OU Israel Center Torah Tidbits - Parshat Chukat 5785
JULY 5TH 2025
PIRKEI AVOT 5
Ultimate Understanding
Rebbetzin Shira Smiles Page 32
Cooked Food in a Non-Kosher Gas-Station Rabbi Ezra Friedman Page 38
United We Stand
OU KASHRUT
PAGE BY RABBI
EZRA FRIEDMAN Director, The Gustave & Carol Jacobs Center for Kashrut Education
Introduction to Bishul Akum
The prohibition
According to Biblical law, food that is completely kosher and cooked by a nonJew is permitted. However, our Sages decreed that such food, even when cooked in kosher utensils, is prohibited for consumption. This prohibition is known as bishul akum. In the coming weeks we will discuss the parameters of this rabbinic prohibition, including the reasons
YERUSHALAYIM SHABBAT CHUKAT ZMANIM CANDLES 7:13 PM • EARLY 6:20 PM • HAVDALA 8:31 PM • RABBEINU TAM 9:05 PM
maintain that the decree is based on this issue of closeness to non-Jews that could lead to intermarriage; this is the opinion of most early authorities. However, Rashi and others attribute a different reasoning to the prohibition of bishul akum, which is that non-Jews might mix non-kosher ingredients into the kosher food. In future articles we will discuss whether the parameters of bishul akum are based on both of these reasons or just one. However, it is clear from numerous sources that the danger of intermarriage is the main reason behind the prohibition (See Torat Habayit 3:7). The decree is binding regardless of the
Aliya-by-Aliya Sedra
Rabbi Reuven
Captivity
Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh
Rabbi
Esther’s Mother
Rabbi
A Graduation Day Message
Sivan Rahav-Meir
Expectations & Reality
Aleeza Ben Shalom - Shagririm Balev
What the Jewish People Got Wrong Dr. Jacob Solomon
Knowing How to Say “Thanks” Rabbi Jeffrey Bienenfeld
The Y-Files Comic Netanel Epstein
Torah 4 Teens by Teens Yaakov Greenberg // Zvi Fisher
Torah Tidbits is proud to share a photo each week on the cover from our readers! It is an honor to showcase the immense talent from across the country.
Send us your best photos and give us the opportunity to highlight your story.
Everyone is invited to submit! (amateurs and professionals alike) Please email to aarong@ouisrael.org
Seymour J. Abrams • Orthodox Union Jerusalem World Center • Avrom Silver Jerusalem College for Adults • Wolinetz Family Shul • Makom BaLev • Birthright • Yachad • NCSY in Israel • JLIC in Israel • Camp Dror • Pearl & Harold M. Jacobs ZULA Outreach Center • The Jack Gindi Oraita Program • OU Israel Kashrut
STUART HERSHKOWITZ, PRESIDENT OU ISRAEL Zvi Sand / Yitzchak Fund: Former Presidents, OU Israel | Rabbi Emanuel Quint z”l, Senior Vice President | Prof. Meni Koslowsky, Vice President
VAAD MEMBERS:
Michael Elman | Jonathan Eltes | Yonatan Frankel | Yitzchak Fund | Daniella Hellerstein | Stuart Hershkowitz | Jeremy Lustman | Yigal Marcus | Meir Raskas | Atara Reichel | Zvi Sand | Norman Schmutter | Mark Schneider | Esther Williams
Afula
Nahariya/Maalot 8:31 6:20 7:28 8:33 6:22 7:30
Rabbeinu Tam (Jerusalem): Chukat 9:05 PM • Balak 9:04 PM
RABBI AVI BERMAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, OU ISRAEL
All Times According to MyZmanim (20 mins before Sunset in most Cities; 40 mins in Yerushalyim and Petach Tikva; 30 mins in Tzfat and Haifa)
All Times According to MyZmanim (20 mins before Sunset in most Cities; 40 mins in Yerushalyim and Petach Tikva; 30 mins in Tzfat and Haifa)
Daf Yomi: Avodah Zarah 17
Editor Emeritus: Phil Chernofsky Website: www.torahtidbits.com Not getting enough TTs? Too many? None at all? Contact our DISTRIBUTION 050-577-2111 • ttdist@ouisrael.org OU Kashrut NCSY
MITCHEL R. AEDER, PRESIDENT OF THE ORTHODOX UNION Yehuda Neuberger, Chairman of the Board, Orthodox Union | Dr. Josh Penn, OU Kashrus Commission
RABBI MOSHE HAUER, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT | RABBI JOSHUA M. JOSEPH, ED.D. EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT & CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, Exec. V.P. Emeritus OU KOSHER: Rabbi Menachem Genack, CEO/Rabbinic Administrator OU Kosher | Rabbi Moshe Elefant, COO/Executive Rabbinic Coordinator ISRAEL: Rabbi Yissachar Dov Krakowski, Rabbinic Administrator | Rabbi Ezra Friedman, The Gustave and Carol Jacobs Center for Kashrut Education/ Deputy Rabbinic Administrator Headquarters: 40 Rector St. 4th floor, New York, NY 10006 212-563-4000 website: www.ou.org
David Katz, CFO, OU Israel | Natan Kandler, COO, OU Israel | Chaim Pelzner, Director of Programs, OU Israel | Rabbi Sam Shor, Director, Torah Initiatives, OU Israel | Rabbi Sholom Gold zt"l, Dean, Avrom Silver Jerusalem College for Adults 7 Hartum Street, Jerusalem, 9777507 phone: (02) 560 9100 | fax: (02) 561-7432 email: office@ouisrael.org website: www.ouisrael.org
Founders and initial benefactors of the OU Israel Center: George and Ilse Falk a"h
Torah Tidbits and many of the projects of OU Israel are assisted by grants from THE JERUSALEM MUNICIPALITY
OU Israel, Torah Tidbits does not endorse the political or halachic positions of its editor, columnists or advertisers, nor guarantee the quality of advertised services or products. Nor do we endorse the kashrut of hotels, restaurants, caterers or food products that are advertised in TT (except, of course, those under OU-Israel hashgacha). Any "promises" made in ads are the sole responsibility of the advertisers and not that of OU Israel, the OU Israel Center , Torah Tidbits.
DEAR TORAH TIDBITS FAMILY
DEAR TORAH TIDBITS FAMILY
RABBI AVI BERMAN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, OU ISRAEL ABERMAN@OUISRAEL.ORG
Rabbi
Avi Berman Executive Director, OU Israel
Parshat Chukat teaches us the mitzvah of Para Aduma, the red heifer that is made into ashes to purify a person from the highest impurity, tumat met. Chazal tell us that this mitzvah symbolizes all “chukim” that we don’t necessarily understand, yet we accept and follow nevertheless. We learn that ultimately, the reason we keep the Torah is not just because it makes sense, and has a logic and a system we understand, but because Hashem commanded it to us and made a covenant with us at Sinai. That said, clearly when we do understand a mitzvah, it is so much more exciting and easier to keep. This is why Judaism demands of us to learn Torah as much as we can and gain better understanding.
Many shuls have a parent-child learning program that takes place on Shabbat afternoon called “Avot u’Banim” (or sometimes Horim v’Yeladim). When this program started at our shul here in Giva’at Ze’ev, I Baruch Hashem had nine children living at home. Figuring out who could learn at the same time as me at the program, keeping everybody focused and making sure everybody
Jacob Rottenberg z”l
On his 17th yahrzeit - 10 Tamuz
Mark & Livia Rottenberg Shopsy & Miriam Kanarek
was getting the attention they needed, was really challenging. Usually I would take 3-4 of my children with me. Sometimes we would learn parsha, sometimes we would learn halacha, and sometimes we would learn Mishna. Often, if a child had a Judaic studies test we would prepare for it together.
For the last three years, I have had the honor of learning with my two youngest children, Mordechai Tzemach and Moriah. Something that has helped me and has been so amazing for my children is the children’s halacha series of Peninei Halacha. These take Rabbi Eliezer Melamed’s Peninei Halacha and allow children to understand the fundamentals of halachic topics in a simple way without being simplistic, along with wonderful drawings and illustrations. If you are not familiar with this set of seforim, I highly recommend it because it helps bring the halacha to life.
About two years ago, Mordechai Tzemach, Moriah, and I started learning Hilchot Shabbat in the Peninei Halacha for children, and it has been a tremendous source of nachat to see my children understand these halachot so well. However, with time, Mordechai, nearing his Bar Mitzvah soon, felt that he was already at a stage where he could learn on his own. Now, for the better part of a year, I have been learning Hilchot Shabbat one-on-one with Moriah on Shabbat.
Moriah really appreciates this time and topic we are learning. Instead of me having to get her to go, Moriah is the one who is makpid in making sure that we arrive at the program
on time. Sure, maybe the ice cream or ices that they get at the end helps encourage her as well, but I have no doubt that the clarity she gets from understanding why we behave the way we do on Shabbat is what gets her so excited. Understanding why we do what we do on Shabbat - clean the table this way, wash the grapes that way - has been so impactful for her.
Understanding the foundations and reasons for the laws make them so much easier to keep. When dealing with borer on Shabbat, it makes it so much easier when a person understands the rationale behind it. When a child is able to sit down with his or her parent, teacher, or sibling, and understand the reasoning and the logic behind every single melacha, it makes keeping Shabbat so much more exciting.
I told Moriah that when we finish the three volumes of Hilchot Shabbat of Peninei Halacha for children, we’ll do a siyum since a siyum is the recognition that you have accomplished something important. Just as we make a siyum on finishing a full book of Gemara (such as those who just finished Masechet Shavuot in daf yomi), so too we do a siyum whenever we achieve a great amount of learning and understand that we have accomplished something important. Indeed, before I left for Vancouver on my last trip, we finished the three volumes and had a siyum to celebrate. Right afterward, Moriah said to me, “Abba, what’s next? We finished these three. Let’s go on to the next one.”
So we decided to start learning Hilchot Brachot in Peninei Halacha for children. Then I got stuck in the United States for the last two weeks, as I’ve written about in these pages. When I was finally able to get back for
this past Shabbat, Moriah immediately asked to go to the program and to start learning Hilchot Brachot with me. Despite my insane jetlag after being in the States for two and a half weeks, we went, and we learned about berachot together. It was important to Moriah, and it was important to me.
The bonding I’ve had with my children through this program has been tremendous. And so I urge you, dear readers, whether you have a structured Avot u’Banim in shul or through the schools, or you can just set aside time - whether an hour or even five minutes - use it to learn with a young person in your life every single week. Have a chavruta with your child, your grandchild, or your niece or nephew, and you won’t regret it. Not only will it be good for you, it will be good for that young person doubly-so.
We live in a world that is so interconnected, yet we struggle to connect with each other, especially between generations. I find that Torah is without a doubt an incredible platform that enables us to connect to each other, as well as to build a strong connection to HaKadosh Baruch Hu and His Torah.
So, when we read this week’s parsha of what it means to fully trust HaKadosh Baruch Hu that every mitzvah that He gives us is important and valuable for us, we also know that the Torah and its mitzvot are opportunities of bonding, connecting to God, and ultimately having a more meaningful life.
As we enter the summer months, I recommend we all take advantage of this time when many of our children or our neighbors’ children are out of school and have extra time to learn and connect. Be’ezrat Hashem, if we set a goal for the next two months of summer before schools start up again to
learn together, we can accomplish so much, and hopefully, we should all be able to have siyumim for many, many seforim that we take upon ourselves during this time period. Especially with everything going on around us, this added learning for us and the younger generation should serve as a merit for our heroic IDF soldiers and our hostages, may they all return home very soon.
Wishing you all an uplifting and inspiring Shabbat,
Rabbi Avi Berman
Executive Director,
OU Israel
A group of women have been maintaining a list of injured soldiers to daven for. There are hundreds of soldiers on the list, so we have been sending people lists of names to daven for so that all the soldiers' names are mentioned in people's tfilot (the default is 10 names, but you can ask for however many you want).
If you are interested in signing up for names, send an email to: tehillim4soldiers@gmail.com together with your name and the number of soldiers' names you want to daven for. You will get automatic updates when there are changes to your list.
Tizku l'mitzvot and besorot tovot!
ANGLO- SAXON-JERUSALEM
FOR SALE IN JERUSALEM: IN NACHLAOT!
New and beautifully designed2 room duplex, stylish & comfortable, high ceilings, sukkah balcony, Mamad, used as a bedroom, an authentic Jerusalem experience, picturesque alleys, near Mahane Yehuda Market, Sacher Park, the City Center, and public transportm Exclusive! Jehezkel 053-7664505
RARE & UNIQUE IN THE HEART OF YEMIN MOSHE
2.5 room apartment, authentic building, arched windows, easy access from parking (no steps!), convenient & efficient design, near green parks, synagogues, the Cinematheque, the Khan Theatre, The Old City, The 1st Station & Mamilla shopping & entertainment centers, major luxury hotels & more. Exclusive! Galila 053-6642512
ON HARAV BERLIN ST
The best view & location! A super elegant beautiful & quiet 4.5-room apt., 2nd floor, sukkah balcony, storage, many built in cupboards, real "walk in" condition! Overlooking the Israel Museum & the Knesset. Easy walk to shops & cafes, Exclusive! Moshe 053-6305725
IN TALBIYA
Unique 103sqm Penthouse on classic & pastoral Hovevei Tsiyon St., rare, spacious and well designed, huge 71sqm open terrace, magnificent views, full of character, elevator, private parking, near synagogues, Yemin Moshe, major Hotels, theaters, parks, Old City & Kotel, shops & restaurants. Galila 053-6642512
3 Moshe Hess St., Jerusalem 0778038511
kerenmalki.org 02-567-0602 Keren
marci@bezeqint.net
FROM THE DESK OF RABBI MOSHE HAUER
OU EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
Internalizing Values
Moshe was prevented from entering Eretz Yisrael because of his actions at the Mei Merivah, the Waters of Strife, but the question of what exactly he did wrong is hotly debated. The Rambam (Shemonah Perakim ch. 4) suggests that Moshe failed because he reacted angrily towards the people in a manner that did not reflect God’s attitude at the time. Ramban (Bamidbar 20:7) raises several objections to this view, most notably: Hashem rebukes Moshe (20:12) for not trusting in Him, “ya’an lo he’emantem bi.” If Moshe’s failure was in getting angry, why does God instead take him to task for a lack of faith?
The Ritvah in his Sefer Zikaron, responds to Ramban’s critique by noting Moshe’s earlier request of God after the sin of the Golden Calf (Shemot 33:13): “Hodi’eini na et derachecha, inform me of Your ways.”
Rambam (Moreh Nevuchim 1:54) explains that Moshe was interested in learning God’s ways so that he could emulate them in his own leadership of the people. God responded by teaching Moshe the 13 Attributes of Mercy which include erech apayim, the quality of being patient and slow to anger. Thus, when Moshe got angry at Mei Merivah, it was not just a failure of character but of faith, for if Moshe truly believed what God Had taught him about His own patience, then Moshe’s actions would have followed suit, “ki ha’emunah mitztarefet la’ma’aseh”—because true belief translates into action.”
Ritva’s final statement is powerful. When we fail – as we often do - to live up to our declared values, it demonstrates implicitly that we do not fully believe in them. Bridging that gap between belief and action is the fundamental task of character development. This was noted by Rav Yisrael Salanter (Ohr Yisrael, note to letter 30), who explained that regarding the refinement of our character and psychological drives, we cannot achieve change by expecting that once our minds learn the principle, it will guide our actions. Rather we need the knowledge to penetrate our hearts and become part of us. To achieve this, Rav
suggested shinun v’hitpa’alut,
the passionate and emotional repetition of a single value statement – a mantrauntil that value penetrates our hearts and becomes part of us (see Shaarei Ohr of Rav Yitzchak Blazer 9:3.)
