Is this the Redemption?

 Is this the country we have been waiting for? Absolutely! It’s not yet total light, but it has a lot of light.

by Harav Shlomo Aviner Shlitah 

It seems that many people have forgotten the very first teaching of the Jerusalem Talmud:

“One time, Rabbi Chiya the Great and Rabbi Shimon ben Chalafta were strolling through the Arbel Valley as morning approached, and they saw the breaking of dawn. Rabbi Chiya said to Rabbi Shimon, ‘Such is Israel’s Redemption. At first it is gradual, but the further it moves along, the faster it is.” (Jerusalem Talmud, at the beginning of Berachot).

Countless times I have passed through that area, during the seven years I lived on Kibbutz Lavi in the Lower Galilee, and now, as well, since my daughter lives there in Kfar Zeitim, near the Sea of Galilee. 

Were Rabbi Chiya to see all of this, he would burst with pleasure and pride at how gloriously Eretz Yisrael is being rebuilt and how plentifully it is bearing its fruits. Indeed, this is one of the points that distinguish the intelligent from the less intelligent: 

the understanding that there are phenomena that do not occur all at once but involve a prolonged, painful, gradual process.

To what may this be compared? To sunrise. The sun doesn’t suddenly appear out of total darkness. Rather, first comes dawn, the brightening of the east, sunrise, and at noon the sun appears in all its might. It is the same with the start of Redemption. Light and darkness intermingle. There are clouds - ups and downs, crises and setbacks, difficulties and complications.

And why is that?

 Would it be too hard for G-d to bring Redemption all at once, instantaneously? 

Certainly not, but such is G-d’s will, that we should be partners in Redemption, and such is the nature of people, that they are not angels but just people with weaknesses, mistakes and oversights.

Therefore, if we see problems along the way, we mustn’t despair. We mustn’t think we have erred in our direction. All the questions only prove that our country does not constitute the complete Redemption but only its first flowerings. Or, more precisely, we are already at an advanced stage of our Redemption process.

One might say: “I can agree to the Redemption’s proceeding gradually, but not to its regressing and to our losing what we have already gained.” If so, however, my response is that G-d does not need your consent.

Moreover, you’ve forgotten that the Jerusalem Talmud brings as a first example of gradual Redemption, the Purim miracle, which began with Mordechai’s exposing the plot against King Achashverosh. 

Yet one can ask: Wasn’t that success followed by a decree to exterminate all the Jews, men, women and children?

The commentary on Sefer Charedim provides an answer to this: 

The “gradualness” referred to relates to the increase in light, yet it is also possible that within this process there will be times of great darkness.

You’ve also forgotten that when Moshe came to redeem Israel, at first the situation deteriorated and Pharaoh hardened his decrees, as Ramban explains at the end of Shemot.

The rule is this: the Redemption is not a sudden burst of light like the moon at midday, but light and darkness in coexistence. We rejoice over that light on Israel Independence Day, and we weep over that darkness on Tisha B’Av, and struggle to rectify it.

Therefore, in the Pesach Haggadah, we seek a “day that is neither day nor night.” We certainly long for a situation of total day, but we know that there is an intermediate situation of neither day nor night, and even for that we cannot possibly offer enough thanks, in comparison to the previous situation that was total darkness. 

The source is the Prophets, from Zechariah 14:7:

 “There shall be one day which shall be known as Hashem’s, not day, and not night, but it shall come to pass that at evening time there shall be light.” It shall not be entirely like the future Redemption, nor as difficult as the exile (Rashi, Radak).

Don’t worry. We are not stuck half-way through. “Shall I bring her there but not assist in the birth? Shall I begin to assist her but stop? - the word of G-d” (Isaiah 66:9). Rashi explains: “Shall I bring the woman to the birthing stone but not open her womb to remove her fetus? Shall I start something without being able to finish?”

HaRav Avraham Yitzhak Kook z"l writes, “In the end of days, a silent movement has arisen [the Zionist Movement] full of strengths and desires, full of contradictions and contrasts, full of light and darkness, and seeking to reach the shore of Jewish Salvation. It represents a small light from the light of the Messiah (Orot, Yisrael U-Techiyato 20).

Rabbi Kook terms it a small light, yet compared to the darkness of the Exile, it is an enormous light indeed!

Is this the country we have been waiting for?

Absolutely! It’s not yet total light, but it has a lot of light, and in spite of all of the difficulties and struggles we face, the light is getting brighter.

Excerpted from the new book, “Torat Eretz Yisrael Anthology,” available in Israel at bookstores and via link: https://www.chavabooks.co.il/product/torat-eretz-yisrael-anthology/#tab-description. Or via Amazon Books divided into 2 page volumes: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G324RXNH. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G3M4747T

Lapid sparks uproar: Strip voting rights from Charedie draft dodgers - but not Arabs

 

Opposition leader MK Yair Lapid sparked a political storm on Sunday evening with remarks about a bill his party intends to submit, under which voting rights would be revoked from those who do not enlist in the IDF, while the law would not apply to the Arab public.

