A century ago, one of the charedi leaders of yore (maybe it was Rav Shmuel Salant?) was heard talking to a group of Syrian chachamim (sages) in Hebrew using their Sefardi pronunciation.

Why was this a big deal?

In 1913, what later became known as "The Language War" began when the Haifa Institute of Technology decided to adopt German as their official language of instruction. (I know, I know...)

Later, it turned to a tug-of-war between Yiddish and Hebrew. Assimilated Jewish linguists insisted on secularizing the holy Hebrew language and instill it as the official language of Eretz Yisrael.

Others objected the secularization of the holy tongue, along with the unsavory political agenda behind it.

Some also felt that using Hebrew for mundane talk or in places like the bathroom profaned the holy tongue. (They weren't wrong. My kids happily chattered away in Hebrew in the bathtub and Hebrew is the language in Israeli discotheques, smutty movies, and coarse stand-up routines.)

So why did a great rav who came firmly down on the side of the pro-Yiddish camp, a sage known for his courtesy toward others, yet who when addressed in Hebrew by someone with an agenda, refused to answer in any language -- why did he turn around and all of the sudden start not only speaking in Hebrew, but speaking with a totally different and unfamiliar pronunciation (when he was strict about using Ashkenazi pronunciation in his prayers)?

As the rav explained, the Sefardi chachamim spoke classical Hebrew, the beautiful Hebrew of the commentators and ancient Sages. They spoke that language as their mother tongue and according to their traditional pronunciation.

He also spoke Sefardi-accented Hebrew with regular non-Yiddish-speaking Sefardim.

The pro-Yiddish rav spoke to them in kind because they couldn't know Yiddish (so that was a practical reason) and because the whole language divide wasn't about language, but about politics, "isms," and an anti-Torah agenda, all of which had nothing to do with the Sefardi community.

Yet when Hebrew could be spoken as a need by people who really knew how to use the language, the rav happily spoke Hebrew and spoke it using the pronunciation best understood by his fellow Sefardi Jews.

The great leader of what became known as the charedi stream of Orthodox Judaism, and a tremendous tzaddik, Rav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, sided with the pro-Yiddish side due to the assimilationist agenda behind the leaders of pro-Hebrew side.

Yet in response to a British government survey which asked what language was spoken by the respondent, Rav Sonnenfeld not only answered "Hebrew," but advised others to answer the same--even though Rav Sonnenfeld's conversational language was indeed Yiddish.

When some of the pro-Yiddish camp objected, Rav Sonnenfeld replied, "What can I do? When I speak to God, I speak only in Hebrew--how can I deny that?!"

Obviously, Rav Sonnenfeld considered his main language to be the one in which he spoke to his Creator.

At one point, Rav Sonnefeld mused that it was perhaps a mistake for the religious community NOT to have adopted Hebrew immediately upon arrival in Eretz Yisrael. "By doing so, we would've pre-empted the irreligious camp...We would have then not been forced into taking a negative stand against Hebrew being the official language."

But these things are hard to predict.

Anyway, what I learned from all this was:

• Don't get caught up in the technicalities of a gadol's opinion; understand the real motivation behind the opinion.
• A gadol is coming from a place of love and not a place of fanaticism with getting all yipped-up on misplaced zealotry.
• Communicate in the language OTHERS understand best (this goes beyond mere language choice, BTW)
• The goal is to meet the other as far as you can, and not assert yourself over the your fellow.

Figuring out how to do this with each situation can take a bit of trial and error, but as long as we're trying, then that's really good.
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*Quotes were taken from pages 322-323 of Guardian of Jerusalem: The Life and Times of Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld.
Related links:
The Only "ism" You'll Ever Need
What is the Heart's Nusach?

There are extraordinary amounts of rain pouring down in Eretz Yisrael, completely out of character for this time of year.

(Although right now, it's looking pretty sunny all of the sudden.)

And there have been destruction and tragedies as a result, may all those who've suffered be comforted among all the mourners of Yisrael.

But the rain also has a message.

Rain can both bring life and take life, as we've sadly seen.

And in Perek Shirah, the rain sings the following song from Tehillim/Psalms 68:10--

Regarding this verse, Radak comments that because the preceding verse mentions "dripping heavens" as an allusion to tribulations, this verse needs to emphasize that now, the rain pouring down is the opposite of the oppressively "dripping heavens" -- this is rain of manifold munificence, and it's pouring down upon Yisrael.

The word translated as "Your heritage" or "Your inheritance" (nachalatcha) alludes to the Jewish people, who are the inheritance of Hashem.

He explains the rest of the verse as:

"Fortify it" -- fortify Your inheritance. You shall fortify Yisrael, the Jewish people.

Even if the enemy has already gotten a few victories under his belt and you're totally exhausted, don't give up. God will fortify you so that you won't give up on what's most important.

Both Rashi and Malbim also describe this verse as comforting and encouraging.

Am Yisrael is in a desert where it doesn't rain, according to its innate nature. Yet when the people are weary and thirsty, Hashem not only sends them rain, but sends them an abundance of rain, "rains of generosity and blessing," says Rashi. "Like cool water on a depleted soul," says Malbim.

Literally, this verse refers to Am Yisrael during its time in the desert before the first Shavuot, before the Torah was given on Har Sinai.

But the metaphors are clear (especially if you read the entire Psalm).

The giving of the Torah slaked the soul's thirst and fortified the Jewish Nation.
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Crazy rain is gushing over Eretz Yisrael right now, rain that isn't supposed to pour down in such amounts at this time of year. And this rain has brought tragedies, may Hashem protect us all.

But this rain also has a message for us.

When we are exhausted and thirsty, surrounded by hostile nations and in a hostile environment, God will send darkness and rain tribulations down on our haters while providing us with generous amounts of refreshing blessing, fortification, and renewed strength.

Hold fast to Yerushalayim (and all that it implies) and never give up.

May we always experience rain as an obvious blessing and never as a tribulation or tragedy.
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Related links:
Song of the Rain
Also, there has been an unusual amount of thunder and lightning in Eretz Yisrael.
Song of Lightning

UPDATE: This post was accidentally posted in rough-draft form when it was only one-third finished. Please read on for the entire completed post...
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They say that history is written by the winners.

But what if the battle isn't quite over yet?

Then the history is controlled by whoever has the most control.

Growing up, I was taught to be proud of the State of Israel and its army. I was taught that the modern State of Israel was brought about by kibbutznikim and the Haganah. Needless to say, kibbutznikim and many regular (not rabidly anti-Torah Leftist) Jews in the Haganah did indeed fight on behalf of the Jewish people for the State of Israel.

There are even unnamed graves of Jews who survived the Holocaust only to die fighting for the Jewish people after smuggling themselves straight to Israel and not fully recovered from the death camps. They hadn't been in the country or their military unit long enough for anyone to know them and all their family members had been murdered. Consequently, when their lifeless body was found on the battlefield, no one knew exactly who they were. Yet they received an honorable burial and until today, grateful and humbled Jews visit their graves to pay homage to their anonymous sacrifice.

Yet throughout all this, Torah observant Jews never made an appearance.

That's right -- not even the dati-leumi, Religious Zionist Jews.

The settling, rebuilding, battling, and establishment of the Jewish country was portrayed as a completely secular enterprise. Orthodox Jews only made an appearance as pesky interferers but never as contributors.

Yet contrary to the establishment history, Orthodox Jews -- even ultra-Orthodox Jews -- were the first settlers and the first fighters in modern Eretz Yisrael. And they worked and sacrificed despite interference, sabotage, and other forms of discrimination set against them by the anti-religious reps in charge (not to mention the discrimination by the Turks and later the Brits).

