During the Second Temple, the Greek empire reigned (over Israel),1 and they (the Greeks) passed decrees against the Jews and (tried) to erase their religion, and did not allow them to carry out Torah (study) or the commandments. They put their hands on their property and their daughters. They entered the Temple, destroyed and made the pure unclean. The Jews were in great distress because of them and were much oppressed, until the G-d of their fathers had mercy on them, delivering them from their hands and saving them. Then overcame, the sons of the Hasmonean High Priest, (the Greeks) and killed them and saved the Jews from their hands. They appointed a king from the Priests, and the kingdom of Israel was restored for more than 200 years until the destruction of (the) second (Temple). When the Jews overcame their enemies and destroyed them, it was the 25th of Kislev2 when they entered the Sanctuary (inner room) and did not find pure (olive) oil in the Temple, except one jar sealed with seal of the High Priest, and it did not contain enough to light except for one day only. But they lit from it the lamps of the Menorah3 for eight days, until they could crush olives and produce a (new quantity) of pure oil. For these reasons, decreed the Sages of that generation that these eight days that begin on the 25th Kislev, will be days of joy and praise. One lights on them lamps at evening at the entrance to the houses, every evening of the eight nights to show off and demonstrate the miracle. These days are called ''Hanukah'' that is to say ''they rested'' (chanu) on the ''25'' ('th of the month) because on the 25th they rested from their enemies. and also because of those days they (re)-dedicated the house (Temple) which their foes had defiled. Also some say that it is a commandment to increase slightly the festive meals on Hanukah. Another reason is because the work of (building) the Sanctuary (in the desert) was completed in these days. One should tell one's children the story of the miracles that were done for our fore-fathers in those days, (see Josephus) However, these meals are not considered as part of the commandment unless one says at the meal songs of praise. One should increase charity in these Hanukah days, for this can help mend any defects in our souls. This charity, should be given particularly to poor Torah scholars. (KSA 139:1)
1) 352 BCE until 70 CE
2) 139 BCE
3) The Menorah was made of gold and had seven branches.
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Baltimore, MD - Nov. 11, 2019 - Imagine walking into one of the wonderful Baltimore Yeshivos and finding 5 empty classrooms, classrooms filled with desks and chairs just waiting to be filled with smiling children. Thanks to you, the Baltimore Community, the Yeshiva classrooms are filled! Your support of Bonei Olam has resulted in 100 Baltimore babies being born in the last 10 years; enough to fill 5 classrooms! &...
GAZA CITY (AP) – Residents say the airstrike came without warning: With fighting raging between Israel and Islamic Jihad militants throughout Gaza, two loud blasts shook the night, destroying the Abu Malhous home and killing eight members of the family in a split second.
As Israel claims victory in its latest battle against Gaza militants, its tactics of carrying out airstrikes on private homes suspected of harboring militants could once again come under scrutiny over the civilian death toll. Among the 34 people killed in the two-day flareup were 16 civilians, including two 7-year-old boys and two toddlers, according to human rights investigators.
A truce announced early Thursday appeared to be breaking down less than 24 hours later, as Israel resumed airstrikes on Gaza overnight F...
Baltimore, MD - Nov. 14, 2019 - Listen to Rabbi Moshe Hauer - Rabbeinu Bachye on the Parsha - Vayeira
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[Ed. Note] Out of the respect and recognition of the impact made by longtime BJL friend and contributor, Reb Shaya Gross, z’l, we will maintain a living memoriam to Shaya through the sweet words and thoughtful insights of his Divrei Torah. BJL readers will remember his weekly column on the Parsha and on various Torah ideas and concepts. These meaningful words will help us remember this special young man who will be sorely missed and for those who did not merit to know him, this will be the most appropriate way for them to become familiar with who he was.
Parshas VaYeira describes the events leading up to Yitzchak's birth as well as his birth. Yitzchak's birth is the solidifying act in ensuring the continuation of our people. In fact, Yitzchak himself is th...
Supporters mark 29th anniversary of the assassination of Rabbi Kahane, founder of the Jewish Defense League and Kach party.
Hundreds of followers of the late Rabbi Meir Kahane gathered at the Heichal David event hall in Jerusalem Thursday evening to mark the 29th anniversary of the rabbi’s assassination.
Relatives of the slain rabbi - including his widow, Libby Kahane, and grandson, Meir Ettinger – spoke at the gathering, along with Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, the founder of the Temple Institute, as well as activists and candidates from the Otzma Yehudit party, including Itamar Ben-Gvir, Michael Ben-Ari, and Baruch Marzel.
Rabbi Meir Kahane was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1932, and after receiving rabbinical ordination at Mir Yeshiva, took up a position as a pulpit rabbi in...
