Judaism: Rabbi David E. Eidensohn Torah Site

Jewish Outreach Congregation - a Synagogue Without Walls for Searching Jews, Noahides and Good People

Last updated June 9, 2,001

Shalom! Welcome

MAY IT REMAIN JEWISH!

CONTENTS

Sinai Central WEBSITE

with Rabbi David E. Eidensohn

Visit a Ukranian Jewish Summer Camp by Web

A Letter from Ukraine from Cyril

Shalom!

In 1992 when i was 10 years old my father told me that it's time to learn

about our roots. About our Jewish roots...

Of course I knew Iwas Jewish. I couldn't forget it even if Iwanted to

because many of my classmates were recalling me that fact too often.

So my decision was that Ishould try to go to the Jewish Summer Camp. And if

I liked it I could stay there for the second month. And I did.

Everything was new for me there. I could understand English a little but i

could not understand things my counselor told us. The only thing we could do

was to listen everything he was telling about Shabbos rules, Torah

explanation and so on. Later, maybe during my second Summer in the Jewish

camp, I started realize some things I couldn't understand.

I refused to enter the Jewish school. But every single summer i was in the

camp again. And i tried to get there as more as it was possible...

During my 7th straight summer I became the youngest staff member. It wasn't

easy but Ihad less problems than Icould have because a year before that I

was a camper too.

Now when Isee kids came first to the Jewish camp Irecognize myself being a

camper 10 years ago. They know more than I did but there are also some

things they can not understand now. But I'm sure they will. The Camp gives

them a chance to find the right way. The Kiev Jewish School "Ohr Haim" No.

299 gives that chance...

1992-1997 camper,

1998-2000 staff member

Cyril

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Announcing a new Link, to the Sinai Family Forum!

The Sinai Family Forum brings news to the family and biblical community about threats to it from the actions of the radicals, gay lobby and the ACLU. We invite all people, even those who are not at all religious, to realize that the Gay Lobby and secularists are trying to drive biblical people into the closet, and deprive us of our constitutional rights. Today, a group of gays invaded the administrative offices at Tufts University because it would not punish a Christian student group over a gay issue. GAY TERROR MUST STOP!

Response to a Missionary

Celia,

Thank you for your letter. I thank you for your questions, although your intent is not to learn, but to attack Judaism. Nonetheless, I will endeavor to deal with your points. I will take your letter, word by word, and if you have other points, please let me know what they are. I can't promise, but I hope to answer you.

Here is the letter. Its text is in italics and my reply in regular format.

Dear Rabbi,

I read in your reply to the crazy baptist missionary, that the christain translators had changed the words of the scriptures to suit their needs. If your accusations are true no punishment would be enough for those frauds

Celia,

I don't know why we have to get funny. The Baptist missionary is surely not crazy. He is completely sincere and probably intelligent as well. He has no Jewish tradition from Sinai, and, like so many other people, seeks transcendence as it comes, as it is taught by his society. Those who do not have Revelation from Sinai, as Israel does, have to do with mortal inventions, such as Islam and Christianity, and indeed, almost the entire world, aside from Israel, worships the teachings of inventors. These inventors then spread their teachings by missionary activities and when possible, the sword. Christianity is therefore a religion created by inventors and murderers. There are twenty-six versions of who the founder of Christianity was, and they are most likely all wrong, because people who never saw him wrote these tales. The church dealt with these 26 versions by declaring, again by invention, that 22 of them were "heretical." That left four, and they conflict.

The proof of the impossible task of finding out what Christianity was meant to teach is that today there are two hundred Protestant sects in America alone, and each are always attacking and dividing. In earlier times, these people would kill each other. This happened when the elders of Christianity could not decide if they should invent a deity or a mortal. After much politics and bloodshed, the issue was never resolved, and today, there are many versions. There never was, and never will be, a Christianity everyone agrees upon. If the secular state did not control the streets, they would run with rivers of blood, as Christian sects go at it to prove that their invention is superior. So again, I am sure that Christians are sincere, and they are not crazy. They may even have a right to find heaven in their manner, but when they touch the Jewish people, when they claim that Jews are not safe in heaven without their Christian inventions, they sin.

In the book of Psalms chapter 22, this appears to be the words of the Christ as he was dying on the cross. It describes the piercing of his hands and feet, also they cast lots for his clothes.

Celia,

You have picked a perfect example of my point, that Christianity relies on false translations to bolster its inventions and blasphemies. You say that the passage describes "the piercing of his hands and feet." That will sell to people who don't know Hebrew, but it won't sell to Jews. The passage reads to anyone who knows Hebrew, (Chapter 22 passage 17) Because dogs, the congregation of evildoers have surrounded me. As a lion, my hands and feet." This is the exact and literal translation. The enemies of David are called both dogs and lions, a common practice mentioned in the Talmud regarding the prayer of Esther, who sinned by calling her enemies "dogs" and repented by calling them "lions." The idea is that when we see an enemy, we think that this is a lowly evil force. We say this is a "dog." When we think into it, we realize that the enemy is really a force controlled by heaven, and we repent, and call the enemy "lion," a higher level. Without bothering you with details, dogs and lions have quite a literature, but this has nothing to do with our discussion. The point is, that this passage does not talk about piercing hands, but surrounding a person, as a person is surrounded by a pack of dogs, or confronted by a lion, so that his hands and feet are worthless in defending him. He cannot hit the lion, he cannot flee. If they were dogs, he could hit them, he could run, but a lion overpowers him completely. Therefore, David mentions the two levels, first that he is surrounded by dogs, plural, and then, by one awful lion, and he feels that his hands and feet are helpless. This has absolutely nothing to do with pierced hands. The translation you present is an invention, and you insist that the passage is only viable if we accept your desperate inventions. The passage is full of beautiful ideas, and there is no need to ignore them and imagine things. Of course, you have no revelation, and must invent things, and without scriptures, how can you invent?

vs 31 They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn- for he has done it. King David wrote this and I don't think he died like this, I think he died of old age right? Was this whole chapter added to the book of Psalms by christian frauds? Or was David writting prophecy of the actual event?