Do any of us do that? Are we genuine baalei mussar who work diligently and patiently to create that congruence between our values and actions? Most of us usually do not, with one notable exception: Hashem’s 13 Attributes of Mercy. We repeat those over and over with great emotion from the onset of Selichot and through Ne’ilah on Yom Kippur. We do that so that they will penetrate our hearts and shape our character. Considering what we have learned from Rambam and Ritva, this practice assumes new meaning. Moshe had heard these 13 Attributes from God but – as the story of Mei Merivah demonstrates –he had not immediately fully internalized them. We, therefore, attempt to make them a part of us, make them a mantra that we repeat passionately and emotionally. If we want to live our values and not just preach them, they must be repeated and celebrated with feeling and conviction in our learning, conversations, and homes, until they become part of who we are.
As the new Middle East reality unfolds
smart buyers are moving fast… We sold number 131 last week! If you wait, you’ll pay more and have less to choose from. We have the widest selection of sea view apartments at the best prices!
Private Sale - KFAR HAROE
2.5
Struggling to find the right apartment in Jerusalem?
and our next step will be to plant a fruit tree. I never thought of myself as being the agricultural type, but the feeling of settling and planting a portion of Eretz Yisrael, has been truly euphoric. Iy”H, when we plant our tree, and eat the fruits that will grow one day, I think we will be able to truly appreciate that unique Kedusha found in the fruit of Eretz Yisrael!
Whether you’re in Israel or abroad, I’ll assist you in finding a home that truly fits – location, size and budget.
Local knowledge ! Professional service!
Real results !
To conclude, when you buy your Tu B'shvat fruit this year, don’t search for those dried apricots and banana chips imported from Turkey. Rather, head over to the fresh produce and buy yourself some nice juicy Kedusha-filled Jaffa oranges and thank Hashem for bringing you to this land order to be able to הבוטמ
Nahum Glatzer 050-7225694
imbibing that Kedusha in every bite that you take!!
Aliya-by-Aliya
ALIYA-BY-ALIYA
Sedra Summary
SEDRA SUMMARY
Rabbi Reuven Tradburks
RABBI REUVEN TRADBURKS
RCA Israel Region
RCA ISRAEL REGION
In memory of Evelyn Rivers a”h
Mother of Reuven Tradburks
PARSHAT CHUKAT
1ST ALIYA (BAMIDBAR 19:1-17)
Para Aduma: This is the Torah law. Elazar the Kohen shall remove from the camp an unblemished red heifer that has never worked. It is burned. Cedar, hyssop and red thread shall be burned with it. The Kohanim involved in the process are Tamei until evening. The ashes are used to purify those Tamei from contact with the dead. On the 3rd and 7th day a mix of these ashes and water are sprinkled on the Tamei person. Absent this process, one who has come in contact with the dead cannot become Tahor.
Caring for the dead is of the highest mitzvot. Yet, contact with the dead makes one Tamei, impure. While Tamei, a person may not enter the Mikdash, the Temple. The very elaborate Para Aduma ceremony is required to remove the Tuma.
Problem is; why is this here? We are in the middle of a narrative section of the march to the Land of Israel. We dealt with Temple related laws way back in Vayikra. There we saw a variety of people who became Tamei and were restricted from the Mikdash. And protocols to purify and enter the Mikdash. We covered all that back in Vayikra. What in the world is the red heifer ceremony doing here?
Our parsha has three sections. 1. The purification from contact with the dead. 2. The deaths of Miriam and Aaron, as well as Moshe being told he will not enter the Land. And 3. The march to the Land and the confrontation and victories over Sichon and Og.
Perhaps the laws concerning contact with death is deliberately placed here to juxtapose it with what is to come.
And in particular to address 3 themes. Despondence after death. The loss of precious leaders. And death in war.
I would offer that one lesson relates to Miriam, Aaron and Moshe’s deaths. Their deaths cannot but demoralize the people. The people are about to face confrontations and challenges. How in the world, they must think, are we going to manage without the leadership of Miriam, Aaron and Moshe?
Perhaps, the ritual of the purification from contact to the dead has a symbolic lesson. Life ends. The finality of death is bruising emotionally. What is it all worth anyway? The purification process is for the survivors. We can exit from this and be restored. Without sounding trite, but life does go on.
So too with the deaths of Miriam, Aaron and Moshe. Though their deaths are mourned, their presence lost, but the Jewish people endure. We are greater than any one leader or other. Just as one is purified from the tuma of death, and just as the surviving person can transition from tuma to purity, so too we can endure the deaths of our leaders as a people. No leader is irreplaceable. The
Jewish people endure even if their leaders do not.
And perhaps also this topic of death is a prelude to war. War is necessary at times. Oh, how well we know that today. But we regret any deaths. We are not callous to death. Death is impure, life pure. Approach war and the deaths that occur in it with sobriety.
2ND ALIYA (19:18-20:6)
Hyssop is dipped in the purifying waters and sprinkled on the person or vessels requiring this purification. A tahor person sprinkles on the tamei person on the 3rd and 7th day; this tahor person then becomes tamei for the day. One who is tamei through contact with the dead and does not do this purification and then subsequently enters the Mishkan has committed a most grave sin. Miriam dies after the camp travels to Midbar Zin in the first month. There is no water. The people complain: oh that we had died like the others (over these 40 years). Why did you bring us from Egypt to die in this nasty place? Moshe and Aharon went to the Mishkan; G-d’s glory appeared to them. Miriam dies. And immediately after, the people complain about the lack of water. Moshe and Aharon do not get angry. They go to the Ohel Moed and bow.
Because they know; Miriam’s death demoralizes the people. The complaining is not necessarily a complaint against Moshe and Aharon. Or G-d. Rather, the death of Miriam is demoralizing. It leaves a void. The people have a daunting task ahead, of entering and conquering the land. The complaints are from the pain of loss, not from a lack of faith. Hence, neither Moshe nor G-d are critical of this complaint, this understandable complaint of lack of water.
3RD ALIYA
(20:7-13)
G-d said to Moshe: gather the people to the rock. Speak to the rock. Water sufficient for they and their flock will be produced. Moshe said: Listen oh rebellious ones. Will water emerge from a rock? Moshe hit the rock. Water emerged, enough for the flocks. G-d said to Moshe and Aharon: since you did not believe me, you will not enter the Land.
If the loss of Miriam is demoralizing, the impending loss of Aharon and Moshe compounds that. But the march to the Land will continue. The death of Moshe and Aharon can be seen as a powerful statement of the greatness, the capability, the trust of G-d in His people. The Jewish people are greater than any leader or other; even Moshe, Aharon and Miriam. You, Moshe and Aharon, you will not enter the Land; but the people will. Had Moshe led the people into the Land, we would forever wonder if our fate is due to Moshe’s greatness. And without him, who are we?
The death of both Moshe and Aharon before realizing the dream of entering the Land is jarring. And crucial. The Torah will end with the greatest leaders falling short of realizing the dream of entering the Land. But far from being a dystopia, and while not being a utopia, it is an affirmation that the Jewish people as a people rise above the presence or absence of individual leaders. As great as some leaders are, the Jewish people are the story here. And they will enter the Land. The Jewish people will always have great people; but the Jewish people is a great people.
4TH ALIYA (20:14-21)
Moshe sends messengers to the King of Edom. You are aware of
your brother Israel’s history: we left Egypt with G-d’s help. We need to cross your land, at no cost to you, to enter our Land. The King said no. The people answered: we will stay on the road and pay for water. Edom said no and came with a large contingent. The Jewish people circled back.
The journey to the Land hits a roadblock. We need to pass through the land of Edom. The King says no.
This story parallels the crossing of the sea. Like here, we journeyed. Hit a roadblock, the sea. And couldn’t turn back because the King, Paro, blocked our way.
But the outcomes are opposite. The sea split. Here, we reroute around Edom.
At the sea, Divine intervention. The sea split miraculously. Here, the confrontation with Edom. Nothing. We circle around Edom.
This story is part of the transition from the life of miracles. To the life of normal human impediments. There will be roadblocks. And no miracles. This is the transition from Divine control to human leadership.
5TH ALIYA (20:22-21:9)
At Har Hor Aharon is told he will die. Up the mountain, Moshe clothes Elazar in the garments of Aharon. Aharon dies. The entire people mourn for 30 days. The King of Arad in the Negev hears and does battle with the people. The people prevail. The people travel to circumvent Edom. The long journey aggravates the people. They complain. Snakes attack. The people regret their sins. G-d tells Moshe to make a copper snake. When the people gaze on it, they recover.
The death of Aharon and the clothing of Elazar continues the transition of leadership. Moshe, Aaron and Miriam led. Now it is going
to be Elazar. The transition occurs before Aharon’s death. Transitions are inevitable and need to be planned.
6TH ALIYA (21:10-20)
The travel takes the people to the east of Moav. They travel north to the area of the Emori. The travels are recorded in the books of wars, traveling on to the well. They sang of their fortune and their travels.
The circuitous route of the march is perplexing. From the Sinai desert to Israel is, well, yashar, yashar. Straight up north. The direct route into the Land of Israel is from the Negev. Travel north past Beersheva to Chevron. Then keep going. Straight. Yet, they travel east to the nations on the east bank of the Jordan. Their path is then north up through Jordan, ending up opposite Jericho. And from there, once they enter the Land, they will go to Shechem.
Why this wide, wide swing to the east, up north through Jordan? Why not enter from the Negev straight north? The Torah does not tell us. But we can speculate.
At this point in Jewish history, the Jewish people have entered the Land 3 times: Avraham. That went well. Yaakov when he returned from Lavan. That went well. And the spies. That didn’t go well.
And now we are entering again. Whose footsteps would you like to follow? Avraham and Yaakov both entered from the north and went immediately to Shechem. The spies came up from the south to Hevron.
The people avoid the path of the spies. And adopt the path of Avraham. Hence travel up north on the east side of the Jordan, so you can enter the Land and head straight to Shechem. Just like Avraham. And Yaakov.
7TH ALIYA
(21:21-22:1)
Messengers are sent to Sichon for permission to cross his Land. Sichon confronts them for war. Sichon is roundly defeated. The people settle in the land of the Emori. They travel to the land of Og, the king of the Bashan. G-d tells them they will succeed against Og, as they did with Sichon. They defeat Og, arriving at the plains of Moav, opposite Jericho.
In this march up the east side of the Jordan, the Divine has been conspicuously absent. Israel sent messengers to Sichon. No Divine command. Moshe staked out the cities along the route into the Land.
The march into the Land has begun. And while the march of the people until this time has been with the Mishkan in their midst, the manna falling from heaven, slowly the transfer of leadership into the hands of man is occurring. While He lurks, ever present, it is man leading the march.
A SHORT VORT
HAFTORAH CHUKAT SHOFTIM 11:1-33
The haftorah opens with an attack on the Israelites from the people of Ammon. The Israelites call upon Yiftach to lead them into battle. He sends a message to Ammon which includes a reference to the conquest of the lands of Sichon and Og, which apparently is the tie in with our Torah reading.
Yiftach made a condition with the Jewish people regarding his willingness to take on this role as commander: “If you bring me back to fight with the children of Ammon, and God delivers them before me, I will become your head.” The Jewish people accepted his terms.
Yiftach after trying to make peace with Ammon has no choice but to go to war. He successfully leads his people in battle and they eliminate the Ammonite threat. )’ח:א”כ(
“Make a fiery serpent and set it upon a pole, and it shall come to pass that everyone that is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” (21:8)
Rabbi Avraham Maskil LeEtan (1788-1848, White Russia) in his Sefer “Yad Avraham” asks a question. Were the serpents chosen here to kill or was the serpent chosen to give life?
In Pasuk 6, it states that G-d sent fiery serpents amidst the Israelites because of their complaints of hunger and thirst and ungratefulness for the Manna that fell for them. Many of the people were bitten and died. However, in this pasuk, it states that whoever was bitten would just look at the serpent made of brass and live. He answers, by referring to the Mishnah in Rosh Hashana (3:8) that compares this story to the battle against Amalek (Shemot 17:11), when Moshe raised his hands aloft, the Israelites began to win, and when he lowered his hands, Amalek began to win. While the Israelites looked towards Heaven and directed their hearts towards G-d, they would prevail, but, to the contrary, if they did not, they would stumble on the battlefield. Similarly, here, when the Israelites raised their gaze at the elevated serpent, looking Heavenward and beseeching mercy from our Father in Heaven, they were healed, otherwise they succumbed to their wounds inflicted by the serpent. Shabbat Shalom
39th of 54 sedras; 6th of 10 in Bamidbar. Written on 159.2 lines; rank: 39. 10 Parshiyot; 6 open, 4 closed. 87 p’sukim; rank: 43. 1245 words; rank: 40. 4670 letters; rank 41. Smallest sedra in Bamidbar in lines, pesukim, words, letters. Fewer pesukim than Sh’mini, more words, same number of letters. Chukat is a bit longer.
1558 words - ranks 24th. MITZVOT
3 mitzvot of 613; all positive.
THE WALL DOCTOR
PROFESSIONAL PAINTERS
THE PERSON in the parsha
THE PERSON IN THE PARSHA
BY RABBI DR. TZVI HERSH WEINREB OU EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, EMERITUS
BY RABBI DR. TZVI HERSH WEINREB OU EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, EMERITUS
Captivity
What's worse? Death by the plague? By the sword? Starving to death? Or being sentenced to captivity?
What a horrible set of choices, and what a bizarre question to ask!
But our Sages asked precisely this question in response to a prophecy of Jeremiah that he addressed to a sinful people. A frightening prophecy indeed:
"The Lord said to me, 'Even if Moses and Samuel were to intercede with me, I would not be won over to that people. Dismiss them from my presence, and let them go forth! And if they ask you, "To what shall we go forth?" answer them, "Thus said the Lord:
Those destined for the plague, to the plague;
Those destined for the sword, to the sword;
Those destined for famine, to famine;
Those destined for captivity, to captivity.'" (Jeremiah 15:2)
There is no question about it. The Jewish historical experience is rife with all four of the above catastrophes. Jeremiah's prophecy came true more than just a few times in our history.
Is it an idle question to ask which of the four is the worst? Are they not all terrible?
But the question is asked in an astounding
passage in the Talmud ( Bava Batra 8b), in connection with the great mitzvah of redeeming captives. Rabbi Yochanan, one of the greatest teachers in the Talmud, refers to the above passage in Jeremiah and says: "Each subsequent calamity in this verse is harsher than the one preceding it!" For him, the sword is a worse fate than the plague for the body is disfigured. Hunger is worse than death by the sword because of the immense suffering involved in the former.
Captivity, Rabbi Yochanan asserts, is worse than all of the other three, because all of them are included in it. As Rashi explains, "The captive is totally at the mercy of his captor, who may slay him or starve him to death as he chooses."
Our people, who have endured so many forms of calamity, have known captivity firsthand and frequently, particularly since October 7. Our national consciousness has always known how painful captivity is and how much effort we must invest in freeing captives and in appreciating the joys of freedom.
June 25 ( Parshat Korach , just a week ago) marked exactly nineteen years since one of our brethren was taken captive by sworn and fanatical enemies of the Jewish people. I refer, of course, to Gilad Shalit, the young Israeli soldier who was held hostage under miserable circumstances by Hamas for five years before his release in 2011. It is important that each of us never forget the plight of Gilad Shalit—as well as of those
who were thankfully released from Hamas captivity after the horrors of October 7, and that we continue to pray for the release of the remaining 49 hostages who still tragically remain in captivity in Gaza since then.
This week, I choose to reflect upon the horrors of captivity in general, and to feel the pain of those still held captive and their loved ones. This week, their suffering is especially relevant because it is in this week's Torah portion, Parshat Chukat, that we read of the very first Jew to become a prisoner of war.
