We already saw the importance of Mibtza Moked- the operation taking place on Monday, June 5, 25 of Iyar, 1967, which was the beginning of the Six-Day War. These attacks by the Israeli air force destroyed the Egyptian Air Force and were decisive in Israel’s final victory.

We started exploring how to explain the fact that all the Israeli planes reached their targets and were not intercepted or shot down by the Egyptian defense system. “Providentially,” the anti-aircraft defense systems were not operating between 7.00 am and 8.00am , because Egyptian planes carried very important military and political personnel (see here).

But this is not the only unusual event that happened that day.

MIG vs MIRAGE
Knowing that the possibility of war was imminent, every morning the Egyptian air force carried out reconnaissance flights over the Sinai Peninsula with MiG 21 aircraft. These planes of Soviet origin were sleek and modern. To say the least, they were far superior to Israel’s old French Mirage planes. These inspection flights began at 4:30 AM, and continued until 8:30 AM, with new shifts every 60 minutes. The Egyptians had calculated that if Israel would ever choose to attack, it would be during the first hours of the morning, so they coordinated their flights for that eventuality. On Monday morning, the 26 of Iyar, 7:15 AM, the Israeli planes took off towards the Sinai Peninsula. At 7:30 AM, The MiG 21s should have been flying off the Egyptian air base en route to Sinai. The confrontation between the two air forces would have been inevitable. Israel expected its planes to eventually find the MiGs –which is why Israel dispatched nearly 200 aircraft, leaving only twelve planes behind– predicting that many would be shot down by the powerful Egyptian air force.

A 15-MINUTE DELAY
At 7:30 AM, the Israeli planes were entering the Sinai, ready to face the MiGs and anti-aircraft artillery in the following 15 minutes. But that did not happen. The Israeli planes arrived undisturbed at 7:45am and were able to bombard the Egyptian runways, preventing their enemy planes from taking off, and they managed to destroy the MiG combat planes on the ground!

If the MiGs had taken off at 7:30 AM as usual, they would have discovered the Israeli fleet and alerted the anti-aircraft defense forces. And they surely would have destroyed dozens of Israeli Mirage planes in battle.

What happened? Why were the MiGs not in the air?

That very day, the 7:30 AM shift was delayed. They did not leave on time because the officer in charge was late. Muhammad Sidiqi Mahmud, the Chief of the Egyptian Air Force, organized a party for his pilots the previous night (Sunday, June 4th) to raise their morale. The party, which included much dancing, food, and drinks, extended late into the night, and this had delayed the officer and pilots by a few critical minutes.

JORDAN JOINS THE WAR

Despite Israel’s request not to enter the war before June 5th, Jordan joined Egypt and put its army under the command of an Egyptian general, Riyad, to be more effective in the coordination between the two forces. The Jordanians had very advanced military equipment, provided by England, and at 7.30 am the Jordanian radars were filled with small dots that indicated the invasion of the Israeli planes crossing into the Sinai peninsula. Immediately they transmitted the emergency alert to the Egyptians. But something extraordinary happened: the Egyptian officials were not able to decode the alert message that came repeatedly from Jordan; and they were so frustrated that they disconnected the communication with the Jordanian intelligence service for a few critical minutes.

What happened? Why could the Egyptians not decode the urgent Jordanian message?

MIRACLES IN CODE

This emergency message announcing the Israeli attack was transmitted with a secret code, which was changed frequently. The experienced radar operator in Aman, Jordan, who detected the Israeli aircraft, sent the emergency code: “anab” (in Arabic means “grapes”). But the previous night the secret code had been changed, and the Jordanian agent “made a mistake”, and used the code of the previous day, which could not be identified as authentic by the Egyptian officers. When the Egyptian agents realized the possibility of a human error, it was already too late: Israel had already destroyed the enemy airports and the Migs on the ground.

THE SECOND ATTACK
But the Egyptian air force still had other planes at the military air bases in Cairo ready for combat.
At 9.34am Israeli planes left again, now towards Cairo. This time the Egyptians were ready, so the surprise factor was already lost. It was also no longer possible to avoid Egyptian radars and their anti-area artillery fire. The Egyptians, who were on high alert, activated all their defenses against the Israeli planes, but all the Israeli planes hit their targets and miraculously, ONLY ONE Israeli AIRCRAFT was shot down! In this second attack the Israeli air force destroyed 107 Egyptian aircraft and rendered ALL Egyptian airports, military or civilian, useless so that Egypt could no longer use any of its aircraft to attack Israel or to defend its troops on the ground.
 

In 3 hours, from 7.45 am to 10.45 am, Israel destroyed 391 aircraft of the enemy Egyptian forces (2/3 of the aircraft of the United Arab Forces) and disabled 26 military air bases and runaways, neutralizing all Egyptian military and civilian airports.

That morning the war had been decided in favor of Israel: with no Egyptian planes Israel had now full hegemony in the air.

THE EXPLANATION OF KING DAVID
Some 3000 years ago, King David wrote in Sefer Tehillim- his book of Psalms- on Psalm 124, about HaShem’s Divine Intervention when Israel is attacked by its many enemies:

שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת לְדָוִד לוּלֵי ה ‘שֶׁהָיָה לָנוּ יֹאמַר-נָא יִשְׂרָאֵל:לוּלֵי ה ‘שֶׁהָיָה לָנוּ בְּקוּם עָלֵינוּ אָדָם

“If God had not been with us, if God had not been on our side, when men rose up against us … [our enemies] would have swallowed us alive, because of their hatred for us, [they would have passed] like a torrent of impetuous water over our heads, dragging us [towards certain death] …Blessed be HaShem, who has not delivered us like prey into their teeth … [thanks to His intervention] we have escaped alive, like a bird that escapes from the trap of the hunters …. the trap was destroyed and we survived. Our help comes from God, the Creator of heavens and earth.”

