans are like Edom. People who embrace G-d are on Jacob's side. Edom is the antithesis of faith in G-d. Those of the West who embrace faith in G-d no longer have the Edomite world view, and are therefore not considered to be Edom.

Anyway, see what is happening in Israel - unbelievable, incredible, exciting miracles, and all in accordance with the promises of the Torah, the Prophets and the Talmudic texts. You who support us are part of this story. You are on the right side of History. You see the amazing picture as it unfolds in front of your eyes, and you don't fight it like so many do in the world - you embrace it and support it.

Please feel free to ask me anything you want, and to comment freely on whatever you want. I am always happy to rise to the challenge and try to answer these questions to the best of my ability. You are my friends, you are Israel's friends and may you be blessed abundantly for that!

With love from my beloved, holy, beautiful city of Jerusalem, may it be rebuilt in its entirety soon (the Temple, guys, the Temple has to be rebuilt too, in G-d's graces, hopefully soon, and in peaceful ways!) and may peace prevail in it forever!

Yours faithfully,
You know who I am... :-)

BeHukotai: Leviticus 26:3 - 27:34

We are living through very interesting, exciting times, when incredible, unbelievable things take place in front of our eyes. G-d's "fingerprints" are so clearly visible in all of this, that we just have to lean back and watch - and whenever possible, enjoy the show! 
Donald Trump, the most unlikely person to ever be the President of the United States, was elected president. He decided to move the American embassy to Jerusalem, recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Not only that, he also cancelled the very problematic nuclear deal with Iran - who would have believed that, who could have imagined that? Iran is now attacking the north of Israel, and the whole world seems to be bubbling and boiling over different things - but it seems like everyone's eyes are focused on this little country, on this little nation that is just 0.2% of the world's population. How can it be? There is only one answer, and everyone who is honest enough with himself can easily know the answer. 

I want to share with you an amazing prophecy from an ancient Jewish source, Yalkut Shimoni (about Isaiah 60) - written 800 years ago by an unknown Jewish sage. When you read it, you can't help shivering. Some of it is already happening now, in front of our eyes. Here is the translation. When you read it, think of the recently tense relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, think of how Europe is involved in all of this, etc.:

“Rabbi Yizchak said: ‘The year that Melech HaMoshiach [Messiah the King] will be revealed, all the nations of the world will be provoking each other. The King of Persia (Iran) will provoke the King of Arabia (Saudia), and the King of Arabia will go to Edom (Europe and the West) to take counsel..." 
The text goes on to talk about what will happen in the world - scary things. I truly believe that those of the nations of the world who love G-d and support Israel will be redeemed too. This is not something that is reserved just for us, but for all those who love G-d and help His people. If you want to read more about it, click this link: https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/58217/800-year-old-prophecy-declares-when-king-persia-will-provoke-king-arabia-redemption-around-corner-middle-east/

The Hebrew original is here:


This week's Torah Portion, BeHukotai (Leviticus 26:3-27:4) is the last one in the Book of Leviticus. In it, there are blessings promised to the people of Israel by G-d if we follow him, keep Shabbat and do everything we are commanded to do, and there are also curses that we are threatened with if we don't do that (curses that unfortunately came true during our long, bitter exile). Just a few quotes, and when you read them, see if you can recognize the time in history in which they happened:

"And I will scatter you among the nations, and I will draw out the sword after you, and your land shall be a desolation, and your cities shall be waste" (Lev. 26:33). Is it familiar? Something that happened for such a long long period of time in our history!
Mark Twain wrote in his travelogue ("The Innocents Abroad"), when he visited here in the middle of the 19th century, that the Holy Land "sits in sackcloth and ashes. Over it broods the spell of a curse that has withered its fields and fettered its energies". He continues and says that "There was hardly a tree or a shrub anywhere. Even the olive and the cactus... had almost deserted the country... a desolation is here that not even imagination can grace with the pomp of life and action".

In the Torah, G-d says to us about the time that the curse will happen: "Then shall the land be paid her Shabbats, as long as it lies desolate, and you are in your enemies' land. Even then shall the land rest and repay her Shabbats... the rest which it didn't have in your Shabbats, when you lived in it". The commandments we are given - to rest from work on Shabbat (and let the land rest on every Seventh Year!) - are so important, that because we violated them, we were thrown out of the land.
The Torah continues: "And you shall perish among the nations, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up". Familiar? Hasn't it happened for such a long bloody exile? I've just finished reading the excellent book "German Requiem" - a history book that describes such a sad attempt by Jews to forsake their Jewishness and become more Germans than the Germans, without any success. We all know how it ended. The lesson of it all is that we cannot ever forsake the special covenant that G-d sealed with us. Even if we want to, we can't, it is bigger and stronger than us. If we try to get rid of our Jewish identity, G-d uses the nations around us as rods in His hand, reminding us in a very painful way that we are Jews, whether we like it or not.

