#86 - "We ALSO Want Jerusalem"

In these three weeks of reading in the Torah about Yishmael, ancestor of the Arabs in Parshiyot Lech Lecha, Vayera, and Chayeh Sara, we see that nothing is a coincidence.

In continuation of what I wrote near the end of my previous post about Yishmael's mother Hagar, and her anti-Jewish values that she instilled in her son that caused them both to eventually be thrown out of the home of Abraham & Sarah, there is clear cut proof in the Torah that Yishmael, as represented by the Arab world, ultimately want ALL of our land - BEGINNING with our holiest city in the world.

If it would be just our enemies who wished for property that belongs to Jews, it would be bad enough. And while this seems to have been pretty predictable in various Talmudic and Midrashic sources, little is addressed about what would lead to this.

I am referring particularly to the dictatorship that is over our Holy Land today, consisting of Jews who look to lick down to the nations of the world who really aren't any more impressed by these "land for peace" gestures, and the Arabs really want nothing less than 100% of the pie.

No doubt in my mind that part of the reason why we have failed until this day to get a majority in the Knesset to sway towards the GENUINE right-wing way, despite the majority of Israelis today living in Israel who realize by now that the Arabs want it all, is due to those "religious" parties and other "religious" so called leaders who are in it solely for the money, power, and prestige.

Within the past two Shabbatot, I came across Parsha publications from anywhere with ads for Kahane's 20th Yahrzeit memorial to eulogizing Rabin claiming that he was assisinated on the Yahrzeit of Rachel Imeinu - 11 Cheshvan - when in fact, he was killed at night following the day of 11 Cheshvan, which in fact makes it the next day of 12 Cheshvan, just in order to make him look like a good Jew, when these same Parsha publications mourning a traitor to the Jewish people during the previous Shabbat didn't seem to have any room for Kahane, a true Jewish leader and hero in the respective Parsha publications for this past Shabbat.

And this is where I come in. While there were even those "religious" Jews who claimed that it would be safer for us to give away Gush Katif to our blood-thirsty enemies, even though logically, it would make them ever closer to attack us, not all the Arabs are so dumb. Anwar Sadat, former Prime Minister of Egypt, knew just the way to get something from Israel, which he very unfortunately accomplished - through the means of "peace." Even many religious Jews at the time in 1979 thought that it perhaps would help bring peace despite the forbidden land sacrifice of the Sinai according to the Torah, forgetting among other things that less than six years earlier, it was none other than Sadat himself who planned the sneak attack Yom Kippur war in 1973.

And so, let's start with Parshat Lech Lecha, which we read in the Torah a couple of weeks ago, and discussed in my previous post. As I have noted in more recent posts, the Torah at times mentions a Biblical figure's age at one point in their lives for a very specific reason. It represents a turning point in his life, or perhaps more importantly, it points out to the event at that point in one's life because the event itself is a most crucial point in world and Jewish history.

Today, I am referring specifically to the mention of Abraham's age of 86 when he fathered his son Yishmael - and this is my 86th Post. And here is a question that begs questioning. If in the very next chapter, the Torah reveals to us the respective ages of Abraham and Yishmael when they had their circumcision, wouldn't we know how old Abraham was when his son Yishmael was born? It's one thing if the Torah was a history book, but as we know, the Torah doesn't mention even one word extra if there is nothing to learn from it in our practical lives. In fact, it would be Isaac who would be Abraham's son who would succeed him bearing the Jewish nation - not Yishmael, so why mention all the little details related to Yishmael when he is only mentioned so we know who he is?

There is a mathematical formula that I will apply to Abraham's age of 86 shortly. But first, to show you proof of why I am going to be using this formula, let's fast forward to the next Parsha of Vayera to the time that both siblings - Yishmael & Isaac - were living together. As usual, Rashi is right on the ball explaining the "behind the scenes" that glues the picture together. He mentions how Yishmael was arguing with his brother Isaac about dividing the future inheritance, claiming himself to be the one to take a double portion being the firstborn. And for fighting outside the house, Yishmael's idea of playing games with his young brother Isaac was shooting arrows at him.

Any honest Jew learning Rashi today can see such an obvious similarity with Yishmael's descendants today who are claiming Israel as Palestine, murdering and injuring Jews along the way to claim land, which very unfortunately, has worked quite well thanks to the Israeli dictatorship. In the original history, Sarah wasted
no time complaining to Abraham about what was going on; and noting Abraham's hesitance of throwing his son Yishmael from home, Hashem told him to listen to his wife.

