Greetings from the Land of Israel and welcome to this week's Torah study from Parashah Toldot (Generations). Here, through God's word, we come to the very source of the current conflict in the Middle East today - the animosity between the two sons of Isaac - Jacob (Yaacov) and Esau (Esav). This is what the Lord says to 'Adom' (meaning 'red', the nickname for Esau and his war-like descendants).
This 'ancient hatred' continues to rear its ugly head, as witnessed in the brutal massacre of 3 rabbis and 1 worshiper in a synagogue in Har Nof, Jerusalem last Tuesday (a Druze police officer who responded to the terrorist attack died from his wounds a few hours later). 26 Israeli children buried their fathers this week.
Israeli boys bury their fathers, murdered by terrorists in Jerusalem synagogue (from Israel Today)
Here is a report that my Orthodox Jewish sister in Canada just sent to me that may give fervency & direction to your prayers: (kedoshim means 'holy ones', daven means to pray, neshama means soul,refuah shleimah means complete healing, tehillim means psalms)
Here are the names of the kedoshim murdered in Har Nof – daven for their neshamahs and for their surviving family members:
Rabbi Avraham Shmuel Goldberg z”l
Rabbi Aryeh Kupinsky z”l
Rabbi Kalman Ze'ev Levine z”l
Rabbi Moshe Twersky, z”l
First Sgt. Zidan Nahad Seif, z”l
Here are the names of the wounded in Har Nof – daven for their refuah shleimah:
Eytan ben Sara
Moshe ben Atara
Aryeh ben Bracha
Chaim Yechiel ben Malka
Shmuel Yeruchem ben Baila
Yitzchak ben Chaya
An Article by Tziporah Heller, whose son-in-law was wounded in the Har Nof Attack
Dear friends, Yesterday at about 7am my daughter Miri called: “Mordechai just came home from shul. He said that Arabs came in and are shooting, and that a man with an axe is hitting everyone. Some of the people threw chairs at them, but it didn’t help.”
The twelve year old had hit the floor along with everyone else when the bullets began to fly. He was fully aware of what was going on, and what it meant. He somehow found the courage to let go of his father’s hand, crawl towards the exit and break into a run.
Some of you know Miri and her family. She has had some of you over for Shabbos and holidays, and others sleeping in one of her kid’s bedrooms when the crowd at my house gets too big to accommodate sanely.
Mordechai is blonde, freckled, and a soft spoken somewhat introverted and studious boy, much like his father, Shmuli. He is not Huck Finn, and the courage he found at those moments was a gift straight from G-d.
By the time he finished telling Miri what happened, sirens from Hatzalah ambulances, police cars, and Magen David could be heard telling her that there were casualties. “Where’s Shmuli?” was the thought that entered her mind again and again as the seconds which felt like hours began to tick. She called me and said, “Say Tehillim. There is shooting in Bnei Torah.”
I began to say the ancient prayers, stopped myself and called Rabbi Weidan, and told him what was happening. I then began the Tehillim again, knocked on my neighbor’s door and told her to do the same.
Chani called and told me to look at the news to see what was really happening. Nothing was reported as yet. Of course not. It was only 7:10.
I realized that whether or not the attack was over, no one as yet knew whether the murderers had escaped. I called again, asking that everything be done to see that no one leaves the campus, and then called Miri.
Thank G-d she had the sense to stay indoors and not run to the besieged synagogue. When Mordechai came home, the shooting was still happening.
By 7:20 we both realized that if she didn’t hear from Shmuli, something was very wrong. The police and other services had no information as yet to give to the public, but a family friend, who had seen the terror with his own eyes, said that Shmuli had been taken to Hadassah Hospital at Ein Kerem.
When Mordechai let go of his hand, he instinctively ran after the child, placing himself in the sight of the terrorists. One of them attacked him with his cleaver, hitting him on the left side of his head, his back and his arm. Somehow he made it to the door.
Josh White, a student of Machon Shlomo, was riding down Agassi Street on his bike. He noticed what he described later as “a lot of confusion” in front of Bnei Torah, asked someone what was going on, and surprisingly (for Har Nof) the man answered him in Hebrew! In the midst of what to him was gibberish, he picked up the word Aravim (Arabs) and immediately grasped what was happening.
He approached the shul and saw Shmuli, who was still conscious. The Machon student took of his shirt and stopped the bleeding, a move which may have saved Shmuli’s life. The shooting was still happening inside. It was about 7:15.
The emergency crew drew back, but because Shmuli was already outside, they evacuated him, thus making him the first of the wounded to be taken to Hadassah, another factor in his survival.
Inside, the terrorists were continuing their “work”. When they entered they turned to their left, and immediately cut down Rabbi Twersky and Rav Kalman Levine who were standing in the corner. Reb Kalman was the husband of Chaya, formally Markowitz, who was a student and later a madrichah at Neve.
Her husband was not a regular attendee of Bnei Torah. He would generally daven in the earliest possible minyan so he could get in a couple of hours of learning before beginning his day. Yesterday he had a question about something he had learned and had gone after davening to Bnei Torah to put the question to its erudite rav, Rabbi Rubin. The question will now only be resolved in the Heavenly Acadamy.
Rev Avraham Goldberg, the third man to be killed, is Breina Goldberg’s husband. Many of you know Breina as the warm caring efficient secretary cum mother figure at the front desk in the afternoon. I don’t as yet know how her husband, or Reb Aryeh Kupinski, the fourth victim, met their deaths. The only thing that I know is that it was brutal and swift.
The first policemen to enter were traffic cops who knew what they were facing, and also knew that they were not wearing protective gear. They entered anyway and together with the forces that came afterwards ended the bloodbath. By 7:30 the murderers were apprehended.
