Not Shaving on Sefirah has absolutely no basis in Halacha says Kabbalist!

Ramchal z"l 

The Mekubal Rebbi Moshe Dovid bar Shmuel Volli z"l,from Padua Italy, writes that growing a beard during sefirah has absolutely no basis in halacha and is actually a custom instituted by gentiles!

According to the Mekubal, the Shulchan Aruch only discusses haircuts ...but not facial hair!

This Mekubal  was a student of the Ramchal, who wrote numerous sefarim on Kaballah  and was also a physician!

It is  interesting to note and this will probably come to a shock to my readers. The Ramchal himself did not let his beard grow...some say that was because in those days in Italy the priests would grow their beards so the Rabbonim of Italy to look different than the gentile priests, cut their beards! 

 But There was an Italian kabbalistic tradition going back to R. Menachem Azariah of Fano to be beardless outside of Israel (this is a complex discussion; it became a major issue in the 19th and 20th century; in truth it seems that he wore a beard, but it was neatly trimmed).

 Below is Haham Raphael Meldola, who was rabbi of the Sephardic Jews of London. A native of Leghorn, he was ordained by the Chida and was clean shaven...

"האבלות בימי ספירת העומר, שלא להתגלח עד ל"ג בעומר והמחמירים עד לחג השבועות ממש, הוא מנהג שאין לו טעם ואין לו עיקר, והוא מחוקות הגויים" - כך כותב המקובל הרופא מפאדובה, רבי משה דוד בר שמואל וואלי.

בצילום מספרו שהגיע לידי 'בחדרי חרדים' נכתב כי העיקר הוא שלא לגלח את שערות הראש לפי שהם דינים, ואין לחתכם ולבטלם בימי הדין שהוא עת התפשטות הגבורות כידוע.

"אבל המנהג שלא לגלח את הזקן אינו נמשך כי אם מחוקות הגויים שנתערבו ביניהם, שאינם נוהגים לגדל את זקנם ואדרבא חרפה היא להם".

"ומזה נתפשט המנהג שלוקחים גידול הזקן לסימן של צער ושל צרה ושל אבלות, ואנחנו יודעים ששערות הזקן הם צנורות של חסד, לפי שהם מצד הפנים, והשערות של הראש הם צנורות של דין לפי שהם מצד האחור".

"אם כן התספורת שאסרו בגלל האבל בשלושים הם רק בשערות הראש לרמז שהם ימים של צער ודין והוא הדין בימי העומר ולא היתה כוונתם על תספורת הזקן לפי שכבר היו מגדלים אותו כל ימיהם כמו שראוי לעשות".

לסיום כותב המקובל: "ואף על פי כן כיון דדשו ביה רבים שלא לגלח את הזקן בימי העומר ובימי האבל יש להפיס את דעתם ולתת טעם שהוא אדרבא כדי להמתיק הדינים של גידול פרע שער ראשם בגידול שער זקנם שהוא הממתק את הדין".

הרמ"ד וואלי, תלמיד חבר לרמח"ל, שמלבד היותו מקובל עצום אשר חיבר ספרים רבים והותיר אחריו כתבים לאלפים, היה גם רופא.

בחיבוריו מתגלה עולם שלם מופלא, ולעיתים אף שונה תפיסתית מכל המוכר לנו. לרגל יום ההילולא שלו החל השבוע, אנו מביאים בפניכם קטע קטן - אקטואלי ומעניין עבור בחורי ישיבה, מתוך מדברי תורתו. וגם, תפיסתו העקרונית בעניין השמחה, המזכירה במעט את שיטת ברסלב אשר התגלתה דורות אחר כך, על ידי רבי נחמן זיע"א. 

Yom Ha'atzmaut 2016

Vital Statistics: Israel Has Grown from 806,000 to 8,522,000 Citizens in 68 Years

In 1948 Israel’s annual GDP (in 2015 rates) was $6.66 billion. Today we are happy to report things have become much better, with the GDP reaching $294 billion.

Yom Hazikaron

Son of a fallen IDF soldier hugs his fathers headstone

There is a famous story, told about Rav Shlomoh Zalman Auerbach Z”L. He was asked by some of his students if they could leave the Yeshiva to go pray at the graves of Tzadikim in Teveria. 

Rav Auerbach responded. “If you want to pray at the graves of the righteous, you need not go far. Down the block is the military cemetery on Mount Herzl. There, at any grave, you can pray to a Tzadik.” 

Those at rest are righteous because they are Kedoshim-separated. Separated from us physically. But, more importantly, spiritually. They have merited an Eternal Life of Good because of their sacrifices. The living must work diligently to attain that great spiritual level that will yield them their Rewards in the World To Come. The Kedoshim, however, have earned their rewards by virtue of lives cut short, their ultimate sacrifice. 

We should view the slain as holy souls, whose entire lives were refined and sanctified through their self-sacrifice for the people and Land of Israel. 

About such heroes our Sages, Chazal, say, “No one can dwell in the section of Gan Eden where those who were killed by the kingdom dwell” (Tractate Pesachim 50a). 

