Parshat Va’etchanan 5773 — Consolation: Maintaining Hope, Sanctity and Elevation After Jew Expelled Jew?

Shalom Friends;

This week, our Parshat HaShevua is being sponsored by David and Julie Morris of Ramat Beit Shemesh in honor of the upcoming
Chassuna of their son Shimshon Raphael to Avia Tzairi from Givat Shmuel. To the Morris family, many thanks for your sponsorship and continued kindnesses.

You can celebrate a Simcha — a birth, a Bar/Bat Mitzvah, a Chassuna or other Simcha event in your life, or commemorate a Yahrtzeit of a loved one, or for whatever other reason by sponsoring (or as the case may be, co-sponsoring) a Parshat HaShevua. Please be in contact with me with any questions, or for further details. read more

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Parsha Vayigash 5773: Yosef, the Brothers and Distinguishing Real Teshuvah From Mere Words, Spoken or Textual

by Moshe Burt

Every so often, over the past 7 1/2 years since the expulsion of our brethren from their homes and neighborhoods in Gush Katif and the 4 Shomron towns, we read a piece on one of the news sites or receive an email voicing regret from those who either supported the expulsion or who sat on their hands and did nothing and who now would beg forgiveness from their evicted brethren in the hope of bringing peace to within Am Yisrael.

Such a paradigm piece was an Israel National News report a few years ago about how former IDF Chief Rabbi Yisrael Weiss expressed regret at having supported the expulsion, or as they call it the “disengagement.” read more

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Parsha Vayigash 5772: Yosef, the Brothers and Distinguishing Real Teshuvah From Mere Words

by Moshe Burt

Every so often, over the past 6 1/2 years since the expulsion of our brethren from their homes and neighborhoods in Gush Katif and the 4 Shomron towns, we read a piece on one of the news sites or receive an email voicing regret from those who either supported the expulsion or who sat on their hands and did nothing and who now would beg forgiveness from their evicted brethren in the hope of bringing peace to within Am Yisrael.

There was an Israel National News report last year about how former IDF Chief Rabbi Yisrael Weiss expressed regret at having supported the expulsion, or as they call it the “disengagement.” read more

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Parsha Vayikra 5771: Distinguishing Fact from Myth and True, Strong, Yet Humble Leaders From Frauds

By Moshe Burt

The first word of our parsha; Vayikra is the source of much discussion as to why the word ends with a small “aleph” and tells much about Moshe Rabbeinu’s level of principle, integrity and his standard of leadership of B’nei Yisrael. R’ Shimshon Rafael Hirsch, z’l in the new Hirsch Chumash (published by Feldheim in 2005 and translated to English by Rabbi Daniel Haberman) renders translation of our Parsha’s opening posuk:

“And He called to Moshe, and Hashem spoke to him from the Tent of Appointed Meeting [Mei-Ohel Mo’ed], saying:” (Hirsch Chumash, Sefer Vayikra, page 1, Perek 1, posuk 1) read more

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Parsha Vayigash 5771: Yosef, the Brothers and Real Teshuvah

Moshe Burt

There was an Israel National News report last week about how former IDF Chief Rabbi Yisrael Weiss expressed regret at having supported the expulsion, or as they call it the “disengagement.”

Rabbi Weiss expressed the following:

“Rabbi Yisrael Weiss, former IDF Chief Rabbi, has expressed regret over his role in the 2005 “Disengagement” from Gaza and northern Samaria. At the time, Rabbi Weiss came out against refusing orders, saying that IDF soldiers who are told to expel Jews from their homes by force must do so.” read more

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Hezbollah Heating Up North Again Amidst Israel’s Silence, Kassam From Gaza Hits South and Other War News…

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Shabbos, Sunday War News: 5-6 Terror Rockets Launched on South Israel; Regime Admits to UPI — Terrorist Arsenal of 50,000 Rockets and No Defense; Terrorists Nabbed Pistol and Knifes, Arab Thief Killed by Police in Jerusalem

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Commentary:

Could there be a connection between Israel’s weak, lame or non-existent responses to continued Gaza rocket fire and the combined arsenal of nearly 50,000 rockets possessed by Hamas and Hezbollah and Israel’s lack of an anti-rocket defense system? Could it be that this immense arsenal is mainly the result of smuggled materials which enter Gaza and southern Lebanon right under the noses of UN and/or Egyptian forces due to Israel’s abrogation of her national sovereignty, her right to win a war and to eradicate terror as well as abrogation of her defense and security to third parties — often hostile nations? Will the US, Canada and seven European states’ agreement, soo lauded by Israel’s government, to coordinate efforts to stop the flow of weapons into Gaza make any difference? read more

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Wednesday War News: Another Day, Another Attack on South, Terrorists Get New Rocket; Five Katyusha Rockets Found on Israel, Lebanon Border; Rocks, Molotovs Thrown at Soldiers, Border Guard Unit, 6 Terrorists Nabbed

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Gaza Operations: For Naught for Lack of Will to Win?

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Commentary:

The two editorials beneath say it all about the lack of will to win and lack of clearly defined objectives, goals and day-after plans by a corrupt political governance across the board which won’t let the IDF win — including Likud, Yisrael Beiteinu, etc. .

In this context, Moshe Feiglin has written and spoken repeatedly;

If Israel cannot define a real goal for this war, it cannot win. All the IDF’s professionalism and the arduous training with which the new Chief of Staff has equipped the army are ineffective if Israel’s leaders cannot define the goal of the fighting. He who cannot define the goal cannot win. And if you can’t win – it is best not to start fighting. And if you have started fighting nevertheless, you quickly find yourself entrenched in the heart of Gaza in the worst of all positions: You can’t win; if you retreat you admit another defeat and a stalemate turns your soldiers into easy targets for kidnappers, suicide bombers and hate-filled murderers. read more

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Thursday War News: Operation Cast Lead — Day 20 — Senior Hamas Minister Killed in IAF Strike, At Least 25 Rockets Fired at Southern Israel, Three IDF Soldiers Lightly Wounded in Fighting, IAF Hits 70 Hamas Targets Overnight; 3 Live and Ready to Fire Grads Found in South Lebanon; Stones Hurled at IDF Base in Haifa

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Hamas Interior Minister Said Siam Dies in IAF Air Strike, by Yaakov Katz (Jerusalem Post)

Excerpts;

Siam was the Hamas political echelon’s liaison with the group’s military wing, and was responsible for the various security apparatuses in the Strip, including the police and the naval force.

Siam was considered a radical and was in contact with Hamas’s political leadership in Damascus. He was also considered close to Iranian officials.

Siam was one of the masterminds of Hamas’s violent takeover of the Gaza Strip in June 2007. read more

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