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29 September 2017

Wishing Everyone a Meaningful Yom Kippur . . .






























and an easy fast;
and also if anything i posted was offensive, i'm sorry; please feel free to comment even if you are complaining, like to hear from you. Forgive me for any instances of insult or lack of respect, i'll try to catch myself in the future. 

28 September 2017

Shalom’s Take on Yom Kippur and the Coming Year

As we prepare for Yom Kippur 

and begin the new year, one wonders what surprises await us - or are we capable of being surprised anymore.

In just the two weeks before and after Rosh Hashana, we were witness to events which would have been the equivalent of a political/social earthquake a generation ago.

Israeli artists proudly displayed a play."Foxtrot" which (once again) pushed the IDF into the world arena with the badge of shame for all to ridicule and hate.
Mission accomplished - once again.

When the minister of culture and sport, Miri Regev announced that Israel will not fund such displays of disgrace and self-loathing, the usual pack of "freedom of speech" wolves raised their howl. 

No surprises here.

Three Israelis were murdered in the town of Har Adar which lies just inside the liberated areas of 1967. It is a beautiful, affluent town which houses Avrum Burg, a prominent Israeli politician who made his way from the head of the Jewish Agency and speaker of the Knesset to the Communist party. There he could help the Arabs and protect them from the vicious immoral Jews.

He feels at home in Har Adar.

The residents hire lots of Arabs from the "occupied territories" and treat them like family (as long as they don't move next door).

It was a terrible shock then when of their "family" who was employed by them for many years and daily shared coffee and chatted with them, decided to kill as many of them as he could. He only managed to kill three. He was not able to reach the kindergarten nearby.

Well, partial success.

Indeed his success will win his family glory and cash for life, compliments of our "peace partners" in the Palestinian Authority that we created.  His daughter accused BIBI of forcing her father to do it...

Is this becoming a little too complicated?

This week the PA was accepted by the UN as a member of the Interpol. These are the guys who are supposed to track down terrorists.....

Did I say it is complicated..?

Yesterday, there was a large gathering at Gush Etzion celebrating fifty years of Israel's liberating the heartland of our history in the miraculous Six Days war in which the Arabs swore to throw Israel to the sea. (there were no "occupied" territories then to complain about)

The supreme court judges were invited to this major event as they always are to official government ceremonies.

They refused to attend. It was too "political."

In defending their decision, "thinkers" on the Left compared the ceremony to another one that might be controversial.

Suppose the Left (or a Left-wing government) organized a celebration of the anniversary of "Oslo" (which brought Arafat to our homeland, armed him, gave away huge areas of the cradle of our civilization and saw thousands of murdered Jews in its wake…)  In the language of "Newspeak," this is what is defined as a perfect comparison.

Now, can the new year hold any surprises for us?

Yes, if they do teshuva.
Now that would a surprise!


* * * * * * * *
Sukkot Tour!
Sunday, October 8.
Depart at 9:30 from the Inbal hotel
Return 5:00
Visit the remodeled Ammunition Hill and see the "double presentation" about the events on this site that determined the fate of Jerusalem in the Six Day War.


Picnic lunch in the woods of "Oz Vegaon" in Gush Etzion in the sukkah of the "Women in Green”

Visit the spectacular new presentation at Kfar Etzion. Four rooms, one and a half hours of total immersion in drama and heroism.

Cost is 180 shekels which includes
All entrance fees
transportation
guiding

reserve at: 
shalompollack613@gmail.com

THE REALITY OF REDEMPTION

BS"D
THE REALITY OF REDEMPTION
by Roy S. Neuberger
Dear Friends:
 
I thought that you might like to see the text of the program I presented at the “Teshuva Boot Camp” for women in Tzefas this week. Leah told our personal story and I spoke as reprinted below.
 
Our blessings from the Holy Land for a Gmar Chassima Tova, a year of blessings for all of Am Yisroel. --  Roy Neuberger


THE REALITY OF REDEMPTION
TESHUVA BOOT CAMP, TZEFAS
ASERES YMAI TESHUVA 5778


You have just heard our story. Every person has a story. The beautiful thing is that every story can have a great ending, despite all the challenges, because HASHEM IS ABOVE EVERYTHING AND IS ABLE TO SAVE US.