Without any relief in sight, these people went up against malnutrition, disease, unimaginable poverty, harsh living conditions, oppression, and Arab attacks -- all to create a Jewish presence in the Land of Israel, fulfill the mitzvah of settling the Land, and pave the way for their fellow Jews suffering from pogroms.

The first Jewish defense force was actually established by the strictly Orthodox students of the Vilna Gaon and the Baal Shem Tov in response to the lack of protection from Turkish authorities. The aliyah of the Vilna Gaon's students took place in 1809, decades before the word "Zionism" was even coined, and an armed Jewish defense force formed shortly after their arrival.

This Jewish Guard even had headquarters (in the Old City of Jerusalem) and was commanded by some of the most outstanding students of the Vilna Gaon along with other rabbinic leaders.

Yes, that's right: The very first weaponized Jewish defenders in Eretz Yisrael were also armed with Gemaras.

(Sorry for the unpleasant shock, Torah-hating Leftists.)

Many members of the Sefardi community also joined with their Ashkenazi brethren to protect their fellow Jews from marauders.

Unfortunately, the brilliant talmid chacham, Rav Yosef Shick was slain in the line of duty. Rav Menachem Mendel of Shklov was also seriously wounded and blinded in one eye.

But you'll probably never hear about them on Yom Hazikaron (or any other time). These kinds of warriors aren't considered part of the "cool" crowd.

The Jewish Guard succeeded in collecting the necessary weapons for self-defense: clubs, knives, pistols, and rifles.

Because two Jewish Guard leaders were both named Shmerel (short for "Shmaryahu") and because the two Shmerels dedicated themselves to making sure every Jewish Guard member owned a pistol, pistols became popularly known as "shmerelach."

In addition to guarding the homes and families, circumstances also forced the Jewish Guard to accompany travelers and stand watch over storehouses of building materials and food.

As Jewish settlement expanded outside the walled city of Jerusalem, new and more dangerous positions needed to be put into place by the Jewish Guard. These men stood guard day and night to protect the innocent Jews, taking a shift of guard duty and then a shift of Torah study throughout this time.

Before he could even make it to Shacharis one morning in 1820, Rav Hillel Rivlin (the head of the Ashkenazi community and the head of the Ashkenazi beit din) received word that a group of newly arrived Jewish immigrants had been kidnapped by Arabs, who demanded the ransom of 1000 gold napoleons.

After consultation between the leaders of the community and the Jewish Guard, they all formed a plan. Pretending to have the ransom in a bag, two Jewish Guard men would set out with the kidnappers' representative.

In the meantime, all the members of the Jewish Guard stole after them along winding routes to near where is now Bnei Brak.

(While all this was going on, the Jerusalem community fasted and prayed for their success.)

At that point, the Jewish Guard launched a surprise attack which freed the prisoners, demolished the camp, and killed the leader along with many other bandits.

Who's the Israeli Superman now, eh?

(You probably have never heard of this stunning Raid on the Outskirts of Bnei Brak. You likely will not hear about it on Yom HaAtzmaut either, nor will a movie ever be made about it. But I am profoundly grateful to Jews like this who first enabled Jewish settlement in Eretz Yisrael, from which I personally benefit today.)

The years 1820-1822 saw the Jews of the Jerusalem area terrorized by ruthless bandits led by their sheik. Via meticulous intelligence-gathering, the Jewish Guard discovered the hideout of the terrorists and launched a surprise assault one night, slaying the chief and putting an end to the terror.

Later in 1873, Bedouin terrorists attacked Jewish homes nearly every night.

Turkish police proved unhelpful.

At a gathering the home of Jerusalem's chief rabbi, Rav Meir Auerbach, another surprise attack was planned.

The night before the attack, Jewish inhabitants filled the synagogues and study halls to recite Tehillim/Psalms and pray for the success of the Jewish Guard.

At midnight, the Jewish Guard launched a 3-prong assault on the hideout in the mountains.

The attack was so unexpected that the stronghold was demolished within 30 minutes with 150 dead on the enemy side.

The Jews no longer suffered from this group.

In the incredible book Rebels in the Holy Land by Sam Finkel, you can meet the strictly Orthodox Yaakov Laskovsky, a "Litvish cowboy" from Russia who settled in Ekron in the 1880s. Whenever he encountered groups of Yishmaeli bandits, he would give chase until he caught them, then beat the living daylights out of them. (He was a one-man anti-terror unit.) Moshe Raab is pictured in the book sporting a full beard, black hat, and an enormous shotgun. Raab was one of the guards who protected Petach Tikvah from Yishmael attacks in the late 1800s.

Much later, the tzaddik of Jerusalem Rabbi Aryeh Levin smuggled dozens (or maybe hundreds) of messages in his coat for the Haganah fighters imprisoned by the British, whom he visited frequently.

In her searing Holocaust memoir, From the Depths I Call, Lea Fuchs-Chayen was a strictly religious teenage survivor who regularly allowed the Jewish Underground to store weapons in her easy chair, despite the risk if she was caught and despite the danger of explosives in her furniture.

And there are many more to tell of, but that's enough for now.

You won't be hearing these stories during the ceremonies, celebrations, programs, and speeches of Yom Hazikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut. Mainstream history books have deleted these courageous and devoted Jews with their pistols and their payos from existence.

But they did exist.

And we in Eretz Yisrael are here today in their merit.

Please remember the first Jewish Guard and all the others.

Just because they were what today would be called ultra-Orthodox doesn't mean their contributions don't count.

They do.

Each year, we end the Pesach Seder with the words:

"L'shanah haba b'Yerushalayim habnuya! -- Next year in the rebuilt city of Jerusalem!"

Furthermore, it has always been a great mitzvah for a Jew to make aliyah and live in Eretz Yisrael if at all possible.

Yet like everything else, this mitzvah needs a lot of prayer.

In fact, a major life-change like this calls for copious heartfelt prayer, whether you feel like you'll never be able to make aliyah or whether you're already on your way. Fortunately, Rabbi Eliezer Papo (author of the Pele Yoetz) wrote a book of prayers for all occasions (called Beit Tefillah) including this prayer for "Diur b'Eretz Hakodesh -- Residing in the Holy Land."

As is usual by tzaddikim, you'll see that in his great love for his fellow Jews, Rav Papo doesn't leave out anyone. Also, while Jews outside of Eretz Yisrael have an obligation to help and support Jews living within Eretz Yisrael, Jews within Eretz Yisrael apparently have a special obligation to pray for their fellow Jews still stuck outside.

We're all in this together!

The following prayer is presented in Hebrew, English transliteration, and English translation:

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V'yehi ratzon milfanecha Hashem Elokai v'Elokai avotai, sheh ta'azor l'Amecha Yisrael u't'zakem sheh yikba'u diratam lishkon kavod ba'Aretz Hakadosha. V'lo yomar adam "Tzar li hamakom sheh eshev ba'Aretz Hakadosha. V'lo yitzarchu latzet mimenah, eleh yeshvu vah kol yamei chayeihem b'kedushah u'v'tahorah, v'sham tahei mitatam, v'sham tahei menuchatam kavod. V'titen ko'ach v'chayil v'ratzon tov l'yoshvei chutz l'Aretz, l'hiyotam ozrim v'tomchim b'yad yoshvei Eretz Yisrael b'gufam u'mamonam, l'man yeshvu sham b'hashket v'shalvah, ovdim avodatcha u'mitpalelim al Amecha.

