The Day the Old City Gates Spoke

In honor of Yom Yerushalayim 5779...בכבוד יום ירושלים ה"תשע"ט

I hope we will be greeting Mashiah soon, here in Yerushalayim! The Rav will be able to serve in the Third Holy Temple, along with my husband, a Levi. (Can't find the source. Sorry.)

BS”D Yom Yerushalayim 5779 | Rabbi Nachman Kahana

reformatted slightly by HDG

IN HONOR OF THE 52nd YEAR OF RE-UNIFICATION OF YERUSHALAYIM – YOM YERUSHALAYIM

The following is a translation of a composition by Mr. Yitzchak Navon, in honor of Yerushalayim, written when he was serving as our 5th president.

In June 1967, the Six Day War broke out.  Israel’s soldiers fought bravely and won many victories. Soon they reached the Old City of Jerusalem. They prepared to fight for it, and to take it back from Jordan.  But they did not know through which of the seven gates to enter.  As they tried to decide what to do, each gate begged, one louder than the other, “Enter the Old City through me. Enter the Old City through me.”

Their voices reached heaven, but God and his angels could not decide which gate deserved to be the one through which the soldiers would enter.  Then the angel Michael spoke. “God in Heaven, All the gates are beautiful, and each deserves to be the one through which the soldiers will enter the Old City.  Let each gate speak and explain why it should be chosen.  Then You will decide which gate is most worthy.

God thought this was an excellent idea and asked each gate to speak for itself.  Sha’ar Yafo, the Jaffa Gate, spoke first.

 Two important roads go out from me.  One leads to the city of Yafo and to the Mediterranean Sea.  The other goes to Hevron where our ancestors Avraham and Sarah, Yitzchak and Rivkah, and Ya`akov and Leah are buried in the Me’a-rat Ha-mach-pe-lah.  Near me stands the Tower of David.  I will make sure that the soldiers of Israel enter the Old City safely.

Then Sha’ar Sh’khem, the Damascus Gate, spoke out in a loud voice and said:

I am the biggest and most beautiful of all the gates.  All roads leading north from Jerusalem start here with me.  Let the soldiers of Israel enter the Old City through me.

Sha’ar Tzion, the Zion Gate, was the next to speak:

God in Heaven, I am named for your holy city—Tzion.  Look at me.  I am bruised and broken from all the fighting around me.  It is only right that victory should come through me.  Choose me, choose me.

Raising its voice, Sha’ar HaAshpot, the Dung Gate, said:

Dear God, look at me.  I am miserable and ashamed.  For centuries, Jerusalem’s garbage was dumped on me.  Now don’t misunderstand, I would rather be covered with the garbage of Jerusalem than with all the precious jewels in the world.  Every day, I try to comfort the Kotel, which is right next to me.  It is sad because Jews cannot pray there now.  Make us happy and let Israel’s soldiers enter the Old City through me.

It was then the turn of Sha’ar HaPerahim, the Flower Gate:

It would not be right for the soldiers of Israel to enter the Old City through the dirty Dung Gate.  Let the soldiers of Israel enter through me and I will give them wreaths of flowers.  It should be through me, through me.

Next the voice of Sha’ar HeHadash, the New Gate, was heard.

I am the smallest and newest of the gates.  I am so new that I am not even counted as one of the seven gates.  I am near the Israeli side of the city, and every day I watch as Israel’s enemies fire upon her. I try to protect Israel, but I cannot.  Please let Israel’s soldiers enter through me.

Next in line to speak was Sha’ar HaRahamim, the Golden Gate. Its voice was muffled because it was closed in on both sides.

Master of the Universe.  For years my entrance has been sealed shut.  The other gates open and close, but large stones block me up. You promised that the Jews would return to rebuild the Beit HaMikdash through me, and that is why Israel’s enemies sealed me shut.  It is only right that the soldiers of Israel enter through me.