The verse ( Number 21:1) tells of the Canaanite King of Arad who "engaged Israel in battle and took some of them captive." Rashi, following the Midrash, hastens to add that only one prisoner was taken, a maidservant. Be that as it may, this is the first record of a Jew being taken into captivity in the heat of battle.
The reaction of the people to the horror of having a captive snatched from their midst is a powerful one: "Then Israel made a vow to the Lord and said, 'If you deliver this people into our hand, we will utterly destroy their cities.'" And they indeed proceed to do so, to the extent that the collective name of all the cities became Hormah, which means "doomed to destruction".
It may not be politically correct these days to call for the utter destruction of the cities of our enemies. The morality of such a response surely needs to be contemplated. But one thing is for certain: the loss of one of our own, soldier or civilian, has always been taken very, very seriously. Back then, with our maidservant, and now, with our brethren still held captive.
We do not know how Moses or Aaron
PAYMENTSSPEICIALTERMS
responded, as it was the people of Israel who asserted that they could not tolerate the taking of a captive from their midst. Furthermore, we can never know what they really learned of the fate of that captive, nor of whether or not she was successfully recovered.
But we do learn that our response to the captivity of one of our fellow Jews must be one of indignant and effective action. Once again, the Torah portion of the week, which ties Korach with Chukat, astoundingly carries a message of relevance for today and for this moment in time.
This Sabbath, as we utter a prayer for the well-being and safe return of those still held captive in Gaza, let us fully realize that we must do all we can to advocate for their release and that they are tragically suffering the most dire of calamities: captivity.
24 Gershon Agron Mamilla
BAKA ! new project on Beith Lechem rd
Penthouse by the Sea
Unique opportunity: Penthouse apartment in Afridar with Succah Balcony
• 125 Sq Meters
• 25 Sq Meter Succah balcony
• Open Plan living room and kitchen
• Extra Large Master bedroom with en-suite
• 2.5 bathrooms
• Shabbat Elevator
• 2 parking places
• Storage room
• Near Ashkenaz Shuls
Price 2,500,000 ILS
Covenant & Conversation
COVENANT & CONVERSATION
THOUGHTS ON THE WEEKLY PARSHA
Thoughts on the Weekly Parsha
RABBI LORD JONATHAN SACKS ZT"L
RABBI LORD JONATHAN SACKS ZT"L
FORMER CHIEF RABBI OF THE UNITED HEBREW CONGREGATIONS OF THE COMMONWEALTH
FORMER CHIEF RABBI OF THE UNITED HEBREW CONGREGATIONS OF THE COMMONWEALTH
May the learning of these Divrei Torah be
HaRav Ya'akov Zvi ben David Arieh zt"l
Losing Miriam
It is a scene that still has the power to shock and disturb. The people complain. There is no water. It is an old complaint and a predictable one. That is what happens in a desert. Moses should have been able to handle it with ease. He has been through far tougher challenges in his time. Yet suddenly, at Mei Meriva (“the waters of contention”), he exploded into vituperative anger:
“Listen, you rebels, shall we bring you water out of this rock?’ Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff.” (Num. 20:10–11)
In past essays I have argued that Moses did not sin. The reason he did not enter Israel was simply that he was the right leader for the generation that left Egypt, but not the right leader for their children who would cross the Jordan and engage in conquering a land and building a society. The fact that he was not permitted to lead the next generation was not a failure or a punishment but an inevitability. As a group of slaves facing freedom, a new relationship with God, and
a difficult journey, both physically and spiritually, the Children of Israel needed a strong leader capable of contending with them and with God. But as builders of a new society, they needed a leader who would not do the work for them but who would instead inspire them to do it for themselves.
The Gemara comments that the face of Moses was like the sun, and the face of Joshua was like the moon.1 The difference shown here is that sunlight is so strong it leaves no work for a candle to do, whereas a candle can illuminate when the only other source of light is the moon. Joshua empowered his generation more than a figure as strong as Moses would have done.
But there is another question altogether about the episode we read of this week. What made this trial different? Why did Moses momentarily lose control? Why then? Why there? He had faced just this challenge before.
The Torah mentions two previous episodes. One took place at Mara, almost immediately after the division of the Red Sea. The people found water but it was bitter. Moses prayed to God, God told him how to sweeten the water, and the episode passed. The second episode occurred at Rephidim (Ex. 17:1–7). This time there was no water at all. Moses rebuked the 1. Bava Batra 75a.
people: “Why are you quarrelling with me? Are you trying to test God?” He then turned to God and said, “What am I to do with this people? Before long they will stone me!” God told him to go to a rock at Horeb, take his staff, and hit the rock. Moses did so, and water came out. There was drama, tension, but nothing like the emotional distress evident in this week’s Parsha of Chukat. Surely Moses, by now almost forty years older, with a generation of experience behind him, should have coped with this challenge without drama. He had been there before.
The text gives us a clue, but in so understated a way that we can easily miss it. The chapter begins thus: “In the first month, the whole Israelite community arrived at the desert of Zin, and they stayed at Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried. Now there was no water for the community…” (Num. 20:1–2). Many commentators see the connection between this and what follows in terms of the sudden loss of water after the death of Miriam. Tradition tells of a miraculous well that accompanied the Israelites during Miriam’s lifetime in her merit.2 When she died, the water ceased.
There is, though, another way of reading the connection. Moses lost control because his sister Miriam had just died. He was in mourning for his eldest sibling. It is hard to lose a parent, but in some ways it is even harder to lose a brother or sister. They are your generation. You feel the Angel of Death come suddenly close. You face your own mortality.
Miriam was more than a sister to Moses. She was the one, while still a child, to follow the course of the wicker-basket holding her 2. Rashi, Commentary to Num. 20:2; Ta’anit 9a; Song of Songs Rabbah 4:14, 27.
Jerusalem Real Estate is My Business Eta: 054-723-3863
Amazing stand alone homes in OLD KATAMON, TALBIYA, BAKA, GERMAN COLONY
Exclusive BAKA. Fantastic, charming apartment. 100 sqm with Shabbat elevator, sukka terrace, registered parking and storage. High ceilings and very light!!!!
Price 6,300,000 NIS
New project GERMAN COLONY. Ranging from 130 to 164 sqm, these thoughtfully designed apartments feature three bedrooms, including a spacious master suite, 2.5 bathrooms, and private balconies, seamlessly blending indoor and outdoor living. Call Eta for more information.
SAN SIMON Ben Tabai 150 sqm. 9th floor. 3 bedrooms & 2.5 bathrooms. 2 elevators, underground parking & storage. Completely accessible-turn key. Price 7,700,000 NIS
ARNONA. 180 sqm Penthouse on an exclusive street. Fabulous views. 40 sqm balcony. Registered parking. Very high standard finish. Price: 9,200,000 NIS
Stand alone home, newly built and ready to move in: GERMAN COLONY - over 450 sqm built, private parking, large outdoor areas- internal elevator. Please call for more information
Eta Morris Realty, Ltd. etamorrisrealestate@gmail.com
Eta: 054-723-3863 etamorrisrealty.co.il
baby brother as it drifted down the Nile. She had the courage and ingenuity to approach Pharaoh’s daughter and suggest that she employ a Hebrew nurse for the child, thus ensuring that Moses would grow up knowing his family, his people, and his identity.
In a truly remarkable passage, the Sages said that Miriam persuaded her father Amram, the leading scholar of his generation, to annul his decree that Hebrew husbands should divorce their wives and have no more children, because there was a 50 per cent chance that any child born would be killed. “Your decree,” said Miriam, “is worse than Pharaoh’s. He only decreed against the males, yours applies to females also. He intends to rob children of life in this world; you would deny them even life in the World to Come.”3 Amram admitted her superior logic. Husbands and wives were reunited. Yocheved became pregnant and Moses was born. Note that this Midrash, told by the Sages, unambiguously implies that a six-year-old girl had more faith and wisdom than the leading rabbi of the generation!
Moses surely knew what he owed his elder sister. According to the Midrash, without her he would not have been born. According to the plain sense of the text, he would not have grown up knowing who his true parents
3. Midrash Lekach Tov to Ex. 2:1.
Mazal Tov to Hadassah and Steve Jacob and family on the engagement of their granddaughter Dorin, daughter of Rabbi Yosef & Atira Ote to Elior Shaulov
were and to which people he belonged. Though they had been separated during his years of exile in Midian, once he returned, Miriam had accompanied him throughout his mission. She had led the women in song at the Red Sea. The one episode that seems to cast her in a negative light – when she “began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife” (Num. 12:1), for which she was punished with leprosy – was interpreted more positively by the Sages. They said she was critical of Moses for breaking off marital relations with his wife Tzipporah. He had done so because he needed to be in a state of readiness for Divine communication at any time. Miriam felt Tzipporah’s plight and sense of abandonment. Besides which, she and Aaron had also received Divine communication but they had not been commanded to be celibate. She may have been wrong, suggested the Sages, but not maliciously so. She spoke not out of jealousy of her brother but out of sympathy for her sister-in-law.
So it was not simply the Israelites’ demand for water that led Moses to lose control of his emotions, but rather his own deep grief. The Israelites may have lost their water, but Moses had lost his sister, who had watched over him as a child, guided his development, supported him throughout the years, and helped him carry the burden of leadership in her role as leader of the women.
It is a moment that reminds us of words from the book of Judges said by Israel’s chief of staff, Barak, to its judge-and-leader Deborah: “If you go with me, I will go; but if you do not go with me, I cannot go” (Judges 4:8).
The relationship between Barak and Deborah was much less close than that between Moses and Miriam, yet Barak acknowledged
his dependence on a wise and courageous woman. Can Moses have felt less?
Bereavement leaves us deeply vulnerable. In the midst of loss, we can find it hard to control our emotions. We make mistakes. We act rashly. We suffer from a momentary lack of judgement. These are common symptoms even for ordinary humans like us. In Moses’ case, however, there was an additional factor. He was a prophet, and grief can occlude or eclipse the prophetic spirit.
Maimonides answers the well-known question as to why Jacob, a prophet, did not know that his son Joseph was still alive, with the simplest possible answer: grief banishes prophecy. For twenty-two years, mourning his missing son, Jacob could not receive the Divine word.4 Moses, the greatest of all the prophets, remained in touch with God. It was God, after all, who told him to “speak to the rock.” But somehow the message did not penetrate his consciousness fully. That was the effect of grief.
So the details are, in truth, secondary to the human drama played out that day. Yes, Moses did things he might not have done, should not have done. He struck the rock, said “we” instead of “God,” and lost his temper with the people. The real story, though, is about Moses the human being in an onslaught of grief, vulnerable, exposed, caught in a vortex of emotions, suddenly bereft of the sisterly presence that had been the most important bass note of his life. Miriam had been the precociously wise and plucky child who had taken control of the situation when the life of her three-monthold brother lay in the balance, undaunted by either an Egyptian princess or a rabbi-father.
4. Maimonides, Shemoneh Perakim, ch. 7.
She had led the Israelite women in song, and sympathised with her sister-in-law when she saw the price she paid for being the wife of a leader. The Midrash speaks of her as the woman in whose merit the people had water in a parched land. In Moses’ anguish at the rock, we sense the loss of the elder sister without whom he felt bereft and alone.
The story of the moment Moses lost his confidence and calm is ultimately less about leadership and crisis, or about a staff and a rock, than about a great Jewish woman, Miriam, appreciated fully only when she was no longer there.
These weekly teachings from Rabbi Sacks zt”l are part of his ‘Covenant & Conversation’ series on the weekly Torah teaching. With thanks to the Schimmel Family for their generous sponsorship, dedicated in loving memory of Harry (Chaim) Schimmel. Visit www.RabbiSacks.org for more.
Dr. Harry Weisman
Former Assist. Clinical Professor of Medicine, UCLA School of Medicine; Div. of Endocrinology & Metabolism
PROBING THE PROPHETS
BY RABBI NACHMAN (NEIL) WINKLER FACULTY, OU ISRAEL CENTER
“Yiftach B’Doro K’Shmuel B’Doror”
When we consider the Parasha of Chukat, the first thing that comes to the mind of many is the opening perek, the complex laws of the Parah Adumah. Given our Rabbis broad discussion of the chok, it is a natural reaction to think of it first. But Chazal did not choose to focus on this one law when selecting a fitting haftarah for this parasha. Nor did they decide to connect the haftarah with the sin at Mei Meriva, nor on the death of Miriam or Aharon. Rather, our ancients focused upon the latter part of the parasha: the battles against -and victories over- the Emorite Kings, Sichon and Og. This focus, had our scholars determine that the story of Yiftach in Sefer Shofetim (chp. 11) to be a most fitting haftarah for Parashat Chukat,
The haftarah selection opens with the story of Yiftach, who would eventually become one of the later Shofetim, but who, initially, was rejected by his family and community, who banished him from Gil’ad. However, when the population was threatened by Ammon, one of Israel’s neighbors east of the Yarden, the very elders who banned him from Gil’ad, now plead with him (and the “rag-tag” army he had gathered) to confront Ammon, and protect them from the hostile enemy.
I would submit, however, that the decision
of Chazal was not based only upon the fact that the haftarah tells of Israel’s battle against a neighboring nation in the east - as does our Torah reading. Rather, the story is also meant to warn future generations that would face ongoing challenges from many who would falsely claim rightful ownership over our Holy Land.
So does the haftarah depict: how the enemy king had gathered his army and began open battles with the residents of Gil’ad, claiming that Israel had “stolen” their land from them after the Israelites had left Egypt. Yiftach attempts to negotiate with Ammon. Basing his argument upon the truths of history, explaining that Israel had never warred with Ammon nor taken any part of their land. Retelling the episode we read in today’s parasha, he clarifies that it was the Emorite kings who defeated Ammon and took their land and Israel who, subsequently, defeated Sichon and Og. Arguing that even the former kings of Ammon had accepted Israel’s ownership of these lands for over three hundred years, Yiftach condemns the king for his unprovoked attacks against Israel. His claims, however, fail to move the enemy –just as historic truths fell upon deaf ears of subsequent enemies. In the end, it was only
through Hashem’s help, that Yiftach subdued Ammon in battle and removed the enemy’s threat from Israel.
Interestingly, both in the parasha and the haftarah, Israel attempts to avoid war by attempting to negotiate with, what turns out to be, intractable enemies. Likewise, in both the Torah and the haftarah the Israelite leadership reviews their past history before the enemy - but to no avail. It is also interesting to note that, despite Yiftach’s reluctance to fight and despite his desire for peace, he refuses to consider the enemy’s proposal of peace in exchange for Israel’s surrender of her land. As Yiftach explains to the king: “Certainly, whatever your god K’mosh has you conquer-you will possess, and whatever nation Hashem drives out for us, we shall possess!”
The puzzling choice of Yiftach to lead Israel is discussed by scholars throughout the centuries but, in spite of the somewhat “questionable” choice of Yiftach, it is clear that he remained steadfast in defending his nation and refusing to bow to the lies of others. It is no wonder, therefore, that, regardless of ancestry or accomplishment, any leader who was chosen by Hashem is the proper one to lead Israel and, therefore, demands respect and allegiance.
“Yiftach B’Doro K’Shmuel B’Doro,” Yiftach in his generation is (to be regarded) as Shmuel in his generation, remains a binding imperative for us in all generations, for the leader of the nation of G-d is determined through the choice of G-d.
Rabbi Winkler’s popular Jewish History lectures can be viewed by visiting the OU Israel Video archive: https://www.ouisrael.org/video-l ibrary
Prime Location in the German Colony HaTzfira Street
A boutique Tama 38 project set to be completed within 36 months, offering an exceptional living experience in one of Jerusalem’s most desirable neighborhoods.