BaltimoreJewishLife.com (BJL) is proud to partner with STAR-K CERTIFICATION that realizes that there is no substitute for a person’s own Rav. In an effort to offer a possible solution, it has launched its Institute of Halachah as a public service. Over the years, the agency’s Kashrus Hotline has answered generic halachic questions from kosher consumers the world over, including inquiries regarding the kosher status of foods and certified Sabbath mode appliances. The formation of a separate official division within STAR-K testifies to the need for addressing these issues.
The Institute of Halachah is directed by HaRav Mordechai Frankel, under the guidance of HaRav Moshe Heinemann, STAR-K’s Rabbinic Administrator. It is an invaluable resource for a diverse array of rabbis to discuss general halachic matters, as well as gain access to source materials for shiurim and answers to congregants’ questions.
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Head of IDF Southern Command speaks to residents of southern Israel, says Islamic Jihad "making efforts" to prevent rocket fire.
The head of the IDF Southern Command, Maj.-Gen. Herzi Halevi, spoke to residents of southern Israel on Thursday, warning that rocket fire could occur even after the end of Operation Black Belt, the name given to this week’s round of fighting in Gaza.
"At present, the escalation is behind us but the firing may resume," Halevi told residents. "The Islamic Jihad is making efforts to prevent the squads from launching rockets into Israel."
According to a report on Channel 12 News, Halevi made clear, "If we detect attempts to launch a rocket, we will hit the squads," he said.
While a ceasefire was supposed to go into effect at 5:30 a.m. on Th...
IDF's Twitter account was blocked from reporting about rocket sirens after the social network identified it as a repetitive tweet.
More than one million people follow the IDF's official Twitter account in English, through which they are updated on what is happening in Israel, with a focus on the military's defense-related operations.
The account is operated by soldiers from the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, who this week intensively tweeted about all the security developments – including the rocket fire from Gaza and the air strikes in Gaza.
On Wednesday, when the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit sought to tweet about the “Red Color” siren which informs Israelis of an incoming rocket, the social network blocked the tweet because several similar twe...
NEW YORK (VINnews) — Assemblywoman Nily Rozic (D-Fresh Meadows) released a letter today, addressed to New York State Department of Health Commissioner Howard A. Zucker urging the agency to approve the ambulance license request of Chasdei Devorah d/b/a Ezras Nashim, New York’s first and only women’s EMT group.
“I commend Ezras Nashim for the culturally appropriate emergency care they provide to women across New York City,” said Assemblywoman Nily Rozic. “By training women EMTs and providing medical care, they provide an invaluable service and should be allowed to expand their operations. I urge Commissioner Zucker and the Executive Director of Operations for the Regional EMS Council of NYC to approve the Ezras Nashim ambulance request.”
Leah Levin...
PERRYVILLE, Md. — Cashless tolling at the Hatem Bridge is going through a bumpy start.
The state erroneously sent 22,000 drivers notices that they were speeding. The notices threatened drivers that, if it happened again, they'd lose their E-ZPass accounts.
It turns out, the notices were sent because of an equipment malfunction.
The notices are largely being met with anger and disbelief. Drivers claim they know they weren't speeding, and they're upset and anxious that their E-ZPass accounts could be suspended.
"I don't recall signing up for speed enforcement when I signed up for E-ZPass," said William Murr, an E-ZPass user.
The state sent Murr two separate notices that he sped through a cashless toll at the Hatem Bridge, which carries U.S. Route 40 over the Su...
All 78 miles built under Trump are replacement
The administration still has yet to fence in any new miles of border with President Trump’s wall, a top Homeland Security official acknowledged Thursday — though he said that’s not the right way to look at the problem.
Acting Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Mark Morgan told reporters that 78 miles of wall has been erected under Mr. Trump, but all of it has replaced outdated fencing or barriers that had previously existed.
None of it has blocked off a portion of the border where there wasn’t previously some type of barrier.
Mr. Morgan, though, said the replacement wall is so good that he calls all of it “new.”
“Every mile of wall that’s being built is a new mile o...
AMES, Iowa — Do you find yourself staring at your bedroom ceiling most nights? Most people don’t think twice about the occasional sleepless night, but a new set of research finds that the ability to sleep peacefully throughout the night is becoming an increasingly rare skill in the United States.
Each year, more and more Americans are finding it difficult to fall asleep quickly and sleep soundly through the night, and even those who are able to get enough shut-eye often report poor overall sleep quality. According to the research team at Iowa State University, these changes are largely independent of sleep duration. In fact, problems falling and staying asleep were found to be most prevalent among people with generally healthy sleep leng...
BRUSSELS (VINnews) – The Grassbrunn based auction house Hermann Historica known for trading historical weapons has planned the auction of many Nazi memorabilia items.