Lapid said, “I don’t know who invented this phrase that the right to vote is sacred. It is not sacred. In a democratic state, there are rights and obligations, and one depends on the other - they cannot be separated.”

He added that his law would target those found fit for service but who choose not to report: “For example, the Arab public in Israel is not summoned to enlist, so it does not apply to them. Or people with mental or physical conditions who cannot enlist - it does not apply to them either. It applies only to those who received a draft order, are healthy, and can report to the induction center but choose not to. They are offenders.”

Lapid added that he also intends to submit a separate bill to revoke voting rights from prisoners: “I also intend to submit, alongside this, a law stating that prisoners will not be able to vote in Israel, as well as those who fail to report to the induction center.”

In response, the Shas party sharply attacked the Yesh Atid chairman, stating: “Yair Lapid, who hastened to clarify that he did not intend to revoke voting rights from Arabs but only from haredim, revealed his true face and the depth of his hatred toward Jews who observe Torah and mitzvot. According to Lapid, Jews who love the land, study Torah, and pray daily for the safety of IDF soldiers are worth less than Arabs, some of whom support Palestinian terror. Shameful and disgraceful.”

MK Meir Porush (United Torah Judaism) also responded harshly to Lapid’s remarks, saying: “Minister for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Chikli, you need not look abroad for battles against antisemites - Yair Lapid is right here in the Israeli parliament, with ideas that even antisemites abroad would not dare voice today. Will Lapid and Liberman’s next law be a ban on haredim driving on Israeli roads paved with state funds?”

Trump threatening sanctions on Israeli Judges over Netanyahu pardon

 

A senior Likud minister claimed that President Donald Trump may impose sanctions on Israeli judicial officials if they refuse to grant a pardon to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his ongoing criminal trial.

Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman made the explosive statement during an interview with i24 News on Sunday, suggesting that Trump could take unprecedented measures to ensure Netanyahu’s trial concludes without a conviction or plea deal.

“President Trump said [Netanyahu should be pardoned] in a very clear way, I think, and he expressed his opinion,” Silman said, referencing Trump’s seemingly off-the-cuff remark to President Isaac Herzog during his October address to the Knesset.

“And I think now, President Herzog needs to rise to the occasion and make a decision for the good of the security of Israel. And if President Herzog doesn’t know how to act for the benefit of Israel and for the nation, for brotherhood and unity, I think that, yes, President Trump may take additional steps and will be forced to intervene,” she continued.

Silman added that potential consequences imposed by Trump, should a pardon not be granted, “may include sanctions and other things on senior officials in the judicial system.”

On Sunday, Netanyahu’s attorneys sent a formal letter to Herzog requesting that he grant the prime minister a pardon. Notably, the request did not include any admission of guilt — which some legal experts say is required for a pardon to be granted, though the matter remains disputed.

In a video statement released the same day, Netanyahu told the public he had submitted the request for the good of the country, while reiterating that he is the victim of unfair prosecution by a weaponized justice system.

Herzog’s office acknowledged receipt of the letter and said it is currently reviewing the request.

Pope Leo XIV who represents the religion that murdered millions of Jews Doubles Down on a 2-State Solution

 Pope Leo XIV the representative of a bunch of murderers and rapists, doubled down Sunday insistence on a two-state solution to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, saying in his first airborne news conference that it was the “only solution” that could guarantee justice for both sides. 

No one pointed out to this moron that the word "Palestine" doesn't even appear once in the entire New Testament and that his own God lived and died in Israel.

Leo made the comments as he flew from Istanbul to Beirut for the second and final leg of his maiden voyage as pope. Though Leo has been fielding journalists’ questions at informal gatherings at his country house, the brief encounter marked his first news conference as pope and followed the tradition of his predecessors of using his trips to engage with the media. But it was limited to two questions from Turkish journalists.

The American pope was asked by a Turkish journalist about his private talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and whether they discussed the wars in Gaza and Ukraine.

Leo confirmed they had, and said that Turkey had an “important role to play” in both conflicts, noting that Erdogan’s government had already helped facilitate low-level negotiations between Russia and Ukraine to end the war.

Satmar Rebbe finally saw what we all See that Bochrim "Roam the Streets of Yerushlayim and do nothing"

 The Satmar Rebbe, Rabbi Aron Teitelbaum, shared his impressions from his recent visit to Israel during an address on Saturday night and expressed concern for the spiritual condition of American yeshiva students studying in Israel 

According to a report by Behadrei Haredim, the Rebbe described the young men he saw while staying in Jerusalem.

"When I was in Jerusalem, I would travel, sometimes I would travel at 9 in the morning, sometimes at 10 or 11, or later. I saw them with or without hats, with wet sidelocks. Walking around, not knowing what to do."  The Rebbe added: "I saw the lawlessness of the American boys who walk around in Jerusalem, they aren't ascending (spiritually), they are descending."