For Sale: Ben Maimon, 4 rooms, 113m, 2 bathrooms, porch, 1st floor, elevator, 6.2 million NIS
Highlights Include: � Spacious 3 and 4-room apartments, all with Sukkah balconies and storage � A luxurious penthouse with nice space and terraces. � Private parking and high finishes. � Ideally located close to cafes, shops, and cultural attractions. For more details, please contact Trust Real Estate Smadar - 050-3114040
Doris Weinberger a"h
Patience is necessary for those who follow Isaac's way. But a wise woman taught us that patience is but another name for hope. That woman was Jane Austen, who put these words into the mouth of one of the characters in her great novel, Sense and Sensibility: "Know your own happiness. You want nothing but patience—or give it a more fascinating name: call it hope."
In the heart of calm and pastoral BAKAPrivate arab house, 6 rooms, 500m + possibility of building 250m, huge garden, approx. 700m, completely renovated, underfloor heating + a/c, large parking, 5 bathrooms, 5 toilets, green
4.490.000NIS MICHAEL 052-3202488
Greatly missed by their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren
Rav Aryeh and Dvora Weinberger
CITY CENTER - 2 rooms, Savyon view, luxurious, furnished, Shabbat elevator, concierge.
MENDEL 0528980111
Bernie and Leah Weinberger
Menachem and Hannah Katten
2.890.000NIS MENDEL 052-8980111
BAKA - New penthouse, 4 rooms in a small luxurious building with character, alone upstairs, 3rd floor + elevator, 4 orientations, 3 toilets, 2 bathrooms, terrace / sukkah, 70m, parking, store-room
BAKA - 2 apartments sit ontop of each other, 5/3 rooms + studio, separate entrance, balconies
In observance of the Shloshim of our friend Yehuda Leib Berren z"l
5450000 NIS MENDEL 052-8980111
9.800.000 NIS MICHAEL 052-3202488
MEKOR CHAIM - Beginning of the street, spacious 4 rooms, Succah porch, parking, storeroom
MOSHAVA / In a building after TAMA 38, new apartment, 4 rooms, 3rd floor + elevator, balcony/partial sukah, opened sight, 2 bathrooms, calm, parking
Rav Menachem Weinberg will give a shiur in his memory "Heroic Joy"
BAKA / MEKOR HAIM - 4 rooms, 90m, 2nd floor + elevator, completely renovated, fireplace, a/c, gas heating, very central, close to all amenities
shmuelnathan4@gmail.com
8.500.000 NIS MENDEL 052-8980111
Password: Yehuda
MENDEL 052-8980111
Near Arnona Hatzaira, in a step building, very large 5-room apartment + balcony/sukkah, 40m, renovated, 3rd floor, private entrance, quiet, potential for extra independent unit
MICHAEL 052-3202488
3 rooms, that will be transformed to 90m, 3rd floor with elevator, store-room,
ONLY 2550000 NIS
MICHAEL 052-3202488
In the pastoral BAKA - quiet and central, stunning villa 350m, in a magical atmosphere, designed, pool, 4 bedrooms, cinema room and more, 4 bathrooms, garden, parking
The Parsha opens with the details of Parah Aduma. Many commentaries inquire as to why this appears in Sefer Bamidar rather than in Sefer Vayikra. In the past we discussed Rav Soloveitchik’s suggestion related to the 38 black-out years between Parshat Korach and Chukat, during which period the nation was involved in burying those who died due to the sin of the spies (chet hameraglim). Coming into contact with dead bodies made many impure and so the laws of Parah Aduma were quite relevant at this juncture. (See Shalom Rav, Hukat).
Another question may be raised as well. Rashi states (Shemot 15:25) that the laws of Parah Aduma were transmitted to Bnei Yisrael in Mara, along with the laws of Shabbat and Dinin. Why was it so urgent to convey
these laws now? One could understand that Shabbat is so essential to one’s belief that God created the world. Dinin as well are important so that people can live in a safe and just environment while traveling in the desert. However, what was so crucial about Parah Aduma that it had to be taught at Mara? At a time when the MIshkan was not yet erected and the laws not relevant. Why could it not wait until Matan Torah, a few days or weeks away?
The Drash David offers an insightful explanation. What transpired at Mara? The people had no water and God preformed a miracle. He not only gave them water, the water was bitter and Hashem sweetened it by having Moshe insert a bitter piece of wood into the water. The Midrash Tanchuma highlights that this event portrayed Hashem’s dominion over nature in that Hashem used something bitter to sweeten something bitter. Similarly, later in our parsha the individuals that are bitten by a snake are healed by looking at a snake (Nachash Hanechoshet). The very cause of the illness also serves to heal the ailment.
Parah Aduma is difficult to comprehend in that it purifies the impure and the pure
impure. אמטה תא
. The mechanics may not be understood but the result is similar to what occurred at Mara and in connection with Nachash Hanechoshet, Hashem is able to accomplish the unnatural and incomprehensible.
At Mara after witnessing bitter being sweetened with bitter, it was appropriate to relay the ultimate chok, Parah Aduma. Similarly, Shabbat exemplifies an unnatural phenomenon. One does not work, yet one’s income is not adversely affected. At the turn of the twentieth century in the US if one did not show up to work on Saturday they were told not to return on Monday. Yet, Jews observed the Shabbat and somehow were able to support their families, exhibiting total Emunah and Bitachon in Hashem.
In Mara we witnessed a supernatural act of Hashem and it highlighted that although certain acts may seem incomprehensible, Hashem is above the natural laws. Certain mitzvot may not be easily understood but we abide by them because they are directives of Hashem. May we be able to appreciate and fulfill all of the mitzvot of the Torah, whether or not we can understand the reason (taam) for the mitzva.
EDEN HILLS
FEATURED PROPERTIES IN ANGLO COMMUNITIES Villa Over 274 SQM Huge garden 7 Bedrooms 5 Bathrooms
CARMEI GAT ZICHRON YAKOV NETANYA
2 Story home
2 Floors
Private pool
5.5M / $1.57M
5 Bedrooms
3 Floors 265 SQM
Large Gardens
Prime Location Ready to Move In
7.69M / $2.2M LET YOUR JOURNEY HOME BEGIN WITH US
12.5M / $3.58M
ALIYAH | INVESTMENTS | HOLIDAY HOMES
REBBETZIN SHIRA
SHIRA SMILES
FACULTY, OU ISRAEL CENTER
Faculty, OU Israel Center
SMILES
Ultimate Understanding
The Midrash (Midrash Tanchuma, Chukat 8) links the enigmatic mitzvah of Parah Adumah to future Messianic times. Hashem says to Moshe Rabbeinu, “I am revealing the reason for the Parah Adumah to you, but to others it will remain a chok, an unquestioned statute,” as it is written, “Vehaya bayom hahu lo yiheyah ohr yikarot ve’kipa’on - And it shall come to pass on that day that there shall be no light, only disappearing light and thick darkness.” (Zechariah 14;6) The word ‘ve’kipa’on – thick darkness” is a kri u’ketiv, although it is read “ve’kipa’on,” it is written, ‘yik’pa’on,’ rendering the verse to mean, “the dimness will become clear as glass.” The Midrash continues, “Things that are hidden from you in this world are going to be clear to you in the world to come, as with the blind person who gains his sight.” As the navi Yeshayahu states, “I will lead the blind on a road they did not know.” (Yeshayahu 42:16) Let us explore the
connection between the darkness that has turned to light, the blind man walking along a path, and the mitzvah of Parah Adumah.
The Beit Halevi expounds on the meaning of this Midrash. There will be a day in the future that the meaning of Parah Adumah will be revealed. Although Yeshayahu’s imagery of leading “the blind on a road they did not know” refers to the Jewish people leaving exile, symbolically, it is a reference to Am Yisrael being led on the “road” of understanding, knowledge and clarity.
Every mitzvah we do is a means to bring the world to a perfected state, to the Messianic era, even though we do not understand the profundity and depth of what each mitzvah generates. Notes the Beit Halevi, the injunction to eat matzah on the fifteenth of Nissan was given before the Exodus actually happened. This tells us that although the story of yetziat Mitzrayim is the context for the matzah, it is not the reason for the mitzvah. So too, the Midrash is teaching us that just like the redemption will happen in ways that no one would have imagined, when Mashiach comes, the mitzvot that bring about the redemption will be understood in a completely different way than how we currently perceive them.
The Beit Halevi sees the mitzvah of Parah Adumah as demonstrating this fundamental
lesson; the intrinsic meaning of mitzvot will only be revealed in the future. As the end of history unfolds before our eyes in dramatic ways, we strengthen our yearning for the time of ultimate revelation and clarity. We must deeply believe that Mashiach can come any day, at any moment, and when he does, the floodgates of understanding will open and become crystal clear.
Splendid new penthouse in Talbieh, 312 sqm on one level, 74 sqm Sukkah terrace facing beautiful views with luxurious facilities: gym, pool, spa
Stunning 168 sqm apartment, 71 sqm Sukkah terrace facing South views with the benefits of 5 star hotel facilities
Newly 160 sqm apt near Old Katamon, private parking, Sukkah terrace facing beautiful views in a greenery neighbourhood
UPCOMING EVENTS
PRE-ALIYAH PLANNING WEBINARS
Join us to get all the information you need about your upcoming Aliyah!
July 2025 | Online
SUMMER OF ALIYAH
Celebrating the thousands of Olim who are making Aliyah this summer!
May-September 2025 | nbn.org.il/flights
The Jewish Agency for Israel Presents:
MEDEX INFO SESSIONS
Are you a doctoror medical student thinking of Aliyah? Join us to discuss what Aliyah can look like for you!
Australia: July 27, Melbourne | July 29, Sydney
TECHNOLOGY MADE SIMPLE
Join us for a hands-on tech afternoon designed to build your digital confidence in navigating Israel’s app-driven world.
It’s a summer of culture and air conditioning! NBN invites Jerusalem seniors for a summer series of museum tours.
July - August 2025 | Jerusalem
TRANSLATION STATION
Our dedicated NBN staff offer one-on-one assistance to help you navigate and understand any challenging Hebrew task.
Tuesdays, NBN Aliyah Campus JLM | Thursdays, NBN TLV Center
www.nbn.org.il/all-events
Continuing to bring families closer
RABBI JUDAH MISCHEL BADERECH
RABBI JUDAH
Executive Director, Camp HASC
Author of Baderech: Along the Path of Teshuva (Mosaica 2021)
Mischel EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CAMP HASC AUTHOR OF BADERECH SERIES
Wellsprings of Torah
The Suvalker Rov, Rav Dovid Lifshitz, zt’l, was the intellectual and spiritual scion of Lithuanian Torah greatness. As one of the foremost talmidim of the great Reb Shimon Shkop of Grodno, Rav Dovid was a veritable baal mesorah, and transmitted the Lithuanian derech ha-limud, as well as the kavod, dignity and respect for others that went along with it. After fleeing the Germans and suffering displacement and tragedy, he and his wife rebuilt their lives in the United States, and eventually settled in New York, where he served as the rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yitzchak Elchanan for more than fifty years as well as president of Ezras Torah. Renowned for his sensitivity and kindness, he was admired as a loving rebbe who took personal and genuine interest in his talmidim.
drove my rebbi to the Lower East Side to bake matzos. As we were driving…Reb Dovid asked me to say a vort because he knew I dabbled in Chasidishe seforim. Although Chasidus wasn’t his background, he never discouraged me…. As I started to speak, he stopped me, telling me to immediately exit the highway. I didn’t know what was happening, but I drove for a block or two until he told me, ‘Stop here.’ Then he said, ‘You can’t say over such Torah while you’re driving.’ He took my hand in his, closed his eyes, and asked me to say the Torah. I did, and he was crying as I said it. Then he said, ‘Come.’ We got out of the car and he started dancing with me right there, on some side street off FDR Highway, as people from the neighborhood looked on….”
For Rav Dovid, the kesher, the relationship between a rebbe and talmid was not measured simply by the learning of Torah; it expresses a broad and holistic presence and involvement in the talmid’s life, overall wellbeing.
One of Rav Dovid’s close talmidim, Rav Moshe Weinberger, shlit’a, shared: “I once
At Yeshiva University, Rav Dovid encouraged his talmidim to invest their minds, hearts and time into learning, regardless of their looming academic obligations. Yet, before handing out the end-of-term bechinos, he would ask his talmidim: (1) Were they well rested, having gotten eight hours of sleep? And, (2) had they eaten a good breakfast that morning? Often he would send students back to the dorm to lay down and rest, or hand them a few dollars and send them to the cafeteria, for one cannot receive the depths of Torah transmission while tired or hungry.
Our sedra contains ראבה תריש, the song
Rabbi Dovid Lifshitz zt”l
that Am Yisrael sang over the miraculous source of water:
“This is the well that was dug by the princes; the noble of our people hollowed it out and carved it out with their staffs.” (21:17-18)
Ohr haChayim ha-kadosh interprets the cryptic imagery of Shiras haBe’er as the eternal ‘song’ of Torah as it is passed down generation to generation. Rav Chaim Dov Keller, Rosh Yeshiva of Telshe Chicago, shared a moving tribute and hesped for his rebbi, Rav Dovid, drawing on these insights of the Ohr haChayim:
םירש הורפח ראב, “This is the well that was dug by the princes” — these are our Avos, Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, who dug the foundations for the life-giving source of water, the Torah, and transmitted it to their descendants. Generations later, יבידנ
םעה, “The nobles of our people hollowed it out” preparing to meet our developing need for sustenance. The chain of mesorah, passed down through the ‘nobles of our People’ — Moshe Rabbeinu, the Zekeinim, Neviim, and Anshei Knesses haGedolah — ‘hollowed out’ the well. The sages of the Mishnah and Talmud, who form the backbone of Torah Sh’baal Peh, the Oral Law, interpreted and clarified Torah sheb'Ksav, enabling us to quench our thirst to this very day.
As the sages of every generation reveal new insights in Torah, their chidushim, carvings on the walls of the well of Torah, are undertaken with the staffs of the Rishonim, the earlier sages:
“Each inference extracted from Torah must be explained according to (the earlier sages') words, and anything not founded on the words of the Kadmonim (earlier authorities) cannot be relied upon.”
Another memory shared by Rav Weinberger describes the impact of Reb Shimon Shkop’s influence on Rav Dovid. Whenever Rav Dovid would mention him in a shiur, he would stand and tremble as he would enunciate, ‘Mori v’Rabi Reb Shimon says….’ It would then take him a minute to come back to himself. This is the essence of our mesorah and tradition: with accuracy, awe and heartfelt respect, seeking new, relevant and timely applications of the unchanging values we have received, carving deeper grooves with the staff of our parents, grandparents and teachers.
Rav Aharon Kahn, of YU/ RIETS reminisced, “Reb Dovid was a center of gravity wherever he was, conveying a sense of self, but without a trace of gaavah. That's a very rare combination. He didn't have to do anything to draw the kavod of those around him; it was the metzius of who he was….”
The Suvalker Rav enabled generations of students to drink from a source of purest wisdom and kavod haTorah. May we all continue to dig deeper into our souls, and carve out wellsprings of life, inspiration, wisdom, presence and honor, for our families, communities and the Ribbono shel Olam.
In honor of Rebbetzin Tzipora (nee Lifshitz) & Rav Dr. Chaim Waxman, marking the yahrzeit9 Tamuz - of Rav Dovid, zechuso yagen aleinu.
OU KASHRUT
PAGE BY RABBI EZRA FRIEDMAN Director, The Gustave & Carol Jacobs Center for Kashrut Education Director, The Gustave & Carol Jacobs Center for Kashrut Education
Introduction to Bishul Akum
Cooked Food in a Non-Kosher Gas-Station
The prohibition
In modern-day Israel, it is common to walk into any gas station and find a wide array of kosher products available for purchase, including cold beverages, snacks, nuts, and sandwiches. Any item that is sealed and bears a reliable kosher certification may be purchased without concern—even if the establishment is open on Shabbat.