Prophecy of what event? You maintain that this passage teaches about Christianity? If you would be honest, and read the entire chapter, without forcing anything, you would see that the chapter is about the Jewish people. That is, we have "I will speak Your Name to my brethren, in the midst of the community I will praise you." This is a Jew speaking to Jews, in passage 23. Passage 24 follows and says, "Those who fear G-d praise Him, all of the progeny of Jacob honor Him, and all of the seed of Israel fear Him." This is quite clearly a Jewish Psalm, about the Israelites and their G-d. Do you think that this chapter proves Christianity?

Let us look at its beauty, without sitting on it. First the chapter tells of the suffering of Jews and their worship of G-d. It then, from passage 28, deals with the true task of Israel, to bring all of the world to worship G-d. This task was interrupted by Christianity, but ultimately, Christianity will decline and Israel will ascend, and all nations will accept G-d without the blasphemy. "All nations of the world will remember and return to G-d and all families of the earth will bow before you." The chapter concludes that the ultimate fate of a person is to die. We pray for life, but ultimately we expire and enter the other world, as it says there "and his soul will not live." Nonetheless, life goes on, in the children, supported by the prayers of the older generation, passing on in history, but praying for their progeny, who survive. Passage 31 states, "The children will serve Him, the coming generation will be told about G-d. They will come and recite His righteousness, to the nation born, for He has wrought this." The idea is that we struggle in life, but must eventually die, and our children continue, on and on, to the next generation and the "nation born" later, for this is our task. This is such a beautiful idea. The Talmud expresses it as follows, "Jacob never died, if his children live, so he lives." A Jew or righteous person physically expires, but lives through the newly born. This is of course far remove from any teaching about Christianity.

Isaiah chapter 53 also decribes the suffering servant (again it says vs 5 "he was pierced for our transgressions"

Please, cool it with the piercing. There is no word for piercing in this passage in the Hebrew. A corpse in Hebrew is CHOLOL, and the word therefore indicates someone who suffers so terribly that his strength and stance is shaken. The best translation for MECHULOL is "profaned" which in English is a limited verb but in Hebrew means anytime we lower something to a lesser level. Something holy that is removed from holiness is called CHULIN. The word generally means someone who is deprived of something important. It can also mean, as METSUDAS DOVID renders it, someone who is badly shaken by something, illness or shock. It can also indicate that a holy person suffers from the sins of the generation, and therefore cannot attain the levels of learning and piety he deserves. He is therefore "profaned" because of the "sins" of others. This passage deals with the teaching that good people suffer in this world. Jews suffer for the sins of the nations, and merit the Future World for this. Righteous Jews suffer for the sins of wicked Jews, and merit much for this in the Future World. These are important ideas that apply to all people, Jews and gentiles. The righteous often suffer terribly, and the wicked prosper. Hitler killed and tortured millions of people, many of the little children who starved or who were burned to death. He died with a dose of poison and a bullet in a second. Is this fair? The righteous always have suffered more than the wicked. They merit the Future World, and the wicked there will go somewhere else.

vs 6 says and "the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all."

I explained this already. The chapter deals with the suffering of the good and righteous person, and the prosperity of the wicked. The righteous suffers for the sins of the wicked in this world, and merits Paradise in the other world. There are many righteous people, and the verse applies to all of them. The ultimately level of this is the highest and most perfect person, the Jewish Messiah, may he come speedily. The Jewish Messiah, however, is a mortal, a human being, and this is certainly not a proof to Christianity.

The book of Zechariah 11 vs 12 it talks about the 30 pieces of silver for which the Christ was betrayed.

I beg to differ. The chapter there tells of the destruction of Israel, and the travails of Israel as her shepherd, G-d, leaves her. The prophet Zechariah is instructed by G-d to perform before the Jews the act of shepherding the flock. The prophet does so, and tells the people, either pay me thirty shekel for my shepherding or leave me. The people pay him, and G-d tells Zechariah to take the money and to place it into the Temple treasury. This signifies that even when the Jews are flung to the exile, G-d will remember the thirty shekel, and eventually gather the Jews back again. It also tells us that the Jews, despite the obvious exile, always have a shepherd. If, as you interpret it, the thirty shekel was a betrayal, why did the prophet demand it, and why did he put it into the Temple treasury, treating it as holy money?

12;10-12 Talks of his return to earth during the last great war "They will look on me the one they have pierced and they will morn"

Congratulations! You have at least come close to finding a "pierced" in the bible. The pierced, unfortunately, for you, does not mean that someone nailed another one to a wood. It means pieced with a sword or spear. The correct translation therefore is "speared" or "stabbed" not "pierce." The passage deals with the end of days, when the nations will attack Jerusalem, and many Jews will be badly wounded. They will not despair, but raise their eyes to G-d. Eventually, there will be deaths. The Jews will mourn these deaths. G-d will give the Jews the power to reach new heights of prayer, and the ability to eulogize the dead. The entire Jewish nation will be busy mourning the dead in those attacks, as every tribe and senior sector will have deaths to mourn.

Therefore "They will look to Me, those that they, the enemy, stabbed, and when someone dies, the entire nation will mourn him as if he was the only child. They will eulogize with bitter tears as if he was the first born."

Then chapter 13: On that day a a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Of course each chapter must be read fully to comprehend the greatness of this fraud. It sounds so convincing.

Just what proof is this? The Jewish bible teaches that the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will merit the Messianic level. How come the bible neglects to teach that G-d Himself will pop up in Bethlehem? By the way, how come the Christian bible never tells us all of these things that you "prove" from the Jewish bible? Where does the Christian bible say the things you claim for your deity? Nowhere. Again, if you can't read Hebrew, you have an advantage.

Also people are often duped and will die for a lie they believe is true. I never hear of people willing die for what they know is a lie.

Of course, they think it is the truth. You think it is the truth. You think it is the truth because someone either proselytized you, or your ancestors were "convinced" by the sword or some social pressure to convert. You surely have no public revelation as the Jews had at Sinai.

Certainly all of the Christ's early followers knew this was a lie. Or they touched the risen Savior, ate with him, kissed him. They knew for sure he conquered death and was the anionted one they had waited so long for. So they willingly went to death. They killed them and they killed them but they just kept coming. "

Again, if the early followers knew the truth, why are there 26 different versions from the early elders of the church, all contradicing each other? Why is there no clear testament about the things you believe in? By the way, if you want to quote to me from your bible, I will be happy to respond. Again, the Greek bible of the Christians was written long after the events, and were invented, time and again, by various inventors. They are still squabbling today.

