the Jews and Their Enemies

The Jews and their Enemies

By Rabbi David E. Eidensohn

 

Jews as Enemies of Jews

Jews as Enemies of Jews, who are they? What Jew gains from being an enemy of other Jews? It is a good question, but the answer is that anytime that a Jew does something to antagonize others, Jewish or not, we have a problem. The Talmud teaches that the senior rabbi of the generation, Rabbi Yochanan ben Zackai, was always careful to greet everyone, Jew and gentile, when he walked down the street. This led to everyone respecting him, and also respecting other Jews who followed his example, as suggested by the rabbis.

The gemora[1] teaches that “one should always respond softly, and establish peace with his brethren and with his relatives and with all people, even a gentile in the marketplace, so that he will be loved from on high (Heaven) and beloved below (in this world), and so be accepted by everyone.”

The gemora continues there saying, “It was said regarding Rabbi Yochanan ben Zackai, that nobody ever greeted him first, even a gentile in the marketplace.” Rabbi Yochanan ben Zackai lived in the time of the destruction of the First Temple, something brought about by fanatic Jews who had no compunction with making war with the mighty Roman legions. The Roman legions finally defeated all who opposed them and were about to penetrate Jerusalem and destroy the Temple. Whoever opposed the Jewish fanatics in their hopeless struggles against Rome were threatened. But one of them was a relative of Rabbi Yochanan ben Zackai who knew that the rebellion against Rome would not succeed. He helped Rabbi Yochanan ben Zackai to escape from Jerusalem and go to the camp of the Roman general.

Rabbi Yochanan was brought to this general and greeted him as Your Majesty. The general was shocked. He said that for that he can be killed by the king as he is only a general, not a king. But Rabbi Yochanan ben Zackai told him that it was obvious that he was about to conquer Jerusalem, and that this power was only given by G‑d to the monarch of the attacking country. Just then somebody came to the general and announced that he had been selected to be the new king.

The new king then turned to Rabbi Yochanan ben Zackai and told him that he was the first one to realize this, and he must be a very holy man to know it, so what does he want the new king to give him?

Rabbi Yochana ben Zackai realized that the new king would never permit the Jews to maintain their hold on the Temple, so he did not ask this. He asked rather several things he was sure the king would agree to. One was that the king allow a city in Israel to be used by rabbis to study the Torah, and the king agreed. He then asked for a doctor for a holy man who fasted many days to prevent the destruction of Jerusalem, and it was granted. From that moment on the Romans in general had a very high regard for the pious rabbis although they slaughtered the rebels. Eventually, there was a new Roman king had such great respect for the rabbis that he himself, secretly, began to practice Judaism. He once gave the leader of the rabbis a huge sum of money, explaining that he knew that the time would come when the Romans would demand a lot of money from Jews, and he wanted them to have that money, which actually came from him.

One of the greatest rabbis in the world years ago when I was younger was Rabbi Yaacov Kaminetsky. He was a man of understanding and wisdom, as well as piety and honesty. Near his house was a covenant for Catholic women. These were older women dressed in their special garments and their grounds were now surrounded by many blocks of deeply Orthodox Jews mostly with beards and religious attire. Rabbi Kaminetsky, an old rabbi, would regularly greet these ladies pleasantly.

It so happened that our city had a powerful commissioner who hated Jews. Once a Jew came to him to get permission to build a building. He knew that this commissioner would give him a hard time. He was shocked when the commissioner greeted him warmly and quickly approved his requests. He was so shocked that the commissioner sensed his surprise and explained to him, that his close relative lived in that covenant, and that she and her friends who lived there always received the warmest greeting from Rabbi Yaacov Kaminetsky.

In the Second World War when the Germans began slaughtering Jews, a gentile postman began hiding Jews. If the Germans would realize this they would kill him. He explained that he had once gave a Jewish customer a large sum of money by mistake. The Jew returned the money. When the postman realized how honest the Jew was he resolved to hide as much Jews as he could and so many survived the war.

But just as Rabbi Yochanan ben Zackai turned even ferocious Roman soldiers into people who honored the rabbis, and just as the postmaster saved many Jews from the Germans, so were there other Jews who did not merit to turn Jews and gentiles into beloved friends, but perhaps the opposite. It all depends how a Jew greets the other Jews and the gentiles.