Miri, my daughter Guli, and her husband were in Hadassah. Miri’s other kids were watched by relatives and friends for the day. Mordechai was urged to speak about what he saw again and again in order to diminish the damage of the trauma he had undergone. The rest of the family flowed in, saying Tehillim and waiting for updates.
The hospital social worker, Aviva, who is blessed with the rare gift of being empathic without being overbearing, and the women of Ezer Mitzion (a volunteer organization), kept us well supplied with food, calming conversation and practical advice. We were allowed to see Shmuli, who was put under anesthesia. We don’t know if he heard us or not, but we were talking to him stressing that Mordechai was fine.
In the hours before the surgery was done, we found ourselves with Risa Rotman. Her husband, Chaim Yechiel ben Malka, was also attacked, and the extent of his wounds are very serious. Some of you may know Risa (who if I am not mistaken also is an OBG) and those of you whose husbands learned in Ohr Sameach or who recall Reb Meir Shuster, who he helped unstintingly for years, may know him as Howie.
The policeman who entered first, passed away. May Hashem avenge his blood. (Policeman Zedan Saif, who was shot in the head by one of the terrorists, died of his wounds hours later — the fifth victim.)
Every day in Eretz Yisrael is a gift and a miracle. I have no pretensions of knowing Hashem’s will, but I do know that everything He does is purposeful, and that His compassion is often hidden from the human eye.
Anyone who values human life and reality and the eternal nature of the soul is appalled by the idea of people entering a synagogue and killing people who they never met, randomly. Except for CNN. They reported the event as an attack on a mosque and reported that the Israeli police killed two Palestinians (they meant the murderers). The victims of Israeli brutality presumably were going on a stroll through scenic Har Nof when attacked by the racist troops….
Please post the truth to whomever you can reach.
Please, please continue saying Tehillim for Shmuel Yerucham ben Baila and the other victims. Daven that Hashem give strength to the five new widows and 24 new orphans. Most of all, thank Hashem that we are not Them, and treasure Hashem’s Torah and His Land.
Love always, Tziporah
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It is difficult for me to write these things to you, as I know it is for you to receive them. I know you weep with us as we weep. I am comforted to know that you stand with us on your knees.
I am so thankful for the outpouring of love, comfort, encouragement and support you have been sending to us in Israel. We are entering into troubled waters, but I want us to be strong and of good courage, for Adonai Eloheinu (the Lord our God) is 'with us' (Imman - El).
Although the nations are in an uproar and conspire against this tiny nation, God is for us therefore who may be against us. We can call upon His name and ask Him to rise up on our behalf against our enemies conspiring against us.
“O Elohim, do not remain silent! Do not be speechless, and do not be still, O El! For look, Your enemies make an uproar, and those hating You have lifted up their head.
They craftily plot against Your people, and conspire against Your treasured ones. They have said, ‘Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation, and let the name of Yisrael be remembered no more.’ For they have conspired together with one heart; They have made a covenant against You –
(Psalm 83:1-5)
O my Elohim, make them as whirling dust, as stubble before the wind!
As a fire consumes a forest, and as a flame sets mountains on fire,
So pursue them with Your whirlwind, and frighten them with Your storm.
Fill their faces with shame, and let them seek Your Name, O YHVH יהוה.
Let them be ashamed and alarmed forever; and let them become abashed and perish,
And let them know that You, Whose Name is YHVH יהוה , You alone are the Most High over all the earth.’” (Psalm 83:13-18)
The Lord is our light and our salvation - whom shall we fear?
This is from David Dolan's report (Israel Update): As the biblically prophesied “end of days” appears to be rapidly approaching, may our Gracious God literally bring us to our knees so that we will cry out to Him like never before! As we do so, let us remember that we are not to fear what people in the world can do to us, but to fear the Lord who created and redeemed us: “It is the Lord your God who you should regard as holy. And He shall be your fear. And He shall be your dread. Then He shall become a sanctuary (Isaiah 8:13).
It is also hard to hear lies being spread about what is really going on in Israel and to see that the truth is being withheld from the world through the distortions presented in much of the media. However, we know the source - our adversary is a liar and the father of lies.
Even though the whole world is being swept into this deception in order to gather the nations of the earth against Jerusalem in the end time battle which is prophesied to come, yet God has a faithful remnant on this earth who know the truth and stand faithfully on God's word.
I am honored and privileged to know you and call you 'chaverim' (friends). We stand together in this battle. May the God of Israel bless you and keep you....
Shabbat Shalom! Let us enter into His rest by committing all of our ways unto Him. "Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it." (Psalm 37:5) We sang this song at our recent ladies prayer meeting in our moshav (village). In Hebrew it is, "Gol al Adonai Darchecha" Gol means literally - 'Roll' your ways unto the Lord) So let us 'roll' all of our burdens onto the Lord, knowing that He cares for us.
May you be blessed, encouraged and inspired by this full Torah study (attached below) on the lives of Jacob and Esau through Parashah Toldot. The Word of God has so much to teach us and the Spirit of the living God always speaks to my heart is a very personal way through these studies. It is my joy to share these insights from a Hebraic perspective with you.
Note: for those who prefer to listen rather than read, they Torah commentaries are now going to be available as an audio recording on my you tube channel as well. Thanks Liat for your technical support! (Liat is turning 15 this week, praise Adonai).
or write to: Hannah Nesher, Voice for Israel, # 313-11215 Jasper Ave. Edmonton, Ab T5K 0L5 Canada (for address in Israel or direct deposit please contact us personally for details)