Psalms 2 vs 11-12 Therefore, you Kings, be wise; be warned, your rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way-Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Kiss the son? Sorry about that. It is true that in Aramaic Bar means son, as in Bar Mitsvah. The passages of Psalms were written in Hebrew, not Aramaic, and only rarely is there a word from a language which is not Hebrew. Therefore, Bar here is the Hebrew Bar, meaning "purity" from the word BORUR, something pure. Kiss purity means, be pure, or anger G-d with your impurity and suffer.

I would so appreaciate you reviewing those scriptures and telling me which words they changed. If your accusations can be proven that we have been reading fraudualnt translations of scripture, you can single handedly bring down christianity. One question still bothers me, Simon Greenleaf of Harvard law in the late 1800's was a leading authority on the rules of evidence. He was Jewish by birth. One day a student asked him if he had ever applied his laws of evidence to the life of Christ. Was he raised from the dead or was this all a hoax? After exhaustive study (he didn't anticipate since he thought this would be very easy to refute) Simon became a leading Christian authoriy on the risen Christ. Do you think a leading mind in the laws of evidence wouldn't check the original language and expose this fraud? Just a thought.

I would appreciate greatly hearing even one good reason for believing these things. So far, you are batting zero. I don't want to belittle you. You are sincere. You are not making money by writing to me, but mean it well. Surely you are a good person, and I compliment you for that. It is sad that spiritual people have to fight. A friend of mine was challenged by a senior Christian clergyman to a debate. In the middle of the debate, the Christian said, "I want to be Jewish." He was married with children. I merited to see them on the day of their conversion to Orthodox Judaism. My friend David spent decades preaching Christianity, and he is now an Orthodox Jew. He is a really a master at this things. I would love for the two of you to talk (and don't leave me out of this, please). So, I really admire you, and want to hear from you. Don't feel bad if you got the worst of some of this. I am almost sixty years old, have studied all of my life, and you are probably younger, although I am not sure. Why not tell me about yourself? I respect your wishes if you don't want to continue talking to me, but I hope you continue.

Sincerely yours,

David Eidensohn

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Comments on the Times

Sun Nov 26

Mr. Arafat has done it again. He keeps the blood flowing until he gets his way. Now his demand that Russia be involved in the Middle East has been partially granted, as he acceded only to Russian intervention to speak with Mr. Barak of Israel. What happened after the two talked? More bloodshed. Mr. Arafat got something, and then went back to more blood, to get some more, and then, to shed more blood, and then, to get some more. Salami tactics work, but what must be the end of this? Russia is a country in chaos. It has no economy, no health system, ten times the official amount of peopel have HIV, almost half a million people, and there is no money or resources to help them, no plan, nobody cares. Mr. Putin, the President of Russia cares for one thing, Russia must be a global power.

Mr. Putin is the one who refused to interrupt his schedule for the sinking of the Kursk submarine, showing that Russia is tough. He got into trouble for that, but he is back in business lately, making overtures to Europe that he, Russia, be their ally, and not America, and that all of them, Europe and Russia, send troops to the Middle East. This is Arafat's greatest hope. If such troops do come to the Middle East, they will back Arab demands and Israel will be in great danger. Russia is a ferociously anti-Semitic country, and always has been. Russia is strongly suspected of supplying help to Iran to develop nuclear power, and Russia recently defied the United Nations embargo of Iraq to support it. It is thus that the two countries hated by Russia and the Arabs, America and Israel, may have to deal with a threat from Russia, utterly destitute, but caring only for its prestige and power on the global stage.

Russia and the Arabs have one thing in common, the utter contempt for the lives of their citizens. Arafat's police are goons who terrorize the citizens under their control. The world, however, respects this bomber of children's buses as a respected person, the victim of Jews who dare to fight back. If Russia has its way, along with Arafat and the many in Europe who do not love Jews, and want Arab oil and business, there may well come a time when Jewish guns will be busy. There may come a time when America's influence will wane. There may come a time when cynical power means more than humanity and morality. Is this something new? Jews who live in Israel have no real resources in this world, but, just as Jews have survived for thousands of years, bitten and broken here and there by the nations who want now to come to the Middle East and make "peace," they will survive by divine miracle. Soon, the End will come, and the schemers and brutes will have a new challenge.

Wed November 22

The bombing of a bus near a bus terminal following the recent bombing of a school bus tells us something. The enemy fights children, school buses and buses of civilians. The enemy calls upon impressionable children to throw rocks, molotov cocktails, and learn that Jews are Nazis. Hate, hurling stones, and training for death are the way of the enemy. There is not very much that one can do against such people. They are ready to die. They are ready to send their children to die. And they are ready to kill Jewish children and civilians, in order to strike terror into the hearts of Jews and make them leave the Holy Land.

Israel is the Land of the Jews. We waited thousands of years to get it back, and we won't run away from bombing or anything else. On the other hand, we know that our enemies are numerous, fanatic, and will do anything, anything, to destroy the "blot" of Jews in the Middle East. The world looks at the Jews, and wonders, "Do they treat Arabs right?" Does the world ask why Egypt is killing Moslem fundamentalists and Christians? Does the world ask why Arab countries in Africa sell peopel as slaves to Arab countries in the Middle East and torture Christians? Does the world ask why Saudi Arabia won't let a Jew into Israel? Does the world ask why Jordan desecrated Jewish cemeteries when it controlled Jerusalem? Does the world ask why King Hussein, the beloved "moderate" of Jordan, attacked Israel for no reason in 1967 calling to his troops, "tear at the Jews with your fingernails"? And now, the United States has authorized a fact finding mission, of international observers. We know what they will say. The Jews are bad. The Arabs are suffering. This will lead to pressures to treat Israel like a pariah, and even to send UN troops to force the Jews back from defending themselves against barbarian fanatics. If we did not believe in the Messiah, who will speedily come, we would be worried. In fact, our rabbis have predicted that the End would be when the entire world attacks the Jews over Jerusalem. Jewish blood flows. It always has. But the divine clock is ticking. And when it is time, all of the questions will be answered, and the wicked will pay, all of them, for their rocks, and for their hate, and for their refusal to recognize that Jews don't have to be fodder for school bombs.