In recent times many Jews who are not religious have entered Hollywood and turned it into a festival of disgusting anti-Torah teachings. Thousands of people of all ages have been destroyed by these very popular filth productions. When people notice that many of these Hollywood filth producers are Jewish, they often hate Jews, who teach people to do the complete opposite of what the Torah commands. The Torah is very clear that people who promote sin and evil are enemies of G‑d and all Jews must opposite them.

Rabbi Yaacov Kaminetsky once told me that when we find some Jewish politician or similar personality who is spreading anti-Torah anti-morality ideas, and there is a politician or similarity who believes in morality but who hates Jews, we must back for and vote for the anti-Semite. We have a G‑d and we have a Torah and anyone who spreads filth and opposes G‑d and the Torah must be fought and destroyed.There is now a movement in America to put any person who opposes anti-Torah propaganda either into jail or to fine him or punish him in other  ways. If they succeed, what will happen to our community?  Do we all have to flee the country and let America turn into the pure filth of the Hollywood terrorists?

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[1] Babylonian Talmud Berochose 17A

Letter from the Gaon Rav Moshe Feinstein to oppose the N.Y.C. Gay Rights Bill Adar 5743

Translation: We hereby arouse opposition to the N.Y.C. Gay Rights Bill, that it is a holy obligation upon everyone to do whatever they can do to influence the members of the City Council to vote against the above bill. And to  the members of the City Council we turn to them and request them to be in the hall when the vote takes place and to vote against the bill as we mentioned.

Furthermore, we request from all who hear our request to come to City Hall every day of the hearings of the committee of the council beginning from the fourth day of Adar and to fill the hall and to sanctify the Name of HaShem by showing publicly to all people that the people of HaShem hates all that which is abhorred by HaShem. And the month that was changed from sadness to joy shall be changed also for us to joy.

The Agudas HoRabonim of the United States and Canada

Rav Moshe Feinstein President
Rav Tsvi Mayer Ginsberg - Menahel

The sin of forcing a husband to give his wife a GET from a secular court

David Eidensohn <eidensohnd@gmail.com>	7:37 PM (11 minutes ago)		Reply
to Yehoishophot

Aryeh Leib Yoffe writes, "Show me one source that forbids giving a get to a woman who went to civil court. Just one!"

The gemora in Gittin 88b says that rabbis outside of Israel don't have a proper Semicha and if a gentile forces a Jew to give a GET we have a gemora Rabbi Tarfone said any place you find gentiles forcing [a GET] even if they rule as the Torah rules you are not allowed to use them, as it is said, "Before them and not before gentiles." This means if you have a court of non-religious Jews who force a husband against his will to give his wife a GET it is a sin, a LAV, to use that court to force the wife to give a GET. This is clearly stated in Choshen Mishpot 26A: It is forbidden to adjudicate before gentile judges, in their courts, even if the court adjudicates exactly as the Torah commands. And even if both parties agree to go to the gentiles it is forbidden. And whoever comes to be judged by them is a wicked person ROSHO. And is one who curses and insults and raised his hand against the Torah of Moshe," The Ramo continues with hideous curses of that person. We have also in Shulchan Aruch Even Hoezer 77:2 that all commentators, the Vilna Gaon at great length and Beis Shmuel, etc. that it is forbidden to pressure a husband to give a GET in way way. The Vilna Gaon says that based upon the gemora in Kesubose 63b bottom Tosfose at length, it is forbidden to force a GET period. The Vilna Gaon says that today all agree about this, although there were once some who permitted forcing a GET such as Rambam and Rashbam. However, the Tosfose in Kesubose is proof that it is forbidden to force a husband to give a GET and all five authorities on the page there agree that it is forbidden.Thus a woman who forces her husband to give her a GET in any way, and surely in a secular court, has sinned and her GET is invalid, and is probably a problem for her children who may be mamzerim. See Rashbo volume VII:414 "We never force a GET to divorce his wife. If he wishes, he divorces her. And if he doesn't wish to do so, he doesn't divorce her." This pesak is accepted by all commentators in the above Shulchan Aruch Even Hoezer 77:2. This surely includes a woman who forces her husband in a gentile or secular court even with irreligious Jews or those not familiar properly with laws of Gittin who are not a proper and accepted Beth Din. I heard from my rebbe Reb Yosef Shalom Elyashev zt"l that any Beth Din that permits a woman to escape her husband with an invalid GET has lost its reputation as a proper Beth Din and he and other major rabbonim in Israel in the sefer Mishpotei Yisroel say that such a woman who received an invalid or forced GET must go to a different Beth Din, not the invalid Beth Din, and receive a proper GET that is not forced. There are rare cases, mentioned in Shulchan Aruch Even Hoezer, when a husband acts in such a terrible manner that Beth Din may decide to force him to give a GET. But that means a proper Beth Din of Jews, not a secular court. And it is rare.