But G-d also promises that He will not forsake us completely, which He really hasn't: "And yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly and to break My covenant with them; for I am the L-rd their G-d."

And what happens now, when more and more of us observe Shabbat, and try to cling to G-d and His commandments with all our might? G-d promised us, and He fulfills this promise nowadays, since the establishment of the State of Israel, which is the beginning of our redemption:
"And five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall chase ten thousand, and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword" (Leviticus 26:8). Sounds familiar? Isn't it what happened in all the miraculous wars of the modern State of Israel? Just think of 1967, when the whole world thought it was going to be the end of Israel, but Israel won over mighty armies, far greater in numbers and equipment, in just six days! And the 1973 Yom Kippur war? We should have been wiped out, according to logic. And our mere survival here, surrounded by a sea of hostile Arab countries? This in itself is incredible. It is all unbelievable, and it is all promised here, in this Portion.
G-d concludes: "And I will walk among you, and will be your G-d, and you shall be My People"... It is so visible nowadays! Not only do we survive, we also prosper! People come here from all over the world to witness this miracle with their own eyes, to try to fathom what is our secret. Yes, reality is not yet perfect, BUT it is getting there - so many miracles, so many things that are so incredible, so improbable, so wonderful happen here! The final redemption is near, for us and for those of the nations of the world who truly love the ONE G-d and worship Him (for more about the commandments given specifically to the nations of the world, you can read here: https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/62221/jewish/The-7-Noahide-Laws-Universal-Morality.htm).

This week one of my students told me about this song, Cry No More, Yerushalayim - a song that talks about our consolation and the big miracles that G-d does for us. I like the song, and the video clip shows footage of Jerusalem, so those of you who love my city are welcome to watch this short video clip and enjoy the song:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7ruAmWfb4A

This coming Sunday is Yom Yerushalayim, "Jerusalem Day". It is so beautiful that one day later, on Monday, the US embassy is scheduled to move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. I'll write about it next week, G-d willing.

Shabbat shalom!

Torah Portion (BeHar): Leviticus 25:1-26:2

This week we celebrated the Hebrew Holiday of Lag BaOmer. This is the day in which Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai passed away, and gave the teachings of the Zohar (a Jewish Kabbalah book) to his disciples, which made it available to the world later on. On this holiday we light bonfires and eat potatoes and meat grilled in fire. This week, however, there were very few bonfires. The whole nation was recovering from a terrible calamity that befell us last week: ten young people were killed in a flood in the Aravah desert. They were going on a trip, and got stuck in a narrow wadi when a flood of water came and killed ten of them. So sad. The pain was so big, that I had to go to one of the funerals, even though I didn't know the person. Nine of these ten people were girls, and one boy. The boy died because he stayed behind to help others climb up and be saved. He saved them, at the expense of his own life. In our post-modern generation, in which no absolute truths are accepted, it is a painful reminder to the fact that boys and girls are different. Boys are physically stronger, and no matter how the feminists would rebel against this, they are better fit to deal with some physical challenges than girls are. The boys were able to climb up and away from the flood. Girls are weaker, physically, and their strength was not enough for them to climb up and resist the flood. All those "politically correct" people nowadays who try to equate men and women in every possible thing (asking the army to let women serve in ALL capacities, etc.) - all these people are wrong, and that disaster is a painful reminder to that.
Because we were all badly traumatized by this disaster, the authorities asked people to abstain from lighting fires on Lag BaOmer, fearing that in this hot weather, yet another disaster could happen, G-d forbid. Surprisingly for Israel, such a stiff necked nation that we are, most people obeyed! The air was clean, no smoke, hardly any fires. People were united with grief and concern for each other and decided to give up the favorite past-time of Lag BaOmer for public safety. 

