Parsha Pearls: Parshas Vayechi
The
Zionists Are Nourished From the Yeshivos
Jews Have No Authority During Exile
Let Us Gather Together
The Comfortable Exile
Quotes: Rabbi Yitzchok Lebovits of Khal Yereim, Woodridge
https://torahjews.org/2023/11/24/parsha-pearls-parshas-vayechi
Central
Rabbinical Congress of the U.S.A. and Canada
85 Division Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 112111
384-6765
January 11, 1986
The central Rabbinical Congress of the USA and Canada representing the masses of Orthodox and Hassidic Jews feels impelled to reiterate the Torah true position it has expounded many times in the past.
We decry the shocking statements and accompanying actions of “religious” leaders in the state of Israel. We are especially offended by those who use the revered title “Rabbi” to bring shame upon the Jewish people as a whole by their actions and polemics
As a people we have demonstrated moral principles and greater religious tents to the world. Our tenacity in clinging to our faith has brought us much persecution in our physical exile. Despite this, we have always remained loyal to our traditions.
Among the traditions upheld through the years are three principles that pertain to our ultimate redemption by Moshiach for which we pray daily.
1. We are bound not to create or work to attain a state in the Holy Land before the promised redemption.
2. We are bound to accept the yoke of Diaspora, of exile, until the redemption.
3. We are bound to live in peace and harmony among the nations where Heavenly Providence has dispersed us.
These three principles have been followed without question for millennia. “Religious” zionism took advantage of the “opportunity” of the Holocaust, to manipulate and distort these principles so as to justify their actions in midwifing the birth of the state of Israel; there are religious Jews who have debased and degraded their faith by worshipping the Golden Calf of our day, the Israeli government.
This totally secular state is zionist not Jewish. Under its constitution and governing body, every sort of violation of Judaism is condoned and advanced. This state condones immorality, encourages and abets the profanation of the Holy Sabbath, allows indiscriminate abortions, forces post mortems, countenances the desecration of ancient Jewish graves and has the chutzpah to call itself the “Jewish” state. The “religious” political parties of the State allow themselves to be used to present an appearance of the approval by the Torah their participation is used to whitewash the misdeeds of the State and to prove that their every action is in accord with the Torah, Heaven forbid.
Recently various ultra nationalist zionist movements have emerged that demand permanent annexation of the West Bank. We have witnessed a renewed parody of “religious fervor” by the Gush Emunim, some of whose members are serving sentences for terrorist activities. These extremists, under the guise of religious zeal, have set up several settlements on the West Bank. The notorious “Rabbi” Meir Kahane has called for the expulsion of Arabs from their homes and their deportation to other lands. A group of religious people have established a town on the West Bank called Emanuel.
These acts have been committed in the name of the Sacred Torah.
We cannot, we dare not remain silent.
It is our duty to denounce those who invoke the name of the Almighty in vain. It is our holy obligation and our moral responsibility to cal on them: Stop using these falsehoods and heresies to justify yourselves and your misdeeds. The Jewish faith, as transmitted by the Almighty to our forefathers has not and will never countenance the zionist and nationalistic doctrines of the state of Israel. These false doctrines are compounded of atheism and anti-religious zionism, ideologies alien to Judaism. Let them not be misrepresented to the world as “Jewish”.
Our basic desire as G-d fearing Jews is to live in peace with our neighbors in the lands where we reside until the final Divine redemption takes place as promised and peace and harmony will come to all mankind. Amen.
——————————————————————————–
The following explains the statement issued by the Central Rabbinical Congress of the USA and Canada.
The true Jewish position on zionism and the state called Israel is found in the Scriptures in the Talmud and in the oral traditions transmitted to us by our parents and teachers.
At the outset of the Jews’ exile to Babylonia, the Prophet Jeremiah, in chapter 29 of his book proclaimed G-d’s message to all the exiled…Verse seven reads, “Seek out the welfare of the city to which I have exiled you and pray for it to the Almighty, for through its welfare will you have welfare.” This has been a cornerstone of Jewish “foreign policy” how to behave in the lands of the nations throughout our ensuing exiles till this very day.
