BS”D Pesach 5784 by HaRav Nachman Kahana My annual Pesach essay updated for today Picture a frum family living in any one of the great Torah centers in the galut; they could even be your next door neighbors! The home of Reb Sender and Mrs. Rayza is impeccable; the result of the great time and energy, not to speak of the money, which the expeditious and skillful ba’alat ha’bayit (woman of the house) has devoted to it. The sofas and armchairs in the sitting room, which look so inviting if not for the thick plastic covers which ensure that the upholstery retains its “new” look. The five-mete ..read more

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by Rabbi Pinchas Winston THE LAWS OF purification from tzora’as seemingly have little to do with Shabbos HaGadol. True, Moshe himself became a metzora on Har Sinai when he spoke badly about the Jewish people: “…his hand was leprous like snow” (Shemos 4:7)”: It is usual for tzora’as to be white [as it says:] “If it will be a white blemish” (Vayikra 13:4). With this sign He (God) also hinted to him (Moshe) that he spoke slanderously when he said, “They will not believe me.” It is for this reason that He afflicted him with tzora’as, just as Miriam was for speaking slanderously. (Rashi) But th ..read more

by Con Coughlin Iran's decision to rely on groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas to prosecute its war against Israel has resulted in the Israelis regularly having to retaliate with air strikes against Iranian and Hezbollah targets in Syria and Lebanon in an attempt to disrupt their terrorist infrastructure. Since October 7, the consulate served as Tehran's main regional command centre, helping to supervise the activities of Iran's so-called "axis of resistance". [A]s recent events have indicated, Israel is not just fighting a war against the Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists who committed the terr ..read more

by Bassam Tawil Among the top 50 countries in which Christians were persecuted in 2023 were Yemen, Libya, Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq, Morocco, Qatar, Egypt, Turkey, and other Middle Eastern and Muslim-majority countries. Israel, needless to say, was not on the list. Despite these disturbing statistics, US television personality Tucker Carlson, in his interview with the Bethlehem pastor, chose to single out Israel, the only country where Christians feel safe and where their number is increasing every year. Carlson did not bother to ask the pastor about the persecuted Christians of Egypt. Carlson ..read more

by Daniel Greenfield On Saturday night, Iran launched its attack, codenamed “Ya Rasool Allah” or “Messenger of Allah”, on the Jewish State, after Israel had taken out the Iranian mastermind of Oct 7. The attack began with waves of drones to swamp Israel’s air defenses, followed by cruise missiles and ballistic missiles. While the British and the French took out some drones, U.S. forces accounted for about half the total of drones and some of the ballistic missiles, leaving the rest for the Israelis to deal with. By the time it was over, 99% of the attack had been intercepted. The only seri ..read more

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(based on Ein Ayah, Berachot 1:144) Gemara: Rebbi Yochanan said in the name of Rebbi Yossi ben Zimra: Whoever attributes merit to himself, will have the successful outcome attributed to the merit of another. Whoever attributes the merit to others, will have the successful outcome attributed to his merit. Moshe attributed the merit to others, as it says: “Remember Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yisrael, your servants” (Shemot 32:13). The success of his prayers was attributed to him: “[Hashem] said that they would be destroyed, if it were not for Moshe, his chosen, who stood in the breech to deflect H ..read more

by HaRav Mordechai Greenberg Nasi HaYeshiva, Kerem B'Yavneh The Midrash comments on the pasuk, "This shall be the law of the metzora" (Vayikra 14:2): This is what it says, "Who is the man who desires life." (Tehillim 34:14) There once was a peddler who traveled around the villages near Zipori, and would declare, "Who wants to buy the elixir of life!" ... R. Yanai was sitting ... He imposed upon [the peddler], and he went up to him. He took out a book of Tehillim, and showed him the pasuk, "Who is the man who desires life." What does it say afterwards? "Guard your tongue from evil, and your ..read more

Only in Israel What is the root cause of the disease of tzara’at as described in the Torah? The Midrash explains that this skin disease is a punishment for gossip and slander. A person suffering from tzara’at is called a metzorabecause he is motzee sheim ra — he spreads derogatory reports (Vayikra Rabbah 16:1. See Rambam, Laws of Tzara’at 16:15, that one fulfills the mitzvah “Be careful regarding tzara’at” (Devarim 24:8-9) by avoiding gossip). Given that tzara’at is brought about by slander, one would expect that all peoples would be afflicted, since even non-Jews are culpable for personal d ..read more