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May it be Your Will Hashem, my God and the God of my fathers that You will help your Nation of Israel and grant them the merit to permanently fix their abode to reside honorably in the Holy Land. And may no person say, "It's difficult [narrow, too tight] for me, this place I will reside within the Holy Land." And may they not need to leave it, but may they remain within it in holiness and purity all the days of their lives, and there shall be their death and there shall be their resting place of honor. And grant strength and valor and good will to those who dwell outside the Land, to be helpers and supporters in hand with the settlers of Eretz Yisrael, both physically and financially, so that they can dwell there in peace and tranquility, toiling in Your Divine Service and praying for Your Nation.
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To download as a PDF, please press the pretty azure button:

Rav Papo published Pele Yoetz in the Ottoman Empire's Bulgaria in 1824. At that time he wrote of the Jews in Eretz Yisrael (who were also under Turkish Muslim rule):

But regarding the great mitzvah of aliyah, which he encourages if at all feasible (emphasis mine -- MR):

Jews in Eretz Yisrael often feel like we're making the big sacrifice on behalf of world Jewry. But in reality, a move to Eretz Yisrael carries with it a tremendous responsibility:
heartfelt prayer on behalf of our precious brothers and sisters (in addition to raising our own standards of piety and religious commitment).

The lives of the Jews in chutz l'Aretz depend on our "mouths"! We need to buckle down and care about everyone and beg for Hashem's Mercy for EVERYONE.

Rav Papo provides an important list of what Jews in Eretz Yisrael must pray for:

• Each person should pray for his relatives according to his best ability
• Pray for the building of the Beit Hamikdash
• Pray for the Ingathering of the Exiles
• Pray for Hashem to bring the complete Redemption speedily in our days, Amen.

He concludes with:

My 18.5-year-old decided to go camping with his friends in the Dead Sea area. The yeshivahs are still on break and this son loves to rough it in nature.

He also loves to hitchhike.

After he and his friends arrived in the Dead Sea vicinity, they wanted to go to another part of it. So they waited by the side of the road for a hospitable driver.

A middle-aged secular man stopped for them. After they piled into his car, he said, "Why are you staying at the Dead Sea? Have you ever been to Eilat?"

(At the southernmost tip of Israel, Eilat is a 3-hour drive from the Dead Sea and not a place either my son or his friends had ever considered visiting. Also, it's not an acceptable destination for chareidi yeshivah boys.)

After the boys said they'd never been to Eilat, the man said, "So why don't you go now? I can take you straight there!"

My son and his friends responded, "Why? What's in Eilat? What do we need to go there for?"

The man, an Eilat resident himself, enthused about the gorgeous beaches and snorkeling available in Eilat.

Then he stopped on the side of the road to take out his smartphone to show them photos of Eilat scenes.

After reassuring them that they needn't worry about guarding their eyes if they got to the beach super early in the morning, the boys were convinced. Yallah! To Eilat!

They passed the 3 hours listening to stories of their benefactor's life in the Israeli navy as a high-ranking officer and trying to argue him out of his heresy. (He didn't even keep Shabbat and didn't see why he should. My son had actually been hoping to run into this type of educated, intelligent, worldly secular Jew on which to test his arguments, and my son was very happy that Hashem gave him exactly what he'd wished for.)

Once in Eilat, the boys helped the man lug all his stuff from the trunk of his car to his apartment, and then the boys were on their way to the beach.

At that point, they were stopped by a frum Yemenite who said, "You guys need Shacharit, right?"

Right!

So they ended up in Eilat's Yemenite minyan that morning.
It's a good thing there are always Teimanim around when you need them.

Anyway, they got to the beach and had an amazing time. My son was enchanted by the clear azure waters and the gorgeous sea life underneath with large colorful fish he could reach out and touch, and all the coral.

Then he stepped on a black sea urchin.

Coming out of the water, he found a couple of Eilat natives who reassured him that these sea urchins aren't poisonous and the sting is expelled in 3 days. They even looked it up on their phones and even called the hospital just to make sure and put my son at ease. Then they tossed him and his friends a large bag of kosher snacks, saying that they weren't going to eat the snacks anyway and they'd just go to waste if the boys didn't eat them.

Finally, it was time to leave Eilat and go do a barbecue in the middle of nowhere.

The boys waited at a place for people looking for rides. There, they met an elderly female cab driver, but she was on her way home and looking to take a paying passenger going in her direction. So the boys settled down to eat some cantaloupe and offered her some.

Touched, she praised them as "tzaddikim," but explained that her diabetes doesn't allow her to take them up on their kind offer.

Eventually, they found a ride, got dropped off in the middle of nowhere and barbecued to their hearts' content, napped, then started out on the journey back home.

At one point, they found themselves in the part of the Negev which has a particularly clear sky without electric lights to ruin the gloriously starry view.

My son had never seen anything like it and just gazed up in a happy state of "Wow!"

And then he arrived home, at which point I inundated him with propolis, echinacea, vitamin C, and a clove of garlic. (I'm pretty sure that sea urchins are germy.)

But he came down with the snuffles anyway.

The End!

I wanted to share this story because it's so typical of what happens in Eretz Yisrael. Underneath all the stress and crotchetiness, most Jews sense the familial connection with each other. That kind of familiarity with perfect strangers and give-and-take is blessedly common here.

Also, regular Jews do tend to get along despite superficial differences. If they can disconnect from the media-hype and agenda-driven leaders (whether "religious" or political), there's a lot of natural friendliness that pours forth.

My son and his friends were treated well by Jews who look and live differently than yeshivah bochurs (i.e. no one treated them like "parasites"). And my son and his friends didn't treat anyone like a "pritzah" or a "shaigetz," nor did they think of them that way.  Even the religious debate in the car was welcome and enjoyed by both sides.

At heart, we're all family and Eretz Yisrael is our home.

One of my favorite stories from Rebbe Nachman of Breslov is known as the The Prince Made Entirely of Precious Gems.

What follows is a very literal translation from the Hebrew translation because Rebbe Nachman produced his precious stories with the intention that every word is rife with meaning and a less literal translation loses some of those meanings.

(Even though any translation at all, by its very nature, loses some of the original Hebrew or Yiddish or Aramaic meaning, although when translating between these languages, very little is lost due to their similarities in linguistics and spirit.)
You can find smoother translations online and in books.

The words in curved parentheses () are also found in the original transcription of the story. The words in square parentheses [] are my own additions: translations or the Hebrew original for clarification, or the Malbim's definition of that original Hebrew word.

(For example, the Malbim defines bakasha/mevakesh as "requesting one's heart's desire.")
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Then follows a few commentaries on this story by Breslov Sages from past generations.
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Then a list of gemstones and their segulot [virtues/qualities] follows, in case you were wondering what were some of these segulot that the king and queen imbibed with the wine.
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It's a long post, and you may only be interested in parts of it, so I tried to label things clearly so that you can skip around and read only what's useful to you.

There is a story about one king, who didn’t have children. And he went and busied himself with doctors in order that his kingdom would not be turned over to strangers. And they were not useful to him.

And he decreed upon the Jews that they shall pray from him that he shall have children. And the Jews were requesting [their heart’s desire] and seeking a tzaddik in order that he shall pray and [actively] facilitate that he shall have children, and they requested [their heart’s desire] and found a hidden tzaddik and they said to him that he should pray that the king shall have children; and he answered that he doesn’t know anything.

And they made this known to the king, and the king sent his imperial decree after him and they brought him to the king.

And the king began to speak with him with goodness: “Do you not know that the Jews they are in my hand to do with them according to my desire, therefore I request from you in goodness that you will pray that there will be children for me.”