Yehoishophot Oliver, I hope this helps!

Shalom,

Dovid Eidensohn

845-578-1917

Hebrew for Revealing the Schechina to the Jews in the Desert of Sinai

משה ואהרן וטורח להוריד השכינה

ממני דוד אליהו אידנסון

והנה בחומש ויקרא בפרשת אחרי מות שני בני אהרן בקרבתם לפני השם וימתו עכ"ל ובתרגום יונתן בן עוזיאל פסוק ב' שאמר שנדב ואביהו היו כהנים גדולים. וידוע שיונתן בן עוזיאל היה מגדולי המפרשים. וע' בפירוש יונתן שם למטה מן התרגום אריכות בזה שהיו כהנים גדולים.

ובספר ויקרא פרשת שמיני ט',כג-כד וז"ל ויבא משה ואהרן אל אהל מועד ויצאו ויברכו את העם וירא כבוד השם אל כל העם. ותצא אש מלפני השם ותאכל על המזבח כו' וירא כל העם וירנו ויפלו על פניהם עכ"ל ובתרגום אונקלוס מתרגם וירנו ששבחו להשם על זה.

והנה הפסוק אומר כולו שבח לאהרן אבל מצאנו בפרש"י ותרגום יונתן שלא היה פשוט כן. אדרבה אהרן טרח כל הטירחות של עבודת הכהן גדול ולא זכה לראות גילוי השכינה. אז נכנס אהרן אצל משה ואמר לו שיש לו בושה גדולה שהקב"ה כועס עליו עבור חטא העגל הזהב ולא ירד השכינה. ותיכף נכנס משה והתפלל על אהרן ואז ירד השכינה לכל העם. ובתרגום יונתן שמשה ואהרן נכנסו לבקש רחמים על ישראל שיזכו לגילוי השכינה. ואז התגלה השכינה לכל ישראל וכל העם נפלו על פניהם בשמחה שקיבלו תפלתם והתגלה השכינה לכל ישראל. וכן תרגם אונקלוס וירנו ושבחו שכלל ישראל ראו השכינה ונפלו ושבחו להשם על המראה הגדול וגילוי השכינה לכל ישראל.

והמעיין שם בתרגום יונתן ורש"י יראה שמשה הטריח עצמו הרבה זמן בהקמת המשכן ולא ירד השכינה והוא היה מצטער על זה שלא ירד השכינה וגם אהרן שהיה סובר שהוא גרם שלא ירד השכינה על ידי שעשה העגל הזהב והיה מתבייש על זה משמע ששניהם היו בכלל הקפידה שלא ירד השכינה לישראל אפילו שהקימו המשכן ועשו עבודות.

והנה צ"ע אם לא ירד השכינה מפני שהיה טענה על משה ואהרן או לא. ובאמת מצאנו שנדב ואביהו אמרו זה לזה מתי ימותו הזקנים הללו ואנחנו ננהיג את העם. ולכאורה הוא תמוה ביותר מי הוא זה ואיזה הוא שידבר כן על אביו אהרן כהן גדול ועל דודו ידיד השם משה רבינו שבכל ביתי נאמן הוא. והם ביקשו שימותו הוא פלא ממש. ורואים ושותקים.

ועדיין י"ל שאינו כל כך פשוט. שהיות שברש"י ובתרגום יונתן גדולי המפרשים ברור שכן השכינה הרבה זמן לא התגלה לישראל הגם שמשה ואהרן הטריחו עצמם הרבה לזה, ומשמע שמשה ואהרן הבינו שהקב"ה דוקא לא רוצה לגלות השכינה לישראל ומשמע ששניהם משה ואהרן היו ח"ו לא ראויים שעל ידיהם יתגלה השכינה לישראל. והפשטות יכול להיות שמשה ואהרן היו ראויים אלא שישראל לא היו כל כך צדיקים ואין החסרון במשה ידיד השם ואהרן כהן גדול. וכן מצאנו בשיר של יום חמישי בסידור ולא שמע עמי לקולי וישראל לא אבה לי ואשלחהו בשרירות לבם ילכו במועצותיהם  עכ"ל וכן מצאנו בישראל שעשו עבירות וכן המרגלים עשו עבירות והיו מ' שנה במדבר עבור דברים אלה. ואין להאשים ח"ו משה ואהרן.

