55 Years Later, IDF Temple Mount Liberator Returns to the Hallowed Grounds, Settles Historic Dispute By David Israel and Ben Gvir ‘Rebukes’ Lapid for Setting the Middle East on Fire with Damascus Gate Visit By David Israel -and What's My Line? - Jack Benny (Feb 8, 1953) and Dozens of Rabbis ascend Temple Mount
Yehuda Lave is an author, journalist, psychologist, rabbi, spiritual teacher, and coach, with degrees in business, psychology and Jewish Law. He works with people from all walks of life and helps them in their search for greater happiness, meaning, business advice on saving money, and spiritual engagement.
Many rabbis visit holiest site in Judaism for Rosh Chodesh Nissan.
Dozens of rabbis and heads of yeshivas ascended the Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism, on Sunday for Rosh Chodesh Nisan. The rabbis ascended the mountain led by Temple Institute founder Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, Rosh Yeshiva of Shadmot Mehola Rabbi Shlomo Rosenfeld and Rabbi Eliezer Shankolevsky from Beit Shemesh.
Rabbi Israel Ariel opened the ascent with the words of Torah, Halacha and Aggadah, on the importance of ascending the Temple Mount properly. The rabbi congratulated the organized ascension and said that "when fifty rabbis ascend the Temple Mount, it is a stamp of approval that is likened to the approval of the chief rabbinate for ascension."
The rabbis carried the Torah throughout the ascent to the Temple Mount along with prayers for peace with Israel, combining Psalms and the Kaddish prayer as is customary there. The rabbis noted in praise the positive changes on the Temple Mount in that the police had allowed them to ascend the Temple Mount for the seventh year in a row. They thanked the commanders and especially the district commander Doron Turgeman.
Among the rabbis were Rabbi Baruch Kahana, Rabbi Yitzchak Brand, Rabbi Yitzchak Levy, Rabbi Danny Kitov, Rabbi Azaria Ariel, Rabbi Avraham Blass, Rabbi Doron Ladvin and Rabbi Yitzchak Yavetz.
The Three Musketeers at the Kotel
The Three are Rabbi Yehuda Glick, famous temple mount activist, and former Israel Mk, and then Robert Weinger, the world's greatest shofar blower and seller of Shofars, and myself after we had gone to the 12 gates of the Temple Mount in 2020 to blow the shofar to ask G-d to heal the world from the Pandemic. It was a highlight to my experience in living in Israel and I put it on my blog each day to remember.
The articles that I include each day are those that I find interesting, so I feel you will find them interesting as well. I don't always agree with all the points of each article but found them interesting or important to share with you, my readers, and friends. It is cathartic for me to share my thoughts and frustrations with you about life in general and in Israel. As a Rabbi, I try to teach and share the Torah of the G-d of Israel as a modern Orthodox Rabbi. I never intend to offend anyone but sometimes people are offended and I apologize in advance for any mistakes. The most important psychological principle I have learned is that once someone's mind is made up, they don't want to be bothered with the facts, so, like Rabbi Akiva, I drip water (Torah is compared to water) on their made-up minds and hope that some of what I have share sinks in. Love Rabbi Yehuda Lave.
Ben Gvir 'Rebukes' Lapid for Setting the Middle East on Fire with Damascus Gate Visit By David Israel
Photo Credit: Arie Leib Abrams/Flash90
Foreign Minister and Alternate Prime Minister Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid), Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai, and Head of Jerusalem Police District Doron Turgeman visited the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City, April 3, 2022.
On Sunday night, the second night of the dreaded holy month of Ramadan, a few young Arabs began to attack police officers brutally at Damascus Gate, throwing objects at them and trying to hit them in every conceivable way. A Border Police force and additional police officers managed to take control of the rioters and arrested 10 of them who were taken for questioning at the local precinct on suspicion of assaulting police officers (Another Ramadan Riot at Jerusalem's Damascus Gate, 10 Arrested).
But there was a kind of comic side to these terrible events, with MK Itamar Ben Gvir providing the clever punch line. So first, some inevitable exposition.
Earlier on Sunday, Foreign Minister and Alternate Prime Minister Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) visited the Jerusalem Police command center and toured Damascus Gate with Police Commissioner Yaakov Shabtai, Economy Minister Orna Barbivai (Yesh Atid), and other dignitaries.
Lapid referred to the security alert a few days before Seder night––which marks 20 years since the 2002 Seder night massacre in Netanya––and noted that this year all three Abrahamic religions are celebrating at the same time (Easter, remember?). So, there's bound to be friction, and Lapid reassured his guests on the tour that some 8,000 additional police officers would be patrolling the country during the Passover holiday. "This is a difficult and tense time, but we have a police force that can be trusted," Lapid remarked.
