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.
The Libel against the Jewish people by our own press and politicians called "Settler Violence"
There are many attempts to delegitimize Israel. There is the charge of "apartheid." And the charge that Israel has committed "genocide." And the charge that Israel is an "occupier." There needn't be truth to these and similar charges; they simply have to be repeated time and again to convince some people to believe them.
Now we see a new charge: "settler violence" and the failure of the Israeli government to deal with it.
This one is a bit different from the other charges, for the primary charge is not directed at all the Jews of Israel. It is directed at "settlers": those Israeli Jews who live in areas over the 1967 armistice line (which doesn't actually exist any longer) in Judea & Samaria. "Settler" – a perfectly honorable word – is being turned into an epithet.
Credit: Avraham Shapira
What we are being told is that within the population of "settlers" there are young men who act violently towards innocent Arabs. Sometimes that is all that is said. There may be a reference to a specific yeshuv (community or "settlement"). Or there may be a reference to "hilltop youth" in small "illegal outposts."
Credit: i24News
We're hearing a lot about it these days – from various elected officials and the Israeli media, and from sources outside of Israel, including – wouldn't you know – from the UN. "Settler violence," we are being told, is a growing and serious problem.
What I am finding as I research this is:
[] Failure to confirm that alleged attacks really happened as reported
[] Failure to put alleged attacks by "settlers" into context
[] Provocation – deliberate stirring up of a situation
[] Attempts to equate the severity of such alleged attacks by "settlers" with attacks on Jews by Palestinian Arabs
[] Attempts to convey the impression having Jews in Judea & Samaria is a problem – this feeds the push to make way for that "two-state solution"
[] Drawing on the alleged "settler" attacks in order to level either implicit or overt criticism against the government and/or the IDF (Civil Administration) for failing to confront them – a piece of what is going on as delegitimization of Israel increases
This posting provides an overview of the situation. Obviously, I cannot examine every instance of a "settler violence" accusation; that would require a book. But I want to begin with one recent accusation that addresses the matter of context.
In late December or early January, it made the news that students of the Homesh Yeshiva threw stones directly outside or within the perimeter of the neighboring Arab village of Burqa. I am having trouble finding news sources because they refer to "settlers" and not specifically Homesh students. In one report, windows in a new house were broken. I have seen no documentation of injury to the Arabs of Burqa by the students of Homesh – no concussions or eye injuries, etc.
Now, I am definitely not someone who endorses stone-throwing. And I recognize that I would be expected to condemn such acts by the yeshiva students of Homesh if indeed they committed them. But I feel the need here to consider the background situation. The yeshiva students of Homesh were grieving, having suffered the loss of one of their own, Yehuda Dimentman (below with his wife and son), in an unprovoked drive-by shooting. Grieving and likely enraged.
Courtesy Dimentman family
But there was not a hint of a suggestion that they were planning a retaliatory shooting of a local Arab, or a knifing. They may have thrown stones.
And so what should we be talking about: "settler violence" or how to stop the murderous attacks by Palestinian Arabs?
~~~~~~~~~~
According to the IDF, in 2021 (as reported in mid-December) Arabs carried out 6,633 attacks in Judea & Samaria: 61 shootings, 18 stabbings, 1,022 fire bombings, 5,532 rock-throwing attacks.
This comes to 18 attacks against Jews in Judea & Samaria per day!
Compared to 2020, the year 2021 showed a 38% increase in stone-throwing incidents, a 36% increase in Molotov cocktail attacks, and twice as many stabbings.
Over and over, my friends, in my postings I have made a point of noting the praiseworthy behavior of Jews in Judea & Samaria when coping with the murder of one of their own. They don't seek vengeance, they want to build in the memory of the person who was killed.
The Jews of Judea & Samaria are in the main dedicated to Zionist ideals. They are not perfect. Some small number might lash out in frustration on occasion. But they should be saluted for their courage in the face of terror and their commitment to their ideals, not vilified. But they are being vilified.
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TERRIBLE ANGEL JOKES OF THE WEEK
t was tax time in Chelm, and two of its leading citizens were having a discussion.
"I don't understand this business with taxes," said the first man. "Surely the Czar has enough money of his own. He even has his own royal mint, where he can make as many rubles as he likes. So why does he bother with my ruble?"
"Don't be silly," said the second. "Let me tell you a parable. It is said that every time a Jew performs a mitzvah, God creates an angel. So why not ask God why he needs one more angel in addition to the millions of angels he has already created? Can't God make as many angels as he likes? Of course he can! But why doesn't he? Because God prefers your angel.
"Well the same thing is true with taxes. Of course the Czar can make as many rubles as he likes. But you don't understand -- he prefers your ruble."
A community was asked about the qualities of their former rabbi. "He can be compared to Moses, King David, and even an angel," came the response.
The new community eagerly accepted the rabbi as their spiritual leader but quickly realized he was incapable of anything. They wrote a letter to the other community, complaining as to why they deceived them.
To which they received a reply, "We were not deceiving you. Just like Moses — this rabbi can't speak. He knows not a word of English — like King David. And just as an angel — a mentsh he is not."
What did the angel say when it went to heaven? well halo there!