And he promised him that there shall be for him in the same year a child [vlad], and he went to his place.

And the queen bore a daughter, and this same daughter of the queen was of very beautiful form [yafat to'ar me'od - specifically the shape of the face] and when she was 4-year-old, she was skilled in all the wisdoms and to play singing instruments, and she knew all the languages, and kings from all the countries would journey to see her, and a great [perpetual state of spiritual] joy was upon the king.

Later, the king yearned greatly that he shall have a son in order that his kingdom shall not be turned over to a foreign man, and he decreed again upon the Jews that they shall pray that he shall have a son. And they were requesting [their heart’s desire] and seeking after for the tzaddik mentioned above, and they didn’t find him, because he already passed away.

And they requested [their heart’s desire] more, and found another hidden tzaddik and they said to him that he shall give to the king a son, and he said that he doesn’t know anything.

And they made known to the king, and the king said to him also as mentioned above: “Do you not know the Jews are in my hand, etc., as mentioned above.

The wise man (meaning, the tzaddik mentioned above) said to him: “Are you able to do what I shall command?”

The king said, “Yes.”

The wise man said to him: “I need that you shall bring all the types of good gemstones because every good gemstone, it has another segulah [virtue/quality]” -- because there is by the kings a book in which is written all types of the good gemstones.

The king said: “I will take out half my kingdom in order that a son will be for me.”

And he went and brought for him all types of the good gemstones.

And the wise man  took them and ground them, and took a cup of wine and passed them to within it, and gave half the cup to the king to drink and half of it to the queen; and he said to them that there shall be for them a son that all of him shall be from good gemstones, and all the segulot of all the good gemstones, and he went to his place.

And she bore a son, and a great [perpetual state of spiritual] joy was made upon the king. And the son born was not from good gemstones. When the son was four years old, he was of very beautiful form [yafeh toar – specifically the shape of the face] and a great wise one in all the wisdoms, and he was knowing all the languages, and they would travel to the king to see him.

And the daughter of the queen saw that she isn’t so important, and became envious [believed he will diminish or take some benefit or purpose that she believes she deserves] of him; only this was her consolation: in that which the same tzaddik said that all of him will be from good gemstones—good that he is not from good gemstones.

One time, the son of the king was carving up [m’chatech] trees and he was wounded in his finger, and the daughter of the queen wanted to swathe/wrap/bandage his finger, and she saw there a good gemstone, and she became very envious [believed he will diminish or take some benefit or purpose that she believes she deserves] of him. And she made herself sick, and some doctors came, and they were not able to make for her a healing.

And they called for the sorcerers, and there was a sorcerer, and she revealed to him the truth, that she made herself sick as mentioned above. And she asked him if he would be able to perform sorcery to a person that he shall be leprous [metzora].

He said: “Yes.”

She said to him, “Perhaps a sorcerer will request [his heart’s desire] that the spell will be cancelled, and he will be healed.”

The sorceror said: “If they will cast the spell to the water—they will not be able to cancel it anymore."

And she did so, and she cast the spell to the water, and the son of the king was made very leprous [metzora me'od], (and he had) on his nose [chotmo] leprosy [tzaraat] and upon his face and upon the rest of his body, and the king busied with doctors and with sorcerers—and they weren’t useful.

And he decreed on the Jews that they shall pray, and they requested [their heart’s desire] the tzaddik mentioned above and they brought him to the king and the tzaddik mentioned above was praying always to Hashem Yitbarach in that that he was promising that the son of the king will be all of him from good gemstones—and it was not so.

And he was contending to Hashem Yitbarach: “Did I do this for my kavod [inherent beauty—i.e. to make me look good]? I did not do it but for Your Kavod [inherent beauty]; and now it did not come into existence/to fruition like I said.”

And the tzaddik came to the king, and he was praying—and it wasn’t effective, and they made known to him that it was a spell; and the tzaddik mentioned above was higher above all the sorcerers.

And the tzaddik came to the king and made known to the king that it is a spell; and that they cast the spell to the water, and there is no remedy for the son of the king—except that they shall cast the sorcerer who made the spell to the water.

The king said: “I give to you all the sorcerers to cast them to the water in order that my son will be healed.”

And the daughter of the queen became afraid [fear of a known thing], and she ran to the water to take out the spell from the water, because she had known where the spell lay; and she fell to the water, and a great commotion was made because the daughter of the king fell to the water.

And the same tzaddik mentioned above came and said to them that the son of the king shall be healed and he became healed. And the leprosy became dry and fell, and all the skin became peeled from him, and he was made of good gemstones all of him, and he had all the segulot of all the good gemstones (meaning, that after the skin peeled, then it became revealed that the son of the king, he consists entirely of good gemstones, as the tzaddik mentioned above said).

The End!

Remzei Hamaasiot [Secrets of the Stories] by the Tcheriner Rav (b.?-d.1894)
It is evident to every one who probes it that this story is awesome and wondrous – and by the way hints: "Hashem is with me, I won't fear; what can Man do to me?...Many plans are in the heart of Man, but only Hashem's counsel will come to fruition" because davka via what the princess did to him with occult powers he was made leprous and through that, he was healed and afterwards made completely of precious gems, etc.

And it is also wonderful encouragement that sometimes a descent is the reason for an ascent. Aside from the many secrets woven in this story, and that contained within is the whole Holy Name of 42 letters, and I heard this story is also about why the known thing fell sometimes in the water and almost drowned, etc.
 
Zimrat HaAretz [Song of the Land] by the Tcheriner Rav
There are those who say this story's meaning was heard from Rabbeinu [Rebbe Nachman] that contained within is the secret 42-letter name, etc., as is explained in another place [Zohar Chadash, the end of Parshat Ki Tavo]....Also what's explained here that the prince became leprous and afterwards, he was healed and the scabs dried up and all the skin peeled off and then it was revealed and seen that he was comprised entirely of precious gems and he had the special properties of each gem.

We find in this an inyan of inheriting Eretz Yisrael. Like the Sages said regarding the verse: "When you will come to the Land of Canaan and I will give you a blemish of tzaraat [leprosy] in the house of the Land of your inheritance," like Rashi explains there that through those means, they found in Israel hidden treasures of gold that the Emorites hid in the walls of their homes.

And in Midrash Rabbah, our Sages explained this verse to refer to the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash. And it concludes there that they took other stones as it says, "Behold I am established in Tzion stone by stone, I scrutinize the corner of that which is precious, etc." And there lay the foundation stone that comprised all the 12 gems of Yaakov Avinu, which symbolize the 12 Tribes who contained within them the special properties of each precious gem. And that means the 12 gems of the Choshen as our Sages expounded in Bresheit Rabbah 17, regarding the bedolach, the shoham regarding Eretz Yisrael.
 
Sichot HaRan [Conversations of Rebbe Nachman] by Rebbe Nosson Sternhartz (1780-1844)
I heard from one of our men who said that before Rabbeinu told this story, he said, "I know a story which contains the entire 42-letter name." And then he told this story.

Nonetheless, we don't know if this is the story containing the 42-letter name. Furthermore, I heard from his holy mouth a few years ago that he said that the Besht knew a story which contained the 42-letter name and spoke with me then of the 42-letter name. And he asked me to find an explanation in non-Hebrew regarding 2 letters – Vav and Tzadi – which are found in the above-mentioned name, and I couldn't find them. Since it was evident that he already knew the secret of the whole name, only those 2 letters, he still couldn't incorporate them into the matter when he wanted to clothe it in that name. 