Sunday November 19

The continued violence in Israel is frightening, not only for Jews, but for Arabs as well. Arafat is exciting the Palestine population to hate, to jihad, to fanaticism. Jordan and Egypt are moderate governments, at least, moderate by the standards of Arabs. They are struggling to supress fanatic Moslem elements. The excitement in the region caused by Arafat is aimed not only at Israel, but at all moderate Moslem governments. The aim of the fanatics is to make a Taliban-like state in all Islam areas, and to make a string of supression and hate from Asia to North Africa. Ultimately, this Islam group will war on Christians, and continue with the work of conquest initiated by the Moslems of the Crusades and earlier.

The great force of the fanatics is the breakdown of Western family and society. When people look at America and Europe and see broken families, teaching about homosexuality to little children in public schools, they are easily tempted to flee into the haven of any religious extreme, as long as it allows normal family life. A nurse in the doctor's office once chatted with me, before a procedure, to relax me, and asked about my family, children, etc. She then said, "I won't have children. They may grow to be monsters." The pain on her face was terrible. A young woman who knows that she must never take the chance of having a child because in Western civilization that is probably a painful process. This is the great strength of the fanatics. Anything may be better than living like that nurse.

America is at war within itself on the issue of radicalism. The secularists, led by the ACLU, are trying to destroy religion in America, and to put it into the closet. Many people who see the great power of the ACLU and the Gay Lobby, forcing little children to learn about the most perverted sexual processes of homosexuals and lesbians, are determined to fight for their schools and children, and they often turn deeply religious. America will suffer from radicalism not only for what it does to those who are radical and secular, but for what will happen to those who do anything to escape the secular society. The only hope is to reign in the radical ACLU and Gay Lobby, and to allow family to survive without religious fanaticism.

Thur Nov 9

Today is the anniversary of the death of Rachel, the wife of Jacob and mother of Joseph and Benjamin. She is buried in Israel, and a few Jews managed to go to her grave and pray. Others could not go, because the Palistineans threatened them. The terrorists also said that just as they had destroyed Joseph's Tomb and turned it into a Moslem Shrine, they will do the same to Rachel's Tomb. Rachel is known as one who "cried for her children," and our tradition is that she is buried in a place where her soul knows of the suffering of the Jews in Israel. Jews in Israel live in terror. If they drive down the street, bottles, stones and bullets, even fire bombs are thrown and shot at them. If the Israelis strike back, there are complaints about that. It is a time to pray, but it is also a time to be strong, and realize that Jews never lasted so long because people love us, but because G-d loves us.

Thur Nov 2

It is a time to pray. We have a national election coming up that will influence the country and the world. There is open shooting and death in Israel, and rumbling elsewhere. We hope and pray that this year will end up better than it began, with true peace. On the other hand, we have to realize that the world is filled with people who want things besides peace. There are people whose religion and ideology demand conquest and terror.

We are frightened by the news from China and Russia, the incessant growth in the Arab lands of religious fundamentalism and strife, and the secular agenda in America. It is a time to pray. It is also a time to choose between eventual defeat, and fighting back. Someone I know who fought back at those who forced homosexuality on children in public school is lying in the hospital. He was alone. But people noticed, and are waking up. There is not much time. They are working day and night to prepare for our defeat. We have to work day and night to make sure they will not succeed. Let us pray. Let us be alert. G-d is with us.

Wed Nov 1

I just spoke to an Israeli, who told me that despite that murders and torture of Jews by the Arabs, and the constant shootings and stonings, sniping and smashing of moving cars, the Jews of Israel are united, and not afraid. Once the Jews are united, and as diaspora Jews move up to help and give encouragement, Israel will survive. Arafat has performed a great service to the Jewish people. For a century, the Jews have been split. Some said that we can stop being Jews and just become like everyone else. Others, like the Orthodox, claimed that this would make things worse, and that was must remain as religious Jews in order to survive.

Hitler proved to a lot of people that running away from Judaism doesn't help. There were many who still maintained that if the Jews had their own homeland like everyone else, they would find peace. Today, few people adhere to that ancient dictum. Those on the left, the dreamers of peace, suffer more than anyone else. On the other hand, thanks to Arafat, the split in Israel is over. There is now a great unity, a harmony, and no more idols to worship. Those who remain in Israel will have One G-d, One Torah, One Land, and One Hope.

October 29

The consensus of almost all observers, even those most hopeful for peace, is that Arafat does not want peace. Arafat came to prominence by blowing up Jewish school buses. It is incredible that it has taken the world so long to realize that he is a person who plays death with Arab children, inciting their innocence to march into dangerous areas and finally to get killed or wounded. On the other hand, the realization is now coming, that Arafat is playing a smart hand. He will send the children, youth and gunmen against the Israelis with guerilla warfare, and wear down the Jews. How sad it is that the world condemns Israel, and not Arafat. Those who hurl dangerous rocks at families in cars and then suffer the consequences are the "victims" and those who protect their families are "aggressors."

We know from the prophets and tradition that the world does not love Jews. In the Second World War almost no country would take in Jews from Hitler's Germany. We also know that one day our enemies will come to finish the job that they long wanted done. We also know that this will be the End of Time, and those who blew up buses, and those who applaud and take the side of the spillers of Jewish blood, will face a furious G-d who does not forget.

There is also a tradition that before the End of Time, a great movement of Return to G-d will take place. When I grew up in the fifties, almost nobody was Orthodox Jewish. Today, not much later, Orthodoxy is the most dynamic force in Israel, and perhaps the world. There are now about one million Orthodox Jews in Israel, almost half of them recently returned in the TESHUVA or Return movement. Nothing will stop this movement, and in its merit, the rocks, bottles, bullets and hate thrown by the haters will not prevail. We need a miracle, and we will have one.

Weekly Torah Reading - Week of November 19-25

Sat Oct 2

"Generations"

The weekly Torah reading is about the first Jewish family, Abraham and Sarah, their son Isaac and his wife Rebecca, and the third generation of Jacob and Esau. "These are the generations of Isaac the son of Abraham: Abraham gave birth to Isaac." The rabbis interpret this to mean two things. One, Isaac is said to be the son of Abraham, biologically, and secondly, he is the son of Abraham spiritually. The Jewish family is a continuity of the ideals of the parents, back to Abraham and Adam and Eve, and the will of G-d. It is the family that is the crucial support of Israel, where father and son are one. The Medrash offers a deeper idea. Father and son are different, but one influences the other, so that although the father teaches and molds the son, the son impacts upon the father, and therefore, "do not call them children, call them 'builders' because they build the parents."