A nonbeliever thinks that they are dead in comparison with the living, but a believing Jew knows that they are more alive than all the rest. They died young in this world, but they are very alive in the everlasting world, the World to Come. They are much more alive than we are. They are holy, and our Sages say, “What is holy exists forever” (Tractate Sanhedrin 92a).

By giving their lives in sanctification of G-d’s Name, they rose above the personal existence of an individual Jew to the comprehensive level of the holiness of Klal Yisrael. 

By sacrificing their lives for Klal Yisrael, they were elevated to the stature of Klal Yisrael, and they are more connected to G-d, Hakadosh Baruch Hu, the source of life. Therefore, they added great light and blessing in both the World of Truth and this world when they died. Moreover, we live here today in their merit, and all of our accomplishments belong to them.

If we  observe Yom Hazikaron, we must underscore the soldiers’ self-sacrifice in sanctifying G-d’s Name. We must emphasize how they demonstrated to us that the prophecy of the ingathering of the exiles and the rebirth of the Jewish nation in its ancient Homeland is so great that it is worthwhile to give up one’s life in this world for its sake. This will strengthen us and inspire us to follow their lead.

The children we bear and raise exist in their merit; the settlements we establish flourish because of them; the Torah we learn is theirs; the ethical Jewish society we want to build here, as the prophets foretold, is theirs as well.

If we remember this, and exert a great deal of effort, we will be able to continue in their path, the path of self-sacrifice for Klal Yisrael. Then we will truly honor them, as holy and pure souls, illuminating and shining like the glow of the heavens.

This is also what we must say to the bereaved families in whose midst these holy warriors sprouted: 

Do not surrender to death; continue to live by their strength. 

Do not bow your heads; rather, stand up straight and tall in their honor. 

Lift your eyes beyond the ordinary horizon and look towards the vision of the redemption and the End of Days.

And even if there are tears in your eyes, let them be tears of grandeur.

Satmar Rebbe slams NYC investigation into Yeshivas secular education standards

Pray for us!

That’s the message a leading Hasidic rabbi gave to his thousands of followers in response to the city Education Department’s investigation into its schools failing to teach secular subjects as required by law.

“These are bad times for us Jews,” said Satmar leader Aaron Teitelbaum during a May 4 speech. “We need to pray to God that (city officials) should not interfere with the upbringing of our children.”

“Worthless ... snitches” in the community are urging the Education Department to take action “which the government doesn’t even want,” the rabbi said at a large synagogue in upstate Kiryas Joel.

“This speech is concerning in many ways,” said Naftuli Moster, who founded Young Advocates for Fair Education, a group advocating for yeshivas to meet secular standards required by state law.

“Most concerning is the apparent collusion between community leaders and the (department) which might explain why the city investigation stalled early on,” he added.

The Teitelbaum address was transcribed and distributed to followers living in different areas.

The Hasidic leader also says the city has long ignored the state law regarding secular education.

“To put it bluntly, they simply turned a blind eye to what was going on by the Jewish children,” Teitelbaum said. “They didn’t want to look.”

City authorities say the review is active.

“We take this matter very seriously,” said Education Department spokeswoman Toya Holness.

Monsey boy 19 dies ......

In the past two weeks, the Jewish Heimishe community has lost two great kids who overdosed....

One in the 5 Towns and one this morning in Monsey ...in the Forshay area... both from great families...

What are we going to do? How many still have to die?
The rabbis are busy only accepting the Elite boys in Yeshivah and fail to tend to these needy kids...

Communities must immediately start campaigns to make aware  to everyone .... that drugs kill!
We cannot keep this quiet any longer, it is hitting all families ..
Hashem Yerachim !

Gedolim in Israel afraid of "Satmar" hooligans so they are forced to back the protests against the arrest of the "Bar hopper"

I guess Satmar has power in Israel too. 
Remember what these barbarians did to Rav Moshe Feinstein z"l? Rav Moshe needed protection against the Satmar savages, when he traveled to Williamsburg. I remember when they poured glue into his locks on the lower East Side!

Remember what Satmar did to the Kloizenberger Rebbe z"l?  He had to escape into exile ..to New Jersey, hiding near the Lincoln Tunnel  to escape their barbarism ... and mind you, the Kloizenberger Rebbe was nephew of R' Yoel.
All this while the "Tzaddik Hador" was alive and well!

It's a shitah that is coupled with brutal violence, and therefore its a false representation of Torah and it's teachings!

Well it seems that there are Roshei Yeshivah in Israel that do not want to back the arrested shaygatz that followed the fanatic, Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach, that ruled that the bochrim shouldn't even register for the draft, but are afraid to speak out because they are frightened of Satmar repercussions! 

Here is a direct quote:

Well known Jerusalem figure Rabbi Yisrael Gillis commented on the incident, telling Kikar Shabbos News “I am afraid to speak out realizing there is Satmar and within an hour my house will be up in flames. They will burn down my home and I prefer to sit and remain silent. Realize there are prominent rabbonim and askanim known in the chareidi camp who are afraid to speak out for they live in the city, and therefore they remain silent”.