To be continued

In his book Megilat haMered vehaChurban (“The Tale of the Rebellion and the Destruction”), Dr. Chagi Ben Artzi, professor of history at Bar Ilan University, tells the story of the destruction of the Second Bet haMiqdash and mentions a lesser-known (at least to me) opinion regarding why Lag laOmer (also known as Lag baOmer) is considered a festive day.
First, according to an important rabbinical opinion (Chatam Sofer), on the 18th day of Iyar, we Jews began to receive the man (manna), a food provided by God daily in the desert of Sinai for 40 years. According to this opinion, on the 33rd day of the Omer, we celebrate the miracle of the man.
Second, the Sages say that between Pesach and Shabuot, 24,000 students of Ribbi Aqiba died in an epidemic, and on the 33rd day of the Omer, this epidemic ended. According to Rabbi Sherirah Gaon (906–1006), Rabbi Aqiba’s students actually died fighting the Roman Empire, and it is possible that the Gemara speaks of “an epidemic” as a euphemism.
Third, and as we explained earlier, on this day we celebrate the life and achievements of Ribbi Shimon bar Yochai (see here).
Finally, Professor Ben Artzi reminds us of another major event that took place on the same day—the 33rd of the Omer—around the year 130 of the common era.

THE SHEMAD
After the destruction of the Second Temple, Jerusalem was in ruins, and the Jews were not allowed to enter the city. Things got even worse when the Roman Emperor Hadrian came to power in the year 117. Hadrian had an obsessive hatred toward the Jewish people, and like so many antisemites before and after him, he was seeking a “final solution to the Jewish problem.” Hadrian banned Berit Mila (circumcision) and the study of the Tora, and punished these “crimes” with death.
These times were so traumatic that the Hachamim rarely spoke of them, and referred to this era with a generic term: Shemad—“destruction”—in a way similar to how we use the term Shoah (“Holocaust”) to encompass the tragedies our people experienced during the Second World War.

NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN
To ensure the name “Israel” was erased, Hadrian changed the name “Yehuda” (Judea) to “Palestine,” falsely attributing Israel’s identity to the Philistines. Ironically, Philistines in Hebrew, pelishtiim, means “foreign invaders” and refers to the savage peoples who came from the sea, plundered the locals, and took by force everything they could. Incidentally, the Philistines had already disappeared by Hadrian’s time—but he didn’t care. The main thing was to “cancel” the connection between Israel and the Jewish people.
Incredibly, we see similar tendencies in our days: a few years ago, UNESCO launched a campaign to declare the Jews as invaders in their own land, referring to Israel as “occupied Palestinian territory.” Officially, UNESCO also changed the name of Jerusalem—especially the Temple Mount—to “al-Haram al-Sharif” in all of its documents. See more details here: .

A PAGAN TEMPLE IN THE MOST SACRED PLACE
Hadrian, like UNESCO, also tried to erase the name of Jerusalem. He had the city plowed and rebuilt under a new name: Aelia Capitolina. Why Aelia? Because before becoming emperor, Hadrian’s family name was Aelius, and he wanted to commemorate himself. Why Capitolina? Because Hadrian intended to rededicate Jerusalem to the Roman god Jupiter Capitolino. A massive pagan temple would be built on the very site where the Bet haMiqdash had stood—guaranteeing, God forbid, that the Jewish Temple would never be rebuilt.
The Jews learned of Hadrian’s plan. Although they had tolerated his ongoing provocations, this crossed a line. They could no longer remain passive. Thus began the Bar Kochba Rebellion, supported by many Sages, including Ribbi Aqiba.

A GREAT VICTORY AFTER ALL
The brave Bar Kochba rebellion ultimately failed. However, despite the terrible price paid—more than half a million Jewish lives—there was a significant victory. The first goal of the rebellion had been achieved: to prevent Hadrian from erecting a pagan temple on the ruins of the Bet haMiqdash. Bar Kochba and his fighters, facing the world’s most powerful army, defeated the mighty 10th Legion of Rome and recaptured Yerushalayim.
When was Jerusalem recovered from the Romans? On a day like today: Iyar 18, the 33rd day of the Omer. Although the war was eventually lost, this victory forced the Romans to suspend the construction of the pagan temple on the site of our Sanctuary.
A few years later, Hadrian died (138 CE), and his plan—Barukh HaShem—was never carried out.
—
Rabbi Yosef Bitton

THE PRIESTS

In this Parasha, HaShem transmits to Moshe the laws that apply to his brother Aharon, his sons, and all his male descendants, the Cohanim, the priests of the Jewish People. They must keep themselves pure and holy and, in opposition to the pagan priests, who were primarily responsible for the cult of the dead, the Cohanim must not have contact with a dead body. The Cohanim also have additional restrictions regarding the woman they can marry. There are also rules regarding the daughters of the Cohanim and the standards of morality that they must observe.

THE HEAD PRIEST

The Head Priest, or Cohen Gadol, must comply with additional rules. He must not let his hair grow too long, he cannot observe regular mourning by tearing his clothes or having contact with a corpse. He must not leave the Sanctuary, he must only marry an unmarried woman. And if he contracts any impurity, he cannot perform the service of the Temple. Likewise, the priest with some physical blemish should remain outside the Divine Service in the Temple. The Temple Service must be immaculate. Priestly offerings could not be made in a state of impurity.  And animal sacrifices cannot be made with sick or blemished animals. The Divine Name cannot be profaned but consecrated and sanctified.

HOLIDAY NUMBER ONE

The Tora mentions the Jewish Holidays.  First, the Shabbat, the Seventh-day,  is the most important holiday in the Hebrew calendar. For six days, you will work, and on Shabbat, you shall declare your work finished and dedicate the day to HaShem, your God.

PESACH

In the first month of the year (Nisan), on the fourteenth day of the month, the festival of Pesach shall be celebrated, offering that day the Pesach sacrifice. The fifteenth day of Pesach is the Festival of Matzot, for seven days you will eat only unleavened bread. The first day you will declare it sacred and you will not do any work or work. The seventh day of Pesach shall also be sanctified as a Holy day.

OMER AND SHABUOT

When you enter the promised land that I give you and you harvest your grain, you shall bring an ‘omer, a portion of barley from your first harvest. The priest shall offer it to God. After seven full weeks, counting from the time of this offering, the fiftieth day (Shabuot), you shall bring a new offering to God: leavened bread, unleavened bread, and animal offerings without blemish, as an expression of obedience to God.  When you harvest your field, you will leave the ears belonging to the poor and the foreigner (for example, the corners of the fields, etc.).