The Truth Reveals Itself in a Time of Trouble
Once upon a time, there was a king who had no children...and decreed that the Jews should pray for him – The nations know well that the Jews have the power to pray and bring healing and salvation through the power of their prayer. But because of the bad traits found in each of the 70 nations, they always want to uproot Yisrael from its roots. Yet when they undergo trials and tribulations, the come to the Jews so that the Jews will pray for them because in a time of trouble, the truth reveals itself in all its glory.
 
A Tzaddik is One Whose Prayer is Set in His Mouth
And the Jews were seeking and searching a Tzaddik who would pray and set things in motion for the king to have children – In Likutei Moharan, Rabbeinu writes that Hashem loves and strongly desires the prayers of tzaddikim and habituates continual (set, fixed) prayer in their mouth. Therefore, they sought out a tzaddik whose prayer is routine (continuous) and set in his mouth so that when he prays, he is answered, and that's how it was.
 
When You Search, You Find
And they sought and found a hidden Tzaddik – One who seeks will find. As it says: "You strove and you found – believe..."
 
Through Self-Nullification, Prayer is Accepted
And he answered that he doesn't know at all – That is the way of a Tzaddik. He upholds perfect humility, meaning, "What" – as if he doesn't know anything and he completely nullifies himself to Hashem, then he can set things in motion through his prayer.
 
The Tzaddik's Entire Being is Via Dignified Reclusion – and When He becomes Renowned, He Disappears
And they sought and found a hidden Tzaddik...and the king began to speak with him about good things...and he promised him that he would have a child that same year...and the queen birthed a daughter...Afterwards, the king yearned for a son...and they were seeking and searching for the same tzaddik, but they didn't find him because he had already passed away. And they found another hidden tzaddik...and he told them that they'll have a son who will be made entirely of precious gems – Breslevers used to say here that there are tzaddikim that their entire reason for existence is only in hiding and dignified reclusion, and immediately – when they are revealed in This World – they are forced to die and disappear from This World. And therefore, when his promise was fulfilled and a daughter was born, he passed away. The second Tzaddik promised the king a son made of precious gems, but when the son was born, the precious gems couldn't be seen, therefore, he could continue living because his promise wasn't completely fulfilled.
 
The Extent of Envy and Resentment
The Daughter of the Queen saw that she was no longer so esteemed and she became envious of him – Take note of the extent of the Yetzer's power over jealousy and resentment. Solely because of her envy, she went to dabble in occultism in order to harm her brother [but the Guardian of Israel neither sleeps nor slumbers]. And the strongest envy is by the greatest ones, like the daughter of the queen, who as the only princess was highly esteemed and educated, and kings and emperors came to see her, and now – because of envy – she fell and did what she did until in the end, she fell in the water, may G-d have mercy.
 
The Precious Gem is Revealed After the Foul Blood Drains Out
And he was struck on his finger, and the queen's daughter wanted to bandage his finger when she saw there a precious gem – The Breslevers used to point out here that usually, when a finger is struck, it bleeds; that is to say that beforehand, there was foul blood that covered the precious gems. And therefore, later, when his scabs dried off, it was revealed that his entire being was made of precious gems. Rebbe Shmuel Eizik was one of the Gedolim who served Hashem of the talmidim of Rabbeinu. Once, Rabbeinu grabbed close to his heart and said, "For a quarter-cup of blood that lies in the chamber of the heart, you could lose two world at the same time – increase upon it groans and sighs and tame it. And you will merit the status: "And my heart is a hollow chamber within me."
 
A Little Bit of Sacrifice and One Already Sees the Precious Gem
And he was struck on his finger...when she saw there a precious gem – The draining of the blood via the blow to the finger indicates self-sacrifice. And even through a little bit of self-sacrifice, one already sees the precious gem. For every Jew contains within a precious gem, only that gem is covered and invisible. And through a little bit of self-sacrifice – sleep a little less, eat with a bit less taavah and the rest of the matters of kedushah – that precious gem is revealed.

This list is from Rabbeinu Bachaya's commentary on Parshat Titzaveh, Shemot 28:15.

He wrote it out according to the gemstones representing each Tribe on the Choshen, so that's how it appears here too:

Reuven – Ruby (Arabic: “Rubin” and is from the same family as the blashu stone, but is of better quality in color) – Every woman who holds this stone will not ever miscarry; and it’s good for a woman with difficult labors; and if it’s finely ground and added to food or drink, it enhances fertility like dudaim.
 
Shimon – [Emerald-smaragd?] Markadi, common to East Africa – a higher quality gem in radiance and sparkle and color than the “prashma,” although both are the same and the markadi is cut from the prashma/beryl) – It cools one’s taavah.
 
Levi – Chalcedony (“Carbuncle,” “Firestone”-- a kind of opal) – Grants wisdom to the simple and enlightens one’s eyes. Ground finely and added to food, drink, or drug, it grants wisdom and opens one’s heart.
 
Yehudah – [Higher-quality emerald?] Zamura – When one carries it, all one’s enemies flee.
 
Yissachar – Light Sapphire – It’s good for the light of one’s eyes when one passes it over one’s eyes; it relieves every pain and swelling in every place.
 
Zevulun – Pearl – It brings sleep upon a person
 
Dan – Topaz, Ashtapsis
 
Naftali – Turquoise – Horseriders make sure to keep one when they journey. It pulls a man along in his vehicle and makes his “riding all his days” successful.
 
Gad – Crystal, a common stone owned by many and known by many; it strengthens one’s heart when one goes to war.
"When worn on one’s finger, it enables one to see dreams." [Ibn Ezra, Shemot 28:9]
 
Asher – [Chrysolite\Peridot?] (kriulika) – It’s the color of oil although some say it’s light blue; it assists with digestion and when you ground it finely and mix it with food, it thickens and enriches the food.
 
Yosef – Onyx, Unikli – It grants a man chen [favor] in the eyes of all, and whoever carries it in a royal house will be greatly benefited and succeed and all his words will be obeyed.
 
Binyamin – Jasper, Yashfiz, red-black-green – This stone has the power to stop bleeding\hemorrhage.

I was talking to someone who was visiting Eretz Yisrael from one of the most materialistic and flashiest areas of America.

It is also a place of tremendous corruption and immorality just beneath the bright shiny surface.

She became frum a few years ago and has needed to go in for all the “frumified” luxuries and lots of loopholes in order to feel comfortable enough to maintain a frum lifestyle.

It’s hard to understand her compulsion for this, yet at the same time, it’s hard to judge her for this.

Why?

Because if you’re really honest with yourself, at some point you realize that all your positive attributes (like, for example, an innate attraction toward more spiritual matters and a kind of “nice, but is it really worth it?” attitude when faced with luxury) are simply gifts from Hashem that you were either born with or imbued with via your family and/or your school—or, if you’re REALLY lucky—both.

And how can you honestly take credit for that OR disdain others for not having been presented with either of those advantages?

If someone neither received an innate "spirituality magnet" nor received a spirituality-focused upbringing, then how much is she really responsible for her tendencies?

Yet when she told me about her shopping plans in Israel, I said, “I’m really happy for you. I think you’ll have a good time and you’ll also be able to pick up some stuff that you wouldn’t necessarily be able to get in the US.”

(Note: This is a very common theme of conversation. A lot of religious Judaica is more easily obtainable and cheaper than in the USA, depending on where you live.)

But she got defensive and huffed, “Oh, you guys have Golf (the clothing line), but you don’t have [the name of some product chain that I didn’t recognize and can’t remember], so it all balances out. Okay?”

I felt like someone just sideswiped my brain. Golf? Bed 'n' bath linens? What in the world was she talking about?

