"There is no anti-semitism in Iran, but we don't put mezuzzas on the door, and we don't fly to Israel" Says Iranian Rabbi

 

I was wondering why Ami Magazine would feature this Rabbi from Iran and give him the front cover. 

 Even a fool knows that this Rabbi cannot say what he really wants to say; if he did, the Iranian Mullas would learn with him the sugye of Mesactas Beitza, when he returns.

I remember well when I was only a young boy, Reb Yehuda Leib Levin the then Chief Rabbi of Moscow came to New York in 1968 and said on a radio interview the following about Jews living under Communist rule:

"all the restrictions on culture, work and similar matters were eliminated and the Jews have the same rights as other nationalities."

Charges of such anti-semitism, he said, stemmed from "bad tongues, evil tongues, those that engage in gossip" and were circulated by "false prophets" who sought "strained relations among the governments"

Of course, none of that was remotely true, but Chareidim saw him as a heroic figure who had managed to maintain some semblance of Jewish life, such as synagogue activities and matzoh baking in his officially atheistic country, and saw him as a tragic figure who had to say publicly what he with his deep religious convictions, did not really believe.

At least Reb Yuda Leib was a huge scholar a talmid chachim of note and who had learned in Slobodka, under R' Baruch Ber Leibowitz. And it's important to note that Communist Russia didn't vow publicly to wipe Israel off the map.

Rabbi Yehuda Gerami, Chief Rabbi of Iran,  in an interview with Ami Magazine says the following about Jews living in Iran

"Everyone is able to live openly as a Jew without any problems. They do not need to hide their Judaism. We have full freedom of religion. We are able to keep all of the mitzvot. The vast majority of Jewish Iranians keep kashrut, anti-semitism is the exception rather than the rule. We are able to walk through  the streets in our kippot."

And adds with a straight face:

"The observance of Shabbat has improved a lot in recent years. Today, baruch Hashem, most of the Jews in the country are Shomer Shabbat."

Without realizing he says nonchalantly:

"Most people don't have mezuzot on their front door, not because of anti-semitism but because of fear that they will be stolen. But inside the house there are mezuzot on every door."

Then he drops a bomb: 

"We also respect the law. It is illegal to travel to Israel, so we don't do it." I guess not if you want to continue breathing Iranian air.

Yitzchok Frankfurter the one who did the interview writes, thinking that his readers are a bunch of idiots...

"The picture Rabbi Gerami paints of Jewish life in Iran is quite a good one. In some ways, it echoes some of the challenges faced by many who live in "out of town" communities."

"it echoes out of town communities?" 

Is Yitzi  Frankfurter encouraging frum Jews to move to Iran? After all its a country where almost everyone "is shomar shabbat" "and you can walk the streets of Teheran with a kippa"

Now read what the "upgerissiner naar" Frankfurter says:

"I ask Rabbi Gerami if after the Islamic Revolution, when the entire country became more religious, it became some what easier for Jews to be religious as well."

We all knew that Frankfurter is not the sharpest blade in the drawer but now I question if he has all his marbles . 

Before the revolution, the Shah was in power, Iran was basically a free country like any other Western European country, so now he asks the good rabbi from Iran if Jews have it easier with Koumani in power?  How is this guy an editor? 

Now let's go back to my opening sentence:

 Why would Ami Magazine feature this Iranian stooge and give him the front cover? 

Iran told this Gerami guy, leave your wife and children here and  go to the USA and portray the Iranian murderers in a good light, so the world would be fooled into thinking that Iran loves Jews! 

Iran the country that vowed to wipe Gerami's brothers and sisters living in Israel, off the map, and who are developing nuclear weapons to do just that, ordered this "chuchim" to spread the lies and propaganda, to make the Mullas look civilized.

Ami Magazine with its naive and foolish editor "Yitzy the Frank" is helped him with this charade.

Any Jewish blood that will G-d forbid be spilled because of this dirty and dangerous scheme will be  on the head of this fool, Yitzy Frankfurter. 