According to Biblical law, food that is completely kosher and cooked by a nonJew is permitted. However, our Sages decreed that such food, even when cooked in kosher utensils, is prohibited for consumption. This prohibition is known as bishul akum. In the coming weeks we will discuss the parameters of this rabbinic prohibition, including the reasons behind the decree, when it applies, and the practical halacha for modern industrial kashrut.
However, purchasing freshly cooked items on-site is a more complex matter. Many gas station convenience stores do not possess kosher certification, unlike most food establishments in Israel. Moreover, the fact that these stores are typically open on Shabbat raises additional halachic concerns.
Food is a very connecting element in every society. That is the basis behind the decree of bishul akum. Our Sages were very concerned about close relationships with non-Jews since intermarriage is a very severe transgression. The prohibition effectively limits Jews and gentiles dining with each other, although there is no specific prohibition against dining with a non-Jew per se. (See Rashi on Avodah Zara 31:b.)
COOKED FOODS
Many gas station convenience stores offer cooked food items such as hot dogs, hot sandwiches, and baked goods. While these items may originate from kosher suppliers, this does not guarantee their kosher status. Observant customers may inquire about the kosher certification and see packaging attesting to the products' kosher origin, but this is ultimately irrelevant if the store itself is not under kosher supervision.
Forbidding the non-Jew’s cooking would be enough to create an emotional distance such that families wouldn’t marry into each other.
Rabbeinu Tam (Tosfot Avodah Zara 38:a) and Rambam (Ma’achalot Asurot 17:9)
Without certification, there is no way to ensure that the products consistently come from kosher sources. For example, a gas
maintain that the decree is based on this issue of closeness to non-Jews that could lead to intermarriage; this is the opinion of most early authorities. However, Rashi and others attribute a different reasoning to the prohibition of bishul akum, which is that non-Jews might mix non-kosher ingredients into the kosher food. In future articles we will discuss whether the parameters of bishul akum are based on both of these reasons or just one. However, it is clear from numerous sources that the danger of intermarriage is the main reason behind the prohibition (See Torat Habayit 3:7).
station may begin by using kosher hot dogs but later switch to a cheaper, non-kosher alternative without notifying customers. Additionally, utensils may be used interchangeably for dairy and meat products, which is a serious kashrut concern.
Further halachic issues can arise. One such issue is Bishul Akum—the rabbinic prohibition against consuming food cooked entirely by a non-Jew, unless a Jew participated in the cooking process. Even if the food is kosher in origin, if it is cooked exclusively by a non-Jew, it becomes prohibited.
The decree is binding regardless of the reason
Another important halachic principle is Basar Shenitalem Min Ha’ayin (see Shulchan Aruch YD 63), which prohibits consumption of meat that was not sealed and supervised by a Jew. If raw meat products are left unsealed—for example, while thawing—and non-Jewish employees are alone in the store, such meat becomes prohibited for consumption although they have certification when arriving at the store.
SHABBAT
Some gas stations may claim that all their food is kosher and all staff are Jewish. However, serious halachic concerns remain if the store operates on Shabbat. According to the Gemara (Chulin 15:a) and Shulchan Aruch
Since the transgression of intermarriage was the primary concern behind our Sages’ decree, their goal was to powerfully discourage the possibility of developing emotional connections to non-Jews that could lead to intermarriage either in that generation or the next. Accordingly, early authorities discuss whether the prohibition of bishul akum still applies even in situations where intermarriage is not technically possible. For example, Rashba, in his responsa (1:248), examines the case of food cooked by a priest. Being that Catholic priests do not marry nor do they have children with whom to intermarry, is it permitted to eat food cooked by a priest even though the reason for bishul akum seemingly does not apply to
(OC 318:1), food that is knowingly cooked in violation of Shabbat by a Jew may not be consumed. Furthermore, later authorities extend this prohibition to those for whom the act was performed.
The Ktav Sofer (Orach Chaim 50) asserts that an establishment open on Shabbat for the purpose of serving refreshments implicates any customer as an accessory to the Shabbat desecration. As such, any food prepared on Shabbat is considered to have been made for the customer, rendering it prohibited—even if it appears kosher.
The OU Israel Gustave & Carol Jacobs Center for Kashrut Education was created to raise awareness and educate the public in all areas of kashrut. Rabbi Ezra Friedman, Deputy Rabbinic Administrator for OU Kosher Israel is the Center's director. him? Rashba answers that we have a rule regarding rabbinic decrees: even when the reason does not apply, the prohibition still stands. This is a necessary element in every rabbinic prohibition. Otherwise, Rashba explains, people could rationalize and find reasons why any decree should not apply in their particular situation. Accordingly, Rashba concludes that even food cooked by a Catholic priest has the prohibition of bishul akum. A similar ruling is made by Ramban (Avodah Zara 35:a) regarding non-Jewish royalty who, because of their stature, are prohibited from marrying Jews. He maintains that the fact that the non-Jews are royalty is irrelevant, and that the decree of bishul akum stands regardless of the reason behind it. Taz (YD 112:1) , Shach (YD 112:4) and Pri Megadim (YD 112:1) cite these rulings as axioms of the laws of bishul akum.
Other examples
Another significant issue involves the utensils used. As mentioned, food cooked on Shabbat is forbidden due to its association with intentional Shabbat desecration. According to the Rashba, the utensils used in preparing such food also become prohibited, as they are considered to have absorbed the taste of non-kosher food. The Mishna Berura (318:4) accepts this ruling. Therefore, any food subsequently cooked in those utensils— even days or weeks later—is also considered non-kosher.
misconception: A Jewish-owned restaurant in Israel cannot be considered kosher if it operates on Shabbat. Based on the halachic principles outlined above, this belief is incorrect.
gentiles, even if the ingredients and utensils are kosher.
The reason cited by most authorities is the risk of intermarriage.
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
Even in cases with virtually no risk of intermarriage, the food is still prohibited, including non-Jewish royalty, priests, young children, and non-Jews from distant lands.
In a gas station that is not kosher-certified and operates seven days a week, no unpackaged or freshly prepared food should be consumed. Even hot beverages, such as coffee, should be avoided, since equipment used on Shabbat (such as coffee machines) may render future use non-kosher.
Kashrut Questions in Israel?
Call or Whatsapp Rabbi Friedman at 050-200-4432
077-2050015
052-2678749
golanechasim@gmail.com
Meir Golan
Old Katamon: 4-room apartment in a small and quiet street, 101 sqm, renovated, very bright and airy, master bedroom, Safe room (mamad), sukkah balcony, view, elevator, 3,400,000 NIS
Meir Golan
If a gas station is not certified but is closed on Shabbat, there may be room to purchase hot beverages like coffee, assuming the ingredients are kosher and equipment is exclusively kosher. Nevertheless, other cooked items—such as pastries, sandwiches, and hot desserts—should be avoided due to concerns regarding Bishul Akum and other halachic issues mentioned above.
RASCO: new 4 room apartment, 95m, master suite, elevator, balcony, very nice view 2,950,000 NIS
Old Katamon: 4-room apartment, 90 sqm, well split, bright, airy, sukkah balcony facing a magnificent panoramic view, 3 exp Shabbat elevator, parking, 3,290,000 NIS
no experience needed Mondays 1:15-4pm Wednesdays 12-3pm
Shabbat afternoon
Parshat HaShavua shiur
given by Rabbi Chanoch Yeres at Beit Knesset Ohel Yitzchak, Rechov Washington 12 at 5:30 pm
“Turning Despair into Hope”
www.yeshezra.org
Director: Menachem Persoff
“Davka” at this time, your help is needed for three families in need of psychiatric counseling.
Website: www.yeshezra.org
Bank Transfer: Mercantile (17), Branch 642, A/C 79747843
Send Asmachta for receipt
Checks: “Yesh Ezra,” POB 31476, Romema, Jerusalem
Credit Card:
Sara – 077-820-0196 / 058-530-9161
Sun-Wed (10:00am-14.30 pm)
Donate with:
Tax benefit for donations as per section 46a of the Israeli tax code
Inquiries: Menachem Persoff
050-570-1067 | menpmp@gmail.com
Gemach for Chatan and Kalla:
Meals for wedding and Sheva Brachot at cost
Eida Hachareidis Hechsher
Tel:052-633-1744
gadgadood@gmail.com
SHIUR SPONSORS
TO SPONSOR A SHIUR CONTACT
Chana Spivack - 050-229-4951 or donate online: https://www.ouisrael.org/donate/ou-israel-center/
ALL MORNING SHIURIM - WED. JULY 2
Sponsored by Sara & Ronen Kory and Reva Schertz in memory of Chaim Eliezer ben Moshe z”l, Rabbi Chaim Schertz, Sara’s father and Reva’s husband on his 7th yahrzeit, 2 Tammuz
RABBI GOLDSCHEIDER’S SHIUR - WED. JULY 2
Sponsored by Vera Schertz in memory of her husband Rabbi Dr. Chaim Eliezer (Schertz) ben Moshe z”l on his yahrzeit, 2 Tammuz
Sponsored by Carole Goldberg for the neshama of her mother Malka Sheva bat Yitzhok a”h
RABBI TAUB’S SHIUR
Sponsored for the academic year by the Legacy Heritage Fund
RABBI BREITOWITZ’S SHIUR
Dedicated anonymously for the refuah shleima of Oksana bat Bluma and Evelina bat Galina
RABBI MANNING’S SHIUR
Sponsored for the 2025 academic year
RABBI GOLDSCHEIDER’S SHIUR
Sponsored for the 2025 academic year
RABBI ADLER’S SHIUR
Sponsored for this academic year by the Frist family in memory of their beloved daughter and sister Elisheva Frist a”h
RABBI SHAI FINKELSTEIN’S SHIUR
Sponsored for the 2024-2025 academic year by the Sondhelm and Wertenteil Families in memory of Mel & Sylvia David z”l
Be’er Tziporah a"h - Bottled Water Gemach
Walking down King George St. in Jerusalem and want a cold bottle of water?
Come help yourself to a bottle at 52 King George.
In loving memory of Yoni’s wife Tziporah a"h, a true Eishes Chayil, always full of chessed, kindness and laughter, and brought life and strength to so many people, that she touched! She was like Aron, who loved peace and pursued peace.
Yoni thanks Hashem for having the opportunity of having Tziporah in his life, to learn of her caring, patience and happiness, to overcome her challenges. May Tziporah's Neshama be a light onto the world, in a time of darkness, and may her Neshama shine to Gan Eden. Yoni misses Tziporah with tears in his eyes, as Hashem gave him a gift, a crown jewel, now he returns her to Hashem. With thanks and Toda. Love, Yoni
To help refill the supplysend tax deductible donations for Be’er Tziporah a"h Bottled Water Gemach to Chabad of RechaviaRabbi Yisroel Goldberg email Rabbi@JerusalemChabad.org 02 800-1717 www.JerusalermChabad.org/DonateShekels
SIMCHAT SHMUEL
simchat shmuel
BY RABBI SAM SHOR DIRECTOR, TORAH INITIATIVES, OU ISRAEL
BY RABBI SAM SHOR
Program Director, OU Israel Center
In our sedra this week, Parshat Chukat, the Torah recalls the song of thanks that the Jewish people sang in appreciation for the well which appeared in the dessert which supplied them with ample water to drink.
find joy or fulfillment in our Avodat Hashem, then we should emulate Moshe and Ahron and "dig wells." In times of despair or in times when we feel disconnected or uninspired, we should dig deep and delve into and immerse ourselves in limud Torah, until we find and experience once again the life-giving water that is the Torah HaKedosha.
Then Yisrael sang this song - To the well, we called out! Well that the princes dug,that the noble ones excavated, carved out with their staffs, a gift from the wilderness...
Rashi explains our verse-B'eer Chafaruha Sarim-Well that the princes dug- to mean-this is the well that Moshe and Aharon dug.
The Arizal suggested that the first letters of the first few words of our verse-B'eer Chafaruha Sarim, Karuha -spell out an acronym comprising the word B'Choshech-In darkness.
The Yesod HaAvodah, the first Slonimer Rebbe z'ya, explains the words of the Arizal as teaching us a very important and eternally relevant message. When a Jew experiences times of darkness, when we might be struggling to
Similarly, the Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh zy'a, taught that the song that was sung by the Jewish people at this time, was not solely about the water that they received as a matana-a gift in the desert, but rather was a song of praise for the greatest gift we received in the desert, the gift that would sustain us in all circumstancesthe great gift of the Torah HaKedosha.
Rebbe Nachman of Breslov zy'a, further explains that Moshe and Ahron, were two great leaders who were rooted in humility and concern for others, with a deep desire to give of their gifts to inspire others. They dug " wells", with their own hands, using their own equipment, to quench the thirst, to provide the waters of spiritual sustenance for the Jewish people.
In these very trying and challenging times, may each of us be blessed with the strength and fortitude to "dig wells," to find the spiritual sustenance we need through the proverbial waters of life inherent within the Torah HaKedosha, and may we similarly share those waters with others, to bring the light of Torah to help navigate our passage through the proverbial desert, and overcome any pain and darkness.
• Curtains & draperies
• Designer curtains
• Venetian & Woven wood blinds
• Blackout, Vertical, Roller, Roman & Pleated shades
FOR SALE
RASKO CLOSE TO SAN SIMON
Nice 3 rooms, 57m, in a building after TAMA 38, good shape, balcony with possible exit to a garden, quiet, 2,450,000 NIS
IN THE CHARMING PART OF THE CITY CENTER
Large 3 rooms, 76m, second floor, in a stone building with elevator, 2 balconies, 25m sukkah, high ceilings, good shape, quiet, good investment! Exclusive, 3,350,000 NIS
GREAT INVESTMENT CLOSE TO EMEK REFAIM
4 rooms, 80m, first floor, 2 balconies, renovated, with a process to get a new 5 room apt of 129m, in a luxury building with elevator, 12m balcony, storage room, parking, 3,650,000 NIS (potential to double the investment!
KIRYAT SHMUEL - Large 4 rooms with a plan to add another 24m (shelter included), in a stone building with Shabbat elevator, total accessibility, 100m neto, 20m of balconies with view and sukkah, good shape, quiet, storage room, private parking, 5,150,000 NIS, Rare!
GEULAS YISRAEL
GEULAS YISRAEL
RABBI MOSHE TARAGIN
RAM YESHIVAT HAR ETZION
MAGGID SHIUR ALL PARSHA AND ALL DAF, OU.ORG
Divine Rescue Calls Us to Shira and to Emunah Peshuta
Gratitude lies at the heart of moral identity and of our bond with Hashem. It is the fertile soil from which human nobility takes root. Through gratitude, we admit that life is a divine gift, not a given. We are sustained by Hashem’s mercy, not by our merit.
Each day, we express our hakarat hatov in tefillah—through pesukei d’zimrah, in modim, and on Shabbat, through the soaring words of Nishmat kol chai. These moments give voice to our soul’s quiet thanks.
Gratitude is enough for everyday moments, but when we witness specific miracles, simple thanks fall short. The deep emotions stirred by nissim and geulah call for more than words—they demand expression through song and poetry.
On chagim, as we recall past miracles, we sing Hallel, reliving past geulah not just
in memory, but in melody. It is not enough to remember—we must sing and we must recite poetry- the language of emotions.
When we witness miracles in our own time, we too are called to respond with shira. The Gemara in Pesachim (117a) teaches that anyone saved by a miracle is obligated to recite shira. Even without a formal command, a spiritually sensitive soul feels an instinctive need to express gratitude through poetry and communal song.