There Jeremiah adds in the name of G-d (verses 8 and 9), “Do not let your false prophets among you and your sorcerers seduce you, do not heed your dreamers which you cause them to dream. For they speak falsely to you in My name. I did not send them.” This too has applied to all the would-be misleaders of Jewry whether they presented themselves as prophets or as sorcerers or as dreamers of national aspirations.
King Solomon in Song of Songs thrice adjured the “daughters of Jerusalem” not to arouse or bestir the love until it is ready.” The Talmud explains that two of the oaths are directed at the Jews, the exiled daughters of Jerusalem, not to unit to take the Holy Land and not to rebel against the nations. The third oath is directed to the nations of the world no to oppress the Jews. Throughout the seventy years of the Babylonian exile, throughout the 200 years of the Hellenic exile and throughout the 1917 since the destruction of G-d’s Holy House, we have steadfastly maintained our loyalty to G-d and have not transgressed His oaths. And we have prayed for the welfare of the cities and the countries of our host nations that did not oppress us, and in their welfare we indeed always found ours.
Whoever violates Jeremiah’s principles or Solomon’s oaths immediately imperils the welfare of Jews locally and elsewhere in the world.
Yakov M. RABKIN
Vayigash: my Toughts
Vayigash 2023. Genesis 44:18-47:27
The story of Joseph and his brothers reaches a culmination. Benjamin is accused of stealing Joseph’s divination cup. The proof seems incontrovertible: the cup was indeed found in Benjamin’s luggage. The culprit was to become a slave in Egypt. Then Judah intervenes before the Vice-Roy (he did not know then it was his brother Joseph) with an elaborate plea.
Jewish tradition (e.g., Maimonides) interprets this episode as a prototype of repentance. The brothers admit among themselves their guilt for selling Joseph. Moreover, Judah, who had originally suggested selling Joseph to slavery (Genesis 37:27) now volunteers to become a slave in Egypt (Genesis 44:3—34) to spare grief to his father. Becoming a slave would expiate his sin of selling his brother to slavery.
But there is another aspect of this story that deserves attention. Judah does not know if Benjamin stole the goblet. According to the Midrash Raba, the brothers tell each other after the goblet is found in Benjamin’s belongings: “No wonder he stole it. His mother stole the terafim (apparently a pagan sacred object also used for divination) from her father (Genesis 31-17)). Like mother, like son.” Therefore, Judah does not claim his brother’s innocence. He begs for mercy for his father who might not survive the disappearance of the last son of his beloved Rachel.
Judah diverts the focus of his plea away from the issue of culpability vs innocence towards “collateral damage” of punishing Benjamin. The focus is Jacob, and Judah is ready for self-sacrifice for his father’s sake. What breaks the dam, is love, in this case filial love in action. Joseph can no longer hold back and reveals himself as their brother. Joseph tries to assuage their sense of guilt by telling his brothers that it was not they who sent him to Egypt, but God, who had made him ruler over all Egypt (Genesis 45-8). He bears no grudge against them, and there is no longer any reason for them to feel guilty.
Parsha Pearls: Parshas Vayigash
The Holy Tongue or Modern Hebrew?
Don’t Straddle Both Sides of the Fence
Zionists Endanger the Jewish People
https://torahjews.org/2023/11/24/parsha-pearls-parshas-vayigash
Statement on ADL politicizing antisemitism:
December 20, 2023
The CEO of The ADL, Mr. Jonathan Greenblatt has testified before the Congressional ‘Way and Means’ Committee regarding the scourge of antisemitism that is currently plaguing Jewish Students on American campuses.
Mr. Greenblatt has declared “It’s not free speech to incite, to intimidate or to threaten Jewish students simply because they are Jewish.” Torah Jews certainly agree that violence or any means of incitement is never allowed nor to be excused. However, the ADL is circumventing the root cause of why Jewish Students are being seen as a target for the actions of a foreign country. The answer is straightforward.