Only Sha’ar Ha’Arayot, the Lions’ Gate, was left to speak.  God pointed to it, but it remained silent.  Finally, it began to speak in a soft voice:

God in Heaven.  From all directions I see soldiers fighting and being wounded. My heart is breaking, and I cannot bear to watch any longer.  It doesn’t matter through which gate the soldiers enter. Just make the fighting stop.

God and the angels heard these words and whispered among themselves.  Then God turned to the Lions’ Gate and said:  All the other gates are interested in their own honor. But you care more about the soldiers of Israel than about yourself. Therefore, we have decided that the soldiers of Israel will enter the Old City through you.  Let them enter through the Lions’ Gate.  Their armored cars swept through the alleyways, and they set the city free.  At the Western Wall they blew a great blast on the shofar.  The blast was heard throughout the land and everyone knew that the gates of the Old City were once again open to Jews.  A miracle had occurred.  Jerusalem was united.

Dear Friends:

Chag Samayach to the entire House of Israel on the anniversary of one of the greatest miracles to ever have been performed by our Father in Heaven – and this in our own time – the re-unification of Yerushalayim. We are now sovereign over the holy city for the first time in over 2000 years, and it will never be taken away from us – be’ezrat HaShem

Shabbat Shalom | Nachman Kahana | Copyright © 5779/2019 Nachman Kahana

Lag B’Omer – Light My Fire!

21 Iyyar 5779 / a little late for La"G ba'Omer ;-(

Fire Safety for Lag BaOmer - Hidabroot (read the source! Great for years to come...)

 [Note RE: the first paragraph: R' Sprecher told me today that he was told that Robbie Krieger of the former Doors had visited Israel and Diaspora Yeshiva in the late 1960s, several years before the Rav had himself arrived. I could find no independent corroboration on line or anywhere else (wouldn't it have been cool to have a link?). Please let me know if you met him here, or heard about it, at my blog email or as a comment below. -HDG]


by Rabbi Ephraim Sprecher | links to sources by HDG

The Doors had a number one hit song called "Light My Fire" in 1967. This song was written by band member Robby Krieger who visited Diaspora Yeshiva in the 1960s. Perhaps Krieger was inspired by the Lag B’Omer fires that he saw in Israel. Why does everyone in Israel get so "fired up" on Lag B’Omer?

There are two main historical events connected to Lag B’Omer. First, the Talmud Yevamot 62[b] states that during the time of Rabbi Akiva, 24,000 of his students died from a Divinely sent plague during the days of the counting of the Omer between Pesach and Shavuot.

The Talmud goes on to say that this was a punishment because Rabbi Akiva's disciples did not show love and respect to each other. They were jealous and begrudged each other's spiritual levels and achievements.

We celebrate Lag B’Omer as the traditional day that this plague was suspended and Rabbi Akiva's students stopped dying.

The Zohar gives another reason for Lag B’Omer. It recounts that the great sage, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai died late in the day on Lag B’Omer, and the sun miraculously did not set until he died, when a Heavenly Pillar of Fire appeared over his body. Thus, there is the Kabbalistic tradition of lighting candles and bonfires on Lag B’Omer. Also, customs of mourning for Rabbi Akiva's disciples, held during the days from Pesach till Shavuot, are suspended and stopped on Lag B’Omer.

But what does Lag B’Omer mean today? What is the message for us in our daily lives?

Perhaps these two ideas, the mourning for Rabbi Akiva's students and the lighting of bonfires for Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai's Yahrzeit are connected.

Think of a camp fire or a bonfire. It provides a warm glow. You can roast marshmallows and hotdogs around the camp fire, gather around and bond with other people. Everyone is attracted to a fire. Throughout the Torah, G-D always appears to human beings in a fire. For example, G-D appeared to Moshe as a flame in the Burning Bush and to the entire Jewish People as a Devouring Fire on top of Mount Sinai (Shemot 24). Thus, a bonfire or campfire bonds and brings people together.

The idea of Lag B’Omer and the lighting of fires is to bring us together. Rabbi Akiva's disciples grew apart, the bonfires of Lag B’Omer are supposed to bring us together. We should illuminate each other with the Light of Torah and perform our Mitzvot with fiery enthusiasm. Our goal as Jews is to kindle each other’s Eternal Flame.