Now, the Hebrew word for arrows is Chitzim. The singular for this is Chetz. And the word that is between the singular and plural forms is Chatzi - half.

While in fact, the Yishmaelite nation(s) really claim ALL of Israel as Palestine, they cry to the world that at the very least, they want their side-by-side land, Palestine along with Israel. The truth is that this is just the way to get as much land as possible from us now - whether through peace or war - and then when they get as much as possible the "easier" way, then they plan to fight us in a full scale war for the rest. Meanwhile, the Arabs in attempting to get sympathy from the world - including Christians who claim they believe in the Bible which includes mention of the boundaries of Israel and our rights to it, but close it when it comes to giving in to Arab claims - claim that they want their "half."

The truth is that Yasir Arafat, past president of the Palestine Liberation Organization, while claiming this to the world, told Israel all along that he claims ALL of Israel as Palestine. Proof that this is true - when former dictator Prime Monster of Israel Ehud Barak offered 97% of Judea and Samaria to Arafat, he turned it down. Though this soon led to the second Intifada in 2000; had G-d forbid, Arafat would have accepted the proposal and Barak would have proceeded to enforce this, kicking out millions of Jews from their homes, only G-d knows what would have been today.

And now getting back to Abraham's age of 86 when he fathered Yishmael, we should note that the Torah also mentions his age when he fathered Isaac - at 100 years old.

Now, here comes the mathematical formula. It's simple. Speaking of half, as related to the word for arrows that Yishmael used in his attempt to do away with his brother Isaac, let's HALF our fraction here - 86/100, or spelled out as 86 over
100. Dividing this in HALF, we have 43/50, or spelled out as 43 over 50.

Reminds you of anything? Well, we have the 49 days of the Sephirah period that we count daily from the second night of Passover until Shavuot, and then we have the holiday of Shavuot, which the Torah called the "Fiftieth Day."

And what is 43? Or rather, what is the 43rd day of the Sephirah? Yes, my friends, 43 and a half years ago, this became Yom Yerushalayim/Jerusalem Day (the date of 28 Iyar 5727/1967). 31 million Arabs attempted to do away with us, to throw us Jews into the sea, and take back the land when only 19 years earlier, it was declared a state for the Jewish people. For all that the world knew, it was over for us Jews in those most fateful days in June 1967. However, Hashem had different plans for us.
It was an all time high for the Jewish people since the time of the rebuilt Temple in the days of Herod when we got in our hands, various parts of Israel, and most importantly "The Temple Mount is in our hands!" quoting Mordechai "Motta" Gur.

In Hebrew, reversing the letters of the number for 43 - Mem & Gimel - reads the word Gam/also. In short, the Arabs, while claiming to the world that they want ONLY part or "half" of our country as Palestine, when no such country ever even existed, what they really are saying is "we want ALSO this, and ALSO this." Yes, 43+43 equals 86, claiming to be the the firstborn and ultimate heir of Abraham, who was 86 when his son Yishmael was born.

But the Arabs don't have to go far with their claims to the present Israeli government, many of whom are still all so eager to satisfy the Arab claims. Indeed, the Arabs ALSO want HALF of Jerusalem, as though most of "East Jerusalem" isn't enough for them, as well as their quarter of the "Old City" right near the Temple Mount and Western Wall. And Shimon Peres, whose last name which he gave himself in lieu of his former Jewish Polish name Perski, indeed lives up to his present Hebrew last name of Peres, for it can also be read as a verb to mean "divide," who spent his long political career until this day to help the Arabs to do just that. I think in his case, it would have been better if he would have kept his last name Perski, if he wouldn't have helped the Arabs instead of Jews.


ON A HAPPIER TONE...

There is a Chasidic thought from among the Chasidic masters that the first four Parshiyot of the Torah correspond to the holidays that we celebrated during the last month of Tishrei. Bereishit - Rosh Hashanah, Noach - Yom Kippur, Lech Lecha - Succot, Vayera - Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah.

Yes, there are those observant Jews who mockingly say, "Yeah, it's just another one of those Chasidic sayings. Who knows if there is any truth to it according to the Torah."

Aside from the big Aveira/sin of mocking some of the biggest Torah scholars of the past two centuries, those who think along these terms are also narrow-minded. The truth is that I don't think that there are many today in the non-Chasidic religious world who look down on the Chasidic movement and its masters, but it is true that not long before, there was much opposition to the Chasidic movement.