Yankel did an extraordinary act of kindness and in repayment for that Hashem sent down an angel to give him his reward.
The angel tells him "Because you have lived a good and virtuous life, I can offer you a gift: you can be the most handsome man in the world, or you can have infinite wisdom, or you can have limitless wealth."
Reflecting for a minute Yankel says, "I'll take the wisdom"
"Wisdom is yours," says the angel, disappearing in another puff.
The smoke is barely clear before the Yankel then comes to his first brilliant realization, "I should have taken the money."
An angel once visited me but only described the measurements of a triangle to me. It felt like a sine from God
Why do angels smell so good? Because of their scent from God.
What did the angel say to the other angel at the party? Are you heaven a good time?
A quarter dies and goes to heaven At his arrival at the gates of heaven, Hashem himself welcomes him while angels play the trumpets. The quarter doesn't believe his eyes as he is being given the most beautiful cloud of all with riches and food and honey for eternity.
The next day the one-hundred-dollar bill dies. He also rises to heaven but there doesn't appear to be anyone. He pushed the gate open by himself but behind it is nobody but one angel playing on his phone. The one-hundred-dollar bill asks for his cloud but is given a little filthy grey rainy cloud. As he tries to make himself comfortable in which is doesn't succeed, he sees the quarter on his right partying with all the angels at his enormous white cloud.
Upset he goes to Hashem himself to complain.
"Why does the quarter get the best cloud while I get this stormy trash? I'm more valuable, right?", asks the one hundred dollar bill.
Hashem responds: yeah, but you we didn't see that much in Shul….
What do you call an angel that turned evil? A 180° Angel
Unique Sites of Israel: Top 10 Archeological Discoveries in Israel from 2021
In January 2021, archeologists discovered 3 strands of the royal purple dye (called "Argaman" in the Bible) in the Timna valley. In ancient times, this was the world's most valuable dye. Photo Credit: Israel Antiquities Authority
Israel is one huge archeological site! Since just about any location in the country could literally be on top of buried ancient treasure, there is a strictly enforced law. Prior to developers building anything (or before the government can add new infrastructure like widening a highway) archeologists must first excavate the site in order to see what lies beneath the ground. Additionally, because of the sheer volume of archeological sites in Israel (including several not yet discovered) it's not unusual for major archeological finds to be made by individual hikers, and even children during family outings. Besides these finds at previously unknown locations, many sites are already known to be rich with archeology, and when funding for digs (which are very expensive) are secured, sites are dug with the expectation that major finds will be unearthed.
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The year 2021 was another fruitful year for archeological discovery. Hundreds of finds were discovered, many quite revolutionary in our understanding of past biblical and historic events. While all of these findings deserve their own articles, I have narrowed down the list to what I believe were the top 10 finds:
Two major Yavne finds:
a) First-ever First Sanhedrin-era building ever to be found in Yavne (circa 1st century CE)
Archeologists excavating the ancient cemetery of Yavne Photo Credit: Yaniv Berman / Israeli Antiques Administration
Yavne is best known to Jews as the first location of the Sanhedrin (the central Rabbinical Supreme Court) after the destruction and exile from Jerusalem. When Israel's eternal capital was under siege by Roman General (and future emperor) Vespasian, Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai (then head of the Sanhedrin) left the city to meet him. General Vespasian was so impressed with his knowledge that he granted him three wishes, one of which was to allow the restoration of the Sanhedrin in Yavne (which became the world's most important Jewish spiritual center for several decades) in addition to the guaranteed safety of its sages (circa 1st century CE). This may have been the most important (and defining) event in Jewish history and Torah observance in the last 2000 years! With the destruction of the Temple, there were many Torah laws which were now unclear, which the Sages of Yavne clarified. The sages of this great city ensured the continuation of the Jewish people in a post-Temple world!
In 2021, the first ever building found from the Yavne-Sanhedrin era was discovered by chance due to development work on the city's expansion. Inside the building, religious vessels such as "measuring cups" were found entirely made of stone (according to Jewish law, stone vessels do not retain impurity) showing the high level of Torah observance (in ritual purity) practiced in the community. In addition, a cemetery (with elaborate tombs which were carefully spaced out at set distances, suggesting an official body responsible for burial) was discovered outside the city (as is required by Jewish law). Some believe that these tombs may even belong to some of the famous sages known to have been buried in Yavne.
During excavations of Tel Yavne, a massive 1500-year-old winery was discovered, believed to be the largest from the Byzantine era. In this complex were five magnificent wine presses, (each covering an area of 225 m2) four large warehouses for aging and marketing the wine, and kilns for firing the clay amphorae. The winepresses were adorned with decorative niches (which showed the wealth of the factory owners). It is believed that this complex could produce 2 million liters of wine per year (around 2,666,667 bottles). This is even more impressive, considering that the whole process was conducted manually! This wine was considered very prestigious in the ancient world, and excavations in other countries have discovered wine jars from this winery.