ROSH HASHANA, YOM KIPPUR, AND SUCCOT

In the seventh month of the year (Tishri) on the first day of the month, the Shofar will be heard (on Rosh HaShana). And on the tenth day of the month, you will celebrate a Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). You will deprive yourself of eating and doing any worldly work or activity on that day. If a person does not deprive himself of these necessities on that day, he will be cut off (karet) from his community. This Day of Atonement will be established for posterity and in all your dwellings.

The Festival  of the Huts will be celebrated on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. For seven days you will be dedicated to God. No work is to be performed on the first day and the eighth day. You should take the fruit of a beautiful tree (citrus, or in Hebrew etrog), leaves of palm branches (lulab), myrtle branches (hadas), and willows (araba), and rejoice before God. You will live in these huts for seven days, so that future generations will know and remember that I, HaShem, made had them living in huts when I brought them out of the land of Egypt.

LAST LAWS

Returning to the Temple service, Aharon will set up a lamp that will burn constantly, day and night, in the Sanctuary. If someone does not respect the Name of God and offends it, he will be removed from the community and executed. If a man murders another man, he will be put to death. Whoever attempts against the life of an animal must pay compensation for that animal. If someone causes any damage to another person, he must pay compensation: for fractures or accidental mutilations. This compensation will be required in favor of the victim, maintaining the same rule for both the citizen and the foreigner (“ger”: legal resident or nationalized). I am HaShem, your Go

Finally, HaShem instructs Moshe to learn the laws that apply to his brother Aharon, his sons, and all his male descendants, the Cohanim, who are the priests of the Jewish People. They must keep themselves pure and holy, and in opposition to the pagan priests who were primarily responsible for the cult of the dead, the Cohanim must not have contact with a dead body. The Cohanim also have additional restrictions regarding the women they can marry. There are also rules regarding the daughters of the Cohanim and the standards of morality they must observe.

Some men are more angels than men. That was the case with Ribbi Saadia Benzaquen z”l, my first teacher. He led the beautiful synagogue on Piedras Street, which only filled up on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, because his beloved Moroccan-Argentine community—of which my father and grandfather were part—did not have many regular attendees for daily or even weekly Tefilot. Rabbi Benzaquen was a great leader, a visionary with ambitious goals for the Jewish people. He believed that the community in Argentina urgently needed young, well-trained rabbis who could face the challenges of the present day—rabbis fluent in a sufficiently sophisticated vocabulary to speak to young professionals who were increasingly assimilated and no longer understood the older rabbis. He wanted to develop rabbinic leaders who were eloquent and capable of expressing the timeless ideas of the Torah in modern language.

This was the mid-1970s. I believe that Ribbi Saadia, like many other geniuses, was ahead of his time. He did not have institutional support to create an orthodox rabbinic training program, but that did not stop him from pursuing his dream. Far from giving up, he personally set out to train his own students, motivating them to study Torah with the goal of receiving rabbinic ordination.
I was one of those privileged students. In 1980, Ribbi Saadia learned that Rabbi Yaakob Eljarrar z”l, originally from Spanish Morocco, was starting a Kolel for Dayanim—a school of advanced rabbinic studies—and he asked him to organize a special rabbinic program for three of his students. At age 19, I had the privilege of being one of them. I left my studies at Yeshiva University halfway through and went to Israel, to the Kolel on 4 HaTurim Street, next to the Mahane Yehuda market in Jerusalem. The Kolel, I believe, was called Zekhor LeDavid and housed the library of the famous Ribbi Itzchak Bengualid, the luminary of the Jewish community in Tetuan—the city where my grandparents and Ribbi Saadia were born.

At Ribbi Saadia’s request, Rabbi Elcharrar found us the best possible teacher: the now-famous rabbi of Baqaa, Jerusalem, and current candidate for Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Eliyahu Abergel Shelita. Under the direction of Rabbi Abergel and Rabbi Elcharrar, and with the constant supervision of Ribbi Saadia, his son Rabbi Abraham Benzaquen, Rabbi Mijael Acrich and I studied intensively for several years. We passed four exams at the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and received rabbinic ordination, thus fulfilling one of Ribbi Saadia’s dreams.

But this was only one part of what he did for us. He also gave us solid training in one key area for any community rabbi: public speaking. This began a bit earlier, when I was 15 years old. My childhood had taken place in Castelar, in the province of Buenos Aires. After my Bar Mitsva, which was celebrated at the Piedras synagogue—Ribbi’s sanctuary—my parents decided to move to the capital. They were concerned that my sisters and I be in a Jewish environment. They bought a small apartment on Chacabuco Street, in the San Telmo neighborhood, choosing that location exclusively for its proximity to the Piedras synagogue.

The meetings where he trained us in public speaking took place on Shabbat afternoons. It is hard to describe what it was like to spend a Shabbat with Ribbi Saadia. After lunch with my family, I would rush to his house on Sargento Garay Street. Entering the building was an adventure, because the doorman was never available. I can see myself shouting at the top of my lungs from the ground floor to the second: “Alberto! Albertooo! Albertooooooo!” I kept yelling until Abraham would hear my screams and come down to open the door.

Once inside, we studied Gemara and Mishna Berura until it was time for seuda shelishit, which, due to circumstances, we had to eat before Minha. Ribbi Saadia would sit at the head of the table, for many years alongside his father Abraham and his dear wife Raquel, who spent more time standing than sitting, attending to her honored guests: Ribbi Saadia’s handful of students. Doña Raquel would serve us delicious sweet pastries, syrup-soaked and fluffy, and an intoxicatingly fragrant herbal tea with lemon verbena (Yerba Luisa) . On special occasions, we also enjoyed fiyuleas, crispy rolled pastries also drenched in syrup.

After the majestic seuda shelishit, we would all walk together to the synagogue on Piedras. Normally, it should have taken us ten minutes to get there, but we never took less than half an hour. Why? Because Ribbi Saadia would stop to greet every single neighbor he met on the way. Everyone: the newspaper vendor, the pharmacist, the greengrocer, the women washing the sidewalks, and the men sitting outside a bar playing cards. He knew them all by name. And his greeting was never a formal “good afternoon,” but a whole conversation centered on them: the neighbors, their parents, their children, their relatives. Ribbi Saadia would ask about everyone with genuine interest. The neighbors, as you can imagine, showed great respect and admiration for this very special man who took an interest in all of them. It was a half-hour of pure Kiddush Hashem.