At least as far as the Parshiyot of the previous two weeks - Lech Lecha & Vayera are concerned, Lech Lecha is a very happy Parsha, as Abraham is promised Israel right from the start of the day, concluding on the Mitzvah of Brit Milah/circumcision that was given to him, which today marks a very happy day in the life of the family of the circumcised new-born. Correspondingly, Succot is the holiday which the Torah calls and in our prayers - Zman Simchateinu "The time of our happiness." And Parshat Vayera, noting the birth of the first child to be born Jewish with his circumcision being performed on his EIGHTH day - Isaac, corresponds to the most joyous holiday of Shemini Atzeret, the EIGHTH day from Succot.

As I wrote in previous posts of the connection between Succot and Jerusalem, as noted in the conclusion of the Beracha/benediction that we recite on Shabbat night right before Shemoneh Esrei, there is a very strong hint to this in the Hidden Codes of the Torah.

You see, I mentioned that Parshat Lech Lecha corresponds to Succot, and that Succot is very connected with the concept of Jerusalem. The word for this in Hebrew is Yerushalayim, a word that is not mentioned even once in the entire Five Books of Moses, but mentioned a total of 669 times in the rest of the Bible. Now, except for five places, the word Yerushalayim is spelled without a second Yud. There are only five times that mention this word with a second Yud inserted between the Lamed & the Mem.

Now, it is true that before Jerusalem got to be named as such, there were other names for the future holiest city in the world. First in Parshat Lech Lecha, it is called Shalem/Salem, invented by Shem son of Noah, who was king of the city at one time. Then in the next Parsha of Vayera, we see that Abraham called the place Hashem Yireh - "The L-rd will see." Noting the similar etymology of these words between the two different names, they were combined in time to make up the name Yerushalayim. While this name is partly based on a word that means "complete" - Shalem, it is also based on a word that is most similar - Shalom/peace, as Jerusalem is indeed the "City of Peace," and while it may not seem to be as such during these political days, it will be that way once again in the Messianic era.

Now for the Hidden Code itself, spelling Yerushalayim to include the second Yud, the shortest spelling of this word equidistantly is where every 71st letter spells another letter of Yerushalayim. Amazingly, this can be found specifically in Genesis Chapter 17, the final chapter of Parshat Lech Lecha, which is all about the Mitzvah of Brit Milah that Hashem gave to Abraham, which was finalized by Abraham & Yishmael performing it for themselves on the same day.

The fact that we Jews own Israel is due to the very merit of this most crucial Mitzvah of Brit Milah. In fact, the Torah in this chapter mentions that Hashem has given Israel to Abraham's descendants, in the VERY SAME CHAPTER that the word Yerushalayim, the name of the capital of Israel, is spelled the shortest equidistant spelling in the Chumash!

Now, what I wrote above here in the Hidden Codes is not my original invention. However, one thing that I did notice now that I didn't see when I first read about this discovery is Obama's last name (spelled as Alef, Vav, Beit, Mem, Hei) which is also spelled equidistantly, hovering over the spelling of Yerushalayim in the matrix, which is a scary prediction of Obama attempting to fight us Jews in the near future, as predicted in Exekiel Chapters 38,39 and Zechariah Chapter 14, when Obama, as Gog U'Magog will lead the nations to fight us specifically in Jerusalem.

In any case, as I mentioned about the number 71 in past posts, as we are speaking of every 71st letter spelling the name Yerushalayim, it is this number that specifically represents the Jewish people, especially during Succot time, when we used to offer during the course of the seven days of Succot - 70 cows to atone for the 70 nations of the world. Then on Shemini Atzeret, the EIGHTH day from Succot, we bring just one cow representing ourselves, the 71st nation, symbolizing Hashem's special relationship with us.

And so the Brit Milah is that special mark on a Jewish body on the EIGHTH day of the newborn infant's life, marking his special bond with Hashem. The very first one who was circumcised on the EIGHTH day of his life was Isaac, about whom Hashem spoke about in this very chapter about the Brit Milah.

However, it is in this very Parsha that Hashem also tells Abraham about Yishmael's future success as a growing nation. And it is in this very part of the Torah that this word Yerushalayim is spelled as such equidistantly.

And so, more than any part of Israel, it is specifically JERUSALEM, and even more specifically, the TEMPLE MOUNT, that the Moslem Arabs fight MOST about.