The Life of Sarah

The Torah reading is about the death of Sarah, the wife of Abraham, who was the first Jewish woman. The rabbis tell us that Sarah was greater than Abraham, and G-d told him, "All that Sarah tells you, hearken to her voice." The Jewish mother, although she does not go forth into the street to be a policewoman or soldier, protects the Jewish people with her wisdom and holiness, her character and courage. The husband and children who emerge from her home are strong enough to survive in a world that offers Jews many difficulties. The secular world ridicules the "Jewish mother," and maintains that the only good woman is a certain age and a certain shape. As soon as the age or shape change, out she goes.

Abraham Seeks Kindness

This week's Torah reading is "And He appeared" about G-d coming to visit Abraham after Abraham's circumcision in his old age. Abraham, despite his great pain and infirmity, thought only of finding guests. The day was burning hot, but Abraham sat at the door of his tent, peering into the distance to discern any traveler who needed hospitality. He saw three men, and ran to meet them. These three were angels, and they announced to Abraham that in the coming year he would have a son, Isaac.

The Jewish people descend from Abraham. Sometimes, they are in hopeless situations, old, sick, and unable to hope, but they do. They don't think about themselves, but only about others, and merit "angels" and miracles. This is the story of the Jewish people.

There are no solutions today to the terror in Israel. Some say, "Let's take a chance, give everything away, maybe they will like us, after all." They won't. There are no solutions to the problems of Jews, but only to sit tight, look for "travelers" and those we can help, and await divine intervention. In our time, speedily, we will see the Redemption. G-d will bring it, not secular dreamers.

Sarah, Higher than Abraham

Last week's reading was "Go for yourself," and it tells how Abraham and Sarah travelled to Israel from Babylonia, and then to Egypt, during a famine, and finally returned to Israel. This was the beginning of the Jewish people. The Medrash teaches that Sarah was greater than Abraham, as the bible says, "All that Sarah tells you hearkedn to her voice," indicating that Sarah was a greater prophet than Abraham. The Medrash goes further and says that although usually women go by their husband's name, Mrs. this or that, in the case of Abraham and Sarah, Abraham was honored by being her husband, and not the other way around.

The begining of the Jewish people is the story of the Jewish wife and mother, and that is the entire story of the Jewish people. It is the family that keeps Israel alive, and if rabbis and scholars emerge from the Jewish home, it is due to the hidden piety of the modest mother and wife.

STOP INTERNET HATE

INTERNET HATE IS BEAMED AROUND THE WORLD. WE PROTEST ARTICLES BY SECULAR JEWS ATTACKING RELIGOUS JEWS AT AOL JEWISH COMMUNITY. AOL JEWISH COMMUNITY PUBLISHED A COMMENTARY IN DECEMBER STATING THAT THE HASMONEONS AND RABBIS WHO FREED THE JEWS FROM GREEK DOMINATION WERE "MURDERING EXTREMISTS," WHO WOULD HAVE MURDERED MAIMONIDES IF HE LIVED IN THEIR TIME. FOR SHAME! THE HEROES OF HANUKAH ARE MURDERERS? THIS INCITES PEOPLE TO THINK THAT ORTHODOX PEOPLE, AND INDEED ALLWHO APPRECIATE THE HANUKAH STORY, APPRECIATE MURDER. WHAT AN AWFUL LIE. AMAZINGLY, WHEN I PROTESTED THIS TO THE HEAD OF AOL JEWISH COMMUNITY, THE COMPLAINT WAS DISMISSED. WHO CARES ABOUT ORTHODOX JEWS AND THEIR COMPLAINTS? WHAT INCREDIBLE IGNORANCE, TO STATE ON A JEWISH COMMUNITY COMMENTARY, THAT THE GREEKS WHO RAPED WOMEN AT THEIR WEDDINGS WERE ENLIGHTENED, AND THAT THE RABBIS WHO FOUGHT THEM WERE MURDERING EXTREMISTS.

LETTERS AND REPLIES

Question:

What is the command to Write a Torah Scroll?

Reply:

The last command in the Torah, the Five Books of Moses, is to write a Torah scroll. A Torah scroll contains the words dictated by G-d to Moses, as well as the speech Moses gave the Jews before he died, the Book of Deuteronomy. All of the words in the bible were uttered by Moses with the Spirit of Prophecy, and nothing is more sacred than the Torah, containing the Written Will of G-d.

Included in the command to write a Torah scroll is the command to have Jewish books about the Law and obeying it. Many people prefer to spend money on books they use regularly than to buy a Torah scroll which is very expensive, and is only used during the Reading of the Torah in the synagogue. In ancient times, people learned from their scrolls, and committed much of the learning to memory. Today, however, we study from books of the Talmud and other classics, as well as writing from our time. So not many people have a Torah scroll.

A Torah scroll is written on parchment, animal skin, with a special black ink, and the parchment is actually skin piece sewn together. The Torah is kept in the Ark, and accorded great honor.

Question:

Is a man required to obtain a get, Orthodox divorce paper, in order to remarry?

I realize this is required for a woman, but it's not clear to me whether it is needed for the husband.

crk

Reply:

In the event that a Jewish man is married to a Jewish woman in a manner recognized by Orthodox Jewish law, a GET divorce paper is required for man and wife to remarry. What constitutes a valid Orthodox Jewish marriage is something that can be determined only when we know all of the facts.

Shalom,

David Eidensohn

Dear Rabbi:

A friend of mine told me that Daniel 10 is speaking about spiritual warfare between the evil demons and an angel of G-d. I am a Noahide and I bleive that there is only G-d. G-d controls everything. Could you explain what this is talking about. Specifically, why does the angel have to do battle with the "heavenly Prince of the Persian Kingdom" v 13, before he could answer Daniel. This seems like a story line that could be used to support a version of Satan and demons working against G-d. Shalom,

Chris

Reply:

Chapter Ten in Daniel simply tells the story of how Daniel was told of the great struggle between Persia and Greece. Greece under Alexander defeated Persia. The defeat of Persia coincided with the Jewish return to Israel and the building of the Second Temple, although that was begun under Persian rule, its full glory was not attained until the Greek period, when Alexander befriended Simon the High Priest, and ushered in a short period of prosperity. These empire shattering times are frightening, and Daniel, when seeing the incredible wars and struggles between Persia and Greece, trembled and had no strength. There are no demons or devils in this story. Each nation has its angel, appointed by G-d, and the Jews have to somehow survive amidst the terror of the mighty nations and their wars.