The Rebbe concluded by addressing the parents in the audience: "I want to tell the people here whose boys may be in the Land of Israel, but they are roaming the streets in the Land of Israel."

Netanyahu submits request to Pres. Herzog for pardon

 A short while ago, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu submitted a request for a pardon to President Isaac Herzog.

The request was submitted to the Legal Department of the Office of the President by the Prime Minister’s lawyer, Amit Hadad.

In his request, Netanyahu wrote: "In recent years, tensions and disputes have increased between parts of the people and between the various state authorities. I am aware that the proceedings in my case have become a focus of fierce debates and bear broad public and ethical responsibility, out of an understanding of the implications of all the events as a result, and despite my personal interest in conducting the trial and proving my innocence until I am fully acquitted, I believe that the public interest dictates otherwise."

"Out of a public responsibility as Prime Minister to try to bring about reconciliation between the parts of the people, I have no doubt that the end of the trial will help to reduce the intensity of the flames in the debate that has arisen around it," Netanyahu added.

In accordance with the guidelines and procedures, the request is currently being transferred to the Pardons Department in the Ministry of Justice which will gather the opinions of all the relevant authorities in the Ministry of Justice. Following this, their opinions will be transferred to the Legal Advisor in the Office of the President and her team to formulate an additional opinion for the President.

The Office of the President stated that Herzog "is aware that this is an extraordinary request which carries with it significant implications. After receiving all of the relevant opinions, the President will responsibly and sincerely consider the request."

The request consists of two documents: a detailed letter signed by the Prime Minister’s lawyer, and a letter signed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Given the importance of this extraordinary request and its implications, the documents are being released for publication.

Earlier this month, President Herzog received a signed official letter from US President Donald Trump, in which Trump called on Herzog to consider granting a pardon to Prime Minister Netanyahu.

"While I absolutely respect the independence of the Israeli Justice System, and its requirements, I believe that this 'case' against Bibi, who has fought alongside me for a long time, including against the very tough adversary of Israel, Iran, is a political, unjustified prosecution," Trump wrote.

Elizabeth Tsurkov who survived captivity in Iraq Continues to spew Hate on the State of Israel

 

A fierce argument broke out over the past day on X (formerly Twitter) between Elizabeth Tsurkov, who survived captivity in Iraq, and Israeli political pundit Amit Segal, after the former published a post criticizing Channel 12's coverage of the elimination of two suspicious individuals in the southern Gaza Strip.

Channel 12 reported the incident, writing: "The Air Force this morning eliminated two suspects in the southern Gaza Strip who crossed the yellow line, conducted suspicious activities on the ground, and approached troops." At the same time, Arab sources reported that the two individuals who were killed were children, aged 10 and 12.

Tsurkov, who was taken hostage by the Kta'ib Hezbollah terror group in Baghdad in March 2023 and released in September 2025, shared a translation of the wording of the report and wrote: "How Israeli Ch 12 reported on the killing of 10 and 12-year-old boys in Khan Younis today. Ch 12 is the most watched channel in Israel and represents the mainstream."

Amit Segal criticized Tsurkov: "What an extraordinary country Israel is, that it makes an effort to redeem from captivity even its greatest slanderers - captivity that has nothing to do with it and did not happen through any fault of its own. Even scum like Tsurkov don't deserve to rot in terrorist captivity."

Tsurkov responded: "If you consider an English translation of a Channel 12 headline as 'slandering' the country, maybe it's worth changing the coverage so it fits journalistic standards. And the State of Israel indeed worked for my release, and I thank those involved that they didn't listen to your public calls while I was still in captivity, not to."

Segal did not stand by and replied, "You are an obsessive person, and you hate our country. Instead of sitting silently and introspecting on the high price your stupid adventures cost the country over the years, you still dare to spit into the well with a handful of English tweets."

Tsurkov clarified: "I don't hate the country. I criticize its policies in many areas and express my appreciation for those in others. If you want to live under a rule where it's forbidden to express criticism, move to Gaza."

Segal gave his closing argument: "You don't hate the country, you're just in a years-long 'Tourette's episode' of slandering the country using the cheapest means of enemy propaganda, including the systematic belittling of October 7th, and the systematic magnification of the results of IDF activity. I will not go to Gaza because, unlike you, I do not tend to place responsibility for my actions on the state. But you are welcome to do so."

The Gerer Chusid from Bnei-Brak Who Became a Doctor and who Enlisted in the IDF on October 7

 

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Child of Family that went OTD 7 Years Ago Wanted a Bar Mitzvah

 That child Yehuda went to a Mamlachti Yeshivah since kindergarten, and yet he dreamed of having a Bar-Mitzvah! The family agreed! We don't give up any anyone! 

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Joe Rogen Thinks there are 500 Million Jews in the World!

 

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