TWO WEEKS OF NISSIM IN ISRAEL
Over the past two weeks, our people have witnessed overt Divine protection. A potential catastrophe was averted. Our many enemies faltered; what could have unraveled into national disaster was held back by the kindness of Hashem. Military officials warned of possible civilian casualties in the thousands. And though we suffered painful losses—both in lives and in property—the worst fears were not realized. The streets still ache, homes are broken, and healing will be slow. But the shadow of death that hovered above us has passed.
Not only did we receive a short-term rescue, but our long-term security and strategic standing have been profoundly strengthened. The threat was immediate, but
The Israel Association of Baseball is looking for umpires and coaches nationwide!
the salvation may echo far into the future.
It is reminiscent of the Six Day War. In the days before that war, tens of thousands of graves were dug in national parks, anticipating mass death on multiple fronts. And yet, salvation came—swift and staggering. The nissim of 1967, like those of 2025, altered the historical trajectory
Such moments demand more than silence. They call for shira.
Now, as then, we must not remain silent. Salvation demands a voice.
HALLEL, NISHMAT OR TEHILLIM
There is significant debate about reciting Hallel when it has not been formally established by Chazal. Some hesitate to say Hallel outside its traditional setting, while others feel halachically permitted and even obligated to do so. Those who refrain from Hallel often turn instead to Nishmat kol chai or select chapters of Tehillim that express the deep, trembling gratitude that arises after salvation.
Whether through Hallel, Nishmat, or a single whispered mizmor ( I personally recommend perakim 30 and 100), we must not let this moment pass without lifting our voice. Gratitude cannot remain silent or mental—it must be spoken, sung, shaped into words and woven into poetry. Only then does it trickle down into the deeper layers of our identity, transforming not just what we feel, but who we are.
We were spared. We must sing.
But before we sing, we must ask: what is shira? What is its function? How do we arrive at a mindset capable of shira? My Rebbe, Rav Yehuda Amital zt”l, spoke often about shira, especially in his sichot surrounding Yom Ha’atzmaut. Much of what I write here is
drawn from his thought and his vision.
ANCHORING SHIRA IN THE
“NOW”
The two great shirot in the Torah—one in Beshalach, the other in Chukat—each begin with a singular, iconic word: "Az"—“then.”
Az yashir Moshe.
Az yashir Yisrael.
There is something about then, about that precise moment, that demands shira. Poetry does not float above time. It is not eternal, detached, or abstract. Authentic shira is rooted in the now—in the rush of emotion, and the collapse of fear. In the stunned awareness that something miraculous has just occurred.
Shira is not written from a distance. It is born from the moment, and it belongs to it.
The Midrash (Behaalotecha Tanchuma 7) teaches that the original harp used in the Beit HaMikdash had seven strings. In the Messianic era, it will have eight. And after that, in a future, more elevated time, it will have ten. The Sfat Emet (Behaalotecha ג"נרת) understood this not merely as a musical enhancement but as a profound spiritual metaphor. Each era brings its own miracles, its own dangers, its own redemption. Shira must respond to the moment—it demands renewal.
Though we recite the same Hallel and the familiar chapters of Tehillim, we must hear within those ancient words the echoes of new fears, new rescues, and fresh acts of Hashem’s kindness. Shira cannot become stale or formulaic; it must be az—alive in the moment, shaped by the very events that inspire it. It must be a shira chadasha, a fresh song, not a blind repetition of the past.
The added strings symbolize more than musical complexity—they represent the evolving harmony of gratitude, constantly
changing and updating. The melody of thanks must be distinct and contemporary, sung anew in each generation.
Don’t just mouth the shira, but ask: What did we fear? How were we saved? What historical threads did Hashem weave together this time? What psychological burdens were lifted? Each geulah carries its own fingerprint.
And so, while shira is poetic, it is also thoughtful. It demands reflection. To sing with sincerity, we must recognize the miracle personally—and recite its praise with clarity.
DOCUMENTARIES FOR THE FUTURE
The 44th chapter of Tehillim, traditionally attributed to the sons of Korach, opens with a strange declaration:
miracles—to document them, internalize them, and share them with future generations who did not live through them firsthand. Just as we feel responsible to preserve the memory of the Holocaust and pass it on, so too must we embed miraculous events into our collective memory. We will be the future story-tellers of the nissim we just lived through.
“We have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us, of the deeds You performed in their days, in days of old.”
This introduction seems misplaced. The sons of Korach had personally witnessed many of the miracles of Egypt and the wilderness. Why speak of “secondhand knowledge” passed down from their fathers, when they themselves had seen the hand of Hashem with their own eyes?
The Midrash offers a profound explanation: the sons of Korach are not speaking for themselves—they are giving voice to the generations that will come after them, the countless Jews who will sing their mizmor. They saw with their own eyes, but we, their descendants, must rely on the testimony of previous generations. The sons of Korach are providing words for us to echo.
This perek then becomes a historical mandate for those who have witnessed
Many readers of this article did not experience the Six-Day War, yet they were raised on stories of courage, of faith, and of a week of miracles in which Hashem reshaped His world and redrew the map of history. We have lived through a similar moment. It is now our task to carry this story forward— to turn it into legacy, to share it with those who will come after us. Reciting shira and expressing our emotions through poetry anchors these events more deeply within our identity. Through song, memory transforms into legacy, and fleeting feelings solidify into enduring faith. Shira embeds these miracles in our soul, so that one day we can recount their story with clarity and strength.
SIMPLE FAITH
The shira at the Yam Suf was preceded by a powerful surge of emunah:
Without first encountering deep faith, shira could not rise from the heart. To commit wholly to song, we must first pass through the gates of emunah.
But not all faith leads to shira. There are two forms of emunah—and only one kind births authentic, impassioned poetry.
The Gemara in Sotah (30b) teaches that at keriyat Yam Suf, even infants and toddlers recited shira. The literal reading suggests a supernatural event—babies without mature
consciousness singing divine poetry. But a more metaphorical approach suggests that it wasn’t children who sang, but adults. In that moment adults recited shira with the simplicity and surrender of a childlike heart. Adults adopted the faith of infants, enabling them to recite shira with pure simplicity and heartfelt surrender.
In general, there are two streams of emunah. The first variety of emunah flows through reflection and insight:
“Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations”— faith built through memory and historical perspective, drawn from deep contemplation and careful analysis.
The first form of faith is built through memory and historical perspective, drawn from deep contemplation and careful analysis.
But there is another emunah—one which is peshutah, uncluttered and raw. This emunah doesn’t ask too many questions, doesn’t dissect or philosophize. It simply sees Hashem’s hand and bows before it.
Simple people often model this emunah peshutah more authentically than the learned, who quote sources, define categories, and construct complex architectures of belief. Faith cannot be caged in “categories” and analysis often drains the soul from an experience. Excessive thinking flattens the mystique of faith.
In moments of salvation, sophistication can become a stumbling block. Shira is born not from a mind that hesitates, but from a heart that beholds and believes. At the Yam Suf, even adults became childlike. The miracle was overwhelming, the yad Hashem too obvious to ignore. We didn’t stop to
calculate the journey ahead, or to fret about the scorching desert sun. We didn’t ask how we would capture a Land still fortified and unconquered. We suspended our disbelief, and surrendered to wonder.
And in that surrender, shira flowed.
As we emerge from our own miracles, uncertainty still shadows us. Ruthless terrorists rage in Gaza and beyond. The world still echoes with hatred, spewing venomous chants against Israel and the Jewish people. We face baseless, absurd accusations about how we fight those determined to destroy us. The future remains clouded.
We can drown in political debate and complexity—or summon simple, childlike faith. Faith that sings shira even without clear knowledge of what tomorrow holds.
This is a moment of “Az” — not to be lost in endless deliberations about what comes next, not to let politics dim the radiance of Hashem’s saving hand. Simply to say shira chadasah and thank Hashem for protecting us
Rabbi Taragin’s newest sefer entitled “To be Holy but Human: Reflections upon my Rebbe, Rav Yehuda Amital (Kodesh) is now available at: mtaraginbooks.com and in bookstores
HAFTORAH
INSIGHTS
BY REBBETZIN DR. ADINA SHMIDMAN
DIRECTOR, OU WOMEN’S INITIATIVE
Drawn to One Another
In this week’s Haftorah, we meet a complex and compelling figure: Yiftach HaGiladi. His story begins not with strength or leadership, but with rejection. The son of a concubine, Yiftach is driven out of his father’s home by his half-brothers. Isolated and humiliated, he flees to the land of Tov.
It’s there that the Navi tells us: וטקלתיו םיקר םישנא חתפי לא, and worthless men gathered around Yiftach. He doesn’t seek them out — they gather to him. These are people on the margins, like him. Together, they form a group, bound not by purpose, but by pain.
The Yalkut Shimoni uses the story of Yiftach to prove an adage, ‘A wandering person is drawn toward a patch of thorns,’ teaching us that people tend to gravitate toward those who resemble them. The
Midrash teaches that this truth is so foundational, it echoes through every level of Torah tradition: it is written in the Torah, repeated in the Neviim here in the story of Yiftach, stated a third time in the Ketuvim, taught in the Mishnah, and reinforced in the Baraita. This is a message we are meant to hear from every direction - we are shaped by the people around us. When we feel lost, we may gravitate toward those who mirror our insecurity or bitterness. But the inverse is also true. Yiftach’s story takes a turn when those who once rejected him return, asking him to lead them. In a moment of national crisis, they recognize his strength. Yiftach could have refused. Instead, he chooses to rise. No longer surrounded by empty men, he now walks among the elders of Israel — a leader not just in title, but in stature.
Yiftach’s transformation reminds us that we are not fixed by our past. Just as we are influenced by others, we can also choose better. We can reach for circles that elevate, for relationships that reflect the people we want to become. Because when we choose to surround ourselves with people of faith, purpose, and goodness, we don’t just change our company — we elevate ourselves.
From seating systems to custom Aron Kodesh, Bimah, bookcases and moreevery piece is tailored to your community's needs
After wandering the desert for forty years, the Jewish people were finally on their final approach to the promised land. Having had more than enough time to prepare for their arrival, their enemies set a massive ambush of devastating potential in the crevices and caves along Wadi Arnon. Little did they know, however, that the ark preceded the people and miraculously leveled the terrain to make it more easily traversable. This time, it brought the two sides of the riverbed together and crushed all the would-be murderers lying in wait. The Jewish people would have remained blissfully unaware of the threat and its neutralization if not for two people afflicted with the special skin condition tzara’at residing temporarily outside the camp, who noticed blood trickling out of the rock. When they reported their discovery to the camp, the entire people burst into a song of thanksgiving.1
Rav Avraham Yitzchak Hakohen Kook unpacked this account recorded in the Talmud as a figure of things to come. The ark which was imbued with the power to bring down mountains and clear a path for the nation of Israel represents the Torah’s power and vitality, which serve as a source of strength and guidance for all time. Since the birth of our people, numerous enemies 1. Berachot, 54a–b.
have attempted to eradicate us physically and spiritually, to prevent us from achieving our lofty aspirations. Sometimes they conceal dangerous ideas like mines, waiting for centuries to be tripped and cause mayhem. By virtue of our allegiance to the Torah, the Talmud tells us, our ultimate safety and success as a people are assured.2
The jubilant song that followed the dispatching of the ambushers begins, “Rise, well” (Numbers 21:17). The Torah as water, well, or fount is common imagery in the Torah, since the Jewish people drink of its endless wellspring of knowledge and wisdom. The Jewish people expressed their thanks to the Torah, the water that kept them alive. This may explain why Moshe did not lead them in song as he did at the sea some forty years earlier. The bond between the people and their Torah, the way of life that will guide them when they enter and settle their land, is unmediated.
One of the most puzzling aspects of this episode is the role of the two metzora’im. Traditionally, tzara’at appears on one’s body to signify some spiritual imperfection. So why were such individuals privy to this information? Rav Kook explained that the metzora’im at the edge of the camp represent Jews on the fringes who have experienced 2. Ein Ayah, Berachot, 9:6.
the world and understand the dangers that lurk therein. Jews in the midst of the camp, even the most sheltered ones, can see a frontal attack coming. It is hard to miss the open hatred, whether shouted at anti-Semitic rallies, displayed in Nazi tattoos, or acted upon through physical violence.
Sometimes, though, our enemies come at us from the flanks or from the modern-day equivalent of caves—tunnels below the ground. The God-fearing Jew may not have the capacity to think like the insidious enemy and imagine these invisible threats. It is precisely those on the margins who can comprehend the peril, appreciate the salvation, and disclose God’s greatness to the entire people.3
It is difficult not to read between the lines of this piece and see Rav Kook recording his own thoughts about momentous events unfolding before his very eyes. With the modern mass return to the land, Rav Kook believed that it was vital for the Torah to serve as the foundation of the emergent Israeli society. The Jew’s return home would renew ties to the land, and the whole body of agricultural Halachah, for example, would need careful application to present realities. In addition, Rav Kook felt that the ingathering of the Jewish people demanded unconditional appreciation of every single Jew and his or her contribution to the blossoming of the people in their land.
Rav Kook weaved together this vision of Torah, people, and land united in a beautiful response to the national anthem, “Ha-Tikvah” (The Hope), which he did not find satisfying. He titled this hymn “Ha-Emunah” (The Faith): 3. Ibid.
Beating in our hearts forever is the unwavering faith in the return to our Holy Land, the city where David settled. There shall we meet our destiny, acquired by the father of multitudes; there shall we live our lives in uncountable numbers. There shall we serve our God with joy, gladness, and song; there shall we pilgrimage three times a year.
Our desire is for the life-giving Torah, given from the Supernal One; forever it is our heritage, a gift from the desert.4
Notably, Rav Kook used two words from the ancient song in Parashat Chukat to end the song: “a gift from the desert” (Numbers 21:18).5 While this is traditionally taken as a
4. Rav Kook intended it to be sung to the tune of “Ha-Tikvah” as a replacement. The Ariel youth movement in Israel adopted it as their anthem.
5. See the classic commentaries ad loc. for
reference to the Torah given in the wilderness of Sinai, the words can also be understood to refer to the Land of Israel. Indeed, coming home to our land was the ultimate gift for a people on its feet all those years. The destiny begun in our land by Avraham eons ago, and which can again be met by so many of our people, is to be a holy people, following the holy Torah, living in our Holy Land. Rav Kook’s wonderful vision has fittingly inspired many generations of Religious Zionists, and should serve as inspiration to us all. other interpretations of the ambiguous words mi-midbar matanah.
Rabbi Goldscheider’s most recent OU Press Publication, “Torah United” on the weekly Parsha, can be ordered directly from Rabbi Goldscheider at aarong@ouisrael.org at a special price for Torah Tidbits readers.
Spacious 4 room apartment on the unique and desirable Kurtz St.! 117 SQM, An amazing open view, Balcony (partial Sukkah), beautiful kitchen, A/C, Machsan, & Private parking, Asking price: 4,830,000 NIS
Derech
Invest in Israel’s Future Smart Buys - Beautiful Builds
ASK THE RABBI SERVICE
OU VEBBE REBBE
RAV DANIEL MANN
Rav Daniel Mann
Yissachar and Zevulun for Mitzvot
Question: Does the Yissachar and Zevulun (=Y&Z) relationship (a “working” Jew (=Zevulun) and a “learning” Jew (=Yissachar) sharing their material and spiritual attainments for each’s advantage) work when Yissachar is involved in mitzvot other than talmud Torah?