There are angels in heaven and mortal deeds give strength to good angels or the opposite. A sin creates a bad angel and a good deed creates a good angel. Each of us have many deeds, words and thoughts that are good or bad. They all create angels, or forces, that are eternal. One day, in a hundred and twenty years, we will stand in divine judgment and will see all of the angels that we made.

G-d designed heaven in a manner that people would understand, and in the system of good and bad forces. None of these forces exist on their own, they are all creations of G-d. Ultimately, all evil forces will become good, but in the interim, in order to have a world whereby there are good and bad, reward and punishment, there are prosecuting angels, there are good and protective angels, there are also angels for everything in the universe, including countries. These angels are the heavenly attornies for their perspective countries. We cannot know exactly what heaven is, but the bible allows us to glimpse something of its nature, by describing the good forces as good angels and the angels for Persia as just that.

Question: What is the difference between Judaism and other religions?

Reply: Judaism is not a mortally invented religion. No prophet or saint or elder may declare Jewish believe or dogma, only G-d at Sinai could do that. Other religions invent deities and dogma, and others come and disagree, then they war or argue, and much religion is rooted in the sword rather than the soul.

Question: It seems that in Judaism that there is not a big emphasis on what you believe. I don't mean that there aren't certain things that all should believe, it just looks as if many of the rabbis have different opinions on certain texts and beliefs. In chr-stianity people will tend to break apart and form a whole new denomination, whereas in Judaism the disagreement might strengthen the belief and just be another way of looking at the same thing. Chr-stians tend to put an emphasis on what you believe and if you don't believe it then you're doomed. As an example, I have read a few opinions on Job. One Rabbi might say that Job was a real person and another Rabbi would say that the story of Job was an allegory, what both Rabbis would agree with is what you do with the story and how you apply it to your life. When I was a Chr-stian I was constantly concerned with what I believed and if I had enough faith. If I didn't believe the right doctrine or have the proper amount of faith the consequences where very grave. As a Noahide it seems my behavior is more important than what I believe.

Reply,

Jews have a Law given by G-d. At Sinai all Israel saw G-d give the Ten Commandments. At Sinai Moses received the Law and the basics of Judaism. Other religions were invented by people, mortal preachers, who argued and battled until their ideas were accepted. Judaism has G-d's Text, the Torah, the Five Books of Moses. There is also an Oral Law, or rabbinics, to interpret the Text, and to produce laws to protect the Torah Text. There are many interpretations of the Texts. The divine Law shines as a prism, refracting light to millions and billions of people, with infinite power. It is thus that many people can interpret the bible, and they all have valid points. Sometimes we think that two opinions can't be resolved, but really, they could be. The first step in Judaism is to know that there is a Law, and that it is a divinely given law. Other religions evolved by mortal assemblies, by the different opinions of "prophets" and "preachers" which were usually settled by wars, politics and conventions. As a Noahide you know the basic ideas, just as Jews do, that G-d gave a Law to people. Exactly what the Law is we know pretty well, but it has its various interpretations, and we are comfortable with that. Our religion will never be declared out of style, because it is the same religion that Moses knew, and before him Abraham and Isaac, and before them, Adam and Noah. Other religions were invented by people, and are constantly reinvented.

Rabbi Eidensohn,

I am studying the issue of gay marriages. What is the Jewish position on this?

Response:

The bible says in two places, Leviticus 18,22 and 20,13, that homosexuality is an abomination. This refers to male homosexuality. Female homosexuality is mentioned in the Talmud as an evil thing, but it is not a capital crime as male homosexuality is. The sin of homosexuality is mentioned in the Talmud in trachtate Sanhedrin, and in Maimonides Kings chapter 9. Homosexuality is forbidden to Jews and gentiles, and is an abomination before G-d.

On the other hand, homosexuality is a terrible problem, and those who have the tendency are heroic if they control themselves. It is one thing if they want help, but if they are the gay lobby, and want to make a biblical abomination into a social norm, this must be resisted.

The gay lobby is one of the most pernicious problems in America. They, backed by the American Civil Liberties Union, and other liberal forces, got the HIV Confidentiality Laws passed in many states, which took away from public health doctors the power to stop HIV/AIDS. This has led to the unnecessarily illness of about a million Americans. The financial cost of HIV/AIDS is tremendous, and has forced New York State to subsidize private insurance plans. Even so, millions have no health insurance.

The gay lobby thus caused the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and then demands, and gets, higher funding for medical research for AIDS then for heart disease, high blood pressure and cancer. We still don't know what causes high blood pressure, although it effects a very large portion of the population, because all of the money is going to the gay lobby.

The gay lobby and those who want to legalize gay marriages, really want a total change in American morality. Because 68% of Americans feel that "homosexuality is always wrong" the gay lobby is working to get nursery schools and lower grade children to be brainwashed that homosexuality is good. In New York City little children are taught "Heath has two mommies" about lesbians. The gay lobby is working to lower the age of consent, because they want little cute children. The American Psychological Association is very much influenced by the gay lobby, to such a degree that it is making it hard to get therapy for homosexual children, and ultimately may decide to back the gay demand that all counseling for homosexuality is bigotry. The ones hurt by this are the homosexuals, the closet ones, but the gays want to publicize all homosexuals, and homosexual privacy and civil rights mean nothing to them.

Because the bible is the main source of the prohibition for homosexuality, the gay lobby tries to discredit the bible. It wants a society without the bible. Its friends the therapists, are trying to work together with the schools, to control the minds of children on this and other issues. In New York State, the therapists and teachers work together. The text books in New York State are full of message to challenge traditional ideas of family, gender and sexuality.

Rabbi Eidensohn,

Can you tell me the thirty-nine major categories of work forbidden on the Sabbath?

Reply:

There are thirty-nine works learned from the building of the Tabernacle. These have many sub-categories. There are also rabbinical prohibitions. The thirty-nine major works are:

planting
plowing
harvesting
gathering the cut grain or food into a pile
threshing the husks
winnowing the chaff in the wind
removing impurities from the food
grinding the wheat
sifting the flour
kneading the flour with water
baking
shearing wool
washing it
combing the fleece
dying it
spinning it into thread
arranging the weaving machine with threads
throwing the ball of thread into the weaving process
weaving two threads
removing two threads, the horizontal or the vertical weaving threads
ting a knot
untying a knot
sewing two stitches
tearing in order to sew two stitches
hunting
killing an animal
skinning it
processing the hide
planing the hide
cutting the hide into an exact size
ruling lines on the hide
writing two letters
erasing a space that can be used to write two letters
building
destroying a building
extinguishing a fire
making a fire
banging with the hammer on the anvil at the conclusion of a large task
carrying from a private domain to a public domain and vice versa

Rabbi Eidensohn,

Please give me a general idea of Jewish history in terms of ages and eras.

