Israel and The Sin of Expulsion

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In last week’s Parsha Toldos, we learned about Rivka, who rose above an evil environment while internalizing it’s insights and was thus well positioned to urge Yaakov to claim the Bracha, and about Yaakov, the “Ish Tam”. We learn that Yaakov was “totally honest, a man of great integrity” but was also master over the trait of being “tam”, a “‘plain man’, … without trickery. This means that Yaakov did not allow this “Ish Tam” character trait to dominate him. He knew when and where to act otherwise. We knew that from his demand for the birthright from Eisev in exchange for the lentil soup. These traits surely seemed inculcated to Yaakov as a result of Rivka Imeinu’s nurturing. read more

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Commentary;

On Thursday afternoon, a bus load of members of 2 Ramat Beit Shemesh Kehillot; Beit Tefillah Yona Avraham, Menorat Hamaor and their Rabbanim Rav Chaim Zev Malinowitz and Rav Daniel Myers travelled to Hevron to pray before Rosh Chodesh Kislev and to give chizuk to all living in the “Peace House” — Beit HaShalom who face the prospect of sudden eviction by the immoral, unethical, UnJewish regime which governs the Jewish State. As we came close to Kiryat Arba, we made a stop to view the ruins resulting from the regime’s Yassamnik pogrom which utterly trashed and destroyed the Federman-Tor Farm as well as persecuting the families living there. As the Yassamnikim did their detestable deeds, IDF Officers tricked a group of Yeshiva student soldiers into standing guard over the event under the guise of searching for terrorists. In so doing, the soldiers stationed on the periphery unwittingly stopped and turned back Jews coming to the aid of the Federman-Tor families telling them that the area was dangerous, that the IDF was searching for terrorists. read more