The Israeli establishment and their associated organizations are very keen to promote the false narrative that Israel is somehow the ‘State of all Jews’. This sets the dangerous and profoundly misleading impression that Diaspora Jews ‘belong’ to Israel. The solution to this worrying trend is to disseminate the simple truth that the ‘State of Israel and its policies do not represent the Jewish people.’ Judaism is a religion, not a nationality.
Organizations such as the ADL are the chief advocates to enforce Israel’s status as a ‘Jewish State.’ Their actions increase the vulnerability of Jewish student across America and does the very opposite of fighting antisemitism.
We urge those worried about the safety of Jews to spread further awareness.
Source: Torah Jews
December 19, 2023
Statement in Response to the Religious Newspapers, and Temple Mount Visitors
By the Beth Din Tzedek of the Eidah HaChareidis of Jerusalem
Sunday evening, 6th of Teves 5784 (December 17, 2023)
Everyone has long been aware of the damage done by newspapers that claim to be chareidi, when in fact they spread ideas that are far from the Torah. This is especially evident now, as the spirit of nationalism makes inroads into our camp, with many influenced by the falsifications of the Torah published by writers who are far from adhering to authentic Jewish belief. Some of them are even encouraging boys and girls to enlist in the Israeli army, which our rabbis never dreamed of permitting. These newspapers are tearing down our community’s fortified walls.
This problem is not new; the greatest rabbis of the prior generation already denounced newspapers like these. We are simply reiterating their call to every Jew not to read these newspapers. No one should buy them, and if they are distributed for free, no one should bring them into the house.
Every Jew should instead teach his household the holy Jewish tradition: to have faith and trust in G-d, not in human power. “As the old proverb goes, wickedness comes from the wicked.” (I Samuel 24:13) We must pray continuously for the safety of every Jew and the redemption of our people as a whole.
At this time, we cannot remain silent in the face of the damaging influence of the spirit of nationalism, spread by the newspapers and other means, which is arousing the hatred of the non-Jews, making it seem as if Jews in religious garb are provoking the non-Jews, as if those who keep Torah and mitzvos are somehow involved in the Israeli-Arab conflict, G-d forbid.
And especially, everyone must speak out against those who encourage the public to visit the Temple Mount, a sin carrying a severe Divine punishment, as rabbis have ruled in the past. Besides, as long as the Jewish people is in exile, we have no power, nor do we even desire, to take away anything from the control of other nations.
May Hashem Yisborach have mercy on us and bring an end to our suffering, and may the messiah come soon.
Source: Torah Jews
DER FASTTAG DES MONATS TÉVESS
Am
zehnten dieses Monats ist ein allgemeiner Fasttag zur Erinnerung daran, daß an
diesem Tage die Belagerung Jerusalems
durch Nebukadnezar angefangen hat. Das Fasten an diesem Tage soll uns
lehren, daß unsere Vorfahren durch ihre Sünden die höchsten Güter des Lebens
verscherzten, und uns ermahnen, in aufrichtiger Rückkehr zu Gott und Seiner
Gnade wieder würdig zu zeigen. – Die wesentliche Bestimmung eines Fasttages
besteht daher nicht blos in der Enthaltung von Speise und Trank, sondern vor
allem auch in der Besserung des ganzen Lebenswandels; wer daher durch Fasten
allein, ohne sein Herz gebessert zu haben glaubt, der hat den wahren Zweck des
Fasttages nicht verstanden
Quelle: „Bibel- und Talmudschatz – Ein Buch für die jüdische Familie“ von J.H. Kohn, 13 Auflage Hamburg 5691-1931 Verlag von George Kramer
Rabbiner Dr. Mendel HIRSCH (1833 – 1900) Auszug aus dem Kommentar zur Haftoro des Wochenabschnittes TAZRIA V.19...