Anti-Zionist family that left Yerusalyim schnorring to stay in the US

Ha ha .... this is too funny for words ....

They call it "pidyan shevuim" a term usually associated with people rotting in jail....

So this family says that they  left the "Zionist Medinah" because of "pressure" and they are now looking for a generous benefactor to contribute to prepare their legal papers to remain in the States!

Hey! How about supporting me .... I'm already here!

"All of Israel is Ours" Tzipi Hotovely

On Thursday Tzipi Hotovely, Israel’s new deputy foreign minister, spoke defiantly to the international community saying that Israel does not owe any apologies for its policies citing Tanach and her belief that it belongs to the Jewish people.

Hotovely’s speech was an example of the influence of the right wing in Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s new government.

Hotovely, 36, is one of the young hawks in Netanyahu’s Likud party who support construction of Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria and opposes giving up land to the Palestinians. Netanyahu’s slim one-seat majority means that these lawmakers could complicate any attempt to revive peace talks.

Netanyahu also serves as the acting foreign minister, but Hotovely is currently the country’s top full-time diplomat.

Hotovely’s first speech to Israeli diplomats included her saying Israel has tried too hard to appease the world and must stand up for itself.

“We need to return to the basic truth of our rights to this country,” she said. “This land is ours. All of it is ours. We did not come here to apologise for that.”

Hotovely, an Orthodox Jew, spoke in English later and implied that she would try to rally support for Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria.

“We expect as a matter of principle of the international community to recognise Israel’s right to build homes for Jews in their homeland, everywhere,” she said.

Hotovely will be managing the ministry’s day-to-day functions, but Netanyahu will remain in charge of foreign policy.

Netanyahu angered western allies in the recent election campaign when he said he would not let there be a Palestinian state on his watch. He has since reneged on that statement, telling the visiting EU foreign policy chief that he remains committed to a two-state solution on Wednesday.

Netanyahu’s spokesman, Mark Regev, declined comment on Hotovely’s speech, but said Netanyahu’s statements Wednesday reflected his policy.

John Kerry tells grads to prepare for 'borderless world' Only Israel should have borders to 67'

That stupid nasty Kerry, remarked today to a bunch graduates that the "world is about to become borderless"

So why are you John Kerry insisting that Israel return to 67' borders? 

Why are you insisiting on a two state solution, if the world is borderless?

Only Israel must have borders?

Read on:

Kerry  seemed to dismiss the importance of national borders, and said technology has reshaped the world into one that the U.S. must engage at the risk of being left behind. He said Trump and others who want to look inward are making a mistake, even in the face of rising tension and violence in the world.

"For some people, that is all they need simply to climb under the sheets, close their eyes and push the world away," Kerry said. "And shockingly, we even see this attitude from some who think they ought to be entrusted with the job of managing international affairs."

"The future demands from us something more than a nostalgia for some rose-tinted version of the past that did not really exist in any case," he said. "You're about to graduate into a complex and borderless world."

Yeshivas in Israel empty ...Boys either in Eilat or busy protesting

The Holy Roshei Yeshivas are encouraging the talmidim that aren't vacationing in Eilat and bar hopping, to go out and protest against the draft!

So why are they protesting the draft, you ask?

Because the Roshei Yeshivah  are afraid that the bochrim will see things in the IDF that a frum boy shouldn't see .....

Ayeeeeee, the boys that are in Eilat, bain hazmanim,  see more over there in an hour, then they would see in the army in a year, means nothing ...

Ayeeeee, the cab driver reported that the boy arrested, said that the Bochur and 4 of his buddies wern't wearing their kippahs or their Tzizis, and were dressed in jeans, means absolute nothing. 

הג המונית אדריאן שהסיע את בחורי הישיבה מ'הפלג' באילת לזיגמן ב'קול ברמה': "הם היו 4 בחורים, לבושים כמו חילונים, בלי כיפה וציצית, חולצות שחורות עם כוכבים. מצאתי אותם מחוץ למועדון לילה".

I might add that there wasn't just the guy that was arrested in Eilat visiting the pubs, but hundreds of boys prowling the streets of Eilat in the very late hours....

That's how they were able to organize a protest with hundreds of bochrim in Eilat within minutes!

This also means that most of the bochrim had smartphones.

So why are the Roshei Yeshiva backing this boy and encouraging protests against the draft?

Because the Roshei Yeshivah know the truth .... and know the problem, .... and are now afraid that the Oilim Goilim, will finally smarten up and tell the Roshei Yeshiva ...to throw those bochrim whose Torah is not Umnoso, the hell out! 

and where would that leave them (the Roshei Yeshivah)?

So they, the Roshei yeshiva  hold "lo plug" and are acting as if this 'playboy' is a tzaddik ... and the protests must go on ....yehereg va'al yaavor"

The truth is that the heimishe oilim is fed up with this "torah haskafah" because it's not working for most bochrim, but the Roshei Yeshivah will not give in, because if they did, the Yeshivas would look like the picture above, with seats half empty!