It never occurred to me to compare Israel to the USA in terms of material goods and their availability. That’s not what Eretz Yisrael is about or for. Just the fact that, materially speaking, it has been increasingly easier and more comfortable to live in Eretz Yisrael is good enough for me and for most people I know.

But what really got me was that “so it all balances out” comment.

No. It doesn’t.

Accessibility to the most luxurious and exclusive item in no way compensates for living in Eretz Yisrael. Even frum people who live in staffed mansions in the USA understand that living in Eretz Yisrael is still more desirable in Hashem’s Eyes (which is why many of them send their children to live in Eretz Yisrael).

Her parting remark was along the lines of: “Oh, the 5-star luxury hotel in Israel was nice, but if you could experience hotel hospitality where I come from, you would wish that every place would be like that. SOOOO excited to be going back home!”

Yes. Where she lives, I’m sure the hotel staff is fabulously accommodating and friendly. There is fierce competition among hotels in that area and a tremendous amount of money at stake.

The hotel staff, concerned about their reputations and career advancement and bonuses (and fearful of what will happen if they DON’T dance to the tune), will certainly make every effort to make you feel like a valued customer.

The emphasis on just making you FEEL like you have value—not that they actually value your worth, just your money and your recommendations to your friends.

Where is this addiction to "feeling good" coming from?

With the increasingly pervasive strain of narcissism weaving through society, people need to feel important and have their egos coddled.

The 5-star hotel staff in Israel varies; some are personable and friendly while others do their job efficiently and courteously without extra ego-stroking.

Is that enough of a reason to feel SOOOOO excited to be going back “home” to your shiny fake lifestyle?

(Especially since, if you're a Jew, America is not your true home.)

Now, it goes without saying that she doesn’t represent a lot of frum Jews stuck outside of Eretz Yisrael. There are many frum Jews living decidedly NON-luxurious lives:

• Jews who would love to make aliyah, but feel limited by family obligations (like elderly parents or shared child custody with an ex or older children who may or may not weather the transition)
  
• Jews who fear the differences in economic opportunity and culture
• And so on.

But there is also this other type, the type that cannot see beyond the fact that good-quality clothes, appliances, and housing cost more, and that you can’t get certain brands of whatever has become your favorite item. They can’t see that Israelis, who will often not only treat you courteously, but even exceed expectations to help you out if they see you really need it—but will NOT kiss your feet, no matter how important you think you are or how wealthy you seem (or how much you threaten them).

When I first came to Eretz Yisrael, Israelis were shocked to hear that in self-defense classes, people were taught to yell, "FIRE!!!" when under assault because otherwise, no one would even attempt to come to their rescue. Israelis couldn't imagine ignoring a cry for help and not even calling the police, let alone running there in person to intervene.

With the exception of gun-toting Southerners and Jews in frum neighborhoods, Americans hesitate to help, even in a way non-dangerous way, like calling the police.

When my family and I pile into a relative’s apartment in Tiveria (with a dozen kids between the two of us), we are a 2-block walk from the Tomb of Avigail (David Hamelech's wife), Yocheved, Bilha, Zilpah, Elisheva (Aharon Hacohen’s wife) and Tzipporah (Moshe Rabbeinu's wife) and a very pleasant place to pray.

Depending on where you are in Eretz Yisrael, Kever Rachel or the Kotel is just a bus ride away.

Getting thirsty or hungry is no problem because there is likely a kosher café or grocery right there, and the same can be said in many places about catching a minyan.

But most of all, every step you take is a huge mitzvah. Running to catch the bus in the rain or trudging out in humid heat to pick up diapers at the local makolet automatically grants you Eternal points without you even meaning to.

And nothing else can ever compensate for that.
______________________
To be fair, some people are so addicted to their materialism that they genuinely can't imagine compromising on it one iota. Deep down, they know they're wrong, which is why they get defensive when faced with life in Eretz Yisrael. But their psyche feels torn because on one hand, they see that it is possible to live happily without such exclusive luxuries. But on the other hand, they truly feel that it's not within their personal ability to do so.

Part 1|Part 2|Part 3|Part 4|Part 5|Part 6|Part 7|Part 8|Part 9|Part 10|Part 11|Part 12|

So...what are the take-aways?

• Evil people and societies don’t sit around rubbing their hands together while cackling gleefully, “I’m soooo evil—and I love it!” Nor do they realize they are crazy. They ALWAYS think they are the victimized class and see the real victims as oppressors - which gives them the feeling that they can do ANYTHING they want.

 

• “Nice” people are perfectly capable of going along with and even actively maintaining very evil policies and values. (And I don’t mean pretenders, but people who genuinely value “nice” behavior). As counterintuitive as it sounds, being “nice” doesn’t mean you can’t also be a bad person. Of course, truly good people also behave nicely, but people must be judged on the actual values they uphold AND display, and not on how “nice” they are.

 

• Love of animals, veganism/vegetarianism, appreciation of nature, and a calm and healthy lifestyle cannot make you into a good person and by themselves are not even signs of goodness.
  

 

• Historically, when society demands a savior and then willfully ignores the blatant flaws in their designated savior, this is a precursor to tough times and bloodthirsty movements.

 

• Historically, movements that focused primarily on income equality or general economic prosperity (i.e. materialism) and “sticking it to the other side” led to bloody outcomes. Movements that focused on God and core values and morality (i.e. the Ten Commandments, the Noachide Laws, etc.) have done much better. A society that values morality will also have more freedom and economic prosperity.

______________________________________________

And based on historical events and what I see unfolding now, here is what I think could happen:

• Anti-Israel sentiment will continue to rise. With the exception of the alt-Right (alternative and extreme Right), people cannot allow themselves to target Jews directly (especially seeing as the Left itself is comprised of many secular Jews) and still FEEL like a good person (because feeling good has trumped actually being good in most of society today). But like that former Hitler Youth member mentioned in Part 4, they feel it’s okay to yell “Death to…!” a country.

 

• President Trump will want to go down in history as the leader who made peace in the Middle East (which for some reason, always means "in Israel" and ignores all the wars between countries and clans in every other country in the Middle East). He has already made statements alluding to this. And seeing as the Israeli government is easier to push around than any other government in the Middle East, he will press on Israel to make suicidal and halachically forbidden concessions.

 

• Furthermore, Trump has already chosen as his chief strategist Steve Bannon who, while never personally heard spewing Jew-hatred, has shown himself perfectly willing to cater to the alt-Right Jew-haters. Trump has also chosen General James Mattis as Secretary of Defense. Mattis is sympathetic to the Arab side regarding Israel, even though he is not sympathetic to the Arab side in general, especially when it's Arab vs American. (See HERE.)

 

• The American Left will up its battle against religion because it is religious people who are standing in the way of abortion-on-demand, same-gender marriage, and all the trans hype. (Although they are not standing in the way ENOUGH. Yet to Leftists, any limits are bad.) But again, because attacking Jews would harm their self-image as good people, Leftists will attack the Jewish religion (along with other religions, except for Islam) along with whatever they consider “Orthodox interpretation” while saying that the Reform movement and secular Jews are okay. (Sort of like in Rav Schach’s story in Part 2.)

Following these points, Jew-hatred will be increasingly expressed as Israel-hatred.

But maybe I’m wrong. Hopefully, I’m wrong.

Regardless, the main thing is to cultivate a close and personal relationship with Hashem, invest in deep self-introspection to scrub out bad traits and polish up good traits, and keep on doing mitzvot.

As is a well-known Jewish truth, bad omens and bad prophecies need never come true.

Teshuvah has the power to change everything.

