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HaRav Yosef Tzvi Ben Porat shlita: Hashem Sent Us a Message on 23 Sivan
The prophet Malachi, last of the nevi'im, declares, "And you say: wherefore should we serve Hashem, and what gain have we in keeping His words."
To our shame, we are living in a time when many words are expressed as if it is futile to serve Hashem. Words spoken against religion and faith, against chareidim and yeshivos. What are we expected to do in such situations?
The possibility is either-or, like Eliyohu proposed to the prophets of the Baal at Mt. Carmel: "If Hashem is the A-mighty, follow Him. If the Baal is god, follow him."
But, says HaRav Yosef Tzvi Ben Porat, whatever Hashem has presented us with in these past years, has come to make us repent, to make us return unto Him. The wicked ones who tamper with this process will surely be punished but let us relate to this present period from a different angle.
The situation is very confusing and disconcerting. War after war, America supportive and then suddenly, Trump reverses his attitude. What is going on here?
HaRav Ben Porat: Look here, we are finding ourselves in a state of war for the past three years. There was a pogrom in the South from an organization which prepared itself for it for two-and-a-half years. We saw them in the process, training for it in Gaza across the border. This was a warning from Heaven: if you don't repent, the Arabs will storm in a massacre.
The American president, who is so concerned about his personal image and prestige, has experienced a humiliating occurrence which no other American has ever before undergone. The Iranians are attacking him with no holds barred, smearing him with every known infamy, calling him a 'loser' and mocking him with snide caricatures and subtitles.
When an Israeli newsman or politician looses as much as a word of criticism against the president or the vice president, the American reaction is swift in coming with sharp censure against said commentator or politician. But when the entire Iranian media mocks the president or his second-in-command, not a peep is heard.
The Iranians well-understood the message emerging from Washington, according to which Trump decided to close a deal at all costs, literally, "all cost," be it the most humiliating one, since they are not concerned about any American reaction. They are holding the winning card in the future of the Hormuz Strait, and are using it in the most advantageously possible way.
After the American president demanded that Iran immediately restrain its proxy in Lebanon, Muhamad Maardani, the Iranian advisor of the delegation, reacted with open disdain, publicizing Trump's demand, with the following epithet: 'a sore loser,' caricatured with full mockery and ridicule.
Similarly,...
Part 3
This series was first published 33 years ago, in 1993.
During the past generation we are accustomed to secular domination of Jerusalem, with several religious enclaves. However, it was not always thus. Jerusalem considered itself a holy city, and it was a deliberate effort on the part of anti-religious elements to break the kedusha. It was a war that began around the first World War, and continues to this very day. However, many crucial battles were fought during the first years of the State. One of these was the opening of the first mixed swimming pool in Jerusalem in 1958.
Every new insult to the sanctity of Jerusalem was fought. Each caused its pain and left its scars. Important to understanding the struggles that continue to this very day are the accounts of these earlier struggles. We are confident of long-term victory, but there is a long road back.
Nonviolent Demonstrations?
A pogrom in Yerushalayim? Jerusalemites arrived at one demonstration with their hands literally tied. This was their way of "proving" that they weren't violent. This, however, had no effect on the police, who continued raining violent blows on religious protesters.
A gathering took place at the Kikar Shabbos intersection. Without prior warning, the police turned fire hoses on the protesters. They then descended on the masses, swinging their clubs. Innocent passersby were wounded. The police then began breaking into people's homes. The cries of children intermingled with the sound of shattering windowpanes. The "guardians of law and order" hurled rocks into houses. Miraculously, no one was harmed.
In the wake of this unbridled attack, a day of prayer was arranged, to take place throughout the Jewish world. On the seventh of Adar, thousands gathered on the corner of Batei Warsaw.
The sounds of prayers, chosen expressly for this seventh day of Adar, reverberated through the air. Yerushalayim was already accustomed to gatherings of this sort. On this day, the entire focus was on prayer. The idea of demonstrating was far from everyone's mind. The police officers on the scene were bored. They began driving by on motorcycles, inciting the crowd. Others sounded their sirens, intending to disturb the tefillos.
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Opinion & Comment
Valuable Advice from HaRav Chaim Kanievsky and HaRav Yehuda Shapira
HaRav Yitzchok Koledetzky, following the directives of HaRav Chaim Kanievsky and HaRav Yehuda Shapira, gave the following words of chizuk at the renowned Lederman beis knesses of Bnei Brak on Shabbos Isru Chag of Shavuos:
1] We are stunned by last year's numerous tragedies when young men and women were niftar leaving behind widows and orphans, Rachmono litzlan. Every incident of a bereaved family shocks us to the core. There is today no novi who can tell us why such calamities happen.
We should not despair. We must, as our forefathers have always done in such incidents, be mispalel to Hashem to arouse rachamei Shomayim and make efforts to add to our zechuyos. Rachamei Shomayim to bring refu'os and yeshu'os for am Yisroel are aroused when each individual works to improve himself spiritually in order to increase the zechuyos for all Klal Yisroel, and how much more so when the general public is involved.
Maran HaRav Yechezkel Levenstein zt'l, the mashgiach of Yeshivas Ponevezh of Bnei Brak, would point out that saying the brocho of asher yotzar with kavono can bring about refu'os for Am Yisroel (cited in Tefillas Channah).
Rabbenu the Chofetz Chaim would put his finger in the siddur when saying the brocho of asher yotzar.
When HaRav Eliyahu Lopian zt'l, the mashgiach of Yeshivas Kfar Chassidim, once traveled by train he said the brocho of asher yotzar out loud and with kavono, and everyone listening answered Omen. Soon after the train passed over a mine without incident. Everyone on the train realized that the zechus of the Rav's saying asher yotzar with kavono had miraculously saved them from a catastrophe.
Surely if a large tzibbur and particularly cheder children say asher yotzar from a siddur, much rachamei Shomayim will be aroused to bring refu'os for the entire world.
2) It is known that Maran the Rosh Yeshiva, HaRav E. M. Shach shlita, always stresses the importance of saying bircas hamozone from a siddur. Eleven years ago when he attended a levaya of one of his most prominent talmidim he requested the tzibbur to say the brochos of bircas hamozone from a siddur, and in this zechus, he said, we will surely be zoche to rachamei Shomayim.
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Opinion & Comment
Truth and Peace Converged
by L. Jungerman
"The entire congregation saw that Aharon had passed away and all the House of Israel mourned Aharon for thirty days." Rashi notes that "all the House of Israel" includes the men and the women, since Aharon pursued peace and would promote love where there was dissension between man and wife or man and fellow man.
We find, however, that at the end of Devorim, regarding Moshe Rabbenu's demise, it is written, "And the Children of Israel mourned Moshe in the plains of Moav for thirty days." We do not find the added emphasis of "all." Rashi explains the reason: "The Children of Israel -- the males." Aharon pursued peace and established peace between man and wife so that even the women mourned him.
This idea is expanded upon in Ovos deR' Nosson: "The Torah of truth was in his mouth and injustice was not found upon his lips. He walked in peace and with straightforwardness, and many did he prevent from sinning." When Aharon walked along and chanced to meet a wicked person, he would greet him warmly. On the following day, that sinner was tempted to sin, but he stopped short and said, `Oh, no! How will I be able to face Aharon if I meet him again, knowing that I have sinned? And he did greet me.' Thus it was that the sinner withheld himself from evil.
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