After that painful, difficult week, I got some ray of light sent to me by HaShem this week. Some of you know that in addition to my regular job, I also teach Hebrew to supplement my meager salary. For me it is not just work, it is also a mission. By doing that, I feel I help, even just a little bit, in G-d's plan to settle the Jews back in Eretz Israel (The land of Israel). My students are Olim Chadashim, Jewish people who leave the meat-pots of America or England or Australia to live here, in this little desert corner in the Middle East, surrounded by hostile Arabs and the sea on all directions, without knowing the language, without having friends here, without having proper jobs here. I enjoy teaching them and helping some of them settle. Helping them learn Hebrew facilitates their absorption process here, which is very important. I love this job, and one of the reasons that I don't go for full time job somewhere, is so that I can have time to teach. I teach privately, one to one. Women - at my place, men - in a coffee shop or a hotel lobby.
So this week G-d sent me a gift: a new female student. She is originally from Hawaii, 4th generation Japanese, who converted to Judaism, married a Jewish guy from New York, and now lives as a Haredi (ultra-orthodox) woman in the Sanhedriyah neighborhood of Jerusalem. She and her husband have 5 children. She teaches dance to girls here, and she needs Hebrew for her job. I often hear from my students many personal stories. Often in our classes, as they talk to me (in Hebrew) about their life and personal experiences, tears come to their eyes. I feel so enriched by the privilege of being there to hear people's stories!
This new student of mind told me that she went back to Hawaii for a short time, and there, at her old high school, she told them about the change she has done in her life, about the choices that she has made which make her feel so happy. What an amazing Kiddush HaShem (Sanctification of G-d's name)! She said that one woman who interviewed her for the school newspaper told her that after hearing her talk, she couldn't sleep at night, because it opened inside of her all those bottled-up feelings, yearnings and thoughts that she didn't dare addressing before. My student told me that, to begin with, she used to feel some emptiness in her life, even though she had a good life, with good friends and a good family. But something was missing. She was looking for that 'something' in different ways, but couldn't find it anywhere else. She told me that she traveled the world, went to all different countries, but never found it anywhere. And now, when she lives in Jerusalem, she feels she doesn't want to go anywhere, she wants to be here. She's been living here for a few years now (with her basic Hebrew), so she knows what she's talking about. It made me shiver. It is so beautiful. I am grateful to G-d for sending her my way. 

Yesterday I had a day off, so I went on a group-tour to Haifa, with a few more Israelis. It was a very hot day, but I'm glad I went. I got to learn about the German Colony of Haifa, Wadi Nisnas in which Arabs and Jews live as neighbors, about down-town Haifa, and more. The German Colony (both in Haifa and in Jerusalem) was built in 1868 by the Templers, Germans who thought that redemption is near, and that they should prepare the land of Israel for it. They came here, made a huge contribution to the Land, left us with beautiful houses (especially in the German Colony of Jerusalem!), but with the turns and twists of history, they were expelled to Australia by the British authorities a few good years later. They left, but with G-d's interesting plans, we came. And we keep on building and developing this land. A secular friend of mine from Norway, who came here and saw the German Colony here in Jerusalem, told me that to her it seems as if G-d "used" the Germans to pave the way for the Jews to return home. She said it, not me. Anyway, it reminds me of the verses from Deuteronomy 6: "And it shall be, when the LORD thy G-d shall bring you into the land which He swore unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you--great and goodly cities, which you did not build, and houses full of all good things, which thou didst not fill, and cisterns hewn out, which thou didst not hew, vineyards and olive-trees, which thou didst not plant, and thou shalt eat and be satisfied--..."
Haifa is not my place. But I saw pictures of what it used to be just a 100 years ago, and what it is now, and it is just unbelievable. Such huge miracles. Who could have imagined that any of this would happen? Theodor Herzl wrote in his book Altneuland what Haifa should look like, when his vision comes true. Reality far exceeds that which he dared to imagine. Haifa is a thriving Jewish city, living peacefully with its Arab inhabitants, enjoying two universities (Haifa University and the Technion), vast HiTech parks, and more. Quite incredible. In this week's Torah Portion, BaHar, G-d says: "Wherefore you shall do My statutes, and keep Mine ordinances and do them; and you shall dwell in the land in safety. And the land shall yield her fruit, and you shall eat until you have enough, and dwell therein in safety." Touring Haifa yesterday, and living in Jerusalem every day (thank G-d!), this is exactly the reality that I see, feel and experience. Baruch HaShem.