2) Crusader Sword (Mediterranean Sea)
900 year old sword which belonged to a mighty knight! Photo Credit: Shlomi Katzin
In October, Shlomi Katzrin was scuba diving near the beaches of Haifa and noticed something unusual. Upon closer look, he saw that it appeared to be an ancient sword, which he handed over to the Israeli Antiquities Authority (as is required according to Israeli law). Examination revealed that they had found a Crusader sword which had belonged to a knight. The sword, sporting a 30 cm hilt and one-meter-long iron blade, was found in perfect condition (although it was encrusted in marine life). He also discovered some ancient metal anchors and pottery.
According to experts, the area (a natural cove near the port city of Haifa) was used as a storm shelter for ancient merchant ships for centuries (leaving behind a rich array of archeological treasures). According to the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) the plan is to clean the sword and then display it at a museum.
3) Well-preserved fortress connected to the Chanukah Story (Lachish Forest)
This well-fortified structure was destroyed by the Maccabees (circa 112 BCE) and is connected to the Jewish holiday of Chanukah. Photo Credit: Israel Antiquities Authority
From the time of Alexander the Great (circa 332 BCE) until 167 BCE, the Hellenist Greeks occupied Israel, oppressing the Jewish inhabitants, and trying to force them to abandon the Torah. They even desecrated the holy Temple, turning it into a temple for Zeus. This led to a rebellion led by a small band of pious brothers (all priests) known as the Maccabees who miraculously retook the Temple and purified it in 164 BCE (this rededication of the Temple is celebrated annually by Jews during the 8 days of Chanukah).
After regaining the Temple, the Maccabees expelled the Greeks from the land, gaining the upper hand over the following decades. To protect the important Greek metropolis of Maresha in south central Israel (for more on this world heritage site, click here) a series of forts were built. One of them was discovered and excavated in the Lachish fortress, revealing a well-fortified building 15 x 15 meters (49×49 feet) with a massively thick exterior wall 3 meters (10 feet) wide, sloped in order to prevent scaling. Astonishingly, the ruins are still well preserved to an exceptional height of 2 meters (6.5 feet). It is believed that the original height was 5 meters. As a symbolic bonus, this find was revealed to the public mere days before Chanukah 2021. For more on this incredible find, click here.
4) 2000-year-old coin minted by the Temple Mount Plaza (Jerusalem)
The extremely rare silver coin (likely minted by the Temple) was found by an 11-year girl. Photo Credit: ELIYAHU YANAI/CITY OF DAVID
One of the sites I really enjoy visiting with my tourists is the Emek Tzurim sifting project in Jerusalem. In 1999, the ancient treasures of the Temple Mount were loaded onto trucks and dumped in the Kidron Valley by the Muslim Waqf who control the site. As the dirt taken from the holiest site in Judaism was highly likely to contain important archeological finds, a sifting project open to tourists was initiated to salvage the archeology, giving children and adults alike the opportunity to find earth shattering discoveries!
In November 2021, an 11-year-old girl, Liel Krutokop, sifted through the dirt and found an (almost) 2000-year-old coin made out of pure silver. Weighing 14 grams, it is believed that the coin was minted by Kohanim (priests) using the large silver reserves of the Second Temple in the second year of the Great Jewish Revolt (circa 67-68 CE) against the Romans. This is when the Jews briefly expelled the Romans and gained independence for a very short time. Minting currency was one way to assert sovereignty. One side of the coin has an engraving of an image of a cup with the inscription "Israeli Shekel" and the Hebrew letters of "Shin" and "Bet" which is shorthand for "second year". The other side has an engraving of the headquarters of the High Priest and the words "Holy Jerusalem". Ultimately, the rebels were defeated by Rome and the Temple was destroyed in 70 CE.
According to archeologists, this is one of the only items found which was manufactured at this Holy site. For a sample itinerary which includes the sifting project, click here.
5) One of the world's oldest toilette bowls ever found (Jerusalem)
The 2700-year-old toilette may have belonged to one of the Biblical kings such as Hezekiah or Josiah.Photo Credit: Israel Antiquities Authority (Yoli Schwartz)
Archeologists excavating the ruins of a Biblical era Royal palace were stunned when they found an (extremely rare) item which illustrated the immense wealth of its ancient owner, a private bathroom. Inside, a carved limestone toilette was found with a hole in the center, positioned over a deep septic tank. Evidence was also unearthed that a luscious garden with fruit trees and other plants surrounded the toilette (although unfathomable to westerners today, toilettes were such a status of wealth, that making its surroundings beautiful made sense). This is all the more astounding when one considers that even today (according to UNICEF) 60% of the world's population does not have access to proper toilet facilities.
6) Second Synagogue from 2nd Temple period era in Migdal (Magdala)
View of the modern town of Migdal (in blue) and its ancient location (in red) where a rare Second Temple era synagogue was unearthed. Credit: Shutterstock
Over the years during excavations of ancient Jewish settlements that existed in Israel post-Second Temple (70 CE and onwards) many, many synagogues have been discovered (several a must see for tourists). Synagogues from the Second Temple period however, are extremely rare and only 7 have ever been found (including at Masada, Herodium, Etri, Gamla, Modiin, Kiryat Sefer and Migdal (Magdala)). Despite the plethora of ancient Jewish texts stating that synagogues were a fact of life even when the Temple stood, many modern-day (secular) archeologists overlooked these sources. They assumed that when the Temple stood, synagogues didn't play a large role in daily life, being that very few synagogues from this period were found.
