Devarim 5769: Seeking and Bringing True Jewish Leadership and it’s Applications

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by Moshe Burt

A number of years ago, Rav Aba Wagensberg spoke out in a shiur that Sefer Devarim represents Moshe Rabbeinu’s Mussar to B’nai Yisrael as the time of his death drew near.

He explained that near the end of Sefer BaMidbar, we began to see indications, via the story of Zelafchad’s daughters, Reuven and Gad’s desire to settle east of the Jordan, etc., that the B’nai Yisrael finally desired to accept Moshe Rabbeinu’s teachings and his Mussar which was meant to bring about the perfection of the Jewish people in emulation of the ways of Hashem as they were about to enter Eretz Yisrael. read more

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Obama’s Cairo Speech, Policies and the Jews

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Commentary:

I am dispensing with the 3rd person “this author” on this one. America’s president Barack Hussein Obama has made his Cairo speech. Aside from the questions of what it’s decipherings, implications and deeper meanings and analysis could mean to Israel and to the Jewish world, the question is; What Should Hussein Obama’s Cairo ingratiation to Islam mean to a Jewish state of Israel, to a real Jewish governance, and to the Jewish world?

What I see Obama’s speech meaning is that at long last, Israel must once and for all be weaned off the bosom of slavery to American aid and American approval. What it shows is that Israel MUST shake mentality of dependence (thus enslavement) and return to self-reliance of her modern-day-statehood-founding and of her Six-Day War resourceness — with home-bred talent, ingenuity and self-reliance which goes along with it, as well as reliance upon Hashem. What it proves is what I have been writing for years, that Jews are obligated to but One Ultimate Authority — Hashem in Shemayim. And when earthly Jewish leaders are NOT L’shem Shemayim, but are about L’shem their own self-interests, agendas, prejudices, their own self-enrichment and self-aggrandisement, self-affectionation and self-perpetuation of their own power and influence; they are clearly not worthy to lead the B’nai Yisrael. That is what sets apart Moshe Rabbeinu, Aaron HaKohen and certain other select Jewish leaders down through history from the Yudenrat: Real Leaders vs Corrupt, Evil Pretenders. If Jews and Jewish leadership act like Jews, then we are impervious to the Obamas, Clintons or, you name it srom successive previous American governments, read more

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Did Pope Plan Chief Islamic Judge Tamimi’s Notre Dame Institute Outburst?

Commentary;

On Tuesday, this blog posted a piece about Ashkenaz Chief Rabbi Metzger’s announcement which indicated that the ‘Pope Agreed Vatican to Stop Missionizing Jews.’

And this blog posed the question;

If the Pope walked out of the festivities at Notre Dame Pontifical Institute in Jerusalem after Chief Islamic Judge of the Palestinian Authority, Sheikh Tayseer Rajab Tamimi’s unscheduled, unsolicited verbal attack upon Israel, just why did Army Radio report that the Pope shook Tamimi’s hand on the way out? read more

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Parshiyot Behar/Bechukotai 5769: Connecting Shabbos, Shemittoh and Eretz Yisrael

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by Moshe Burt

Parshiyot Behar and Bechukotai are another power-packed doubleheader emphasizing the connection between the Jew and Eretz Yisrael.

Our Parshiyot parallel the laws of Shabbos with Shemittoh. And so, six days you shall work and you shall rest, refrain from all manner of avodah on the seventh day… to keep it Holy, just as in emulation of Hashem’s creation of the universe. When the laws of Shabbos are paralleled with the laws of Shemittoh: ‘I will command My blessing during the sixth year and it will provide produce for three years’, we are able to understand the Hatam Sofer’s explanation; read more

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Yom Ha’atzmaut — Modern-Day Jewish State of Israel at 61

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by Moshe Burt

A couple of thoughts on the 61st anniversary of Modern-Day Jewish State of Israel:

  • 1/ It should only be that all of B’nai Yisrael, forget the non-Jewish world, that all Jews, everywhere, unite and internalize modern-day Israel as a Jewish State, as a Jewish entity, as a Jewish Land connected to the Jewish people by eternal Divine legacy.
  • 2/ A friend of mine jested in Shul this morning that Yom Ha’atzmaut was like a fast day to certain Jewish sectors and that the siyum that was to be held, similar to Erev Pesach, was to eliminate the necessity of first-born to fast.