Answer: We must first examine what makes Y&Z special. The historical background comes from two tribes of Israel described (Devarim 33:18, see Rashi ad loc.) as Zevulun going out and Yissachar staying in tents (which often represents Torah study – see Bereishit 25:27). Rashi (ibid.) describes their partnership as follows: Zevulun’s commerce was shared with Yissachar, enabling them to engage in Torah. The midrash
(Bereishit Rabba 72:5) gives Zevulun primary reward for Yissachar’s Torah learning. The Rama (Yoreh Deah 246:1) rules based on this concept that two people can make a deal whereby Zevulun supports Yissachar and they divide the spiritual reward. Is this concept unique or does it follow established rules? Generally, one cannot be credited when another does a mitzva that calls for personal involvement, on his behalf. Reuven cannot ask Shimon to put on tefillin and have it count for Reuven (see Tosafot Rid, Kiddushin 42a). Likewise, it should be impossible to have Yissachar learn on Zevulun’s behalf and have it count for him. On the other hand, there is a concept of being rewarded, not as a performer of a mitzva but as a facilitator (Makkot 5b) “like those who perform the mitzva.” This should not be surprising, as just as facilitating another’s aveira is forbidden (Vayikra 19:14), so too facilitating a mitzva deserves reward. Even making efforts to fulfill a mitzva and not succeeding supplies credit (Kiddushin 40a). Indeed, reward for dedication to a mitzva can come from many directions. From this perspective, there is no major difference whether you facilitate talmud Torah, including with your money, or a different mitzva.
Eretz Hemdah, the Institute for Advanced Jewish Studies, Jerusalem, is headed by Rav Yosef Carmel and Rav Moshe Ehrenreich, founded by Rav Shaul Yisraeli, zt”l, to prepare rabbanim and dayanim to serve the National Religious community in the Israel and abroad. Ask the Rabbi is a joint venture of the OU, Eretz Hemdah, and OU Israel’s Torah Tidbits.
Could there be something unique about Y&Z, perhaps specifically for talmud Torah? Three possible elements could make Y&Z special: 1. Yissachar and Zevulun make an agreement whereby Yissachar shares his merit with Zevulun (see Avkat Rochel 2). 2. It is not just a sizable donation but an equal partnership in Zevulun’s earnings (see Igrot Moshe, YD IV 37). 3. It refers to enabling someone to learn (fulltime/significantly more) in a way he could not have without the support (see Meishiv Davar III:14).
One could argue that Y&Z is discussed regarding Torah study because it is uncommon for another mitzva enterprise to preclude earning a living and thus requiring sponsorship. If so, if two friends agreed that Zevulun will work “for both” while Yissachar spends his days building mikvaot “for both,” this could indeed “check all the Y&Z boxes,” and they could share that great mitzva’s reward.
However, Y&Z regarding Torah may have intrinsic advantages: 1. Many sources (including Shabbat 127a, Avot 1:15) give intensive talmud Torah greater centrality than any other mitzva. 2. Becoming a talmid chacham who can contribute at a high level is difficult without serious financial support, of which Y&Z is one mode. 3. Because not everyone can be a serious learner, and close connection to Torah’s virtue is critical for every Jew, Chazal identified special ways of connecting to Torah through a talmid chacham (wife or mother – Berachot 17a; fatherin-law – Sanhedrin 99a; doing business
with – ibid.). Y&Z fits well with those close connections.
In summation, many donations bring great reward and spiritual gain, and there is no expectation that many people will choose the special and, according to some, demanding system (50% of earnings) of Y&Z. There are too many “moving parts” to calculate expected reward for supporting various causes, and man does not “control” his reward to transfer it to others at will (see Rama and Meishiv Davar ibid.). So, while some sources say Y&Z’s unique value applies only to talmud Torah (see opinions in Minchat Asher, Bereishit 73; Yissachar U'Zevulun (Cohen) pp. 187-189), this need not dictate how one spends on good causes.
Having a dispute?
a Din Torah in English or Hebrew contact: Eretz Hemdah–Gazit Rabbinical Court
Machon Puah for Fertility and Gynecology in Accordance with Halacha
Esther’s Mother?
Last time we discussed the judge’s decision in the case of Sofia who was born to parents who were not her genetic parents. The judge was adamant that genetics is the sole determination of motherhood and she must be handed over to her genetic parents.
We have previously presented several sources that suggest that the mother is the woman who gives birth, called the birth mother, as opposed to the genetic mother. The Talmud (Megillah 13a) points out a somewhat superfluous expression in the verse, “she had no mother and father… and when her mother and father died” (Esther 2:7). Why does the verse need to stress that her parents died if it previously stated that she had no parents?
The Talmud answers that when her mother became pregnant her father died, and her mother died in childbirth. Rashi explains the significance of this Talmudic elucidation; Esther’s father died immediately after
conception, before he could be called the father. And her mother died right before birth, before she could be called the mother. Thus, Esther never had parents, since each of them died and were never liable to be defined as her parents.
While Rashi’s words explain the Gemara, they also suggest that motherhood is defined by giving birth. If the genetic mother was considered the halachic mother, then Esther’s mother would have been her mother even before she gave birth. Since Rashi states that Esther’s mother could not be claimed to be her mother since she died in childbirth, we can deduce that the halacha views the birth mother as the mother.
But this is far from a proof; the Gemara seeks to elucidate the verse, not define motherhood. In addition, there is no clarification regarding when exactly during the birth process did Esther’s mother die. If she died before the fetus was expelled from the body, then this could be seen as a “proof” that birth is the determining factor in becoming a mother. But, if, in fact, she died soon after Esther was born, then she was both the genetic and the birth mother, and still she did not merit to be defined as Esther’s mother, presumably since she did not raise her.
Therefore, while this is an indication that birth is significant in defining motherhood, it cannot be taken as a true proof.
There are other sources that suggest that the birth mother is the halachic mother.
More on this next time.
THE DAILY PORTION
THE DAILY PORTION
BY SIVAN RAHAV-MEIR
BY SIVAN RAHAV-MEIR
is reluctant to send Yishmael away and Yitzchak seeks reconciliation with Yishmael and seeks to bless Esav.
International Bible Quiz Champions Speak
International Bible Quiz Champions Speak
A Graduation Day Message
What is being said at graduation parties this year? I think the Book of Bamidbar (Numbers), which we are reading now in the Torah, can offer us some direction.
the first time?' Yet I simply forgot it. I thought afterwards that HaShem caused me to forget the answer in order to remind me that I do not know everything, that I am human and not perfect."
Much excitement has surrounded Emunah Cohen and Neta Lax, the two fresh winners of the annual International Bible Quiz. Yesterday I interviewed them and heard their story.
It turns out that they studied long hours together and were confident they would be the leading competitors. "We planned on winning together," Emunah revealed. "We thought both of us would answer every question correctly so that we would both be champions, tied for first place.
The Jewish people wander for forty years in the desert. They experience highs and lows, surprises and battles, triumphs and setbacks. But one thing remains constant: At the center of everything is the Mishkan—the spiritual heart of the nation. Throughout their journey, all twelve tribes are arranged around it. In every new place they arrive, the first thing they do is set up the Mishkan: the beating heart of holiness, of identity, of spiritual life.
Much excitement has surrounded Emunah Cohen and Neta Lax, the two fresh winners of the annual International Bible Quiz. Yesterday I interviewed them and heard their story.
It turns out that they studied long hours together and were confident they would be the leading competitors. "We planned on winning together," Emunah revealed. "We thought both of us would answer every question correctly so that we would both be champions, tied for first place.
But in the end Emunah won. "They made a big deal about our big hug after I lost," Neta said. "But it was the easiest thing to share in her happiness. Besides, we were just relieved that the competition was finally over."
But in the end Emunah won. "They made a big deal about our big hug after I lost," Neta said. "But it was the easiest thing to share in her happiness. Besides, we were just relieved that the competition was finally over."
This year’s graduates began elementary school during the pandemic. They lived through October 7, and now they are finishing school in the aftermath of Operation “Am KeLavi.” Through all the upheavals and challenges, one thing matters most: the values their parents and teachers instilled in them. That, in a sense, is their Mishkan—eternal, sacred, and unshakable.
In the course of the entire contest, Emunah made only one error. "I knew the answer to the question: 'When did King David cry for
NETANYA 4 ROOM APT. RENTAL, Nitza Blvd, 1 month min. Amazing sea view, kosher, furnished: May, June, July 2023 from September 2023 short or long term APTNETANYA@GMAIL.COM
NETANYA 4 ROOM APT. RENTAL, Nitza Blvd, 1 month min. Amazing sea view, kosher, furnished: May, June, July 2023 from September 2023 short or long term APTNETANYA@GMAIL.COM
I had the privilege of speaking via Zoom at several graduation ceremonies over the past few days. I asked the students: What was your ‘Mishkan’? What values stayed strong through all the turmoil? The answers I received were deeply moving. It turns out that sometimes, it’s the challenges themselves that bring us closer to our center—to our
In the course of the entire contest, Emunah made only one error. "I knew the answer to the question: 'When did King David cry for
the first time?' Yet I simply forgot it. I thought afterwards that HaShem caused me to forget the answer in order to remind me that I do not know everything, that I am human and not perfect."
"The more you learn," Neta said, "the easier it gets. When you learn a lot of Tanach (Bible) you simply see how everything connects to your life. I truly felt that what I learned accompanied me wherever I went. It made my heart feel good."
6th Aliya (25:1-11) Avraham marries Keturah; they have 6 sons. All that Avraham has goes to Yitzchak; these are sent eastward with gifts. Avraham dies at age 175; he is buried by Yitzchak and Yishmael in Ma’arat Hamachpelah. Yitzchak is blessed by G-d: he lives in Beer L’chai Roi. The transition from Avraham to Yitzchak is complete. While G-d has been a silent partner in this parsha, here He completes the generational transfer – He blesses Yitzchak. The Jewish people will be Yitzchak and not Yishmael.
heart, our Jewish identity, and the story we all share.
A heartfelt thank you to all educators for yet another difficult and meaningful year. May we all, in this coming summer and in every journey and challenge ahead, remember to always keep the Mishkan at the center.
"The more you learn," Neta said, "the easier it gets. When you learn a lot of Tanach (Bible) you simply see how everything connects to your life. I truly felt that what I learned accompanied me wherever I went. It made my heart feel good."
In closing, Neta declared: "The two of us will continue to study the Tanach. There were parts of the Tanach that were not in the material covered by the quiz, and it's important for us to learn them too."
In closing, Neta declared: "The two of us will continue to study the Tanach. There were parts of the Tanach that were not in the material covered by the quiz, and it's important for us to learn them too."
7th Aliya (25:12-18) The generations of Yishmael are enumerated. Yishmael dies. His descendants dwell from Egypt to Assyria. Yishmael’s story is brief. He has numerous and powerful offspring. The brevity is interested the Jewish length. echoes tions woman and began father’s that his icant the
And Emunah had this recommendation: "Study the Bible for 5 minutes every day. Not for school, not for the Bible quiz, but just for how much fun it will be."
Sivan Rahav-Meir is a media personality and lecturer. Married to Yedidya, the mother of five. Lives in Jerusalem, and formerly served as the World Mizrachi Shlicha to North America. Sivan lectures in Israel and overseas about the media, Judaism, Zionism and new media. She was voted by Globes newspaper as most popular female media personality in Israel and by the Jerusalem Post as one of the 50 most influential Jews in the world.
A SHORT VORT
And Emunah had this recommendation: "Study the Bible for 5 minutes every day. Not for school, not for the Bible quiz, but just for how much fun it will be."
BY RABBI
R av, Beit Knesset
NACHI REALTY 054-461-3943
Sivan Rahav-Meir is a media personality and lecturer. Married to Yedidya, the mother of five. Lives in Jerusalem, and formerly served as the World Mizrachi Shlicha to North America. Sivan lectures in Israel and overseas about the media, Judaism, Zionism and new media. She was voted by Globes newspaper as most popular female media personality in Israel and by the Jerusalem Post as one of the 50 most influential Jews in the world.
New building starting constuction in Baka 3 and 4 room apartments, starting at 4m shekel, small 4.5 story building, Sukka porch with every unit.
When Avraham addresses the people of Cheit, trying to “Ger V’Toshav Anochi Eimachem” (23:4) “A Stranger and This seems to be a contradiction. If one is a stranger than is no longer a stranger. What did Avraham mean?
Great opportunity to buy in a new building starting construction in Arnona close to Baka. Great prices and the price isn't linked to inflation! Starting at 2.55m shekel
The Magid of Dubno (Jacob ben Wolf Kranz 1741-1804) this tense situation in order to, both, state his truth and be said, on the one hand, “I am a Resident’ due to G-d’s promise need your agreement to purchase a plot. In other words, Avraham “strangers”, while they understood him as saying that “they”
Sivan Rahav-Meir is a media personality and lecturer. Married to Yedidya, the mother of five. Lives in Jerusalem, and formerly served as the World Mizrachi Shlicha to North America. Sivan lectures in Israel and overseas about the media, Judaism, Zionism and new media. She was voted by Globes newspaper as most popular female media personality in Israel and by the Jerusalem Post as one of the 50 most influential Jews in the world.
The peace was kept, and Avraham remained true to his Shabbat Shalom
Expectations & Reality
Daniel asks:
My friend shared something that really stayed with me.
“How can I open my heart to someone whose personality or style is different from what I always imagined? I want to stay true to myself, but I also don’t want to miss out on something real just because it looks different than I expected.”
Aleeza answers:
I want to start by saying you’re not alone. So many of us carry an inner picture of “what it’s supposed to look like.” It might be based on what we grew up around, stories we heard, or just a feeling deep inside. That image isn’t wrong… it’s just not reality. Sometimes, when we meet someone different in how they speak, dress, carry
themselves, or express emotion it can feel like a mismatch. But here’s the deeper question: Is this about what I expected, or about what I truly need to build a life?
Sometimes the person Hashem sends us does not to match our exact vision. What we “click” with at first isn’t always what’s best long-term. And what feels unfamiliar at first… might grow into a deep connection and love.
We’re not looking for someone who fits your vision. We’re looking for someone who fits you. Someone to walk life with, to build with. A partner who sees you, respects you, and wants to work together to create a strong Jewish home. That’s the core. The rest? It can evolve, soften, surprise you over time.
Here are a few gentle questions to ask yourself:
• Do I feel calm and comfortable with this person?
• Is there kindness, sincerity, emotional maturity even if the outer “style” is different?
• Could I build a life with someone like this, even if I didn’t expect it to look this way?
This isn’t about settling. It’s about expanding. It may take you time to see how this person can fit into your live when they contradict your vision. Sometimes your bashert comes in a different package than you imagined.
Keep your eyes open but more importantly, keep your heart soft. The one for you may not match your vision… but they may match your soul. So, open your heart and don’t get stuck in your vision, focus on the reality in front of you and give yourself time to connect.
Blessings, Aleeza
Want to set up your friends? Become their ambassadorjoin Shagririm Balev!
0585323242
Founded in Israel in 2019 and led by Rav Rimon, Shagririm Balev - a social online matchmaking initiative - has taken the dating scene by storm. With over 10,000 candidates and 3,000 Ambassadors, in Israel and the US, Shagririm Balev is averaging a Wedding every 2 days!
TORAH TIDBITS CONTRIBUTOR
What the Jewish People Got Wrong
G-d said to Moshe, “Make yourself a fiery snake and place it on a pole… anyone who was bitten shall look at it, and will live” (21:8).
The story relates how the rigors of the roundabout route taken by the second generation of Israelites through the wilderness to the Promised Land took its toll. This phase of troubles began when they had to make a long detour to avoid Edom, through which they could not pass (20:21; Deut. 2:5). As Rashi himself explains, they realized they were moving away from the Land, and they feared they might die in the wilderness as did their ancestors.
The nature of these particular Israelite grumbles seems different when compared to the previous ones. True, the journey seemed to be going on and on. Yet their grousing did not focus on that. Instead, they complained about not having food and water. And this time their grumbles were self-contradictory. They moaned that they had no food, and at the same time they said that they were sick of the ‘light bread’ (21:5, the Manna, to whose qualities the Torah positively attests, Shemot 17:31). They also griped that they had no water, yet there is no mention of any
water shortage in this passage. Indeed, the Ralbag brings the tradition that they were punished for grumbling needlessly, since water from the miraculous well followed them everywhere, and they indeed did have manna to eat.