In 2021, during the widening of highway 90 (Israel's longest highway) a second temple era synagogue was found in Magdala, making this the first time that two synagogues from this period were found in the same town (the first was found in 2009. I highly recommend anyone visiting Israel to explore this awesome site). The fact that they were a mere 200 meters from each other (one in a residential area, the other industrial) is now making several academics hypothesize that synagogues were indeed an important part of the social fabric at the time!
7) New Dead Sea Scrolls Unearthed (Judean Desert)
The first "new" Dead Sea Scrolls discovered since 1956 were Biblical verses from the Book of Zechariah and Nahum. These scrolls were written in Greek. Photo Credit: Shai Halevi, Israel Antiquities Authority.
Since the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered in 1947, it can be argued that no other archeological findings have captured the public imagination quite like these ones. In fact, the Indiana Jones series was loosely based on a real-life adventurer named Vendyl Jones whose life work revolved around finding treasures mentioned in one of the scrolls. Between 1947 and 1956 many ancient scrolls were discovered, including the entire book of Isaiah, the oldest complete Biblical scroll ever found. While archeologists were exploring the caves of Qumran, local Bedouins were also hard at work finding scrolls to be sold for a fortune on the black market (often, official digs would uncover empty jars standing side by side with Bedouin pickaxes, with the scrolls long gone). After more than a half a century of digs failing to unearth any new scrolls, new discoveries were not expected to be made again.
Recently, excavations began in a cave at Nachal Hever (which is only accessible by rappelling 80 meters down a sheer cliff). Due to its inaccessibility to potential looters, it was hoped that new scrolls would be found. In 2021, it was announced that two scroll fragments were located. One was from Zechariah 8:16-17, and the other Nahum 1: 5-6. In addition, one of the world's oldest woven baskets was found in near perfect condition. For more on these incredible finds, click here.
8) Biblical Era "Royal Purple" Dye (Timna Valley)
A banded Murex, one of the ocean snails used in the production of the valuable "Argaman" dye mentioned several times in the Bible. Photo Credit: Shutter Stock / Alexey Masliy
For the first time ever, the famous "Argaman" royal purple dye (mentioned several times in the Bible) has been found from the times of King David and Solomon. Prior to this, the earliest finds had only been from the Roman Period, approximately 1000 years later. Archeologists digging the famous "Slave Hill" in the Timna Valley (near Eilat) came across three textile scraps with the dye that only the wealthiest could afford (considerably more valuable than gold). Indeed, its Biblical references are usually used in connection with royalty and nobility (see Song of Songs 3:10, Proverbs 31:22, Esther 1:6, and Ezekiel 27:7). This dye was also used to dye curtains in the Tabernacle (see Exodus 25-27).
The purple dye is pigment from the mucus of three species of Murex snails found in the Mediterranean Sea. Archeologists believe that the discovery was made possible due to the dry desert heat in the arid Timna Valley.
9) Inscription of well-known Biblical Prophet (Judean Lowlands)
The 3100-year-old inscription was written on a jug in ink, using ancient Canaanite letters. Photo Credit: DAFNA GAZIT/ISRAEL ANTIQUITIES AUTHORITY
Even in Israel where archeologically significant finds are common, ancient inscriptions from the times of the biblical Judges are exceedingly rare. Recent excavations however, unearthed a name belonging to an important Biblical hero (and prophet).
On a jar more than 3 millennia old, the name "Jerubbaal" was inscribed, another name for the Biblical judge Gideon (it was common for ancient Israelites to have more than one name) who led the Israelites for 40 years and gave them quiet from their enemies (see Judges 7:1 and 8:28).
The million-dollar question is, was this "Jerubbaal" indeed Gideon? Obviously, no one can say with absolute certainty, but archeologists seem convinced that it is a very distinct possibility. Except for in the Bible, "Jerubbaal" has never been found anywhere until this discovery, suggesting that it was an uncommon name. It is also dated from around the time of Judges when Gideon led Israel. For more on this fabulous find, click here.
10) Evidence of Biblical Earthquake Discovered in Jerusalem (City of David)
Recent digs in Jerusalem's City of David uncovered an 8th century BCE destruction layer, caused by an earthquake mentioned in the Bible. Photo Credit: Joe Uziel, Israel Antiquities Authority
For the first time ever, archeological remains of a catastrophic earthquake mentioned in the Bible were discovered in Jerusalem.
An 8th century BCE destruction layer was unearthed with a smashed building, and a row of shattered vessels. While destruction layers have been found in Jerusalem, especially in connection with the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 422 BCE (some historians say 586 BCE) all of them had burn marks, which suggested destruction by fire. This one had only collapsed walls, suggesting that it was not deliberate, but rather caused by natural forces. Archeologists were stunned and decided to consult the Bible to see if such an event was mentioned. They soon found references to a massive earthquake mentioned in both Amos 1:1 and Zechariah 14:5 as having taken place during the reign of King Uzziah (indeed, the destroyed building is dated to that period). For more on this incredible discovery, click here.
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.
Following G-d's instructions concerning the building of the Mishkan (tabernacle), and following the sin of the Golden Calf, Moses gathers together the children of Israel and relays to them the word of G-d: "Take from amongst you gifts to G-d" (Exodus 35;5).