Why Artscroll Stopped Translating Nefesh Hachyim Why Judaica Press Translation of Nefesh Hachyim is "totally distorted"

from the "seforim Blog"

by Avinoam Fraenkel

*** Fraenkel’s new book, Shomer Emunim: The Introduction to Kabbalah (Urim Publications, 2021), is a full facing page translation and expansive commentary on Shomer Emunim by R. Yosef Ergas, together with an extensive Kabbalah Overview systematically explaining key concepts of Lurianic Kabbalah in the context of a revolutionary framework of scientific understanding (see here).

His previous two-volume Nefesh HaTzimtzum (Urim Publications, 2015), is a full facing page translation and expansive commentary on Nefesh HaChaim together with all related writings by R. Chaim Volozhin, and a broad study on the Kabbalistic concept of Tzimtzum

Before publishing Nefesh HaTzimtzum and Shomer Emunim, I sought the feedback and approbation of several scholarly Kabbalists of note. Most were warmly encouraging and actively supportive. However, I encountered some who vigorously opposed any form of translation of Kabbalistic texts from their original Hebrew/Aramaic and who fundamentally challenged my objectives in the strongest terms.

When subsequently approaching potential publishers, I discovered that this vocal group exerts substantial influence over various Jewish publishers serving the ultra-orthodox community. In 1996, Artscroll/Mesorah Publications was halfway into a Nefesh HaChaim translation project, when the project was suddenly shelved following the intervention of a respected Kabbalist.[2] I understand from an authoritative senior source at Artscroll, that the project was stopped as they were fearful that continuing would jeopardize their multimillion-dollar Talmud business. As a result, to this day, they do not publish serious Kabbalah works in English. For example, their publication of an English translation of Nachmanides/Ramban’s commentary on the Torah, while keeping the original Hebrew intact, omits the translation of all the many Kabbalistic comments (which I understand were translated but omitted on publication). Feldheim Publishers, who act as a distribution channel for several Jewish book publishers, also refused to distribute English Kabbalah works.[3]

Then we have Judaica Press who published what they claim is a translation of Nefesh HaChaim, where in the translator’s introduction it states “Please note: The sections of Nefesh HaChaim dealing with Kabbalistic subjects have been omitted, as the subject matter is not suitable for translation.”[4] Given that Nefesh HaChaim is a Kabbalistic work with its primary messages expressed in Kabbalistic language, it is beyond comprehension how Judaica Press can consider their publication to be anything other than a radical distortion of the original work. Not only is the English translation severely expurgated and summarized, without any hint given to its reader either in its Hebrew or English sections, the original Hebrew text published at the back of the book has also undergone a drastic act of editing. It entirely omits R. Chaim Volozhin’s fifty-two notes, many of which are lengthy and Kabbalistic, amounting to a major part of the original Hebrew text, that were written and published as an integral part of Nefesh HaChaim.[5]

"Kids Speak" Author Chaim Walder Has "Women Speak" Alleging that He raped them

 Ultra-Orthodox Israeli author Chaim Walder allegedly engaged in sex with minors, two girls aged 12 and 15, according to an investigation published in Haaretz on Friday morning.

Additionally, a third testimony alleged that Walder regularly raped a 20-year-old woman, his therapy patient, on a regular basis.

Walder is a well-known author publishing literature for children and young adults in the Ultra-Orthodox world, with his series Kids Speak (in Hebrew - Yeladim Mesaprim Al Atzmam) selling over two million copies of his books in ultra-Orthodox communities across Israel and the Diaspora. The first book in the series became one of the top five best-selling books in Israel of all time.

In the testimony shared with Haaretz, Talia (not her real name) recounted the first time she met Walder, at the age of 12, more than 20 years ago. 