When we finally arrived at the synagogue, Ribbi Saadia would have us sit upstairs, in the seats reserved for the “future rabbis” and for Samuel Chocrón, his secretary, assistant cantor, and practically his adopted son. We would pray Minha, and then came the moment we had all been waiting for: public speaking. There were three or four of us delivering a derasha (rabbinic sermon), which had to last around five to ten minutes. We prepared as best as we could, following Ribbi Saadia’s guidelines: that what we said should be clear and relevant, and that our speech should have a message applicable to the complex realities of modern life.

They say public speaking is the number one human fear—stronger even than the fear of death or snakes. Forcing us to do it was the best (or only) way to help us overcome that fear. We had two strategic advantages. First, the synagogue was not particularly full. In fact, besides us, there were maybe seven or eight elderly men, most of whom could easily fall asleep. In that ideal oratory laboratory, we could take risks without fear of embarrassment, because even if our speech was a disaster—which was not uncommon—“nothing happened.” I remember one time while delivering my derasha, I had a mental block. My brain froze, completely paralyzed—I didn’t know how to continue. Since it was Shabbat, we were required to memorize our speeches and couldn’t read from notes. I stood silently for what felt like an eternity—probably a full minute. It was a little embarrassing, but soon forgotten. The intensity of the mishap was as low as the number of listeners.

The second strategic element was Señor Gozal. A very special person. A partner—or perhaps accomplice—of Ribbi Saadia in our oratory training. Sr Gozal (I am not sure I ever knew his first name) was an older man, but with tremendous presence. Tall, thin, energetic, impeccably dressed, wearing a stylish brown hat. The closest thing I can recall to an English gentleman. Sr Gozal had a penetrating gaze and paid full attention to everything we said. But not passively—his eyes never left the speaker and sometimes widened dramatically, raising his thick eyebrows in a gesture of approval. Naturally, I—and I think all of us—couldn’t help but speak directly to Sr Gozal. He was the audience. We aimed for the highest prize: his approving smile, which felt like a standing ovation emanating from his face.

His constant encouragement was incredibly motivating for us, the aspiring speakers. To our delight, when we had all finished our speeches, the experts—Ribbi Saadia and Señorr Gozal—would gather to review them aloud, analyze them, and inevitably praise the high quality of the content, the brilliance of the ideas, and the excellence of the speakers. It was a flood of compliments, which we naively believed, and which helped inflate our confidence, reduce our fear of public speaking, and inspired us to try harder the next Shabbat.

This is how Ribbi Saadia Benzaquen trained us to speak in public—and to be better rabbis for a world moving at an ever-faster pace.

By Rab Yosef Bitton

THE FATHER OF THE TALMUD

The Mishna, the Tosefta, the Sifra, and the Sifre, the seminal texts of rabbinical literature, have their origin directly or indirectly in the work of a single man: Ribbi Aqiba (or Akiva), considered the father of Talmudic literature.  He was born around the year 50 of the common era. In his youth, he worked as a shepherd for the richest man in Jerusalem: Kalba Sabua, a very generous Jew who stood out for his solidarity with the poor and for supplying the entire city of Jerusalem with food at the time of the Roman’s siege, in the year 68. Not much is known about Aqiba’s childhood. We do know that at the age of forty, Aqiba was a simple worker and did not even know how to read.  Additionally, he was not very sympathetic to religion. In fact, he had a hostile attitude for the Sages. How did it happen then that an illiterate man who had no sympathy for Tora’s studies became the most influential rabbi of all times?  

THE DISCOVERY OF THE CENTURY

Kalba Sabua had a daughter: her name was Rachel. She was the most sought-after bachelorette in Jerusalem. She could have chosen to marry the candidate of her choice: the man with the most wisdom, or from the best family. No one would have said “no” to Kalba Sabua’s daughter. But something extraordinary happened. The Gemara tells us that Rachel —who possessed an outstanding feminine perception— observed something special in Aqiba. The Sages described what she saw with two little words that do not always come together: צנוע וּמעלי. The first word tsanua means “discreet”, but it also means: “shy” or in this context: “hidden”. The second word ma’ale means “talented”, “above the ordinary”, or in this context: “gifted”.  Somehow, this young woman discovered that this shepherd possessed very special and unusual intellectual gifts and she also realized that those talents were “hidden”: Aqiba used his gifts to take care of the cattle or to administrate her father’s state.  That didn’t seem to bother anyone else. But Rachel realized that Aqiba’s geniality was wasted. And she visualized that if this man would dedicate himself to study, he could become one of the greatest Sages of his generation! 

Those were chaotic times. The study of Tora, and especially the transmission of the Oral Tradition was in danger.  The Romans who had destroyed the Bet haMiqdash, were after the Sages and aimed to destroy Judaism. The Jewish people needed geniuses who could recover our Traditions, organize them and rescue them from oblivion.  Rachel thought, that Aqiba could be one of those talented scholars if he would develop his potential and dedicate his life to study. And she was not wrong!

AN OFFER YOU CAN NOT REFUSE

Rachel then made a decision that would not only redefine her personal life but would impact the destiny of the Jewish people to this day. In an absolutely transcendental act,  extremely unusual and risky:  she proposed to marry Ribbi Aqiba. She said: “If I marry you, will you promise me that you will dedicate yourself fully to studying Tora?”. I’m not sure if rabbi Aqiba had the same confidence Rachel had in him, and if he ever believed that he will become a great scholar. Perhaps he thought that the condition that Rachel demanded “dedicate yourself to study Tora” was doable. And perhaps he thought that his future father-in-law would surely help them financially while he studied… in any case: Rabbi Aqiba said: “I do”.     But Kalba Sabua was furious with his daughter. Why did she insist on marrying an illiterate, who doesn’t even come from a known family (in fact the Sages say that Rabbi Aquiba’s ancestors were converts!).  Kalba Sabua was so angry that he expelled his daughter and her husband out of his state.