Part 1|Part 2|Part 3|Part 4|Part 5|Part 6|Part 7|Part 8|Part 9|Part 10|Part 11|Part 12|

Over the past week in Eretz Yisrael, powerful winds have been gusting all day and all night, with no respite.

Our haters have taken advantage of this to set fires that rage out of control in the dry and blustery weather.

Our Sages tell us to look into Torah wisdom for guidance.

Perek Shira contains the song of the wind (Yeshayahu 43:6):

This verse appears amid a sea of comforting verses in Chapter 43.

The commentators all interpret it to mean an active gathering of the Jews exiled outside of Eretz Yisrael. One explains that "teiman" is a particularly strong wind from the South, necessary to "blow" the exiles into their Homeland.

Another explains that some exiles are actively restrained from leaving their country of exile, while for others, the topography (mountains, etc.) stand as an obstacle. These reasons are why the verse also declares: "Do not restrain!" - Let them go free!

Radak says that it mentions daughters and sons separately to indicate that the ingathering of women and children will be "conducted slowly" - i.e. gently, in consideration of their greater difficulty when traveling?

Anyway, the wind is a comforting sign, a reassurance of Hashem's Promise to gather everyone Home.

Yet could it also be a call to action? A call to come Home?

But the winds are blustering in Eretz Yisrael.

So what's the message to we who are already here?

Another way to "come Home" is to do teshuvah.

And it seems to me that the powerful winds combined with the out-of-control fires are a call to do just that.

P.S. A segulah to protect against one's house from fire is to read Birkat Hamazon from a bentscher/birkon (as opposed to reciting it by heart).
Presumably, you can also read it with the intention of protecting all of your brothers' and sisters' houses from burning.
(I can't remember the source for this - sorry!)

Growing up, my family religiously attended a Conservative synagogue. While Conservative Jews living near large frum communities (like New York) may seem indistinguishable from some Modern Orthodox Jews, those living far away from major frum communities range from the totally assimilated to the traditional, with the only Sabbath-observant members being the rabbi and cantor—maybe.
 
I always really liked our synagogue’s cantor and his wife. I remember him passing out lollipops to all the kids each week. When my youngest sister felt too shy to accept the lollipop from the open flap of the cantor’s pocket, I remember him getting down on one knee so that the lollipop would be within arm’s reach of the little girl. Then he inched it out so it would easier for her to take. His gentle, thoughtful approach was so much more appealing than that of most adults I knew, who would make fun of a child’s shyness and play stupid little verbal games before finally giving the child the proffered candy.

The cantor’s wife, the child of Holocaust survivors, was a successful business woman with a natural warmth and candidness, who always related to me with the chumminess of a friend, even though I was just a child/teenager. After I started keeping Shabbat, they once hosted me with great warmth so that I could attend a family simcha at the synagogue over Shabbat. He kept Shabbat and she kept everything except the prohibition of turning on and off lights. Coming of age when she did, the lures of feminism spoke to her and she allowed that to warp her Judaism, although she never saw it that way.

Both maintained a fondness for Medinat Yisrael and she always yearned to make aliyah.
______________
Recently, they came to visit me in my home in Eretz Yisrael.
 
It was great to see them after all these years. They expressed genuine interest in my family and my life, and showed so much pleasure that I was frum, even though my brand of frumkeit is extreme in their eyes. She labeled herself as frum too, and this made her feel an extra bond between us.

She told me of their visit to relatives in the Golan who sneered at them for being “so religious.” Her Israeli cousin’s disdain of Torah traditions dismayed and bewildered her.
She also expressed a lot of confusion and disapproval about their Conservative congregation’s rate of intermarriage back in America. “Nearly all the weddings have been with people who aren’t Jewish,” she said. “Even worse, none of our youth want to marry a Jew. They want to marry non-Jews—especially the Jewish boys; they want to marry non-Jewish girls.” She made a face.
 
While she was happy for how my children were turning out, the contrast between their lives and hers saddened her.
 
“We should have thought through things more,” she said. “Our kids were the only ones keeping Shabbat in the whole city. We thought we could just pass on our love of Judaism to them, but I guess that wasn’t realistic….”

Their 27-year-old son was living somewhere in the boondocks with a 41-year-old non-Jewish woman and couldn't be bothered attend his parents' Pesach Seder that year —or any Pesach Seder, for that matter. On a trip to Israel, their son refused to wear a kippah or keep Shabbat, which his mother found particularly distressing because Israel is one of the most comfortable places in the world to wear a kippah and keep Shabbat. And when his parents came to visit him at his far-off college, he barely gave them the time of day.

“I really wish we’d made aliyah,” she said, looking around my little Israeli living room longingly. “We kept meaning to, but….”
 
But it was never the right time. Yes, they meant to take that well-paying cantorial job that included a nice home in an exclusive neighborhood only until they’d saved up enough to make aliyah.

Having read tons about emuna and Hashem’s Omnipotence, combined with my innate desire to give chizuk to anyone I see suffering and relieve their anguish, I popped out with, “Don’t be too hard on yourself about it. It’s from Hashem. If Hashem wanted you to make aliyah, you would have. Somehow, where you are now is the best place for you to be. Everything Hashem does is for our best good.”
 
She looked at me skeptically and said, “Hashem wanted us to stay in a predominately non-Jewish materialistic neighborhood in America rather than coming to Eretz Yisrael?”
 
I blinked. Good point! Maybe I just took this whole emuna thing too far?
Why did I say a wacky thing like that?
 
“Sure,” I heard myself saying. “Because if Hashem wanted you to make aliyah, He would’ve found a way for you to do it. You could’ve lost the job that kept you in America, you could’ve just felt an irresistible compulsion to go...I mean, anything could've propelled you to go rather than staying.”
 
Now I sounded even wackier.

The cantor nodded with a knowing smile at my words, but she still looked doubtful.

My heart went out to her. Growing up in the shadow of the Holocaust compelled her to fan her Jewish flame.

But it wasn’t working.

Everything she invested in, whether the community or her children, was sinking into the swamp of assimilation.
 
Her whole life, she meant to fight back at the Nazi Holocaust. But the West’s spiritual onslaught overwhelmed her.

After they left, I indulged in a bit of forehead-smacking self-reproach. Why do I get so wacky sometimes? Why didn’t I think before I spoke?
 
Yet I really do believe that everything is from Hashem—and that means that all the wacky things I said to her were also ordained by Hashem.
 
And the truth is, perhaps Hashem really didn’t want them to make aliyah at that point.
________________

In the frum world, the Reform movement and Christian proselytism receive the most criticism and censure.
 
But in my eyes, the Conservative movement caused the most destruction.
 
Maybe I am wrong.

But the Reform movement is all about shiny American liberal values. It makes no secret of its desire to encapsulate non-Jewish ideals. Growing up, I remember my Reform peers making fun of their own temple for having an organ and such a tepid English service, calling their temple by derisive nicknames. They were all assimilated, but their Jewish souls rebelled at the obvious forgery.
 
And while every Jew is precious, missionaries entrap very few, relatively speaking. (Although they are starting to become as insidious as the Conservative movement by twisting Torah concepts to grant themselves legitimacy.)

But the Conservative movement slithered into the Jewish people like a parasitical worm. It came under the guise of being a legitimate Torah alternative, rationalizing itself as taking the path of Hillel as opposed to the Orthodox (who they claim took the path of Shammai). Many of its rabbis, cantors, and youth leaders feel genuine passion about Judaism and are proud of their heritage. They bring a freshness and enthusiasm to their congregations.

They’re also completely brainwashed by the Conservative movement’s propaganda.
 