It's strange, but in today's age, although we are more connected to each other than ever before thanks to technology, we seem to be more disconnected from the people around us. We see people sitting together but instead of talking to each other, each one is engrossed in texting someone else through their smart phone and WhatsApp.

So on Lag B’Omer, for one night a year, we should put away our smart phones and dumb phones and show respect and love for each other by reconnecting to those close to us.

This can be the Tikkun for Rabbi Akiva's disciples, who had no respect and love for each other.

 ***

NOTE: The municipality of Jerusalem did not allowing fires to be lit on La"G ba'Omer because of the hot, dry summer-like weather - readers may be aware that there were fires, not only from the bonfires, but from our "cousins" as well. -HDG

A little good news amidst the bad...

12 Iyyar 5779
Erev Shabbat BeHar Sinai


Every time I try to put a post together for the past month or so, I find I'm not ready soon enough, so I keep deleting idea after idea and post after post.

Too much is going on for my slow-working mind to grasp quickly enough to be timely. That's why this blog will never carry "breaking news" unless the timing happens to be just right. Or, maybe I'll be ahead by too much.

I'm more of an analyst - who knows, maybe I'm here to correct part of the Sin of the Spies. After all, the spies were the tribal leaders of the then-new nation of Israel when they discouraged the people from going up to the Land because "the land eats its inhabitants" among other reasons.

Rabbi Ephraim Sprecher says this is because they analyzed the situation, rather than trusting their Creator's word, and came to the wrong conclusion, thus bringing death and disaster upon us before we would be ready to ascend.

R' Sprecher explained to us yesterday that the two parashioth Yitro (Exodus chapters 18-20 / שמות פרקי י"ח-כ) and Sh'lah Lekha (Numbers chapters 13-15 / במדבר פרקי י"ג-ט"ו) are in chronological order as I listed them here, even though they are not thus in the Torah, because Yitro, the great former religious leader of Midian and then-new convert to Judaism, influenced the tribal leaders to believe that one didn't have to live in Eretz Yisrael in order to be a good Jew. So, next thing you know, the tribal leaders — all except for Yehoshua and Kalev — found reasons to discourage the people from coming up here. This is compared with the great-grandmother of Mashiah, the Midianitess convert Ruth, who said, "Wherever you go, I will go...wherever you lodge, I will lodge..."

The Rav went on to suggest that this is why Jewish families name their daughters Ruth, while we don't name our sons Yitro (or Jethro). (The video is at the end of this post.)

Some hidden-in-plain-sight news follows:

1) US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman "fires back at the NY Times" for criticizing him for stating that Israel is on the side of G-d.

“So where am I off in saying that God is on the side of Israel?” Friedman asked. “The fact that God has fulfilled his prophecies and delivered the people of Israel to their land is demonstrably true.”

It is as much a great miracle that Ambassador Friedman actually included HQB"H in his original comment as it is for him to defend it to the Times! May there be more like this!

2) A great mercy: Gaza border protest canceled due to heat, Ramadan and Eurovision

Yes, Eurovision. The money quote is:

Maj. Gen. (Res.) Amos Gilad, former head of the Defense Ministry's security-policy headquarters said on Army Radio that "Hamas is quieting the demonstrators so that Eurovision will pass calmly."

 I can't believe it myself, since I'm against the great hillul haShem this represents and I'm proud that the highly popular Israeli band Shalva quit early on because they didn't want to perform on Shabbat.

Also, the link just above goes to the notice that Chief Rabbi of Israel David Lau calls us to stop work at least 10 minutes before Shabbat and 10 minutes after the end of Shabbat.

"This Shabbat will be a mass desecration of Shabbat," he said. "Unfortunately, this is not the first time but this time it will be before the eyes of the entire world."

Despite this, could it mean that our collective merit is, or will be, greater than our demerit? 

Is that even possible?!?!?!?! As remote as the possibility might be, or even if not, G-d forbid, THANK YOU, HaQADOSH BARUCH HU for Your tender mercies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!