STRAWS AND GOLD

Now, Aqiba was married to the best woman, but he had no house, no money, and no job. During the first few months, Aqiba and Rachel  slept in the fields. In the winter, they collected straws from the forest to protect themselves from the cold. Aqiba was very sad to see his wife living in such poverty, even though she never complained.  The Gemara says that every morning, upon waking up, Aqiba would fix her wife’s hair, and remove the straws that remained on her head. And he would tell her: “If I ever have the opportunity, instead of these straws, I will give you as a gift a “Jerusalem of Gold” to adorn your hair”.  This deserves a clarification. Jewish women used a wide variety of jewelry to beautify themselves: earrings, bracelets, necklaces, etc. But there was a piece of jewelry that was the most elaborated, the most exotic, and the most expensive. It was called “‘ir shel zahab” or “Yerushalayim Shel Zahab” (Jerusalem of gold). This luxurious jewelry was a crown, made in the shape of the original Jerusalem (which instead of a Mosque, had the Bet HaMiqdash in the center, as can be seen in this reconstruction). This very expensive tiara, made of pure gold, was worn by women who belonged to the wealthiest families. Little did Rachel or Rabbi Aqiba himself imagine that one day, that wish would come true…..

IS ANYONE POORER THAN US?

The Sages also tell us that in order to comfort Ribbi Aqiba who was suffering so much for the extreme poverty that he was experiencing, God sent them a visitor (Eliyahu haNabi), a very poor individual that made a strange request from Rabbi Aqiba:  “Please, sir, I need help. My wife is about to give birth, and she needs straws to lie down and have an easier delivery. Can you please give me some straw”.  Aqiba immediately gave the straw to this man, and with a little more confidence he then told his wife. “You see my dear Rachel, our situation is not that bad. There are people who are poorer than us, but at least we have a lot of straw to cover ourselves.”

To be continued

IS ANYONE POORER THAN ME?

Rachel, the daughter of Kalba Sabua, married Aqiba, one of her father’s herdsmen, because she saw in him an enormous intellectual potential, and since he committed himself to study Tora. At first, the couple suffered from extreme poverty: they had to sleep outdoors and covered themselves with straw to protect themselves from the cold. The Sages tell us that to comfort Ribbi Aqiba, HaShem sent them a visitor (Eliyahu haNabi). A very poor individual who said to Rabbi Aqiba: “Sir, I need help. My wife just gave birth and she needs straws to make the baby comfortable. Can you please give me some straw?”.  Aqiba immediately gave him the straw and told his wife. “You see my dear Rachel: our situation is not so desperate, at least we have plenty of straw to cover ourselves.”

NO ADULTS ALLOWED….

After a short time, Rachel told Rabbi Aqiba, “It’s time for you to start learning Tora.” True to his commitment  Rabbi Aqiba headed to the Talmud Torah to learn the first Hebrew letters: the “aleph, bet” (hence the word: “alphabet”). But he ran into a problem he hadn’t foreseen: at his age, 40 years old, he was sharing the class with 5 and 6-year-olds kids. The children teased him, laughed at him, and said, “What is an old man like you doing here?” Rabbi Aqiba was so embarrassed that he ran away from the class. When he arrived home, disconsolate, he told his dear wife that the children made fun of him and he begged her not to insist on going to the Talmud Tora again. It seemed that the project of educating this “potential genius” had come to an end before it began…

THE WISDOM OF RACHEL

The Midrash haGadol recounts that Rachel, with her great wisdom, said to her husband, “Okay. Don’t go to the Talmud Tora tomorrow. But I have a task for you.” Very relieved, Ribbi Aqiba told her that she could ask him to do anything except going to school. Rachel borrowed a donkey from one of her neighbors and decorated it, putting a little mud and flowers on the animal’s back: a donkey with flowers was a rarity, something never seen before.  The next morning, Rachel asked her husband to take the donkey for a ride through the market, where there were dozens of people. Rabbi Aqiba accepted and took the donkey for a ride. When he arrived at the market, people saw the donkey and laughed: “Look! A donkey with flowers! Haha!” The next day Rachel asked him to take the donkey to the market again. And this time, only half the people made fun of the donkey. The next day, Rachel asked her husband to go out a third and last time. This time, when Aqiba arrived at the market, no one was surprised. In fact, the donkey with flowers was old news.…

When Ribbi Aqiba told his wife what happened, she told him: “You see, my dear husband, when something unusual happens —adults and children and adults alike—, respond with laughter and mockery. But after a few days, the new situation is normalized, people get used to it and no one makes fun of it anymore. And so it will be with you. The children who make fun of you will get used to seeing you as just another student tomorrow and the day after.”    Rachel’s experiment worked. Her words convinced Rabbi Aqiba and the next day he returned to the Talmud Tora.

MENTAL BLOCK

But the learning difficulties were not over. As much as he wanted to memorize the letters of the alphabet, or the biblical verses that the teacher was teaching he couldn’t focus or retain anything in his memory. Rabbi Aqiba thought that perhaps his wife had made a tragic mistake, leaving everything behind, believing that he is a genius… Perhaps he wasn’t smart at all…   With great embarrassment, he approached her dear wife and told her what was happening: that no matter how hard he tried, he was not able to learn anything. The Tora did not enter his mind!  Rachel did not give up. She knew her husband was a genius, and that it was only a matter of time until his full potential was realized. And she was not wrong.

THE MAGIC MOMENT

One day Ribbi Aqiba entered a cave and on the top of the cave saw a stalactite that was dripping non-stop. The drops of water fell on a stone, and the water, over time, pierced the stone. This vision was a revelation: “If water, that is so soft and delicate, can penetrate the hard stone, there is no reason why the Tora should not penetrate my mind”.  The water piercing the stone became the moment of change in the life of Rabbi Aqiba. Suddenly, he felt liberated from his fears and from his insecurities. His mind opened up and the mental block was somehow removed! And once this happened, Rabbi Aquiba’s genius was awakened, and he began to absorb the Tora at an unusual, incredible speed. In a short period of time, as Rachel had foreseen, he learned and memorized the entire written Tora and the Tanakh. And in record time he graduated and entered the Academy of Higher Education in Lod, where he met his first great teacher: Ribbí Eliezer haGadol.