This author’s response to the latter:

As much as this friend was jesting when equating Yom Ha’atzmaut with a fast day, the reality seems to be that certain Jewish sectors appear to view the equation as valid.

A few years ago, after the expulsion of Jews from Gush Katif and the 4 Shomron towns, this author ceased to say Hallel on Yom Ha’atzmaut. This is a somewhat controversial topic. read more

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Parshiyot Tazria/Metzora 5769: Ta’amei and Tahara on National Level

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In learning about the laws of tzara’as, we find posukim which are a pelah, a wonderment.

Torah relates in our Parsha;

“If the tzara’as will erupt on the skin, and … will cover the entire skin of the afflicted from his head to his feet, wherever the eyes of the Kohen can see — the Kohen shall look, and behold! — the affliction has covered his entire flesh, then he shall declare the affliction to be pure; having turned completely white, it is pure. On the day healthy skin appears …, it (the affliction) shall be contaminated.” (Sefer Vayikra, Perek 13, posukim 12 – 14) read more

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Parshiyot Vayakhel, Pekudei: Leadership, Accountability and Transparency, Paradigm for National Unity

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by Moshe Burt

The terms leadership, accountability and transparency have often been bandied about in contemporary Medinat Yisrael where dedication, diligence and overiding concern for the welfare of the Kahal have often been wanting as compared with the influence, enrichment, protexia and political agendization of the few, the priviledged, the elitists.

Our Parsha Vayakhel is dedicated to teaching B’nai Yisrael about Shabbat which has always, until recent times, been the unifying, defining factor of Judaism. It alludes to all else — Yishuv HaAretz, Kiddushin, etc. It symbolizes the Jew’s faith in Hashem. The parsha begins by stating that “Moshe assembled the entire congregation of B’nai Yisrael…” (Perek 35, Posuk 1) However, Torah’s loshen (language) “Adat B’nai Yisrael”, in the context of learning the laws of Shabbos as related to the construction of the Mishkan, seems to indicate a unity, as one, amongst the Assembly of the B’nai Yisrael. read more

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Purim 5769: The Meaning of Purim, and the “New Jew”

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By Moshe Burt

In writing a vort on Purim, this author thinks back to a theme addressed in an earlier Siyum on Mesechta Megillah from a few years ago as well as another recurring theme on this blog.

The Jew separates and distinguishes himself from the rest of the nations through the Mitzvah of Bris Milah, even though many of our contemporary Jewish brothers would distance themselves from, or stand in denial of their Yiddishkeit. In short, many among our Jewish brethren would deny Hashem’s control of the world and seek to tailor Torah and their Jewishness to fit the ways of the nations rather than accepting Hashem’s reishut (command) over the world. read more

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Bibi and Likud Primaries: Referendum2 — “Lavan Broke His Agreement with Yaakov 100 Times…”

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Commentary;

In last week’s Parsha Vayeitzei, Yaakov tells his wives Rachel and Leah;

…Your father mocked me and changed my wage a hundred times, but Hashem did not permit him to harm me.” (Sefer Breish’t, Perek 31, posuk 7)

And like Lavan, Likud party leader Benjamin Netanyahu has subjected Moshe Feiglin, Manhigut Yehudit and Likud voters to repeated Lavan-like changes to the rules, both before primary day and now after.

Feiglin: The Voters have Spoken [And Again the Voter’s Will is Disrespected by Likud] read more

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Yom Kippur 5769: As Kohanim to the Jews; The Jews to Mankind

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By Moshe Burt

The Mussaf portion of any prayers; Yom Tov, Rosh Chodesh, Shabbos represent the essence, the main point of that day.

On Yom Kippur, the essence of the service, the ikar is the avodah of the Kohen Godol. So much so is this the case that the Mussaf service centers around the order of the Kohen Godol’s service in the Kodosh Kodoshim (the Holy of Holies in the Beit HaMikdash). The service includes all of the preparations which the Kohen Godol makes prior to the service, the clothing he must wear at each step of the avodah, the number of times that the Kohen must bathe himself prior to each change of clothing and before each step of his service, the drawing of lots determining which goat is for Hashem and which for The Mountain of Azazel (the goat designated by lot to bear the burden of death to rectify B’nai Yisrael’s sins) and more. And by virtue of our being Hashem’s “most favored nation”, The Kohen Godol is to the Jews a paradigm of Hashem’s blueprint of what the Jews are to represent to the other nations of Mankind. read more

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