ובכל זאת יכול להיות שנדב ואביהו כאשר ראו הטורח של משה ואהרן שלא הצליחו עם כל הטורח שעשו, חששו כפי שהבינו שמשה ואהרן חסרים ולא זוכים לגלות השכינה. ולא האשימו לישראל, אלא שגם משה ואהרן גרמו באיזה אופן ח"ו. והיות שהיה כל כך בושה לישראל קיבלו נדב ואביהו על עצמם להוריד אש שלא צוה להם שהיו סוברים שהם כהנים גדולים אלא שהיו סוברים שהם גדולים ממשה ואהרן והיו סוברים שמשה ואהרן לא היו ראויים להוריד השכינה לכל ישראל רק שהם ראויים לזה, שלכן ביקשו לסלק משה ואהרן והם יהיו המנהיגים ורואים ושותקים.

(והארכנו קצת ממיתת בני אהרן  נדב ואביהו בספר ויקרא בפרשת שמיני י',א' וגם בפרשת אחרי טז',א'.)

Parshas Kedushomim in Hebrew

פרשת קדושים ויקרא כט'א' – דרך ארץ קדמה לתורה

ממני דוד אליהו אידנסון

הפרשה של קדושים תהיו מתחיל דבר אל כל עדת בני ישראל ואמרת אליה קדשים תהיו כי קדוש אני ה' אלקיכם. פרש"י יט' פסוק ב' דבר אל כל עדת בני ישראל- מלמד שנאמרה פרשה זו בהקהל מפני שרוב גופי תורה תלויין בה. קדושים תהיו – הוו פרושים מן העריות ומן העבירה שכל מקום שאתה מוצא גדר ערוה אתה מוצא קדושה כו'. ע"כ

ורש"י מפרש שהחשיבות של קדושים הוא שרוב גופי התורה תלויין בה. ואחרי כן רש"י מפרש שכל מקום שאתה מוצא גדר ערוה אתה מוצא קדושה ע"כ ולכאורה וכי גדר ערוה הוא כללות התורה שרש"י לעיל אומר שקדושים רוב גופי התורה תלויין בה וכי ערוה הוא רוב גופי התורה? וצ"ל שכל שיש גדר ערוה גורם לקדושה, וקדושה הוא עיקר התורה. שכן לשון הפסוק דבר אל כל עדת בני ישראל ואמרת אליהם קדשים תהיו כי קדוש אני ה' אלקיכם. משמע שזה הוא עיקר התורה. שהכל תלוי בקדושה. וקדושה ענינו שמירה מערוה כו'.

והנה הפסוק הב' בקדושים הוא דבר אל כל עדת בני ישראל ואמרת אליהם קדשים תהיו כי קדוש אני השם אלקיכם ע"כ ומלשון הזה משמע שצריכים לדבר לכל עדת בני ישראל ואמרת אליהם קדשים תהיו ואם הקב"ה מציאותו הוא קדושה ודאי שיודעים שהכל תלוי בקדושה ובאחרת אין זו ח"ו אני השם אלקיכם. והנה קדשים תהיו אין בו ו'ו ואילו כי קדוש יש לו וו'. והכונה שלהגיד לכל עדת בני ישראל ואמרת אליהם קדשים תהיו אפשר למעט הו' ולומר שלא שייך לכל כלל ישראל להיות קדושים כל כך. אבל כי קדוש אני השם אלקיכם זהו קדושת השם ממש וצריכים להקפיד על שלימות הקדושה כי קדוש אני השם אלקיכם. שכל השייכות לקדושה הוא ממה שמבינים שהכל בא מן הקב"ה ועיקר הגילוי של רצונו הוא קדושה.

איש אמו ואביו תיראו ואת שבתתי תשמרו. הנה השבת הוא עיקר הקדושה. אבל מקדים איש אמו ואביו תיראו קודם לואת שבתתי תשמרו.  וי"ל שבתנא דבי אליהו ראשית הספר יש הכלל שיש תורה ויש דרך ארץ. ושעיקר התורה הוא הדרך ארץ ולא התורה. וא"כ מבינים למה מקדימים איש אמו ואביו תיראו לואת שבתותי תשמרו. שהשבת הוא תורה ויראת האם הוא דרך ארץ. ודרך ארץ קדמה לתורה.