Written in MAY 2025

OPENING YOUR EYES

This Yom HaAtzmaut we celebrate 77 years since the declaration of the independence of the State of Israel. And it’s not just another anniversary: this year is very special —and much better!— than the previous ones. Barely a year and a half after the brutal attack of October 7, 2023 —when Israel was attacked from Gaza, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen—, the Jewish State emerges more firm, stronger and more determined than ever, in every aspect: territorial, economic and demographic.

As believing Jews, we cannot fail to see in this transformation an extraordinary modern miracle.

And when we see that, once again, Israel rises from the ashes, the pain and the affliction, and does so with achievements it had not even reached after its victory in the Six-Day War of 1967, it is impossible not to hear in our hearts the echo of that famous verse that describes the first time we were oppressed as a people, in Egypt:

וְכַאֲשֶׁר יְעַנּוּ אֹתוֹ כֵּן יִרְבֶּה וְכֵן יִפְרֹץ

“And the more they oppressed them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread.”

In 2025, we are living a biblical moment in real time.

It is curious that the majority of Yehudim in the world, including many who live in Israel, “do not see it.” It reminds me of what our Sages say: when one experiences a miracle, while it is happening, they may not realize what they are living.

It is as if a Yehudi were crossing the Red Sea, with the walls of water standing to his right and to his left, and instead of lifting his eyes, being amazed and praising God, he complains about the mud in his sandals, or argues with his neighbor over who walks faster.

The miracles surround us, envelops us, protect us. We are crossing the open sea and we don’t see it.

That is why, on this Yom HaAtzmaut 77, I want to help uncover the incredible miracles we are living. How? By informing ourselves with objective data about some realities of Israel in 2025 that, in times of war, are simply inexplicable from a rational or statistical point of view.

We will rely on the original biblical indicators of the Tora, examining three areas where the blessing of God is evident:

The economic prosperity of Israel

The victory of Israel over its enemies

The demographic growth of Israel

These are three indicators that the Tora presents as clear signs of the Divine covenant toward Israel —and which are happening before our eyes today.

ECONOMIC PROSPERITY

The most frequent way in which the Tora describes Divine intervention over the people of Israel is through material blessing —economic prosperity. We read three times a day in the Shema Israel that rain in its due season was, in biblical times, the main indicator of that blessing. When the people fulfilled the will of God, the rains came in measure and in time, the fields flourished, and there was abundance. When the people strayed, the punishment was drought, poverty and, eventually, exile.

This pattern appears repeatedly throughout the Tora. Prosperity is not a random phenomenon: it is a visible sign of Divine closeness. That is why a reflection on Israel’s economy should not be approached from a merely materialist point of view, but as an opportunity to observe the Berakha of God with our own eyes.

Despite the context of war and geopolitical challenges, the Israeli economy is going through a historic moment. There is no other way to put it. While neighboring countries such as Lebanon, Turkey, Iran and Egypt face severe economic crises —and many European economies stagnate— Israel flourishes.

Economic growth and GDP

The International Monetary Fund projects a 3.2% economic growth for Israel in 2025. This number not only surpasses the global average (2.8%) but also eclipses powers such as Germany (0.0%), the United Kingdom (1.1%), and Spain (2.5%).

Israel’s total GDP will reach 585 billion dollars, surpassing countries such as the United Arab Emirates (568 billion). GDP per capita is estimated at $58,474, placing Israel among the most developed economies in the world.

Foreign currency reserves

Another key indicator: Israel’s foreign currency reserves. In February 2025, they reached 220.25 billion dollars. To compare: the United Kingdom has 113.8 billion in reserves, and Spain 103.1 billion. Israel surpasses them combined!

Additionally, when considering total reserves (including gold), Israel ranks 18th globally —above countries such as the United Arab Emirates.

Natural gas: strategic wealth

Offshore gas production is also transforming the economic landscape. In 2024, Israel produced 27.38 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas, 8.3% more than the previous year. It exported 13.11 bcm to Egypt and Jordan (almost half of total production), generating over 1.38 billion dollars in tax revenue.

Cyber and military technology

Israel’s economy not only grows, it also innovates and leads in key global areas. Israel is the third most advanced country in the world in technological innovation.

Israel has become one of the world’s top exporters of military technology. It currently ranks 8th globally in defense exports. Its systems —such as Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow 3— are recognized for their effectiveness and sophistication.

In 2025, a historic agreement was finalized: the sale of the Arrow 3 system to Germany, for a value of 3.5 billion dollars. This contract represents the largest military export in Israel’s history, consolidating its reputation as a global leader in defense technology.

High Tech: a cybersecurity giant

Another remarkable milestone this year: the sale of the Israeli startup Wiz to Alphabet (Google’s parent company) for 32 billion dollars. This agreement is not only the largest in the history of an Israeli company —it is also the largest global acquisition of a private cybersecurity firm.

These types of deals confirm that, even in times of war, Israel’s innovation ecosystem does not stop.

Monetary stability

In normal contexts, a prolonged war causes a significant devaluation of the national currency. But Israel is not in a “normal” context: the Israeli Shekel remains strong and stable against the dollar and other foreign currencies. The confidence of international markets in the Israeli economy is so solid that foreign investment not only remains, it grows —especially in strategic sectors such as high tech, defense, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity.

Property prices in Israel have not gone down. On the contrary, they continue to rise —both for buying and for renting. A unique phenomenon worldwide in a country at war.

Surpassing Germany

In April 2025, the IMF published a historic statistic: for the first time, Israel surpassed Europe’s greatest economic power —Germany— in GDP per capita. While Germany reached $56,360, Israel reached $58,270. This economic milestone is even more meaningful considering it was achieved amid active military conflicts and under constant geopolitical threats.

Many analysts describe this phenomenon as a (positive) anomaly —an inexplicable resilience. For us, it should not be surprising: it is the Berakha of HaShem, who blesses and makes prosper the effort and ingenuity of His people —manifesting before our very eyes.

GOD IN BATTLE

A second great sign of Divine intervention in the Tora manifests in victory over our enemies. Again and again, the Creator promises in the Tora that He will accompany the people of Israel in their battles and grant them victory —not to replace military intervention, but to empower it with heavenly assistance.