A VITAL ASPECT of our TEFILLOS during
ASERES YMAI TESHUVA is that WE HAVE TO ASK HIM TO SAVE US.

HASHEM HAS TO KNOW THAT WE WANT TO LIVE!

Today the world is a mess. There are crises on every corner. If you live in a city, you hear sirens; there are constant emergencies. At the airport, there are policemen with machine guns. If you look at the headlines, you will learn about unprovoked attacks upon innocent people. There are crazy people all around, some of them very dangerous.

And then, of course, there is Israel, which everyone hates.

What about the world of nature?

Within the last few weeks, the North American Continent has suffered two catastrophic hurricanes in the South, multiple wildfires in the West and terrible earthquakes in Mexico.

These are just the headlines, but there are countless cases of personal suffering, on every level: emotional, financial, spiritual, physical … these stories you don’t see in the headlines.

Every year, during the Ten Days of Teshuva, we make sincere commitments to improve our lives in concrete ways. This is very challenging. In my own case, for example, when I return the following year to Rosh Hashanah, I wonder what happened to those commitments. I can make a commitment to improve some aspect of my life, LIKE CONTROLLING ANGER OR APPETITE, and find that I have broken it five minutes after having made it. This can be extremely frustrating, because one can come to feel very easily that one’s life is out of control and that a steady upward improvement is totally beyond one’s capability.

WHAT ARE WE TO THINK?

IS THERE ANY HOPE ON A PERSONAL,
NATIONAL OR WORLDWIDE LEVEL?

IS THERE ANY CONTROL OVER LIFE, EVEN MY OWN LIFE?

+          +          +

I want to tell you about something that happened to me.

Several years ago, I had serious surgery. A few weeks after the operation, I was very weak. I could hardly get up. Our children said, “Come to us for Shabbos. Get out of the house for a few days,” so we went to them for Shabbos. We arrived late Thursday night. Friday morning, I was very tired and lay down. I fell asleep and I had an amazing dream.

I dreamt that I was in the Bais Hamikdosh, the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. The Kohanim (priests), were squeezing fruits in a big wooden press, moving the long wooden handle up and down, up and down. There were many fruits being squeezed, and the juice flowed like a river into a large, wooden container. Droplets of fruit filled the air and the aroma was like the Garden of Eden. As they moved the handle up and down, the Kohanim kept repeating the words, “Pri Etz Hadar … Pri Etz Hadar … Fruit of the beautiful tree.”

And I awoke.

My first thought was that this dream is worth all the suffering I have had since my surgery. I was INSIDE the Bais Hamikdosh! It was like the Garden of Eden. Or maybe I was inside the Gemora!

Whatever it was, I wanted to be there more than anything else, and I knew that I could not have entered there without the pain I had suffered. Somehow I needed to have gone through that suffering to enable me to get to the Bais Hamikdosh. I didn’t know exactly why, but I assume that there was something lacking in me and it needed to be fixed before I could get to the Bais Hamikdosh. So Hashem helped me. And I got there. It was all worth it, and I knew that everything that had happened to me had to happen.

The same is true about my life in general. I suffered a lot growing up, until I discovered Hashem. I didn’t want to have anything to do with Hashem, even admit that He exists. I didn’t want to be Jewish. So I suffered until I broke down and realized that life wasn’t working that way. I was rebelling against G-d and just hurting myself. It wasn’t G-d’s fault; it was my fault!

When that happened, literally at that exact moment, Leah and I met Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis. The whole world of Torah opened up for us and we began to live.

I realized that everything has a cheshbon; everything is weighed and calculated. Everything happens for a reason, and nothing happens for no reason. I needed to get sick and have the surgery. And I needed to have the suffering after the surgery. And I needed to have the suffering in order to get to the Bais Hamikdosh.