Shabbat is near. I'm invited to eat at my friends' gorgeous apartment in my neighborhood of Rechavia, so I don't need to do much preparations. So now I am going to see the Giro D'Italia bicycle race, which will start today here in Jerusalem. Poor riders, such a hot day today! But I saw some of the riders when I was teaching one of my male student at the lobby of the Orient Hotel. They seem so fit and agile. It makes you want to ride a bicycle too! Those of you reading this on time - you can watch the race on TV or the internet. It is going to be covered widely by the TV networks all over the world. 

Shabbat Shalom!

P.S.: back, and with a photo:

You Must Always Pray / Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis

You Must Always Pray / Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis

       In the very first parshah, the Torah describes the creation of the world and the creation of man, the very crown of creation. We learn that although the seeds of all vegetation were in place, it was only after man prayed for rain that the seeds blossomed and bloomed. 

       This prerequisite of prayer is evident throughout our Torah and history. Our mothers - Sarah, Rivkah, Rachel, and Leah - and many others were granted the berachah of children only after they prayed with all their hearts and souls. 

       This prerequisite is actually necessary for every blessing in life. For example, it was only after Moshe Rabbeinu, the greatest man ever to walk the face of the earth, turned to Hashem with intense, genuine prayer that Hashem forgave the nation of Israel.

G-d's response to Moshe comprised just two words, but those two words had, and continue to have, more power than the most deadly weapons mankind can devise. We are all familiar with those two little words. They are engraved on our hearts and souls; they are the pillars of Yom Kippur: "Selachti kidvarecha" - "I [G-d] have forgiven even as you requested."

       Yes, prayer is the foundation, the ultimate defense weapon of our people. Our father Yaakov was endowed with this gift by his own father, Yitzchak, who proclaimed those words that identify us for all time: "Hakol kol Yaakov - The voice is the voice of Yaakov." That voice is the voice of prayer. It is so powerful that it can pierce the bolted heavenly gates and ascend to the very Throne of G-d. 

       Throughout the long centuries of our persecution, torture, and slaughter, this voice of Jacob has enabled us to triumph. It was prayer that enabled us to survive Hitler's hell. I know - I was there.

       In our "enlightened" world, however, this voice has become muted; prayer has come to be regarded as something only a naïve, unschooled person can take seriously. We, the citizens of the 21st century, know the age of miracles has long passed.

       And there are still other factors that impede prayer. Ours is a culture addicted to instant gratification. From computers to iPhones, fast food to microwaves, it must all be fast, fast, fast! So if our prayers are not immediately granted, we cut the line and lose our connection with G-d; we stop praying, sit in solitude, and our loneliness consumes us. 

       Psalm 27 offers us the solution: "Kaveh el Hashem - Place your trust in G-d." Pray. And if initially your prayers are not answered, strengthen your heart and pray some more.

       We must only keep the lines open and never stop praying. If we wish to live, we must always bear in mind that prayer is our most powerful weapon.

       Having said all this, we must also recognize that Hashem is not our waiter. We cannot make demands. We cannot order Him around. We cannot depart from His restaurant in a fit of temper. There are no other eateries to which we can go. 

       Time and again I have been told by disappointed singles searching for their soulmates or businesspeople facing failure, "I am through! I've had it! I prayed and it's no use. It's all to no avail!"

       "Really?" I ask. "You're really through? You won't pray? Do you really think you're doing G-d a favor when you seek His help and pray? Do you really think G-d is diminished because you have ceased praying?"

       I then point out what should be obvious: "If G-d wills it, in an instant you will be gone. So let me give you a piece of advice. If you want to start up with someone, that's your option, but for your own good, your own survival, don't start up with G-d. You will lose before you ever start."

       When they ask me what to do, I reply, "Follow the advice, found in Psalm 27, of King David, the mighty warrior and sweet singer of Israel: Pray, and then pray some more. Follow the example of Moshe Rabbeinu, whose every prayer was on behalf of his people."

       Actually, the one time Moshe prayed for himself, he begged G-d to allow him to enter the Promised Land. He was told "no," but his faith never diminished. He understood that everything that comes from G-d is good and there was a reason why he was not permitted to walk on Eretz Yisrael's holy ground. Just the same, every prayer is answered in its own way; from the top of the mountain G-d granted Moshe a vision and he saw the Land of Israel and the great panorama of Jewish history.

       G-d has His reasons, even if those reasons cannot be comprehended by our puny minds. Our faith, our trust in Hashem, is eternal, and we know that "no" is also an answer.