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The Reaction of Gedolei Yisroel to the Balfour Declaration
On 17 Cheshvan 5678, a letter was send by the British Foreign Secretary, Lord Arthur James Balfour, in which he writes that Britain will support a home for the Jewish people in Eretz Yisroel.
Gedolei Yisroel of that generation saw this British gesture as a sign from Heaven, but they warned that non-religious Zionists could cause it to fail. In the book HoIsh Al Hachomah tells that when the news reached the ears of HaRav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, he exclaimed:
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The story that is kept quiet is the testimony of the Attorney General at the time the charges were filed against Netanyahu. That itself is a scandal. What has become clear this week and last week is crazy. Everything that since 2019 has cast Israel into an unending series of elections and crisis after crisis, is exposed as nothing more than hot air. A blown up bubble.
Journalist Motti Tuchfeld summarizes the testimony of Avichai Mandelblit: "Mandelblit stands in the witness box and admits, word after word, what any reasonable observer has long seen: there is nothing there. File 4000 collapsed completely. File 2000 also collapsed. File 1000 is a bad joke about cigars. All of the serious charges evaporated.
"But what is more serious — and this is not reported in any place — is the lawlessness of the police, the prosecution and the Attorney General himself. It is a serious corruption of the investigation. Illegal pressure brought on witnesses. Illegal procedures. Deliberate leaks. Documents that disappeared.
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Part III
This was originally published in 1993.
Upright In The Eyes Of Man And Of Hashem
Every word and every step—that was why he insisted that the bochurim ensure that their clothing was always tidy and perfectly clean. When they came to his room to be tested on their learning, they underwent an additional examination as the Rosh Yeshiva's sharp eyes surveyed every bochur from top to toe. Woe to whomever was dressed untidily or even was wearing dusty shoes.
The usual rebuke was short and sharp: "HaKodosh Boruch Hu gave you, and every other person, two faithful servants—your two hands. Why don't you use them to take care of your clothes...?"
Once, on his way to deliver the shiur, Mahary'tz spied some orange peels scattered in one area of the corridor. He would not begin that day's shiur until he had extracted a promise from the talmidim that such a sight would never appear again in the yeshiva building.
Refined behavior, order, cleanliness—they were all-important. They were themes he kept coming back to when he spoke. In one such shmuess, he addressed his audience with great feeling, "Beloved of my soul, see what chazal said in Yoma—that Heaven's Name should become loved through your actions. "When someone's deeds are correct ...what do people say about him? Happy is his father who taught him Torah, happy is his teacher..."
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Outstanding Articles From Our Archives
IN-DEPTH FEATURES
Nachalat Shiva: Pioneering Yishuv Eretz Yisroel
by Z. Goldberg
Part II
The first part told of the background to the settling of Nachalat Shiva, the second group of houses built outside the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem about 130 years ago. It described the first building of Mishkenot Shaananim. The seven who banded together to build the area were described, and the purchasing of the land and the agreement between the partners were also discussed. This part talks about the actual move into the area and the difficulties it entailed, showing the mesiras nefesh that the early pioneers had for yishuv Eretz Yisroel.
The big day finally arrived. On the fourth of Iyar, 1869 (5629), a lottery was drawn to see on whose land the first two houses were to be built. Rav Yoel Moshe Solomon and Rav Mechel Cohen were the winners. Rav Yoel Moshe Solomon opted out however. His wife was due to give birth and he wasn't sure he would be free to invest his time and energy into the building. Instead, he passed his right over to Rav Yosef Rivlin who was ready to commence building at once.
On the 18th of Iyar, on Lag B'omer, Rav Rivlin lay the foundation- stone of his building. Many people came out from the Old City to observe the ceremony. A number of days later, Rav Mechel Cohen followed suit and laid the foundation-stone for his building.
Just two months later, on the 9th of Tammuz, the buildings were already completed. On the 27th of Av, the houses were ready to move into, and Rav Yosef Rivlin made a celebration to commemorate the occasion.
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Opinion & Comment
The Builder's Plumbline
by L. Jungerman
A group of students, products of Yeshivas Mir and disciples of HaGaon R' Yeruchom zt'l, formed nucleus to study a certain tractate together on a permanent basis. It bore fruit and the time came for them to celebrate the conclusion of their project. It was a momentous enough occasion for them to request the participation of their revered mentor and they duly drew up and sent a letter informing him of the upcoming siyum. It reflected a joy comparable to that of a wedding!
R' Yeruchom sent a return letter which was a masterpiece of expression in which he exposed a unique angle of approach to the portion dealing with Avrohom Ovinu's hospitality, as it appears in this week's parsha.
"You were privileged . . . to complete . . . " he writes. "You informed me that you set a day aside to celebrate this momentous occasion. Let me tell you that that day is for me, likewise, a day of jubilation and rejoicing, and I join in your joy."
He continues:
"You did well in preparing for this occasion, just as we were commanded to celebrate the completion of a mitzva with a festive meal. And in this, we are set apart from all the nations on earth.
"Chazal commented on the verse, `And great shall be the peace to your children.' Do not read `your children -- bohnayich but bownoyich -- your builders,' for all those deeds are in the category of construction.
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