I was so happy about this dream. To me, the surgery and its aftermath were all worthwhile, because they enabled me to be inside the Holy Temple!

On Rosh Chodesh Elul we begin to say Psalm 27 and we say it until the end of Sukkos. Why does this Psalm repeat the words, “ka’ve el Hashem … Trust in Hashem …. Ka’ve el Hashem.”?

Perhaps King David, who arguably went through more troubles than almost anyone else in history and who wrote this Psalm, wanted us to know what he learned: that when we reach the outer limits of hope, when all basis for optimism seems lost, that we should “strengthen our heart and hope again,” because THERE IS BASIS FOR HOPE BEYOND WHAT WE UNDERSTAND. We have to “hope in Hashem,” and then, “HOPE IN HASHEM” AGAIN, because, if we don’t give up, then, with Hashem’s help, we will get where we need to go.

 ALL YESHUAS, ALL REDEMPTIONS,
COME FROM THE VERY BOTTOM.

The classic, prototype Redemption is the Redemption from Mitzraim (Biblical Egypt). This is what we focus on during Passover and this is how we start the Yom Tov Cycle. This is the beginning of everything. We got out of Mitzraim only when we had reached “mem tes shaarei tumah,” the 49th degree of degradation. THIS WAS THE BOTTOM. One more degree of descent and we would have disappeared completely into the Black Hole of Egyptian emptiness: idolatry and witchcraft.

THE REDEMPTION CAME ONLY WHEN WE HAD REACHED THE VERY BOTTOM.

(As it was, when Moshe Rabbeinu (Moses) led the Children of Israel out of Egypt, only one-fifth of our people (20%) went out with him! The remaining EIGHTY PERCENT were lost in the Plague of Darkness because they preferred the culture of their enemies. As a result, they actually chose not to take the Hand Hashem held out to rescue them.)

WHY IS IT THAT THE REDEMPTION COMES ONLY AT THE VERY BOTTOM?
WHY DOES IT HAVE TO GET SO BAD BEFORE IT GETS GOOD?

I want to recall the words we just said during the Rosh Hashanah prayers, when we ask Hashem to send Moshiach. The language is unusual. We don’t ask for Moshiach directly, but rather we ask for, “arichas ner l’ven yishai m’shichecha … preparation of a lamp for the son of Yishai Your Moshiach.”

I always wondered about this unusual wording.
Why does it say, “preparation of a lamp for the son of Yishai?”
Why doesn’t it just ask for Moshiach?

I think we have to know that, when Moshiach comes,
IT IS GOING TO BE DARK IN THE WORLD.
He is going to need a lamp to see,
and he is going to need a lamp so we can see him,
and he is going to need a lamp to light up the world.

THAT LAMP IS CALLED “TORAH.”
YOU LITERALLY CANNOT SEE WITHOUT TORAH. 

Let’s get back to the question: Why does it have to get so bad before it gets good?
 
I will try to explain my understanding of this.
 
I would like to read you a passage from my book, “Central Park to Sinai: How I Found My Jewish Soul.”


At 2:00 a.m. on Monday, January 10, 1966, I awoke with a start.

Things had not been going too well lately.  Our marriage seemed to be falling apart, and I began to think I myself was coming unraveled…

Sunday night I was lying on that old green couch with the stuffing coming out.  I can see it now, decades later.  I couldn’t breathe. I didn’t know where to turn.  I couldn’t discuss the problems because I felt so selfish just talking about myself.  But the problems wouldn’t go away, and I didn’t know how to make them go away.

When I awoke at 2:00 a.m., I was desperate. I saw a chasm opening in front of me, a pit from which there was no escape. I looked back on my life.  I was twenty-three years old and we had been married just over two and a half years.  Linda and I loved each other, but there was something between us; tensions were at the snapping point.

I felt as if my life were a long corridor, with many doors on each side.  I had opened each door, hundreds of doors.  There was a door for “hiking in the wilderness.”  A door for “singing folk music.” Doors for “toughness” and “coolness.”  There was a door for “political activism.”  A door to the psychiatrist’s office.  A door for “writing poetry.”  A door for “comparative religion.” Each door had led nowhere, into a blank wall.   Was there no door that led to truth, to freedom, no door to sunshine and happiness? 