The Children of Israel are encouraged and urged to give with a generous spirit. "and every man that brought an offering (Hebrew- "tnufot") of gold unto G-d" (Exodus 35;22).
The letter "pei" in the word "tnufat" is doubled in such a way that the word is divided into two parts; "tnu" and "fot". That is to say that when a poor person comes to you give him "pot" (Hebrew- a piece of bread) and it will be considered as if you brought an offering, and therefore the double "pei" to teach us that whomever provides food for the needy receives a double reward. (Rmazei Yoel)
Rabbi Binyamin Kahane
THE PITFALLS OF POWER
Two years after the Jews left the suffering, slavery, and humiliations of Egypt, they began constructing the Tabernacle – the place where G-d's Presence was to rest in this world and the pipeline by which all the Jewish people's prayers would reach their Father in Heaven. Considering the historic nature of this event, one would have expected the leaders of the Jewish people to set an example and play a key role in contributing toward the Tabernacle's construction.
Instead, we find (Exodus 35:27) that the princes donated the onyx stones – which were the very last items needed in the Tabernacle. Rashi writes, "Rabbi Nathan said: Why did the princes contribute at the beginning of the dedication of the altar but not at the beginning of the construction of the Tabernacle? Because they said: Let the community contribute what it will contribute, and we will complete whatever is lacking. And since they were slothful at first, 'yud' is missing from their name {the world neis'm'} is spelled missing a 'yud'."
Rabbeinu Bechaya adds: "For it is the way of princes to look down on the rest of the nation. . . These princes, who not long ago were lowly slaves, immediately started looking down on their brothers after receiving their high appointment. About this the Talmud says, "Four people are intolerable . . . {One is} the public appointee who looks down at the rest of the community for no reason' (Pesachim 113b)."
The Torah's concern for someone's high position affecting his ego is clearly evident in its laws regarding kings. The Torah state, "He shall not multiply horses for himself . . . Neither shall he multiply for himself wives so that his heart turns away; nor shall he greatly increase silver and gold for himself. . . And he shall write a copy of this Torah. . . . And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life that he may learn to fear the L-rd, his
G-d. . .that his heart not be lifted up above his brethren" (Deuteronomy 17:16-20).
And the Rambam in Hilchot Tefillah (5:10) adds: "One must bow five times during every Shemoneh Esrei. . . . But a king should remain prostrated from the very beginning of Shemoneh Esrei and not raise his head until the conclusion."
We see the arrogance, corruption, and egoism of Israeli politicians most overtly during election seasons. Every party steps on the fresh blood of Jewish victims to further its political advantage, though none of them possesses an iota of a solution to the problem. We have observed our "leaders" basking in the glory of Nobel Peace Prizes and the friendship of gentile leaders and Arab murderers, so engrossed with themselves, their declarations of peace, and their place in history that no amount of Jewish blood can budge them from their "vision."
May it be G-d's will that these politicians be replaced by leaders guided by the Torah, leaders who know that "it is not high appointment I give you, but rather servitude: (Hariyot 10a). May we merit leaders who follow the path of Moses our Teacher, who not only was not concerned about his place in history, but even was willing to have his name stricken from the Torah("Erase me please from Your book" – Exodus 32:32) in order to save the Jewish people from annihilation. We need leaders who possess self-sacrifice to serve the community – not exploit it.
Darka she Torah 1994
Shabbat Shalom
The Three Musketeers at the Kotel
CAROLINE GLICK The Anti-Defamation League and Amnesty International
The ADL's pathological refusal to state the truth about Amnesty indicates that in the campaign against the existence of the State of Israel, the ADL is not on the side of the Jews.
One of the more curious responses to Amnesty International's Israel Apartheid report last week came from the Anti-Defamation League. On Monday, the heads of Amnesty held a press conference in Israel's capital, Jerusalem. In it they presented the main "findings" of the "investigation" they conducted regarding the status of Israel's existence.
It turns out that after years of "careful study," Amnesty's entirely professional "researchers" determined that Israel has no right to exist. The Law of Return, which grants automatic citizenship to Jews after 2,000 years of homeless wanderings, is a type of apartheid. Israel's Jewish identity is apartheid, they said.
The purchase of private land by Jews in sovereign Israel and in Judea and Samaria is apartheid. The use of government land by Jews is apartheid. Enforcement of the laws of the state on non-Jews—you guessed it—is apartheid in the eyes of Amnesty's hard-nosed, totally unbiased "investigators."
Amnesty concluded as well that since Israel is an apartheid state that has no right to exist, it is guilty of crimes against humanity and (it almost goes without saying), of war crimes. Unlike the wretched, cruel, greedy and avaricious Jews, the Palestinians are as pure as the driven snow. The word "terror" only appears three times in Amnesty's 210-page tome, and is never mentioned as a means to explain any defensive action Israel has undertaken.
As was to be expected, Amnesty used its new "Jews are criminals" report to renew its call for Israel and its citizens to be tried for war crimes before the International Criminal Court in The Hague. The "human rights" group also rode its blood libel wave to renew its call for economic sanctions and an arms embargo against Israel. Amnesty capped its bloodlust off with a call for Israel's destruction through the immigration of millions of hostile, foreign-born Arabs allegedly descended from Arabs who left Israel during the 1948 pan-Arab invasion of the nascent Jewish state.