As several verses affirm, among them:

כִּֽי-תֵצֵ֨א לַמִּלְחָמָ֜ה עַל-אֹֽיְבֶ֗ךָ… לֹ֥א תִירָ֖א מֵהֶ֑ם, כִּֽי־ה׳ אֱלֹהֶ֤יךָ עִמָּ֔ךָ

“When you go out to war against your enemies… do not fear them, for HaShem your God is with you.” (Debarim 20:1)

כִּֽי ה׳ אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֔ם הַהֹלֵ֖ךְ עִמָּכֶ֑ם לְהִלָּחֵ֥ם לָכֶ֛ם עִם־אֹיְבֵיכֶ֖ם לְהוֹשִׁ֥יעַ אֶתְכֶֽם

“HaShem your God goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, and to save you.” (Debarim 20:4)

In this past year and a half, we have seen how these biblical promises become reality in Israel’s military situation. Despite being the victim of a savage and surprise attack, Israel has responded with a forceful, precise and effective strategy.

Gaza: from terror to exile

After the massacre of October 7, 2023, Israel launched an unprecedented military campaign. Today, a year and a half later, the Israel Defense Forces control nearly 40% of the territory of the Gaza Strip, including:

The entire northern area that borders Israel

A security buffer zone of at least one kilometer along the eastern border

A wide region in the south, from the Philadelphi Corridor to Morag, protecting Gaza’s border with Egypt

And although there are still about 20 living hostages and approximately 30–35 bodies yet to be recovered, Barukh HaShem, the majority of the kidnapped hostages have returned home.

And finally, something even more unexpected: more than 36,000 Palestinians have voluntarily left Gaza during April 2025! Relocating to countries such as France, Malaysia, Indonesia, Egypt, and Jordan.

This emigration —inspired by the initiative originally promoted by President Trump— represents a profound political and military victory for Israel, and the greatest deterrent to prevent the enemy from ever attacking the Jewish State again.

Syria: weakened enemies

On the northeastern front, the Israel Defense Forces have succeeded in securing full control over the northern sector of Mount Hermon (Kéter haHermon), the second highest peak in the Levant. From this strategic position, Israel can monitor real-time military movements in Syria and Lebanon, significantly enhancing its deterrent capabilities.

This control adds to other surrounding areas, tripling the original size of the Golan Heights under Israeli control. In recent months, following the exile of Assad, Tzahal destroyed most of Syria’s strategic weaponry and neutralized its military capacity —without suffering casualties of its own.

Lebanon: a safe border B”H soon

For decades, the northern border was synonymous with constant threat. Today, thanks to the technological superiority and precise intelligence of Tzahal, Hezbollah’s weapons have been pushed further into central and northern Lebanon —far from Israeli northern cities such as Metula, Kiryat Shemona, etc.

These cities had lived for years under the threat of rockets and terrorist tunnels. During the October 7 war, they were evacuated, and today they are beginning to enjoy safety and a surprise-free border. When will this become definitive? Just a few days ago, Ron Dermer, senior advisor to Prime Minister Netanyahu, stated that Israel will announce its definitive victory over Hamas and Hezbollah in April 2026 —which I estimate will include —with the help of ה׳— the safe return of the evacuated northern residents.

Iran: Crippling the Octopus

The great challenge remains Iran. But if we compare Iran in 2025 with Iran in 2023, the difference is enormous. The Persian regime is now “the head of an octopus” without its tentacles —Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the Shiite militias in Iraq and Yemen— have been severely crippled.

With the help of the Almighty, Israel is consolidating its defensive and offensive capabilities like never before in its ancient and modern history.

DEMOGRAPHIC GROWTH

The most measurable blessing

Demographic growth is the first blessing that God gave to humanity and to our forefathers: Abraham, Yitschaq, and Yaakob. But in the latter case, with an additional detail:
the blessing of multiplication is mentioned specifically in relation to the land of Israel.

God says to Abraham in Bereshit (Genesis) 22:17:
אֲבָרֵךְ אֲבָרֶכְךָ, וְהַרְבָּה אַרְבֶּה אֶת-זַרְעֲךָ כְּכוֹכְבֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם, וְכַחוֹל אֲשֶׁר עַל-שְׂפַת הַיָּם; וְיִירַשׁ זַרְעֲךָ אֵת שַׁעַר אֹיְבָיו

“I will bless you greatly, and I will multiply your offspring like the stars of the heavens and like the sand on the seashore; and your offspring will inherit the cities of their enemies.”

Then to Yitschaq in Bereshit 26:4:
וְהִרְבֵּיתִי אֶת-זַרְעֲךָ כְּכוֹכְבֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם, וְנָתַתִּי לְזַרְעֲךָ אֵת כָּל-הָאֲרָצֹת הָאֵל, וְהִתְבָּרֲכוּ בְזַרְעֲךָ כֹּל גּוֹיֵי הָאָרֶץ

“I will multiply your offspring like the stars of the heavens, and I will give to your offspring all these lands; and through your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed.”

And then to Yaakob, in Bereshit 28:3–4:
וְאֵל שַׁדַּי יְבָרֵךְ אֹתְךָ, וְיַפְרְךָ וְיַרְבֶּךָ, וְהָיִיתָ לִקְהַל עַמִּים

“May El Shaddai bless you, make you fruitful and multiply you, and may you become a congregation of peoples.”

In the Tora, the demographic growth of the people of Israel in their land is one of the clearest signs of the enduring covenant between the descendants of Abraham Abinu and the Almighty.

And in this area too, extraordinary events are taking place in Israel —you’d have to be blind not to see them, or very ignorant not to recognize them.

While in almost the entire developed world birth rates are plummeting and populations are aging, in Israel —and only in Israel— the opposite is happening. In 2025, the average fertility rate in Israel is 3.0 children per woman, the highest among all developed countries.

In contrast, the OECD average (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which groups 38 similarly developed countries) is around 1.5.
In countries like Japan or South Korea, the figure has dropped below 1.3; in Germany and Spain, it barely exceeds 1.4.

In other words: while those nations are shrinking, Israel is opening new preschools and building new neighborhoods nonstop.

Within the Orthodox sector, the fertility rate is the highest in the world: over 6 children per woman, more than double the national average. In more traditional cities, the increase in demand for housing, kindergartens, and elementary schools is unprecedented.