"There's No Place in the World Where a Person Can Get a Yeshuah like Sighet" says Satmar Rebbe

 

In this week's Ami Magazine, Issue 542, Yitzchok Frankfurter interviews Rabbi Usher Horowitz, the one who was instrumental in arranging both the building of the new Sighter Bais Medresh in Sighet and the Satmarerer Rebbe's trip to Romania to inaugurate the new Bais Medrish.

R' Usher Horowitz describes in this interview how he managed to buy the properties in Sighet and the difficulties getting to Sighet:

"The thing is that Sighet is very out of the way from anywhere else important to frum Yidden, and the journey isn't easy either. It happens to be quite close geographically to Munkatch, but it's in a different country, which means a very inconvenient border crossing.

But the Rebbe didn't want just want to build something anywhere in town. He said it's only worth it if we can build in the place where the Kedusha always was."

" The closest airport that's currently open for commercial travel is in Cluj (Klausenburg) which is a three-and-a-half hour ride away by car and requires a stopover in Frankfort from New York. "

Did you read this? 

He wanted to build "in the place where the Kedusha always was."

If this place is the only place where "kedusha always was", why is it that R' Yoel Teitelbaum left Sighet to go to Krula eventually settling in Sata-Mara? 

R' Usher Horowitz continues:

"All of the Sigheter sefarim say that when one goes to a place where ancestors davened, even if they're no longer alive, the tefillos ascend immediately to shamayim. This was the strongest point for him (the Satmarer Rebbe) we have to be able to daven in that place. The Rebbe believes that there's no place in the world where a person can get a yeshuah like Sighet." 

Notice that he says that the premise that one should go to a place "where ancestors davened, even if they're no longer alive, the tefillos ascend immediately to shamayim" is written in "all of the Sigheter sefarim" ... 

Why is this idea found only in "Sigheter sefarim?" Why wouldn't this great secret be found in any other Chassidishe sefer?

So let's understand this ..."The Rebbe believes  that there's no place in the world where a person can get a yeshuah like Sighet." 

How about a Chabad guy? Will he only get a Yeshuah if he travels to Maramorsh Sighet? Is this Chabad guy wasting his time at the Ohel in Queens?

What about the tens of thousands that make the annual pilgrimage to Uman? Should they start making the treacherous journey to Sighet?

" no place in the world where a person can get a yeshuah like Sighet." 

I think based on this idea, Kalev ben Yefuna , one of the meraglim made a huge mistake travelling to the Mearas Ha'Machpeilah, to be mispallel, he should have gone to Sighet, he would have been successful!

All the Jews that were chased out of Israel and stopped at Kever Rachel to cry and daven,  "Rachel mevakah al ba'neighu" should have gone to Marmerosh.

"the tefillos ascend immediately to shamayim" this statement is actually blasphemous, this statement is a takeoff from last week's parsha where Yaakov said when he woke up at the place where the Bais Hamikdash would stand

"מה נורא המקום הזה אין זה כי אם בית אלוקים וזה שער השמים"

Listen R' Usher ....

Hashem doesn't want any Jews to go to Sighet and daven. Eli Weisel was a native "Sigheter" open his book  read his description of how the Sigheter goyim helped Nazis lead the Sigheter Jews out to their slaughter, and burnt down the Sigheter shul, read how the "friendly" Sigheter neighbors  (words straight out of R' Usher's naive lips) couldn't wait to  pave over the area to build a soccer field.

In this 4 page interview, Eretz Yisrael, is not mentioned once. Not once.

Poiskim question whether making a blessing, a bracha, is a Biblical obligation or a Rabbinic obligation. The one bracha that comes the closest to be a Biblical obligation is "birchas ha'Torah" the bracha that one makes before davening or learning. But that isn't so simple as there are Rishonim that argue and say that this bracha is Rabbinic" 

There is one solitary bracha where there is not any dispute and all agree that it is Biblical.

The blessing of Birchas Ha'mozon 

הזן את הכל , which thanks Hasem for the miraculous Manna in the desert

and the second bracha

ואכלת ושבעת, וברכת את ה' אלוקך על הארץ הטובה אשר נתן לך ברוך אתה ה' על הארץ ועל המזון

this blessing goes for food in general and for giving us Eretz Yisrael

So What does food have to do with Eretz Yisrael?