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Amnesty's report was roundly condemned as anti-Semitic propaganda by Israel's Foreign Ministry and Jewish groups in the United States and worldwide. You don't need to be an anti-Semitism researcher (or a Jew) to recognize that Amnesty's report flowed from the same hate-infested swamp as "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion."
And this brings us to the ADL's response. The Anti-Defamation League, which has an annual budget of around $100 million, is supposed to be the leading Jewish organization in the Diaspora in the fight against Jew-hatred. But Amnesty's declaration of war against the Jewish state placed the ADL in a bind. Just a bit over a year ago, the ADL defended Amnesty.
In October 2020, then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced his plan to list Amnesty, Human Rights Watch and Oxfam as anti-Semitic organizations due to their efforts to advance the anti-Semitic boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign against Israel. Pompeo's plan was in keeping with the Trump administration's overall policy for fighting anti-Semitism. In December 2019, then-President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order that provided civil rights protection to Jewish students persecuted by BDS campaigns on their campuses.
Given the central role Amnesty and other phony human rights groups play in the political war for the destruction of the largest Jewish community in the world, Pompeo's planned move was not just reasonable, it was imperative. But rather than applaud him for his resolve, the ADL attacked Pompeo and his plan.
When word broke that Pompeo was about to designate the three groups as anti-Semitic, the ADL released a statement aimed at undermining and blocking his move. The statement declared: "We oppose broadly applying the antisemitism label to these human rights organizations; doing so is neither accurate nor helpful to the fight against antisemitism. Rather, this move would politicize the fight against antisemitism."
A month later Pompeo made it the official policy of the State Department to treat organizations that support BDS as anti-Semitic groups. But by that time, Trump had lost his reelection bid and the wind had come out of the sails. Pompeo's statement did not mention which specific groups were anti-Semitic. So, thanks in large part to the ADL, Amnesty and its anti-Semitic comrades dodged the bullet.
On the surface, the ADL's condemnation of the Amnesty report could have been written by the Zionist Organization of America. But a close look at the ADL's response makes clear that the organization, which is supposed to lead the struggle against anti-Semitism, hasn't changed its position since it defended Amnesty from Pompeo's charge of anti-Semitism.
The ADL criticized much about Amnesty's report, but engaged in circus-level contortionism to avoid stating the plain truth: Amnesty's report was anti-Semitic.
As the ADL put it, Amnesty's report was "an effort to demonize Israel and undermine its legitimacy as a Jewish and democratic state. In an environment of rising anti-Jewish hate, this type of report is not only inaccurate but also irresponsible and likely will lead to intensified antisemitism around the world."
So the report wasn't anti-Semitic per se, but simply irresponsible. Amnesty didn't factor in how its blood libels might be interpreted by people who (unlike Amnesty) actually hate Jews.
The ADL statement maintained its line—that Amnesty was irresponsible, not bigoted against Jews—through to the end. The statement concluded, "Amnesty International's rhetoric is irresponsible. These are not simply abstract words but the kind of spurious charges that, time and again, have placed Jews in danger around the world."
There are two explanations that pop to mind regarding why an organization that is supposed to be dedicated to fighting Jew-hatred would dismiss as "irresponsible rhetoric" a call for the annihilation of the largest Jewish community in the world by a massively powerful international organization.
The first way to explain the ADL's behavior is that this was an attempted cover-up. The fact is that the ADL facilitated the Amnesty report, as well as similar reports published by Human Rights Watch and B'Tselem last year. All three reports libeled and demonized Israel as an "apartheid state."
When the ADL torpedoed Pompeo's plan to designate Amnesty, HRW and Oxfam as anti-Semitic organizations, it gave them carte blanche to escalate their anti-Semitic campaigns. Had the ADL put aside its progressive politics and hatred for Trump for just a moment to support rather than undermine Pompeo, it is highly likely that these groups would have reconsidered their plans to escalate their war against the Jews.
The cost-benefit analysis of siding with terrorists and Nazi-like Jew-haters from Ramallah to Tehran would likely have looked very different once the U.S. State Department designated these anti-Semitic groups as anti-Semitic groups. Moreover, had Pompeo gone through with his plan, even if Amnesty et al. had stayed on course and published their apartheid slanders, the impact of those slanders would have been a weak flutter of the waves they are making today.
And the Jews—from Israel's Foreign Ministry to the last Jewish group in the Diaspora—would have had far better ammunition in their efforts to discredit the tsunami of lies flowing out from these groups. Given the ADL's role in facilitating the massive escalation of the faux human rights' communities' war against the Jews, it makes sense that it has decided to pretend that nothing is happening.
Another possible explanation for the ADL's refusal to acknowledge that Amnesty International is an anti-Semitic organization and that its "Jews are Nazis" report is endemically anti-Semitic is that the ADL has abandoned its mission of fighting anti-Semitism and replaced it with a mission of advancing anti-Semitism—at least of the progressive variety.