The Muslim population, which historically led in this area, now shows demographic decline, with 2.8 children per woman.

The main novelty of this 77th Yom HaAtzmaut is that Israel’s total population in 2025 has surpassed, for the first time in its history, 10 million inhabitants. And although there is no official statistic yet, I believe that by next Yom HaAtzmaut (or the one after, BE”H), THE MAJORITY OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE —MORE THAN 50%— WILL BE LIVING IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL.

IDENTIFYING THE DIVINE HAND

All these numbers and data have enormous spiritual and religious significance. And I find it INEXPLICABLE that they are not celebrated and recognized with enthusiasm by all Jews —especially by Jews who know and study the Tora, and who know these biblical blessings by heart!

Perhaps it is because no one is teaching us to connect the Tora with current events, or perhaps because —unknowingly repeating the terrible sin of the ten spies— they focus only on the negative aspects of the Promised Land and are incapable of appreciating the blessing of God in the land of their ancestors.

This ignorance and indifference worry me —because when we fail to appreciate the blessing of HaShem, perhaps, we may no longer deserve it.

Israel is not only the miracle of the past: it is also the visible stage of ongoing divine blessing —daily, extraordinary, observable, and measurable.

May the Almighty continue with His blessing —despite our indifference— and bring us closer to the Gueula Shelema, the final (or ultimate) redemption, in which all the descendants of Abraham, Yitschaq, and Yaakob become recipients of His blessing in the Promised Land.

Shabbat Shalom and Yom HaAtzmaut Sameach!

Rabbi Hayim haCohen was born in Egypt in 1585. His father, Ribbi Abraham haCohen, belonged to a distinguished family of Cohanim, descendants of Don Yosef haCohen of Spain.

From his childhood, it was clear that he had remarkable talents, not only for his tremendous love for the study of Tora but also for his elevated human qualities. While his classmates spent their free time playing as a child, Hayim went to the synagogue to study Tora and learn how to serve God. In his adolescence, when people gathered in the synagogue during Shabbat, he would go up to the pulpit and give sermons about the weekly section of the Tora, the laws pertaining to the approaching festivals, and lessons of musar (Jewish ethics) that attracted the heart of his listeners.

Later, he moved to the city of Tsefat (Safed) in Israel, where he studied with Rabbi Hayim Vital for about three years. From Safed, Rabbi Hayim HaCohen moved to the city of Aram Tsoba (Aleppo, Syria), where he settled permanently. There he was elected as the rabbi of the community to replace the late Rabbi Mordekhai haCohen, son-in-law of the famous Rabbi Shemuel Laniado, ba’al hakelim.

When Rabbi Hayim HaCohen began to serve as the rabbi of the community, the study of Tora flourished even more in Aleppo. New schools (ketab) and rabbinic academies (bate midrashot) were opened, and more benches were added in the synagogue.

Rabbi  HaCohen served the community of Aleppo as rabbi and head of the rabbinic court for decades. His knowledge was so great that he received inquiries on very difficult rabbinical subjects from distant communities of the world. Finally, he decided to organize all his writings and publish his books, especially his commentaries on the Shulhan Arukh, the code of law that had been written by his teacher’s teacher, Rabbi Yosef Caro.

In addition to his commentary on the Shulhan Arukh, he composed many other books, including a commentary on the Song of Songs (Shir haShirim), a commentary on the book of Ekha (Lamentations), a book on Rut, a commentary on Daniel, and many more books, all in manuscripts. Up until the sixteenth century, books were copied by hand, but with the invention of the printer, that had changed. However, publishing books in Aleppo or the Middle East was impossible because the printing press had not yet arrived there. The only possibility was to print the books in Europe, and the best printers were in Venice, Italy, the city where half of Europe’s books were published in the sixteenth century. It was in Venice where the first edition of the Talmud and the first edition of the Shulhan Arukh were printed.

Rabbi HaCohen sent his commentary on the book of Esther to Venice, but time passed, and the book did not come to light. He then decided to travel to Venice and personally take care of printing his book. Together with his son, they traveled by sea, carrying with them all the manuscripts of the Rabbi (probably no fewer than 20 manuscripts). But their ship was attacked by pirates from the island of Malta. The pirates boarded the ship to steal the cargo and kill the passengers or kidnap them and sell them as slaves. Rabbi HaCohen and his son jumped into the sea and miraculously managed to save their lives. But the books were left on the ship.

The Rabbi prayed to HaShem and asked for His help to recover his invaluable books or to help him rewrite them from memory. God granted him the second request, and he spent several years in Italy rewriting his precious lost books.

The first book that Rabbi HaCohen was able to print, which was edited by Rabbi Moshe Zacuto, is called “Tora Hakham” (The Teaching of the Sage). This book is a collection of the Rabbi’s sermons on the weekly sections of the Tora. The book came to light in Venice in 1654.

The next book that he printed with the assistance of Rabbi Shemuel Abohab was “Meqor Hayim” (The Source of Life),  a commentary on the Shulhan Arukh, consisting of various volumes. The first part was published in Venice, also in 1654.

To print the second volume of this book, “Pitda” (see illustration above), the Rabbi traveled to Livorno, Italy. It was in this city, Livorno, that Rabbi Cohen passed away in Perashat Qedoshim of 1655.

After the death of Rabbi HaCohen, some of the books that had been left on the ship hijacked by the pirates were found. The famous Chida, Rabbi Yosef Hayim David Azulay, in his book of chronicles Shem haGuedolim, affirms that he held in his hands the manuscript of Ateret Zahab, a commentary on the book of Esther, written by the hand of Rabbi Hayim haCohen.

Another of his books, Migdal David, a commentary on Megillat Rut, was also found. This book was printed in Amsterdam in 1680 by an impostor falsely claiming authorship for Rabbi Hayim haCohen’s book.

Recently, other manuscripts written by Rabbi HaCohen were found. Talmudic commentaries (agadot) of the treatise Berakhot were recently published in the monthly Israeli publication Qobets Bet Aharon veIsrael, in 1983.

Some books of Rabbi HaCohen still remain in manuscripts, hoping, someday, B”H to be published.

Click HERE to download the book Torat Hakham