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Since the outbreak of the terrible war in Israel, there has been a marked trend of arousal in the Israeli public regarding religion, tradition and teshuva. A current study published recently by Professor Asif Efrat from the Reichman University found that 37% of the youth from the ages of 18-35 reported a strengthening of their belief in Hashem since the onset of the war, as compared to 18% of the populace aged 56 and up. The study shows that it is the youth in particular that experiences aroused closeness to Jewish tradition and identification.
Prof. Efrat summed up the findings in incisive words: "The war has transformed Israelis into more religious people." ...
Amidst heightened excitement, the new school year of 5786 was launched this past Sunday in Beit Shemesh, as 61,788 students returned to the school desks after the summer vacation. This figure constitutes a peak,...
The world media continues to echo the deceptive Hamas propaganda regarding the famine in Gaza while Leftist Israeli media add their vociferous backing. In its weekend edition, the British Daily Mirror published front page photos of Karim Eli Fua Abut Maamar, a three-year-old boy from the Strip, all skin and bones, with a swollen belly, echoing the Hamas claim that his condition is a result of the hunger in Gaza. And this is from a respectable and central newspaper which is expected to thoroughly examine the veracity of this claim before printing it. Additionally, many other media forms have fallen into the trap and have likewise printed that one, among other photos, of starving children, which have also been proven to be Hamas 'fake news'.
Apparently, those media gloat in pleasure to serve the Hamas' wily purposes...
Part I
Like many of our recent gedolim such as R' Moshe Feinstein, the Steipler, and, HaRav Eliashiv, Reb Meir Simcha, the author of the Or Somayach, was born as the fulfillment of a bircas tzaddik. Two versions of the story are extant.
According to the first version, the tzaddik Rabbi Meir of Tiktin stayed at the home of Reb Meir Simcha's parents. As he prepared to depart, he gave Reb Meir Simcha's parents a brocho that they would have a child who would enlighten Klal Yisroel with his Torah scholarship. When the first part of his brocho was fulfilled — a child was born — they named him after the source of the brocho. Hence the name Meir Simcha.
Another version is given by the author of the To'afos Re'eim, a peirush on the Sefer Hayerei'im, who writes that the Rov of Baltrimintz, where Reb Meir Simcha was born, was involved in a feud with certain elements in the town who prevented him from earning a proper livelihood. At this stage Reb Meir Simcha's mother stepped in and provided the Rov with whatever he was lacking. As a result, the Rov gave her a brocho which led to the birth of a son in 1843.
In his youth, Reb Meir Simcha already achieved renown as a child prodigy. By the time he was nine years old he already knew all of Seder Nezikin and half of Noshim with Rashi and Tosafos. By age ten his parents could no longer find him a suitable rebbe in the vicinity.
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Opinion & Comment
The following was posted on the door of the Talmud Torah in Kelm during the month of Elul by the Alter from Kelm.
Chazal say that on Rosh Hashana we should say pesukim of malchiyos, "so that you may accept My reign over you." If we analyze the necessary conditions for the rule of an earthly king, we realize that he can only rule if all his people are united in allegiance and service to this king. Only where there is unity among the people can a kingdom or government persist. If, chas vesholom, divisions appear among the king's officials, then the king's government will fall and, chas vesholom, the whole world can be destroyed. As Chazal said, "If not for the fear of the government, men would swallow each other alive." (Avos 3:2) In summary, unity of the people is a necessary condition for an earthly government.
Opinion & Comment
Part II
(Part I of this shmuess was printed in the issue of parshas Eikev.) n
The medrash (Medrash Rabbah Eikev parsha 3:7), continues its comments on the posuk at the beginning of parshas Eikev (7:9), " . . . [then] Hashem your G-d will guard the covenant and the kindness for you that He promised to your forefathers," with the following parable. Rabbi Shimon ben Chalafta said, "This is comparable to a king who married a noblewoman (as queen) and she brought him [as her dowry] two pieces of jewelry, for which the king undertook to give her a further two pieces of jewelry. The noblewoman lost hers, so the king also took his back. After a time, she arose and made herself worthy and brought [back] the two pieces of jewelry, so the king also brought his [back]. The king said, `Both pairs should be made into a crown and placed on the noblewoman's head.'
"In the same way you find that Avrohom Ovinu bequeathed two adornments to his descendants, as the posuk (Bereishis 18:19) says, `For I love him because he instructs his sons and his household who will follow him . . . to behave righteously and to carry out judgment . . . ' for which Hakodosh Boruch Hu undertook to give them two further adornments, kindness and compassion, as the posuk says, ` . . . [then] Hashem your G-d will guard the covenant and the kindness for you . . . ' and ` . . . He will bestow mercy on you and will have compassion over you . . . '(Devorim 13:18).
"Yisroel lost theirs, as the posuk (Amos 6:12) says, ` . . . for you have changed judgment (i.e. the Torah's laws) into poison (by adopting foreign laws) and the fruit of righteousness into gall,' and Hakodosh Boruch Hu also took away His, as the posuk (Yirmiyohu 16:5) says, `For I have gathered in My peace . . . kindness and compassion.'
Opinion & Comment
by HaRav Yaakov Weinberg, zt'l
The following is an excerpt from the sefer Fundamentals and Faith, by HaRav Weinberg, edited by Rabbi Mordechai Blumenfeld. The sefer is about the 13 Principles of Faith. This section discusses the seventh principle.
The Unchanging Torah
In essence, this principle establishes the fact that the Torah cannot be altered. In order for man to be able to serve G-d, it is necessary to know His Will in absolute, unchanging terms and to recognize it as such. Any room for change will create the opportunity for man to inject his own values. When the possibility of change exists, man's priorities and convenience dominate, making him a servant of himself rather than his Creator.
Fortunately, the authority of the Torah itself prevents man from tampering with it. The unparalleled circumstances and content of the prophecy of Moshe Rabbeinu, together with the historically unique revelation of the Torah on Sinai, provide the basis for that authority. One of the laws revealed there through Moshe states that nothing can ever be added or subtracted from the Torah that G-d gave, word for word, to Moshe Rabbeinu. Even a prophet cannot claim the right to innovate anything in the Torah. He can never carry an authentic message from G-d proposing revision of any detail in the Torah.
Father of Prophets
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