Last week, Daniel Greenfield of Frontpage Magazinerevealed that the ADL had hired an activist named Tema Smith to serve as its director of Jewish outreach. Smith's hire is newsworthy because Smith has a long record of anti-Israel, pro-terror and anti-Jewish postings on social media. In other words, she has a long record of anti-Semitic activism, which Greenfield documented.
Consider a few examples of Smith's publishing history.
During the Hamas war against Israel in 2014, Smith posted and endorsed an article that justified Hamas's abduction and murder of three Israeli teenagers and its massive missile onslaught against Israeli population centers.
In 2020 she wrote, "Here's the thing: Jews *have* to be ok with Palestinians *explaining* why some turn to terrorism."
On several occasions, Smith insisted that there is no black anti-Semitism and that it is racist for Jews to claim that there is. She said that Jewish opposition to the deeply anti-Semitic Critical Race Theory stems from Jewish racism.
As for Islamic Jew-haters, Smith has on several occasions defended the jihadist who brutally murdered 66-year-old Sarah Halimi, a retired nursery school teacher, in her Paris apartment, and then threw her out the window.
The ADL's new Jewish outreach director even attacked the U.S. Holocaust Museum for its criticism of progressive superstar Rep. Alexandra Ocasio Cortez after Cortez obscenely compared detention centers for illegal aliens along the border with Mexico to Nazi concentration camps.
In its squirming condemnation of the Amnesty report, the ADL noted rightly that by negating the Jews' right to sovereignty within Israel's 1949 armistice lines, Amnesty "not only delegitimizes the Israeli state enterprise and the Jewish right to self-determination in its historic homeland, but also undermines the vision of a mutually negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that will provide security, dignity, and self-determination to both peoples."
Caroline Glick is an award-winning columnist and author of "The Israeli Solution: A One-State Plan for Peace in the Middle East."
In parsha Trumah, when Hashem instructs Moshe Rabbeinu to build the Mishkan, the Tabernacle, He commands him, "Take for Me offerings of gold, silver, copper, etc. Many of the commentators ask why it says "take for Me," instead of "give to Me." The almost universal answer is that it's only what we give away that becomes really ours. As Chazal teach us, "Neither silver nor gold escort a person to the eternal world; rather, only his mitzvos and good deeds escort him." So, the only "things" we "take" with us are that which we have given away for G-dly purposes such as the Mishkan, shuls, yeshivas and the poor.
The Gemara relates in Baba Basra [11] that there was a severe famine during the reign of King Munabaz. He opened the royal coffers and gave of his ancestral personal wealth to his people. The royal family was aghast and exclaimed with alarm that he was squandering not only his wealth but the wealth of all of his ancestors. Munabaz answered wisely, "My fathers saved below while I save above in Heaven. My fathers stored where other people could reach it while I store away to a place which is beyond the reach of man. My fathers' savings paid no dividends while my savings are secure in the next world and pay dividends in this world." The Arizal adds that while other mitzvos can be extinguished by sin, the rarified mitzvah of tzedakah is not lost even via sin.
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The Otzros Peninei HaTorah writes a related vignette. There was once a Jewish man who was a highly placed noble in a gentile king's realm. This pious man was greatly favored by the king, and as a result he was subjected to the envy and hatred of his gentile peers. In order to discredit him, they spun lies about his dishonesty and greed to the king. After the king was repeatedly hounded with these reports, he had to audit the Jewish noble. To the king's shock and chagrin, his Jewish friend reported that his net wealth was only one-tenth of what it truly was. After inspection, the king grew very angry and arrested the noble and put him in a dungeon. When the king angrily brought up the Jewish advisor from the dungeon to face formal charges, the king accosted him, saying, "How could you lie about your wealth?" The Jew calmly told him, "You asked me for my true wealth. I keep a record of a tenth of my money which I give to the poor and the needy and I realize that it is only that money which is really mine, for that money is put away to be mine forever. The rest of the money is fleeting and can be gone in seconds for, as you see, the king confiscated it all overnight." The king asked to see his tzedakah portfolio and saw that it was exactly as the Jew had reported and, of course, released him with great honor.
It would do us all well to absorb this lesson. Many are so excited to salt away money in high yielding mutual funds, successful real estate ventures, gold and silver, or even astute stock-option maneuverings. We must realize that all of this is for a fleeting 120 years. The money, however, that we use to help a struggling relative, a neighbor out of work, our local schools that can't make ends meet, and our shuls (which are floundering especially now during the covid era) is money that will be ours forever.
I've said this before: It is considered very mature to salt away money for our retirement. But let's ask ourselves: If we retire at 65, how long will retirement be? Another 50 years? It's true that such behavior is an act of foresight. However, let's consider the following. Our eternity will be infinite – trillions upon trillions of years will only be its infancy. Doesn't it behoove us to have a solid mechanism of investing at least a tenth of our money for our eternal future? To remind us of this, the Jewish shroud, the kittel, has no pockets (much to the displeasure of the father who tries to hide the afikomen in his kittel at the seder). This is to drive home the message that we don't take any money with us except for that which we give away.