ומצאנו בסוף ספר מלאכי הנה אנכי שולח לכם את אליהו הנביא לפני בא יום השם הגדול והנורא והשיב לה אבות אל הבנים ולב בנים אל אבותם פן אבוא ואחריב כל הארץ חרמה. הרי שבעון של תורה לא מצאנו לשונות כאלה להחריב כל העולם עבור איזה חטא, אבל בביזיונות של ההורים שהוא דרך ארץ הקדמה לתורה, אם לא עושים יש חשש של חרבן העולם.

       ובכל זאת הקושיא גדולה שאם הנביא מלאכי בא ואומר שאין דרך ארץ ומביא בשם אליהו הנביא שקרוב שהעולם יתבטל למה לא היה ח"ו חרבן העולם? אלא שיש מן האורח חיים הקדוש בפרשת עקב שיש בחינה של צדיק שהעקב של הרגלים שלו והראש שלו לא הוי ב' דברים אלא שלימות אחד. ומי שהוא במדה זו קרוב מאוד להשם ואפילו כל הרוחות שבעולם לא מזיזים הצדיק מאהבת השם גמור שהשם שומרו בתכלית. אבל שאר אנשים שאינם כל כך שלימים אין להם השמירה מהשם כל כך.

ושמעתי מן הגאון הצדיק רבי דוב איזענבערג תלמידו של רבי אהרן קטלר ומוסמך שלו שפעם הלך רבי אהרן קטלר לאסיפה של רבנים מפורסמים. והיה ברצונו של רבי אהרן לעשות בארצות הברית הדרך של תורה כמו שהיה ביוארף. והרב הראשי ששמע דבריו אמר לו "הרב קטלר! אנו הרבנים פה המנהיגים בארצות הברית ועליך ללכך לארץ ישראל אצל חתונך רבי איסר זלמן! ולא היה שום מענה בפה רבי אהרן שאיך יאמר לבטל דברי הרב? ואמר לי רבי איזענבערג (שהפשטות שהוא היה שם עם רבי אהרן ) שאותו הרב מת מיד. שהקב"ה שומר חסידיו שהרגלים שלהם והראש שלהם הוא אותו הדבר שהכל בשלימות עבודת השם. לאיש הזה הקב"ה שומרו מכל רע. והשם הרג אותו הרב.

Great Jews and Great Sins

David Eidensohn

1 min

I see that Rabbi Betsalal Friedlander has established a group with a large membership to study tanach. This reminds me of a story about the Gaon Rav Yaacov Kaminetsky. Once a person was showing off his ability to know tanach, and he was proud of himself and his knowledge. Reb Yaacov who had learned thoroughly Tanach dozens of times, turned to him and began testing his knowledge of Tanach and that was the end of that session with the "expert."

In truth, I find that the study of Tanach is a very sensitive thing. One thing that bothers me very much is when passages in the Torah Neviim and Kesuvim offer strong criticism on great biblical people.

Let us discuss the biblical teaching in Melochim (kings) about Shlomo HaMelech, about Solomon the son of King David. It begins "and HaShem gave wisdom to Shlomo as He spoke to him about it." In chapter 8 passage 22 we find the great prayer made by Solomon in public to HaShem. But a few passages later we are given the statement of HaShem that only by true piety can Solomon merit the greatness of ruling the Jewish people. There is a threat not to be unfaithful to HaShem, which later on was to happen.

We find in chapter ten passage 11: "And the King Shlomo loved many strange women and the daughter of Pharoah...from the nations that HaShem forbade the Jews from marrying....with them Solomon was close with them in love." The passage then tells how Solomon was influenced by these foreign women to sin against HaShem. It seems that these strange women turned Shlomo against HaShem. "and Shlomo did what was evil in the eyes of HaShem."

And yet, Solomon produced great literature and built the Beis HaMikdosh. But he also did very serious sins. Yes, the study of Tanach is a mixed bag, unfortunately.

Actually, the mistakes of great Jews is a central theme of the Tanach. But it is painful to have to read about the terrible sins some great Jews committed.

Those of us like myself who have intense pain from parts of Tanach have a problem. The Torah tells it like it is. But that story is the whole story, leaving out nothing of the good and the bad. The story of the Jewish people and their great leaders is a very sensitive project.