Routine stuff, right? Well, someone over at the Palestinian Authority was offended (they're very good at that). An official statement from the PA called the Lapid visit to eastern Jerusalem a "provocative invasion," and then went ahead to condemn the Minister's promise that additional police forces would be posted to prevent violence during Passover.
According to the PA, this was "incitement against the Palestinians," blaming them in advance for riots they hadn't carried out yet. "This is an apartheid regime in full swing," the PA statement declared. "They act as if there are only Jewish holidays and protection should be provided only to Jews during those holidays, while completely ignoring the existence of Muslim and Christian holidays."
Of course, it's horse pucky, of course, Israel Police is just as vigilant in protecting Muslims and Christians – in fact, when it comes to Muslim holiday events it's even more alert and present than on other occasions because when a few thousand fervent Arab get together, sparks fly. So the PA managed to "gotcha" the FM. But then came the glorious punch line I promised you.
Ben Gvir tweeted, with three laughing emojis: "Yair Lapid, don't set the Middle East on fire, Jews must not be killed because of you!!!"
OK, some context: on February 14, during a Yesh Atid faction meeting, following the Arab riots in the Shimon HaTzadik (a.k.a. Sheikh Jarrah) neighborhood, Lapid blamed it all on Ben Gvir: "Ben Gvir is not in Sheikh Jarrah to protect the residents, but to set the region on fire. Just as he has done in the past."
Now the foo was on the other shoot, and Ben Gvir took full advantage of the situation, lecturing the hapless FM and anyone else who cared to read: "Do you remember that Lapid shouted that I was igniting the Middle East?"
The most visible politician in Israel then explained the simple math of confronting bullies: "I set up a bureau in Shimon HaTzaddik, now there's quiet. I ascended the Temple Mount and it went peacefully. He 'toured' the Damascus Gate – and there were riots all night. The issue is simple: he who shows determination and courage, the rioters respects. He who shows weakness – they ram into him."
I said it before and I'll say it again, once this government is toppled and a strong, right-wing coalition government is established, I want Ben Gvir to be Israel's next Internal Security Minister. He'll do a fantastic job and there will be quiet in the land.
Shimon Yitzchak - The First Jewish soldier on the Mount
55 Years Later, IDF Temple Mount Liberator Returns to the Hallowed Grounds, Settles Historic Dispute
photo Credit: Courtesy of Beyedanu - for the Temple Mount
Shimon Yitzhak who served in the Jerusalem Brigade in June 1967, back on the Temple Mount, March 31, 2022.
Shimon Yitzhak (Schitz) who served in the Jerusalem Brigade in June 1967, and who, according to recent studies, was the first IDF soldier to enter the Temple Mount compound during the Six-Day War, last week ascended the mountain for the first time in 55 years. He was accompanied by guides from the Beyadenu group, which is named after the immortal words of Mordechai "Motta" Gur: Har HaBayit BeYadeinu (The Temple Mount is in our hands).
Here's the thing, though: for decades, the veterans of the Jerusalem Brigade have complained that they were jilted by Motta Gur, who commanded the Paratroopers Brigade. They argued that they had a much better knowledge of Jerusalem and had they not been skipped in favor of the paratroopers, fewer soldiers would have died. Now the group that named itself after the unforgettable battle cry of the legendary paratrooper, Gur, is giving the credit to the guy from the other brigade.
During the visit, Yitzhak told his side of the story: "At one point of that day, I don't remember exactly when, I was running to the Kotel and I missed a small doorway that led down to the Western Wall. This was a narrow alleyway with a door and stairs, and what I saw in front of me was the open Mughrabi Gate. I ran and went in, I passed the Mughrabi Gate, I was on the Temple Mount.
"There was no living soul around. First thing, I ran to the Dome of the Rock. I made a mistake and entered both the dome and the cave under the Foundation Stone, and I was all alone. Without a single living soul, didn't see any Arab, didn't see anyone. I ran back, paused to look at Al-Aqsa, and went down to the Kotel which was already full of soldiers."
Yitzhak also noted that for many years he thought that the paratroopers' brigade had broken into the Temple Mount before him, but in recent years, following new photographs, he realized that he had probably been one of the first to enter the Temple Mount, if not the first: "There's a picture of three guys that ran off to take pictures, to show the battles in Jerusalem, and they took pictures of the soldiers by the Kotel. On the 50th anniversary, the photographer took the pictures out of the attic and gave them to a close relative to reveal the identity of the soldiers photographed. We see clearly that they were not paratroopers, but rather belonged to Company B in the 163rd Battalion of the Jerusalem Brigade, and this was posted on Facebook."
What's My Line? - Jack Benny (Feb 8, 1953)
MYSTERY GUEST: Jack Benny PANEL: Dorothy Kilgallen, Steve Allen, Arlene Francis, Hal Block
See you tomorrow bli neder
We need Moshiach now!
Finish your Passover shopping soon as it is coming up Week from Friday.