The importance of being wise with the mitzvah of tzedakah can be seen in the words of the great Rambam. He writes an astounding statement. "One is required to be careful with the positive commandment of tzedakah more than any other positive commandment of the Torah." What a premium the Rambam puts on this mitzvah. He means to be careful even more than with the positive commandments of Torah, Shabbos, tefillin and kashrus to name but a few. Other benefits of this mitzvah are: "Charity saves from death," "One who increases their charity increases their harmony," and "You should surely tithe," which the Gemara interprets as, "Aserbishvil she'tisasher – Give tithes in order that you will become wealthy."
In the merit of upping our game with this glorious mitzvah may Hashem bless us with long life, good health, and everything wonderful.
RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TERRIBLE FARMER JOKES OF THE WEEK
Dudi Shaked, an Israeli farmer purchases an old, run-down, abandoned farm with plans to turn it into a thriving enterprise. The fields are grown over with weeds, the farmhouse is falling apart, and the fences are collapsing all around.
During his first day of work, the local Rabbi stops by to bless the man's work, saying, "May you and God work together to make this the farm of your dreams!"
A few months later, the Rabbi stops by again to call on the Dudi. Lo and behold, it's like a completely different place -- the farm house is completely rebuilt and in excellent condition, there are plenty of cattle and other livestock happily munching on feed in well-fenced pens, and the fields are filled with crops planted in neat rows.
"Amazing!" the Rabbi says. "Look what God and you have accomplished together!"
"Yes, Rabbi," says the farmer, "but remember what the farm was like when God was working it alone!"
Back in one of the shtetels of Europe, the local Rebbe was having a conversation with a poor farmer about the nature of belief, and how even difficult financial times, everything comes from Hashem. The Rebbe said to the poor farmer, "Reb Yid, let me ask you, if you had a horse, and you were asked, would you give it to Hashem?"
"Yes," replied the farmer.
"And if you had a cow?"
"Absolutely."
"And a goat?"
"Of course."
"A wagon?"
"Rebbe, that's not fair!" protested the farmer. "You know I have a wagon!"
A rabbi, a Hindu priest, and a politician went hiking. Night fell and they were exhausted. The hotel on the map was nowhere to be seen. They knocked on the door of a farm and asked if they could spend the night.
The farmer said, "Of course, but I only have a small room with two beds. One of you will have to sleep in the barn."
The Hindu priest said, "I need no material comforts. I will gladly take the barn."
The rabbi and the politician were settling in when they heard a knock on the door. They opened it to find the Hindu priest standing there.
"So sorry, my friends, but there is a cow in the barn, and I cannot sleep beside such a holy animal."
The rabbi said, "No problem, my brother. I'll take the barn.
The Hindu priest and the politician were settling in when they heard a knock on the door. They opened it to find the rabbi standing there.
"So sorry, my friends, but there's a pig in the barn, and I can't sleep beside such a filthy animal."
The politician said, "OK, let it be remembered that I sacrificed my comfort for the greater good."
The rabbi and the Hindu priest were settling in when they heard a knock on the door. They opened it to find the pig and the cow standing there.
Morty Applebaum bought a donkey from an old farmer for $100. The farmer agreed to deliver the mule the next day. The next day, the farmer drove up and said, "Sorry, but I have some bad news. The donkey died."
"Well, then, just give me my money back," said Morty.
"Can't do that," replied the farmer. "I went and spent it already."
"OK, then. Just unload the donkey."
"What ya gonna do with him?"
"I'm going to raffle him off."
"You can't raffle off a dead donkey!"
"Sure I can. Watch me. I just won't tell anybody he's dead."
A month later the farmer met up with Morty and asked, "Whatever happened with that dead donkey?"
"I raffled him off. I sold five hundred tickets at two dollars apiece and made a profit of $998."
"Didn't anyone complain?" asked the farmer.
"Just the guy who won," said Morty. "So I gave him his two dollars back."
A man was driving down a country lane when he spotted the most beautiful horse he'd ever seen standing in the middle of a field. He slammed on his brakes and stopped to have a quick look. "I must buy that horse," he said to himself and immediately went in search of the owner. Arriving at a nearby farmhouse, he knocked on the door.
"Are you the owner of that magnificent animal in the field back there?" he asked.
"Yes," replied the farmer, an old Jewish man named Moishe.
"Then I simply must buy him from you."
"I can't sell him," said the Moishe the farmer. "He doesn't look too good."
"What do you mean? He's the most beautiful horse I've seen in my life. Please!"
"Well, okay," conceded Moishe the farmer, "If you insist. Does a thousand dollars sound reasonable to you?"
"Absolutely," said the man, and he took the horse home on a trailer.
A few days later, Moishe the farmer heard another knock on his door. It was the man with the horse. "You ripped me off!" yelled the man. "That horse is as blind as a bat!"
"I tried to warn you," answered Moishe the farmer. "I told you he doesn't look too good."
What day do potatoes hate the most? Fry-day!
What new crop did the farmer plant? Beets me! What grows under your nose? Tulips! Where do farmers send their kids to grow? Kinder-garden.
What did the baby corn say to the mama corn? Where's popcorn?
"Why did the cow cross the road? To get to the utter side!
Why did the rooster cross the road? To prove it wasn't chicken!
Why did the horse cross the road? To visit his neighborhood!
Why did the farmer cross the road? To get all of his animals back!