One idea is that yes many great leaders did some sins, but if we as a Jewish people lasted so many centuries, perhaps these people who sometimes sinned had a lot to do with it.

I don't know a good explanation for the terrible sins of the greatest Jews. I could mention some teachings from various sources, but let us leave it for now, and accept that we as a nation survive all of the sins committed by people who shock us when they do these sins. And that requires a separate study and who knows if today anyone has the proper approach. Maybe the Malbim has succeeded there. Or maybe we can just keep things simple. The great Jews had tests from the Satan and sometimes they failed. And maybe they did penitence.

We know that Aharon was punished for making the Golden Calf, and he was as pious as his brother Moshe. But Moshe went to heaven regularly to talk to HaShem, and Aharon was blamed for the terrible sin of Jews worshipping the Golden Calf. Because Aharon was great, his sins are clearly spelled out and described. But who could have done better than the greatest saints?

Insights into Orthodox Jewish Religion

Insights into Orthodox Jewish Torah Religion

By Rabbi David Eidensohn 

Today there are people who no longer believe in traditional values even spiritual and religious ones. Some of these people are happy with denying their earlier beliefs in religion, and some of them are not happy without a spirituality. This is written for those people of various customs and former beliefs who feel they need a true spirituality. I am an ultra-Orthodox Jewish rabbi and I feel that these people who are looking for a true belief and religion can investigate Orthodox Judaism. I am not going so far as to call these people to my religion because I know that Orthodox Judaism is a strict code and not everybody can just jump in and be happy. But I rather ask these people seeking spirituality to just hear what I have to say and what appeals to them, so be it, and what they don't accept, that is fine as well, as I appreciate their giving me the time and effort.

Today Orthodox Judaism is growing faster than other religions, especially as many major religions especially the Jewish non-Orthodox type, are declining even close to disappearing. I have ten children, and all of the children are exactly as I am in their religious beliefs. The children are strongly trained in schools where many other children are successfully assimilating the teachings of the Orthodox Jewish ages. And I am happy to say that my children are having children, usually more than I have. And they are nearly all faithful to what I trained them to believe.

I live in a community filled with synagogues and people who basically all believe in what I do, and our great rabbis encourage everyone to maintain the teachings of the Torah that go back thousands of years, without change. Our belief is what Moses received from G-d and even today people are not anxious to change it.

Anyone interesting in learning about Orthodox Jewry can contact me at eidensohnd@gmail.com or they can call me at 845-578-1917.Shalom, David Eidensohn

A T almudist and Talking to Strangers

David Eidensohn

I am a Talmudist who studied under the greatest rabbis of the past generation, Rabbi Aharon Kotler, Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashev, Rabbi Shmuel HaLevi Wosner and others. On the other hand, I live in a world which is in flux, and various forces are at work to bring new elements to the control of our world. I have a friend who has spent years studying these various forces, and he is very pessimistic.

Therefore, on the one hand, I feel confident presenting my books and blog materials to the public, rooted in my ancient reliance on Talmudists and Torah. On the other hand, there are huge numbers of people who are restless and seeking and who have strong opposition to what is going on in the world today. Therefore, I have to decide whether to just talk Talmudic, or to talk directly to those who demand changes in the world, or else, and they are growing stronger every day. Do I have a right to talk about them when I surely am no expert in their grievances and ambitions?

My friend actually gave me an idea that might just work for me. He told me that in the many masses of people who are upset with our systems for various reasons, there are among them two basic responses. One holds that our masses do not have reliable attachment to spirituality and are therefore hungry for somebody to help them with it. Others have other grievances and are looking for some hideous solutions to the problems.

One person who succeeded in reaching these people big time began by talking Talmud to them and succeeding with prominent leaders! On the one hand they are seeking something new, but on the other hand, they know that spirituality is crucial for them and for the world, and they have no clue how to achieve it, after they have basically dropped faith in previous religions. But when presented with Jewish Talmudic teachings they often feel that this is closer to the truth and they want to hear more!

As my friends tells me frequently, the world is splitting into various groups who are angry at much of what is happening socially and spiritually. But these angry people have questions and no answers. They desperately want to re-connect to beliefs that can point to a spirituality that has a history and a future. There is no solution for these people other than to learn a bit of Jewish Orthodox beliefs. Here is why.