The Ha’amek Davar in explaining this passage applies a deep insight into human nature. He includes the idea that people want to work: they want to produce, and they’re not comfortable when everything is constantly handed to them on a plate. True, that means hard work, but they agree that it was all worth it when they sit down and enjoy the fruits of their labours (c.f. Tehillim 128:2). When they were in the wilderness, G-d took care of their needs: manna, water. But that was God providing, rather than providing for themselves. The people were passive receivers. They were not involved. They were eating from G-d’s hand, not their own. From their point of view, something was missing: the bread was ‘light’ in that all the people had to do was pick it up. No more.
Thus, according to the Ha’amek Davar, the subtext of the people’s complaint was: “We are tired of G-d’s just providing for us. We want to settle down and work towards
our own produce and production”.
But, the Ha’amek Davar explains, G-d was doing more than giving them their daily bread. They were forgetting that He was also protecting them from the elements. And that included the creatures of the fierysnake-infested (Devarim 8:15) wilderness.
So G-d taught them a lesson. The people wanted to strike out on their own without His help? Very well! He withdrew His protective help, and the fiery snakes returned their nature. “They bit the people, killing many…” (21:6). And in response to the people’s outcries, G-d told Moshe to make a fiery snake and put it on a pole: by so doing, the people would understand that whatever they do, they need G-d’s help and protection. At any stage in life, and in every environment.
This gives a deeper insight into a Mishna in Rosh Hashanah (3:9).
Did the snake (of Moshe) kill and give new life? But this story is to tell you that whenever… they subdued their hearts to their Father in Heaven they were healed, and if not they perished.
Subduing their hearts to Father in Heaven means doing one’s best in attitude and behaviour to be worthy of His Protection, in all activities. And as then, so today…
RABBI JEFFREY BIENENFELD
OU ISRAEL FACULTY
Knowing How to Say “Thanks”
Our Parsha contains the fascinating and strange episode of the תשוחנה שחנ, the Copper Snake (21:4-9). When poisonous snakes attack the Jews in the desert, Gd instructs Moshe to fashion a special healing instrument: a pole topped with the form of a snake. Moshe sculptures a snake of copper and places it on top of a pole. Those who had been afflicted by the snake-bite would gaze on the serpentine image on the pole and be cured.1 The Talmud (Rosh Hashana 29a), sensitive to what appears to smack of idolatry, declares: "But is the snake capable of determining life and death? Rather, when Israel would gaze upward and bind their hearts to their Father in Heaven, they would be healed; and if not, they would perish." Even so, the prophet records (Melachim II, 18:4) that Chizkiyahu HaMelech (6th C., B.C.E.) destroyed the Biblical copper snake with the approval of the Sages (Mishna, Pesachim 4:9).
How are we to understand this peculiar incident? In what way did the people sin, 1. There are those who claim that the copper snake was the forerunner of the caduceus, the snake-entwined rod which is today the emblem of the medical profession.
GUEST DVAR TORAH
and how would the bite of a snake and its subsequent symbol and cure provide them with some needed lesson?
Chazal ( Avodah Zara 5a-b ) offer this important observation: "Moshe said to the Jewish people: הבוט ייופכָּ - Ingrates, children of ingrates!" The Talmud explains that Moshe called the Jewish people ingrates, as they spoke disparagingly of the manna: “And our soul loathes this rotten bread” (21:5), despite the fact it was the highest-quality food. Apparently, this was not the first time that someone was accused of ingratitude. After sinning and eating from the tree of knowledge, Adam said: “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat” (Bereishis 3:12). Adam complained that the woman, given to him, was responsible for his sin, whereas in fact, she had been given to him to serve as his helpmate.
Fine. Ingratitude is a terrible moral failing, but why the serpent? Says the Slonimer Rebbe (Nesivos Shalom, Bamidbar, pp.124125): The prophet states (Yeshayahu 65:25) that, "the serpent’s food shall be earth." Whereupon the Talmud explains (Yuma 75a) that whatever the snake consumes, all tastes like dirt. As such, the serpent, in a sense, has all that it needs from the ground, and yet, it chooses to bite man. In the view of Chazal, quite apart from the zoological reptilian/ophidian reality, the snake was perceived as the epitome of ingratitude. It has everything and yet, it inflicts harm for
no benefit.2 So too, HaShem had provided the people with their every need in the desert – water, manna in the morning, and fowl at evening - and yet, they chose to show such boorish ungratefulness and carp. At least, some 40 years earlier, their complaints had some merit, but now?3
HaShem commands Moshe to fashion a snake and raise it upon high. The people already knew they did something wrong. HaShem, who had protected them from the perils of the desert creatures, had suddenly withdrawn His divine shield. The were dying by the poisonous bite of snakes. They confessed: "We have sinned – ונאטח, for we have spoken against HaShem and against you [Moshe]." (21:7) However, they seemed clueless as to what exactly they did that was so horribly wrong. Moshe instructs: "Behold the copper snake and think hard: This was your sin; the sin of the serpent – בוט יופכָּ, inexcusable ingratitude." If it is true that any genuine penance must begin with 4אטחה תרכָּה, a recognition of the sin itself, then concentrating upon the image of the snake would enable the people to identify their moral offense and give them the opportunity to do a complete and sincere הבושת, repentance.
On the sin of בוט יופכָּ, the Nesivos Shalom makes this general and keenly astute observation (ibid). Ingratitude, he asserts, may be the
2. See Ta’anis 8a which tells of all the beasts of the jungle boasting that their predatory hunting at least grants them pleasure from the kill, whereas the snake, poisons a human and derives no pleasure whatsoever.
3. See Targum Yonatan ben Uziel on 21:6. Rashi (ad loc) advances a similar idea and adds that the sin of ingratitude was compounded by their malicious talk, ערה ןושל.
4. See for example, Rav Solovetichik’s analysis of the teshuva process based on Rambam at his Reshimos, Bava Kama 108a, s.v. v’nirei.
worst of sins precisely because its target is so nebulous. All transgressions can be identified rather clearly. Should a person cook on Shabbos, he knows exactly what sin he committed. But ingratitude has no specificity; what explicit sin is being referred to? And so, when accused of being an ingrate, one can easily shrug off the rebuke. "What did I do that was so terrible?!" But, if such an ethically undignified and morally disgraceful mindset harks back to Adam and Eve, failing to know how to say "thank you" becomes an existential failure of grave import.
The Slonimer then pushes his point even further and issues this candid alert and warning. The virtue of gratitude is so imperative and so high upon the axiological list of what is important that there can never be any justification not to express gratitude when you've been the recipient of some good. Rashi explains why "the spirit of the people grew short with the road." (Bamidbar 21:4, s.v. vatik'tzar) Why did the people become so disheartened and impatient; after all they were almost at the threshold of their Promised Land? Apparently, precisely because they were so close and their expectations were so high that they found it intolerably annoying and terribly upsetting that they had to detour and backtrack.5 And so, perhaps understandably, they grumbled. "No excuse!" declares the Slonimer! You're not in the mood, bad day at the office, frustrated, disappointed - even if you may have good reason for being so – never mind. There is simply never an excuse not to acknowledge a favor, a chesed – small though it may be – by 5. See Rashi on 21:4 where he explains that the people had to bypass Edom when this nation refused them passage through their land. Moreover, the war against “the Cannanite, king of Arad,” along with a disguised Amalek army (Rashi on 21:1) also delayed Israel’s entry to the Land.
saying "Thanks." Not a perfunctory "Thank You," but saying it and meaning it!
Based upon the Nesivos Shalom's insights, we may now be able to understand why it was crucial that this lesson of expressing gratitude be taught prior to Israel's entering the Land. If, in the desert, when their utter reliance upon HaShem was crystal clear, the people were guilty of ingratitude, then all the more so upon entering Canaan. There, when the people would farm and build and develop the land by dint of their own efforts and skills, the danger of losing sight of HaShem's beneficence and dependency would be enormous. The temptation of believing that, “הזה ליחה־תא
, My own power and the might of my own hand have won this wealth for me.” (Devarim 8:17) would be overwhelming and simply eclipse any awareness to thank HaShem at all.
In this regard, we would do well to remember the perceptive comment of the Avudraham (Shemonei Esreh, s.v. oo'keshe'yagia) where he famously explains why during the repetition of the Shemonei Esreh when the sheliah tzibur reaches the םידומ bracha, the congregationand only by this bracha - responds with their own ןנברד םידומ . Regarding all the other blessings in the Amidah, the chazan is our appointed messenger, our sheliach, to HaShem. But when it comes to saying "Thank You" to Gd, there can be no one other than ourselves who – daily - must express our undying gratitude to HaShem for everything!
To conclude this reflection on the fundamental significance of expressing gratitude, let us attempt to say the message this way: When you are grateful and show it, demonstrating it in word and deed, you are essentially telling your benefactor how much they
really matter to you. And there are few things that make a person feel more important than when you compliment them – via gratitude – in this very meaningful way.
What does it mean when you say to someone, "You matter to me?" What you are saying is: "You are deeply appreciated and important to me." It is declaring that: "You possess something without which I feel incomplete. It is you, without whom I feel bereft and lacking." To make a person feel that they matter means to recognize that he/she has intrinsic worth and significance. It means, in particular, to employ "focus attention" with your spouse, your children, your grandchildren, with your close friends, so that when you're with them - at that moment - they feel that there is no one else in the world more important than they are.
Most of all, to state the obvious, it means to never take for granted the people that matter most to us. Never to forget the difference they make in our lives and – especially this – to let them know it by finding ways to express our gratitude; to show them how very much we value their presence in our lives.
In a word, letting people know that they matter means to convey to such a person this truth: "That the moment you were born, HaShem decided that the world could not continue without you!" Indeed, there is no greater chesed you can bestow upon another than to make them feel they really matter!
And…, saying a heartfelt "Thank You" is a good start!
Rabbi Jeffrey Bienenfeld served in various pulpits in the US, most recently at the Young Israel of St. Louis, before making aliyah in 2006. He currently is on the faculty at the Israel Center and gives shiurim in the Jerusalem area. Rabbi Bienenfeld can be reached at jdbnfeld@outlook.com
Sunday – Thursday, July 27 – 31, 2025
Jewish Educators' Day
Monday, July 28
Tickets are now available for 3 days of live English-language shiurim and one English Tanakh tour.
Sign up for the Online English Language Program to receive video recordings of 30 lectures plus a virtual tour in English.
For the complete program and to register visit: www.friendsoherzog.co.il/YI25
Early Bird Discount for In-Person tickets ends July 12, 2025
Lecture sponsorship opportunities are available: friends@herzog.ac.il
Lecture sponsorship opportunities are available: friends@herzog.ac.il
TORAH 4 TEENS
BY
TEENS
NCSY ISRAEL
YAAKOV GREENBERG GUSH CHAPTER DIRECTOR
THE FAITH OF TORAH
The Gemara in Taanit 9a explains that three miracles occurred in the wilderness—the well, the clouds of glory, and the mann—in the merit of three leaders: Miriam, Aharon, and Moshe. Consequently, when each of them died, the specific miracle that was in their merit temporarily disappeared. For example, when Miriam died, the very next story is about Bnei Yisrael not having water. This Gemara explains the connection between the two stories: when Miriam died, the well, which was in her merit, dried up.
The Netziv in his sefer Meromei Sadeh explains the connection between each tzaddik and their respective miracle. Miriam represented purity and therefore merited a water well, as water is the main tool in purification. Aharon represented the Mishkan. Just as Hashem’s presence in the Mishkan was represented by a cloud hovering over it, he also merited the other clouds which protected Bnei Yisrael. Lastly, Moshe represented Torah and therefore merited the mann.
What is the correlation between receiving Torah and the mann? The Mechilta states, “The Torah was only given to the eaters of mann.” Several commentators explain that the Torah requires faith—faith that it is true, that it is good, and that it always provides. Just as Bnei Yisrael had complete faith that the
mann, their only source of sustenance, would fall each day, so too, we must have faith that Torah provides us with the right way to live our lives. There are times when we might not understand the Torah’s relevance to our lives or to our times, but we learn from the mann to have faith that if we engage with Torah, it will always provide.
ZVI FISHER
9TH GRADE, JERUSALEM
DON'T LET HATRED DEFINE US
In Parashat Chukat, there are many very interesting topics: the Parah Adumah, the copper snake, Moshe being told he can’t enter Eretz Yisrael, and more. But I want to focus on Edom’s relationship with Bnei Yisrael.
In our parsha, Bnei Yisrael ask Edom to let them pass through their land. They promise to stay on the main road, not go through the fields, and not drink from the wells. Edom refuses and threatens to attack them. Bnei Yisrael ask again, even offering to pay, but Edom still says no and comes out with a large army, so Bnei Yisrael retreat.
What’s really interesting is that in Parashat Ki Tetze, the Torah says:
You would think that after Edom refused to
help, and Egypt tortured Bnei Yisrael for 210 years and killed their babies, the Torah would tell us to stay far away from them. But instead, the Torah tells us not to hate them. Why? Because Edom is still our brother, and Egypt did give us a place to live during the famine. This teaches us a big lesson—not to let hatred define us. Even today in Israel, when we face enemies and hard situations, and even when we argue among ourselves, we have to remember who we are. We need to be strong, but also remember that in the end—we are all brothers.
Zayit: * 3 room apt. next to the mall. 2,100,000 NIS
Zayit: * 6 room,170m penthouse. 3.550.000 NIS
Te'ena: * 5.5 room apt. 170m on one level, level -1 3,400,000 NIS
Dekel: 5 room apt. 150m. +50 m. floor. rd balcony with pergola, 3 2.950.000 NIS
For Sale in Elazar : * Renovated 6 room apt. 170m on one floor . 3,850,000 NIS
Gabi- 0524588716
Two Sides To The Story
In memory of Dr. Dodi Fishman Tobin z”l
Running now through July 17
Join us for a class, a day, or a week
A special evening with Iris Haim telling the story of her son
Yotam Haim z”l
In Light Not in the Darkness
Despite her son being taken hostage to Gaza on Oct 7 and after killed, Iris chose to see the good in life instead of the bad
Thursday | July 17 | 7:45 pm
Open for women and men | 30 Rashbag St, Jerusalem
Suggested donation: 40 NIS
“And Israel dwelled in all the cities of the Amorites…”
Finding your place in Jerusalem isn’t just a transaction, it’s a journey of belonging. Whether you’re coming home, investing in the future, or planting roots for the next generation , we’re here to help you find your place in the city of gold RE/MAX Vision Jerusalem Trusted. Local. Experienced.
The largest collection of exclusive Jerusalem properties is
French Hill Cottage on prestigious Mevo HaMa'avak street, beautifully maintained, 5 rooms + large sukkah balcony and reinforced bomb shelter attached to home!
Asking: NIS 5,650,000 (call for pics/ video)
Alyssa Friedland +962-54-668-4111
Gedalyahu Alon St, German Colony 180 sqm charming, pent-cottage, arched windows, breathtaking green views of preserved grove.
Halamed Hei St, Old Katamon Luxury project in the heart of Old Katamon, 97 sqm, 3 bed/3bath. Elevator, Private Parking, Sukkah Balcony Central A/C. From NIS 6,350,000 Ariyel Maresky 054-577-7509
Armon Hanatziv
Get more for your money! Thriving Anglo community near Baka: space, value, growth, great lifestyle, starting price NIS 1,770,000 Micha Paul 052-511-6340
Prestigious Balfour Vacation, Talbieh Mandate bldg, high ceilings, renovated (112 sqm), 2 master suites , 3 balconies, 2 private storage ,1st floor. Includes all furniture and appliances NIS 7,400,000 Alyssa Friedland +972-54-668-4111