You see, they know that if they can get their way with Jerusalem - even just "half" way - they have it made. For after all, if they can claim their bloody hands on whatever part of the holiest city of the world, especially if it is on the area of the world - the TEMPLE MOUNT - that Jews throughout the world turn to, but are forbidden by the Wakf and Israeli police to move their lips ever so slightly in saying any prayer on the mount itself, then how hard will it be for them to claim the rest of the Holy Land pie?

The Moslem Arabs' biggest display of mockery is that so called "colorful" dome that is over their mosque on the Temple Mount, that would otherwise seem to make the "Old City" of Jerusalem look like a plain area. But what even some scholarly Jews who conveniently forget due to their fear of saying anything politically incorrect is that it is HASHEM who is the COVERING over us, the same way that the spiritual component of the Succah protects us - NOT the damn dome that the Arabs want to paint for the world to claim how we Jews want to cause destruction, when it is THEY who want to cause destruction to Jewish proof of our ownership of the Temple Mount and the rest of Israel.

You see, some of these scholarly Jews claim that it is forbidden to go up on ANY part of the Temple Mount due to impurity of the dead that we all have today, when in fact, the Jewish Law makes it clear that it is only CERTAIN parts of the mount that it is forbidden to walk on. The proof - the Rambam/Maimonides, who annually celebrated the 6th of Cheshvan as the date that he ascended the Temple Mount when he visited Israel.


WHO WANTS REAL PEACE?

If we truly peace from the Arabs, then we need to begin at home. No, I don't mean home as far as Israel is concerned, by giving it away - piece by piece. But in this instance, we need to begin peace with ourselves.

Last week, I just came across a Sefer/Jewish book, called (Kitzur) Mishpetei Shalom -
(Concise Code of) "The Judgments of Peace." There is a longer version of this book, while this particular one is more on the concentration of the practical aspects of the contents of this book - which is all about making peace amongst our own Jewish people, including judging people favorably, avoid suspicion, and not hating other Jews in our hearts for no justified reason or holding our hate without expressing our reason to it to the other party.

This is one of the Jewish books that is divided to be learned on a daily basis. This particular one is divided to be learned within the course of half a year, or during the course of a year during each of the three meals of Shabbat, as well as Jewish holidays. On a personal note, one of the half year marks begins with my Jewish birthday - 1 Iyar.

And so, to mention briefly what today's message from this book is, one who in the past caused pain or damage to another Jew, he has an obligation to appease him. However, if it is just hate in his heart, he should not seek to ask his forgiveness, since if anything, doing so can make things worse. However, the correct sequence of repentance is this instance is regret for the past, confession, and accepting not to continuing hating the other Jew in the future.

Now, the Torah writes "You shall fear your G-d." This statement tells us that while others may not know what is in our hearts, G-d knows. People usually can only read what they see as the person's facial expressions, but Hashem can see what is going on in our mind and hearts. Therefore, we need to muster our strength to purify our thoughts before Gd from all forbidden thoughts and feelings, as stated in Pirkei Avot/Ethics of the Fathers - "Who is strong? One who conquers his evil inclinaton."


HATRED FOR NO JUSTIFIED REASON?

Sinat Chinam - baseless hatred, was the cause of the destruction of the Second Temple, and is the reason for the Temple not being rebuilt until this very day. While Torah life, especially for those from non-observant Jews looking to become observant is at a all time high in terms of thirst of Judaism, there is no doubt some hatred between different levels of "religious" Jews, as well as between some Ashkenazic and the mislabled "Sephardic" Jews. While there is much unity between these different groups, it is unfortunate, G-d forbid, when even a little hatred goes a long way in terms of destruction.

Let's get back writing about the Rambam. Born in Spain, his family emigrated to Morocco at one point, continuing their journey to Israel, and eventually, he found himself as the Sultan's physician in Egypt. It's most interesting to note that when he writes his introduction to his greatest contribution of writings - the Mishneh Torah, covering the laws over all aspects of Judaism, he titles himself as Sephardi.

Indeed, this terminology for himself is correct. Spain is Sephard in Hebrew, and so one who is from Spain is called Sephardi in Hebrew.

An interesting observation that I recently made about this word, when rearranged, it can be spelled as Yud-Dalet (the letters, not the words) Sefer - fourteen book(s), for in fact, his magnum opus called Mishneh Torah is divided into 14 books. And speaking of the number 14 in terms of the Rambam, he was born on the 14th of Nissan, and the name of his brother who used to support him so he could learn Torah until he drowned at sea was David, which is the Gematria of 14.