For example, Conservative leaders acknowledge that there is a Torah prohibition to drive on Shabbat. At the same time, they acknowledge that there is a mitzvah to daven in a minyan and a prohibition against separating from the community.
 
So guess which takes precedence?

This is why most Conservative Jews feel perfectly comfortable driving on Shabbat. Never mind that many of them could care less about attending a regular minyan...
 
For Shabbos Koidesh, they are mesirus nefesh to drive to daven in a minyan for Shabbos Shacharis(!)
 
By twisting things around and omitting certain information, you can even legitimize eating poultry with dairy as "kosher." This type of thing is what Christianity did with the Torah, too.

The Less You Know, The Better!
The Conservative movement survives by exploiting the ignorance of its adherents.
 
When I was a kid, some of the adults had received a Jewish day school education up until eighth grade and taught by Orthodox teachers (and how that was defined, I'm not sure). But back in the Fifties, the education and methodology were often tepid, depending. Yet my parents’ entire generation of non-Orthodox Jews were left with the impression that’s all there was to Torah-observance and, with a few exceptions, refuse to delve any deeper until this very day. Some of the elderly men had attended cheder in Europe until the age of 12-14, spoke Yiddish, and had grown up going through the motions of Torah observance. I didn't get their humor or their Yiddishisms, yet I liked them very much. But again, their impression of Torah Judaism was superficial. For them, Conservative Judaism offered them the best of both worlds—or so they thought.

They were a warm and rollicking little group, but as they aged even more and their children assimilated, they grew embittered and haggard. When I first started coming closer to Judaism, one elderly man used to approach me every time he saw me and beg me to marry his son.
 
“I’ll buy you a house—a nice one!” he said. “A nice house in a good neighborhood!”

I laughingly rejected his offer.

Each time, he grew increasingly agitated and upped his offer. “I’ll leave you a million dollars. A million dollars! I promise—I’ll write it in my will with lawyers and everything! I’ll prove it to you. I promise. And with me, a promise is a promise!”
 
I remember the last time he approached me. When I turned down his offer for the final time, he shot me a look of disgust and flapped his hand at me. “You kids today,” he said. “You have no appreciation for the value of money and property! Look at what I’m offering you. How can you say no?”
 
Strangely, I wasn’t offended. I think because underneath his disgust lay some very legitimate Jewish grief and frustration. He wasn’t disgusted by my priorities; he was disgusted by his own that led him into the desperate situation he now found himself.
 
But to my teenage self, it seemed like a scene out of Fiddler on the Roof that should be acted out by people with funny names I’d never heard anywhere else, like Tzeitel and Mottel. I deeply regret that I was insensitive enough to laugh when the man was clearly in pain. But the whole idea of matchmaking and promising material rewards—buying your child a spouse, in a sense—seemed outlandish and comedic to me. And I also couldn’t imagine that his son would want me under such conditions—not to mention that his son was around thirty, which seemed middle-aged and gross to my teenage mind.
 
Anyway, the whole idea seemed embarrassing.

So despite the anguish etched in his wrinkled face, I was convinced he was joking. In a world of breezy intermarriages, drive-thru “conversions,” and people who only kept the mitzvot they found personally meaningful (and even then, not the whole mitzvah; only the parts of it they found meaningful and convenient). It never occurred to me that a Jew could care that deeply about preserving his Jewish continuity.
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The Conservative movement's patriots live in this bizarre bubble of fire, enthusiasm, and innovative kiruv ideas for their brand of Judaism, while waxing with perky lyricism about the firm ground they’re standing on and weaving wild fantasies of how successful they are.
 
But the whole time, they’re sinking lower and lower into the quicksand of anti-Torah ideas—and they drag a lot of innocent people down with them.
 

 
The Conservative movement is also the most responsible for the phenomenon of non-Jews who, sincerely thinking they’re Jewish, declare themselves Jewish and even insist on marrying Jews and participating in minyanim and Jewish activities, with real Jews none the wiser.
 
And while the Reform movement offers "conversions," it’s the Conservative movement that insists on illegitimate conversions, considering all the offspring of marriage with such a female "convert" as Jewish, when basic halachah proves they are not.
 
I remember one such family. When the Jewish patriarch died, his not-Jewish-but-thinks-she’s-Jewish wife still held a yearly Seder with all their children and grandchildren—not one of whom is Jewish. You also get these bizarre scenarios in which the not-Jewish-but-thinks-they-are parent or fiancée try to convince the non-Jewish love interest to "convert" to Judaism.
 
I dread the phone calls or emails I get from or about the not-Jewish-but-think-they-are in which they obviously feel the need to “break the news” to me (the fanatical Orthodox Jew) that they/their child is marrying a non-Jew and hope that’s okay with me. Or sometimes they don’t hope, but assert: “I know that this may offend you, however….”
 
I always tell them it is more than okay with me, and even preferred. Depending on who they are and how they feel about their pseudo-Jewish identity, I may even tell them why. The reaction is always surprised and sometimes even disappointed. (Disappointed because they were hoping for a religious attack so they could go back to their family and friends and talk about how persecuted they were by me, the religious zealot. And then everyone could feel victimized and commiserate. But alas…)
 
What I really hate, though, are the phone calls and emails that chirp things like: "Your cousin's wife attended the Purim Megillah reading! I think she's really starting to come around! Maybe a conversion is in the works???" My cousin isn't Jewish, but thinks he is. His wife isn't Jewish and knows she's not. Everything is fine. But people who don't know any better tell me this because they think it'll make me happy.

It doesn't.
 
It makes very, very sad to see non-Jews-who-think-they're-Jewish and Conservative Jews running around trying to convert people's non-Jewish spouses with the freneticness of a freshly caught fish flapping out its last moments on the dock in the open air.
 
I also find it bizarre that they are blind to how obnoxious and hypocritical they are. I mean, Conservative Jews HATE it when Christians proselytize them and when frum Jews try to impose "their" values and beliefs on them. Conservative Jews also battle at the forefront to stop public expressions of Christian holidays and a moment of silence in schools. But then they insist that their child's intended spouse bow to their ways and switch religions. They can be very friendly about it, but they are still persistent.

It’s a point of humbling gratitude to Hashem that He pulled any of us out of this quicksand and scoured that duplicitous gunk from our minds. This is when “Dayenu” really speaks to me. I’m not different or better than the people I grew up with. So why was I rescued and not them? It’s such a huge unearned kindness that I can’t wrap my mind around it.

Technically, I have no right to ask Hashem for anything more. (But I still do.)

Dayeni!

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With kiruv websites up and running for almost 20 years now and kiruv organizations alive and kicking since the Seventies and all that frum kiruv only growing in popularity and prominence, Conservative adherents have very little excuse for their continued brainwashing.
 
And getting back to the lovely couple with which this post started off:
There are already a lot of well-meaning and not-so-well-meaning destroyers in Eretz Yisrael. And while I tend to believe that coming to Eretz Yisrael inspires a return to Torah (hey, it worked for me!), it clearly doesn’t for many people (although for many people, it does). And maybe it wouldn’t have either for the cantor and his wife.

Maybe they would have become part of the problem here instead of part of the solution.

So Hashem saved both them and us from that.
 
It hurts because I like the cantor and his wife so much. And I see them as victims of the greater Conservative movement, even though as enthusiastic participants, they became an active part of its destructive force.

There is still always the opportunity for them to do teshuvah.
And we can pray for their children along with all the other lost Jewish children.
 
But in the end, maybe what I said wasn’t so wacky after all. They made their decisions.
 
And maybe because of that, Hashem truly didn’t want them here.
 
(But real teshuvah can still change all that!)