Reply:

The world began at the Creation. Adam and Eve were about six thousand years ago, a bit less than that. Two thousand years after the Creation was the beginning of the Jewish people with Abraham, in the year 2,000 after the Creation. The Jews entered Egypt and after several hundred years of slavery they left in the year 2,448 after Creation. Forty hundred and eight years later Solomon built the First Temple. It lasted 410 years. The Babylonians destroyed the First Temple and for Seventy Years the Jews were in exile in Babylonia and Persia. During this period we have the miracles of Daniel in the Lion's Den and the story of Esther. After seventy years the Temple was rebuild by the Persians and Ezra the Scribe, a High Priest. The Greeks conquered the Persians right afterwards and under Alexander entered Jerusalem. The Second Temple was built about one thousand years after the Law was given at Sinai in the time of Moses. This was about 3448 after Creation. The Second Temple was destroyed after 420 years, in the secular year 70.

Shalom,

David Eidensohn

Rabbi,

Does it not say "the sons of the stranger" will keep the Sabbath (Isaiah 56). If so, don't Noahides have to keep the Sabbath?

Sir,

It says, "the sons of the stranger" but not the stranger. That is, one who comes from a strange people who converts to Judaism will be part of the Jewish people. Noahides are G-d's community although they are not Jewish. They therefore do not have to keep the Sabbath.

Rabbi,

Does it not say that the "stranger" may not eat blood? Does this not mean that Noahides and gentiles may not eat blood?

Reply,

That, according to the authoritative rabbinical and Talmudic interpretations of the bible, refers to a GER who is a convert to Judaism, not a Noahide.

Shalom,

David Eidensohn

Rabbi Eidensohn,

First, thank you for this forum. I appreciate your taking time to read this. I am Rev. .... an ordained Catholic Deacon in the Church of .... My niece has a religion art project that includes drawing a picture of King Saul with a crown. Her teacher says that it was a “war crown.” I have checked quite a few sources so far but to no avail. The Scriptures do not mention it explicitly. No commentaries I have found refer to one. No descriptions of early Israel talk about it – at least those I have checked.

I happened upon your website and hope you can be a valuable source of information about this. Can you help my niece and me in this search for King Saul’s crown -- did he have one? if so, what could it have been like?

Where can locate more information about this?

I appreciate your consideration in this.

Peace,

Reverand,

Thank you for your question. The crown of Saul is referred to as a NEZER in Samuel II chapter one passage ten. There are various crowns in the Hebrew language, KESER, ATORO and NEZER. KESER is a word related to "circling, surrounding" and indicates a low crown around the head. NEZER is a half crown. These two are for kings. Another crown is ATORO which is high and surrounds the head. This was for anyone, any important person could wear it. It may seem strange that the best crown was for everyone, whereas Saul wore only a half crown, or a crown around the head which was low. But in Jewish law the king had to constantly show that he was before G-d. He had to carry a Torah scroll with him to remind him not to become arrogant. He had to pray prostrated even though others could stand normally.

I hope I have been helpful. My source in this is the MALBIM, a great biblical scholar who lived two centuries ago.

Shalom, please write soon,

David Eidensohn

Rabbi

In the prayer, the "Shma", why does G-d find it necessary to remind his people that the Lord "is one"? Was it not obvious that there was only one god?

Thanks

The pagans felt that G-d was too lofty to be involved with people. Just like a king must have intermediaries (you can't just pick up the phone to call the president) so it was felt that angels would receive prayers and transmit them, or act upon the requests with their powers. The Torah therefore tells the Jews that G-d is One, He is not a deity with intermediaries. The Christians decided to compromise between Judaism and paganism. They believed in a deity, but joined to it a person. A ferocious battle resulted from how this was to be achieved, blood flowed, politics erupted, and things went back and forth. So, you can see that this is a serious issue. The Torah tells us there is only G-d, One G-d, no Triad, as the Egyptians believed, no Trinity as the Christians believe, just one perfect G-d.

I hope that I answered your question. Please write again, soon.

Shalom,

David

Dear Rabbi,

Why did Moses not merit to enter the Holy Land?

Reply:

Moses became angry at the Jews and called them "rebels." A leader cannot be angry with people, even if they are trying. G-d felt that Moses had led the past generation, and that the generation that would enter Israel could benefit from Joshua, the disciple of Moses.

Dear Rabbi,

Would you mind suggesting a few dishes which might be prepared during the days of Sukkot?

REPLY:

There is a difference between the Sabbath and the major holidays such as Sukkot. On the Sabbath one eats whatever makes them happy or gives them pleasure, although most people eat fish and meat, and a hot stew. On the holidays it is appropriate to drink wine and eat meat. The difference is that the Sabbath is a gift to enjoy, and enjoying is the thing. But the holidays are more solemn and there are formal strictures to the enjoyment. Actually, the clothing worn on holidays is fancier than the Sabbath fare, precisely because of the above. The holidays are actually days of judgment, as the Talmud states, and we are festive only with that in mind, so things are more formal. Sabbath is a day of rest and enjoying and things are more relaxed and less stricture is there.

Hi David,

OK, to clarify myself: I believe (but how could I know for sure?) that people of all religions have experienced miracles and spiritual enlightenment. I think that my beliefs are right, but equally, I can't say that other beliefs are wrong. My beliefs will seem false to some, as their beliefs may seem alien to me. We live in a world where "agreeing to disagree" is the accepted and respected way to deal with such questions. In the Bible (and maybe I'm taking it too literally here, and I do realize that times have changed) there is no "agreeing to disagree". I'm just uneasy in trying to understand how so many groups of people can all have religious experiences and yet one is 'right', and wars may be fought because of these theological ifferences. I pray at night, and in my mind I sometimes ask myself whether I should want others to come to their senses and recognize the 'truth', my truth, or whether I should want them to come to terms with G-d in their own way.