Meforshim point out that in the bracha, הארץ is mentioned before המזון, and that is because any substance that you get is only in the merit  of Eretz Yisrael

In fact Chazal say if someone bentched and left out the words 

ארץ חמדה טובה ורחבה

he must repeat the entire bentching.

Can it be that when Sigheters bentch they have in mind soil of the cursed Sighet, the soil soaked in Jewish blood? Do you really think after reading this interview that Satmar Chassidim really thank Hashem for Eretz Yisrael? Or are they thanking the "Samach Mem" that made it possible for them to buy the cursed Sigheter properties to build a shul where goyim hate them and can't stand looking at a Jew? After all they think that Sighet "is their homeland."

500 National Guard troops will be on stand-by in Wisconsin for Rittenhouse verdict as police forces across America brace for acquittal

 

500 National Guard troops have been put on standby in Wisconsin in anticipation of a verdict in the case of Kenosha shooter Kyle Rittenhouse. 

Governor Tony Evers announced that the guardsmen will be stationed outside Kenosha, ready to support local police in the event of unrest over the weekend and next week. 

'We continue to be in close contact with our partners at the local level to ensure the state provides support and resources to help keep the Kenosha community and greater area safe. 

'The Kenosha community has been strong, resilient, and has come together through incredibly difficult times these past two years, and that healing is still ongoing.

'I urge folks who are otherwise not from the area to please respect the community by reconsidering any plans to travel there and encourage those who might choose to assemble and exercise their First Amendment rights to do so safely and peacefully,' he said. 

Closing arguments begin on Monday and the likelihood of an acquittal or mistrial is growing by the day.  

Danny Fenster from Detroit Sentenced by Myanmar Military Court to 11 years in prison

 

A military court in Myanmar has sentenced Jewish American journalist Danny Fenster to 11 years in prison, CNN reported.

Fenster, 37, has been detained in the country since the end of May when the Detroit, Michigan native, on his way home to see family and friends, was taken into custody at the Yangon International Airport shortly before boarding a flight to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

At the hearing on Friday, Fenster’s lawyer Than Zaw Aung said the journalist was found guilty of visa breaches, associating with an illegal group and incitement under section 505a of the Myanmar penal code – publishing comments that “cause fear” or spread “false news.”

He was also fined the equivalent of $50 USD.

Turkey Charging Israeli couple with espionage

 A Turkish court on Friday decided to extend by 20 days the remand of Mordy and Natali Oknin, the Israeli couple detained for photographing the palace of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, until the start of their trial.

This is contradictory to earlier reports that a deportation order would be issued, and that the couple will be flown to Israel immediately afterwards.

According to reports in Israel, the couple is suspected of espionage. Channel 12 News reported that during Friday’s hearing, a representative of the Turkish prosecutor's office claimed that the couple photographed not only Erdogan's palace and private home, but also the security positions and cameras.

The prosecution claimed that the two marked the photos, highlighted them and sent them to a third party, and as such they intend to file an indictment against them for espionage.

A local lawyer representing the Israelis claimed that the couple took pictures for their family because they did not know that it was forbidden to take pictures.

The Turkish lawyer is expected to appeal the decision to keep the Oknins in custody. He told Kan 11 News that the couple is in good condition and added that the Israeli Foreign Ministry and diplomats stationed in Turkey must intervene because this is an issue that is also related to relations between the two countries.

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid spoke on Friday evening with the families of the Oknins and informed them that the Foreign Ministry had requested an urgent consular visit to the couple, and is working to release them at all levels.

The Foreign Minister stressed that the couple "do not work for any Israeli agency."

Zera Shimshon Parshas Vayeitzei

 

Pervert who offered to buy chocolate to little girl if she touched him arrested

Song of Rosh Hashana