The Jewish Orthodox community is growing by leaps and bounds while other religions are disappearing. We have a solid source going back thousands of years of a G-d who is loving and caring and who wants to listen to the feelings of humans. We have a bible written by Moses with the help of G-d and we have thousands of years of great rabbis teaching and explaining so that people realize that they are involved with truth.

If anybody wants to talk to me about these matters, write to me at eidensohnd@gmail.com or ask for my phone number, which could take a bit longer.

This Morning was Special

By David Eidensohn

David Eidensohn

3 mins

This morning something happened that made me happy that I believe in HaShem! That may not sound so special, especially for all Torah Jews who worship HaShem daily. But listen to my story and then let me see if you agree with me, at least, partially.

The story begins some years ago, and I will cut to the quick, to get to what happened today, Thursday March 15, 2018. I had such a strong sensation and excitement about HaShem taking care of us even people who have great problems, that I spent hours contacting people about the great miracle, and it was only in late afternoon that I got working on other things.

Really, the story is about my wife, who realized that somebody was suffering, and decided to do something about it, even though nobody seemed available to do something about it. But my wife powered on. She said, "I live in Monsey. It is a city of kindness. If your child needs some attention, you snap your fingers and ten very busy mothers are heavily involved in kindness. There is no such thing in Monsey as a mother or a child or any individual just rotting away. There are people everywhere who see what they see, know what they know, and get to work along with a lot of other people. At any rate, that was a fact as I lived in Monsey many decades, and my wife knew it was a fact, and now, she stood alone while somebody is in a terrible situation.

After I had digested my wife's pain, I went into another room, opened up a Tanach with the entire Torah in it with no commentaries, and flipped open a passage in Yeshayeh 29, where Hashem explodes with anger and showering destruction. It was not a solution for my problem, but I took it as a sign that I keep thinking. And as I did, I realized that the solution is right in my pocket. I got to work, made some phone calls to the right people with the right suggestions, and pretty soon I had a small group of men and women who were going to devote themselves to giving broken people strength, and organizing people to help others.

Now let me go to phase two if we call it that. Phase two I am in shull, a baby is being prepared for a bris mila. The baby is shrieking. A friend tells me, "If a baby screams, that is a sign that HaShem will shower us with mercy." Okay, I was ready for that if ever I was. I went over to the Rov, told him basically that I had a problem, and I wanted Eliyohu HaNovi, who comes to everyone's bris, to some into the shull and participate to establish an atmosphere of miracle.

The Rov was happy to cooperate with my request, and I repeated my request to the Mohel and some others. Then, I went home after the bris, and I felt a great pain that my relative was suffering so much. My wife was upset. I was upset. Who wasn't upset? Surely our niece was upset.

I called up a friend and we had a long talk. He is a friend that I talk to regularly. He is very smart and we get along well. While we are talking, my wife barges into my room and shrieks, "She succeeded in going to court without a lawyer, with no money, and tangled with somebody loaded with money from him and his family, a person determined to tear the children away from our niece and afterwards to make sure that she has desperate poverty that could destroy her." And now this woman has succeeded getting a court of law to give to her her five children? Did they go further than that? How? Somebody suggested that the judge ruled that her ex-husband with his parental alienation antagonized the judge who realized that the former husband is such a wretch that the children will really suffer living with him, which they are never allowed to do, as he likes privacy.

I will stop here, after I made a lot of phone calls and talked up our group. Yes, yesterday I spoke to about six people about making a group to help people with kindness. And today the heavens opened and what a miracle it was.

If anyone has an article they want to write for my group, please do so. I can be reached at eidensohnd@gmail.com and by phone at 845-578-1917. Let's turn the world into Monsey, into Chesed.

I have long been busy studying marriage problems. One day I will discuss my findings. But the first step is to be kind, and to love people who are hurt, who need some love. And when the Satan comes over with some ideas on how to hate people, just tell him that you can hate people, but only people who are cruel to good people.

Stop Domestic Violence and Hate in Family

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Sarah's Voice is a legal service that provides a multidisciplinary approach to addressing domestic violence issues in the Orthodox community. ... provides hundreds of workshops in both the US and Israel for men and women from adolescence through adulthood on fostering healthy relationships andabuse prevention.

Domestic violence is the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior ... An estimated 1.3 million women are victims of physical assault by an intimate partner each year.2 ... 3 Bureau of Justice Statistics Crime Data Brief, Intimate Partner Violence, 1993-2001, February 2003. 4 ...

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