These items include possessions of Nazi leaders Hermann Göring, Rudolf Hess, Heinrich Himmler and Adolf Hitler. Among the 842 items in question there are framed photographs, silver dinner services, plates, letters or jewelry by Goering’s wife. An “honorary issue” of Mein Kampf , which belonged to Goering, can be found there as well as a folding cylinder from Hitler.
The European Jewish Association (EJA) is protesting against the auction with the argument that the trade of the Nazi memorabilia is morally wrong as they are likely to be purchased by those who glorify and try to justify th...
Democrats focus impeachment on bribery and Ukraine; ‘Special Report’ host Bret Baier weighs in.
CHARLOTTESVILLE (AP) — The white nationalist rally that took a deadly turn in Charlottesville, Virginia, during the summer of 2017 shocked Americans with its front-row view of hatred on the rise. But weeks before the violence, organizers were making preparations for the gathering in a corner of the internet.
Using a private server on a platform designed for online gaming, supporters of the rally discussed everything from restroom access to what to wear and what weapons they could legally bring (guns, knives, pepper spray) to the August rally.
Those online chats are now at the heart of a lawsuit that accuses more than two dozen individuals and entities, including white supremacists, of engaging in a violent conspiracy to violate the rights of the counterdemonstrators who gathered in...
Klal Yisroel is identified for its Mida of Chesed. We have numerous Mitzvos instructing us as to the high regard Hashem places on the Mida of Chesed. Chesed is one of the three things which supports the entire world at all times.[1] No less than the Shulchan Orech itself states that Chesed is synonymous with being a Jew.[2] It is one of our inherent characteristics[3]. We all learn from the youngest of ages that we inherited this Mida from our Patriarch Avraham. Yet, precious little is really told to us in the Torah about Avraham’s remarkable acts of Chesed. Aside from taking care of Lot, this weeks Parsha seems to be the big story of Avraham’s Chesed. Shortly after having given himself a Bris, strangers (Malachim) show up at Avra...
Baltimore, MD – Nov. 14, 2019 - It is with sadness that BaltimoreJewishLife.com informs the community of the petirah of Mr. Shmuel Hizkiya, z’l, father of Mrs. Malka (Ben) Edinger and Bonnie Pesacov.
The levaya and kevura will take place in Florida. Shiva in Florida will be observed Friday through Monday at 900 NE 12th Ave, Apt 408, Hallandale Beach, FL 33009.
Shiva will be observed in Baltimore at 2821 Marnat Road, Apt E, 21209.
Visiting hours:
Tuesday 11/19 - 9:30am-12:00pm, 1:00-5:00pm and 6:30-9:00pm
Wednesday 11/20 - 1:00-5:00pm and 6:30-9:00pm
Bila HaMaves LaNetzach...
Detective Donny Moses, with the Baltimore Police Department, has confirmed that as of Thursday morning, Baltimore City has reached 300 homicides so far this year.
Moses confirmed with WBAL News Radio 1090 and FM 101.5's Anne Kramer that the latest victims were a man and woman shot and killed at McHenry and Monroe streets in Southwest Baltimore. That happened around 3 a.m. Thursday.
Another man was killed on Wednesday night in the city on McElderry Street.
On Wednesday, a 17-year-old boy was shot in the head along the 2800 block of West Lanvale Street around 1:30 p.m. He died at Shock Trauma.
"Every homicide is a tragedy, no matter what number is assigned to it. My goal is zero homicides. The men and women of the Baltimore Police Department are doing everything they can to ma...
JERUSALEM (Israel Hayom) — “The new rules of the game are clear—the IDF will operate freely, without any limitation,” Israeli Defense Minister Naftali Bennett stated on Thursday, a short while after a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) went into effect, ending two days of intense rocket-fire from the Gaza Strip.
Bennett, who took up his post as defense minister on Tuesday as rockets fell across central and southern Israel following the targeted killing of PIJ commander Baha Abu al-Ata, singled out residents of the country’s southern, Gaza-adjacent communities for special praise over their handling of the crisis.
“I’m proud of our soldiers, who stand vigilant, and of the Israeli public,” said Benett, “especial...
SAN DIEGO (VINnews) — The son of Rabbi Yisrael Goldstein, the rabbi who was injured when a gunman opened fire inside a Poway synagogue on the last day of Passover this year, will take over from his father, a spokesperson for the Chabad of Poway said Wednesday.
Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, the founder of the Poway synagogue, is stepping down as spiritual leader of Chabad of Poway, and his son, Rabbi Mendel Goldstein, is taking over his position.
“It’s the personal life of Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, and we’d stay away from that because we want to respect him, as we know the issue that took place here on April 27, so Rabbi Mendel Goldstein will be our spiritual leader now,” said Steve Arnold, the director of logistics at the Chabad of Poway.
On April 27, a gun...