I hope I've explained myself a bit, otherwise please ask.

Peter

REPLY:

Achieving spirituality or even experiencing things which seem supernatural and have no logical explanation are indeed the basis for the major world religion. Judaism is not a religion because it offers spirituality and it is not a religion because it shows miracle, although of course it does have spirituality and it does show miracle. As Maimonides points out, Judaism is a historical fact. Millions of people saw the Egyptian Exodus, the Ten Plagues, and more important, the entire Jewish nation heard from the mouth of G-d the Sinaitic Commands. This is not mere spirituality and it is not mere miracle. It is simple fact, basic history, one which has been faithfully passed down. The basic historical fact that Jews heard G-d speak at Sinai, and that no other religion makes any similar claim, is accepted by all major religions.

On the other hand, Judaism has great flaw. It is simply too hard for the vast majority of people in the world. The Jewish Noahide system has never caught on, as those gentiles who could have been clergy to Noahides may have preferred converting to Judaism rather than remaining Noahides. At any rate, there has never been a viable, international Noahide movement that I know of, and this has forced millions of people to somehow adapt their lives, often steeped in paganism, to the Ten Commandments and the experiences of Israel, without becoming Jews.

Those of us who are Jews or Noahides are proud of our historical traditions, and yet we can appreciate the predicament of others who must manufacture a religion where none exists. The challenge of course is to establish the Noahide movement so that the Jewish historical facts can bring spirituality and miracles to everyone, not just Israel.

QUESTION: Thank you for your answer to my questions. When you say: "A gentile may have dolls and pictures, if they are secular and not idols" what exactly do you mean? What is a secular image?

REPLY:

A secular image is a statue of an important person. It is not made for worship but to honor someone. A religious image is worshipped or relates to worship.

QUESTION:

The other day I forgot to buy a ticket for public transport. Although not deliberate, not paying for a service which I used is stealing. I'm interested to know, what should I do in this instance? Simply not repeat the same mistake, or give them the money I would've spent on the ticket?

REPLY:

If you take money from someone, or even a corporation, or a municipality or governmental body, you must return it. The problem is that there is often no way to do this. Today's large corporations or government just don't have a box where you put the money in. They have very structured systems of taking in the money and you just can't mail in something. Therefore it might be advisable to buy two tickets next time and destroy one of them.

QUESTION:

Hi. What about adoption? I was adopted at birth. Named w/my Hebrew name in temple....etc? No one ever answers this. Would like some insight.

Thanks,

REPLY:

Nice to hear from you. In Orthodox Jewry all depends on the biological mother. If she is Jewish you are Jewish, and if she is not Jewish, you are not Jewish. This is a serious problem for Reform and Conservative congregations because nearly every family in the congregation has non-Jewish spouses somewhere. So they changed the law to make it easier to become Jewish, and they are now even accepting people who refuse to call themselves Jewish, so the Temples can continue. There are simply not enough Jews to keep them going. So, if you want to be Jewish as Jews always believed, that one is only Jewish with a biological mother, you will have to find out about your biological mother. If you can't find out, or if you biological mother is not Jewish, you are not Jewish. If that is a problem for you, write to me and we can discuss it.

Shalom,

David QUESTION:

I wanted to ask you about the seven laws, as I've started to look at them again in a bit more detail. I came across an outline on how to not break the law of idolatry and I don't quite understand some parts, maybe you can help:

"Do not make graven images (bas relief or full relief images)"

One should not read books [about idol worshippers or their rituals] nor

should one think of them nor speak of them."

I wondered how this applies to the other religions of the world.

REPLY:

The issue of graven images is very complex. There are many opinions. Gentiles do not have these problems, but Jews have problems if they want to make images. Some even forbid dolls which look like people although most people are not so stringent. A gentile may have dolls and pictures, if they are secular and not idols. It is forbidden for a gentile to worship an image even if the image is a Torah scroll or something truly sacred. There is no permission to worship anything except G-d. But a gentile may make statues of a secular nature. There are Noahide works on the web and elsewhere which confuse Jewish laws with Noahide laws. The Jewish laws are much stricter and not all apply to Noahides. The classic Rokeach says that Noahides have those Jewish laws which are logical, such as charity, kindness, honoring elders, etc. Jews have commands which are disciplines, but not required by logic, such as the wearing of fringes and keeping dietary and holiday laws. The prohibition to study paganism and to be interested in it could quite logically apply to Noahides as well, as this makes sense logically.

QUESTION:

What is the deeper meaning of the Burning Bush, when G-d spoke to Moses from the fire of the bush which burnt but was not consumed.

REPLY:

The Burning Bush is a symbol of human suffering. The brain breaks down and there are no answers. At that point the soul switches gears, away from ordinary finite thought, and enters a heavenly infinite knowledge of G-d. The Jewish people are fashioned in suffering, they always have suffered until the Redemption. But this suffering simply strengthens them in their knowledge of G-d and their faith in the End. The same is true of all people who accept the will of G-d amid difficulty, which is all of us. The Burning Bush is Life, and we must find G-d inside of it.

QUESTION:

I want to honor the memory of my mother. How do I do this?

REPLY:

The important thing is to realize that your mother is alive, in heaven, where all people go for Eternity. Each year, the soul is judged to see if it is worthy to achieve a still higher level of heaven. This is YARTSEIT, the year anniversary of the death. Children honor their parents by doing good deeds after the parents are in heaven, so that the parents are rewarded for having good children. People give charity, pray, and do good deeds on the YARTSEIT. Some fast and study the holy Law. A candle is lit on the YARTSEIT, as the bible says, "The soul of man is the candle of G-d." But we can always light candles, before the Sabbath and holidays, and bring light the world, the light of the Other World into this world, and the power of good deeds in this world, to the Higher World.

To see more like this, click on Ask the Rabbi.

New Book just Published, the Story of the Rebuilding of Orthodoxy in America after the Holocaust, by Rabbi David E. Eidensohn

STORIES OF ROSH YESHIVAS

THE TORAH THAT WAS, THE TORAH THAT WILL BE

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RABBI AHARON KOTLER, RABBI MOSHE FEINSTEIN, RABBI YAACOV KAMINETSKY, RABBI YITSCHOK HUTNER, RABBI YAACOV HALEVI RUDERMAN

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Poems - Religious and Secular - Including International Prize Winner "The Wall"

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