Speaking of the name David, it was King David who composed Tehillim/Book of Psalms. And in fact, the way we have the order of the 24 Books of the Tanach/Bible today, Tehillim is indeed placed as the 14th Sefer of the Tanach! And incidentally, the very last word of Tehillim is Hallelu-ya/Halleluja which is the Gematria of 86 - and this is my 86th Post.

Anyways, the fact that the Rambam describes himself as Sephardi is very significant. You see, the various works of the Torah and Halacha/Jewish Law were composed in different lands. Rashi, whose commentary to the Torah is considered number one, lived in France. The Rambam was originally from Spain, and eventually lived in Egypt for a good part of his life. Rabbi Yosef Karo, a Sephardic rabbi,who moved to Israel later in life, was the author of the Shulchan Aruch/Code of Jewish Law.

The point that I want to make here is that there are contributions from Jews from ALL over the world. Whether one is labeled Ashkenazic, Sephardic, or some other name form, it is how his/her service to Hashem is what counts at the end of days, not race or color.

It's interesting to note that the Rambam is often pictured as having a brownish complexion. The truth is that most people living in Spain or coming from such ancestry are in fact Caucasian. Being labeled as Sephardic as that what he was in fact, he is painted as such with a brownish complexion to denote that.

Look, I never met the Rambam, unless I am a reincarnate of a Jew who lived in his days. But today, most Jews who are not Ashkenazic are labeled as Sephardic, when in fact, most are not Sephardic. I am referring to Jews coming from the various middle east lands, who are in fact correctly called the Eidut HaMizrach - "Congregation of the East." Yet for some reason, some of them proudly claim themselves as Sephardi Tahor - "pure Sephardic", as most of them are in fact of brownish complexion. But ironically, there are some Ashkenazic Jews who are in fact more Sephardic than these Sephardi Tahor ones, because there are Ashkenazic Jews who in fact have ancestry that dates back from Spain, but is hardly noticable today, because most Ashkenazic Jews are of Caucausian complexion as people from Spain are.

And so, if we cannot even correctly label ourselves or others, then I think it's about time to think about what really counts. True, a Jewish person from one country or culture may not feel as comfortable hanging out with those of a different country or culture as of his own. However, if we can accept the fact that we have outward differences, then accepting each other Jews won't be so difficult. For at the end, the non-Jews of the world remind us who we really are in one word - JEWS.

And so, the answer for peace in the Middle East, in Israel, in Jerusalem, and on the Temple Mount, is peace among ourselves, feeling the land of Israel as not only our land, but our ONLY land. We may still have ties to other countries, but that is just a technical thing in terms of remaining family members or overseas work. However, we all Jews - regardless of our origins, have to remember that we are only so many millions of Jews, barely a half percent of the world's populaton, the latter who have other interests than acknowledging our wishes for peace in the Middle East, most of whom are going to blame us no matter what we do to solve the pieces of the puzzle. But instead of being puzzled, the answers to all our problems can be found right in the Torah.

Both we Jews and the Arabs ask for Jerusalem. However, there is one key difference. We want Jerusalem, because this is what Hashem promised us, and is the holiest city in the world where we can serve Hashem best, especially when we have the Holy Temple once again. However, the Arabs claim "We ALSO want Jerusalem," knowing of our claim to the holiest city, but whether they openly claim ALSO as in HALF of the city, or privately telling their own that ALL of it is theirs, the ONLY reason why they claim it as theirs is so that we Jews should not have any part of it. For in fact, Jerusalem is not mentioned even once in the Koran, so why do they claim it as theirs as much as Mecca or Medina? After all, why don't they wish to go to their "holiest" city of Mecca and live there or near there? But as we see in the Torah, this is the struggle between Yishmael & Yitzchak, and when we realize where the PEACE really belongs, it will be ONLY then - as more Jews even among the secular youth in Israel are realizing - that we Jews will soon ALL be together forever in the environs of the holiest area in the world, with the rest of the nations admitting that we are the 71st Nation - not Yishmael or Esau, though also descended from Abraham or Isaac - who are the rightful heirs to the CITY OF PEACE.

NOTE: G-d willing, I expect to post next before the end of the week, or as quickly afterwards as possible. I have very timely information to write A.S.A.P.

17 Cheshvan, 5771