העורך Editor

‘Oh, Just Something Interesting I Saw in Josephus the Other Day. No Special Reason…’

Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews — Book XIII (Containing the Interval of 82 Years. From the death of Judas Maccabeus to the Death of Queen Alexandra), end of chapter 13 [bolding added]:

5. [An. 91.] As to Alexander, his own people were seditious against him. For at a festival which was then celebrated, when he stood upon the altar, and was going to sacrifice, the nation rose upon him, and pelted him with citrons. [Which they then had in their hands, because] the law of the Jews required, that at the feast of tabernacles every one should have branches of the palm tree and citron tree: which thing we have elsewhere related. They also reviled him, as derived from a captive, and so unworthy of his dignity, and of sacrificing. At this he was in a rage, and slew of them about six thousand. He also built a partition wall of wood round the altar; and the temple; as far as that partition; within which it was only lawful for the priests to enter. And by this means he obstructed the multitude from coming at him. He also maintained foreigners of Pisidiæ and Cilicia. For as to the Syrians, he was at war with them, and so made no use of them. He also overcame the Arabians; such as the Moabites, and Gileadites, and made them bring tribute. Moreover he demolished Amathus: while Theodorus durst not fight with him. But as he had joined battel with Obedas, King of the Arabians, and fell into an ambush, in places that were rugged and difficult to be travelled over, he was thrown down into a deep valley, by the multitude of the camels, at Gadara, a village of Gilead, and hardly escaped with his life. From thence he fled to Jerusalem. Where, besides his other ill success, the nation insulted him, and he fought against them for six years, and slew no fewer than fifty thousand of them. And when he desired that they would desist from their ill will to him, they hated him so much the more, on account of what had already happened. And when he had asked them what he ought to do? They all cryed out, that “he ought to kill himself.” They also sent to Demetrius Eucerus, and desired him to make a league of mutual defence with them.

Disclaimer: Nothing in the above is intended in any seasonable, practical manner, of course.

Gentle Galus Jews Consider the Age-Old Question: When Do We Pack?

Excerpts from “WHILE WE STILL CAN” by Yael Zoldan:

On the rare occasions when my grandmother spoke of Europe before the war, I listened with the mounting dread of someone watching a horror movie. The tension was terrible. Underneath the singsong sound of her accented words, I could hear my own shallow breathing and feel the small hairs on my neck rising. Strains of eerie music were ramping up in my ears. My stomach clenched and twisted. My heart beat madly in my chest. I needed her to go on, and I wished that she would stop.

Because I knew the ending. The shattered glass, the cattle cars, Arbeit Macht Frei on the twisted metal gates. I knew what she didn’t know then, and it terrified me.

I wanted to go back in time to help her. I wanted to shake her. I wanted to shock her, to shock all of them out of their complacency. I wanted to scream, Don’t stay in Europe! Don’t you know what’s going to happen?! Get out while you can!

…

These days, in a different America, I look around at libraries and parks, peaceful places that have been turned into sites of mass protests by raging, screaming, hate-filled people. I don’t know these people. But they seem to know me. They know me and they hate me. They hate you, too.

These are college students. Professors. Deans and businessmen. Newscasters, reporters, senators. I look at these people, the best and the brightest our country has to offer, and I can’t decide if they’re crazy. Or if we are.

Just yesterday — or last week? Last month? — these normal-looking people stood before us in line at the store, exchanging murmured “Good mornings,” commenting on the weather and the price of milk. Today they gather in seething masses, protesting our right to be alive. Such an old hatred on their bright young faces, twisting their features into diabolical masks.

“Kill the Jews!” they chant. “Gas the Jews!” Their eyes shine with the seductive hatred that is ancient and knows no reason. “Hitler should have finished you off!” they shout hoarsely.

…

(Originally featured in Family First, Issue 868)

Read the rest on Mishpacha here…

Ever heard the expression “Time to wake up and face the music”?

Hilarious & Inspirational Story on the Effort To Do a Mitzva

Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Friedman in Noam Siach tells a story that his brother-in-law Rabbi Sender Blau related to him (as conveyed by Rabbi David Ashear of “Living Emunah”):

 

Rabbi Blau himself heard about an individual who was going through very difficult struggles and was suffering terribly. Rabbi Blau didn’t know the man so well but really wanted to help him. He thought to himself, “If I randomly call him, it probably wouldn’t work, but perhaps if I write him a letter it would.” Hashem blessed Rabbi Blau with a gift of being able to write very well and so he sat down and wrote the most beautiful letter of chizuk in his own handwriting. He then took the letter to the printing shop to have it typed up and laid out in a nice way.

When the typesetter finished the letter and gave it back, Rabbi Blau read it and reread it again and then had second thoughts about giving it to that person. He was worried, since he didn’t know him so well, he may get offended by it. Maybe he didn’t want other people knowing so much about his problems. So he decided not to give it.

A few months later, Rabbi Blau attended a wedding and, suddenly, that man came over to him with tears in his eyes, telling Rabbi Blau he was envious of his share in Gan Eden. The Rabbi wasn’t sure what he was referring to. The man said, “You don’t know how much you did for me. This past year I have been going through such hard times and many people tried to give me chizuk, but nothing ever helped. For a short time I worked in a printing business and my job was to work on a computer as a typesetter, typing up other people’s work. One day a letter came in from you, Rabbi Blau, and I was given the job of typing it up. As I was typing it, I felt like every word was talking directly to me. Every challenge I was dealing with was referred to in that letter. The beautiful words ignited a new light of chizuk in me, they literally infused me with a sense of revival. I read it another couple of times and cried from it. I felt like it was a letter given to me straight from Hashem. I printed a copy for myself and I read it all the time. It made me a new person.”

Rabbi Blau wasn’t sure what to do. He wrote a beautiful letter but didn’t want to hurt this person’s feelings, but he had the best intentions. Hashem blessed his efforts. Amazingly, Hashem brought the letter to this person that Rabbi Blau wanted to give it to, without him going through the uncomfortable experience of actually giving it to him.

Rabbi Ashear ends off:

If we are l’shem Shamayim and we try our best, Hashem will bless our efforts.