I began to cry.  I was through.  There was no future.  I was dying.   There was no place I hadn’t tried, no door I hadn’t opened.  I was drowning.   My life was ending.  Can you imagine this feeling?  There was nothing to live for.  No hope. 

I was sliding: down, down, down . . . falling through space. 

And then, as I fell, a thought brushed by me.  A little thought, a little voice, like a feather floating by in the midst of the void, a crazy little idea.

No, it couldn’t be true.

But then …

What else was there besides death?  

All my life I had been raised as a good American boy.  I went to the finest schools and met the most sophisticated people.   Nobody normal believed in G-d.  I mean, where is G-d?  Maybe thirteenth-century monks believed in G-d, but that was the Dark Ages.  What else did they have in life?  But we live in reality.  This is the twentieth century, the enlightened blossoming of world culture, the age of science and technology. We are liberated.  I mean, just where is G-d?  I don’t see Him.  I can’t touch Him. 

I’m supposed to believe in something I can’t see?

There was one big problem. 

If all that stuff were true, how come I—the sophisticated product of the culmination of all civilization—was a total failure who couldn’t succeed at even the simplest things in life?  I couldn’t breathe.  I couldn’t prevent myself from getting angry and alienating those I cared about.  I was a slave.

I “knew” that G-d didn’t exist. 

The problem was that I felt I also didn’t exist. 

Something was terribly wrong.

Suddenly, I began to turn the whole question around and I saw something I had never seen before. There was one unopened door in that long corridor.  Why had I never noticed that door before?  It was the door to G-d.

I had been sure that G-d did not exist. But now that my own life seemed to be falling apart, I began to wonder.

Maybe I had to turn the whole thing upside down.  When I examined it, it was very logical. When I was honest about my life, I saw that I did not exist—my life was empty—and at that time I was sure that G-d did not exist. 

But what if G-d did exist?  Maybe then I could also exist.  Maybe my existence depends on G-d.

Maybe there was a life I hadn’t even dreamed about.  Maybe if G-d were really alive I could be alive.   Maybe I had been looking at things “upside down” or “backwards” or “inside out.” 

Why did my intelligence have to be the measuring rod of reality?  Maybe I did not understand and G-d did understand.  Did I have to comprehend something for it to be real?  Was I the center of the universe? 

Maybe there was a reality beyond my understanding.

I began to have this crazy thought.  Could G-d exist?  No, it’s crazy.  CRAZY!  All my life I had been raised on “reality.” 

No normal person believed in G-d!

And then I began to wonder if I had ever met any normal people.

They say there are no atheists in the foxhole.  I was in a spiritual foxhole.  I was fighting for my life in a “war to end all wars.”  My entire civilization was falling apart.  I felt the coldness of death and black nothingness where chaos reigns.     
  

When you are drowning, you grab the life preserver.  You don’t ask questions.  I was drowning, and all of a sudden out of the sky came this life preserver.   I grabbed it.                       
 

What choice did I have?  I wanted to live!  

G-d, do You exist?  Could You exist?

Dawn was beginning to break in Ann Arbor as a new light began to glow inside me.  All of a sudden, I started to have this incredible feeling of hope, a new idea that would enable me to live.  

The point I want to make is this: When I look back at my own life I see that I wanted to run away from Hashem. I grew up in America, the “land of the free.” We were free to live whatever way we wanted. No one was going to tell us how to live.

But everyone knows G-d exists, even the biggest atheists. That’s why they are so strident about G-d not existing, because they know that they are wrong. As we learn in the Gemora (Niddah 30b), an angel taught everyone the whole Torah in the womb, even future “atheists!” So everyone knows there is a G-d and everyone knows there is a Torah.

By the way, I believe that includes non-Jews. They also know that the Torah is real, and that is why they hate us. If they were not so busy being jealous, they would remember that their blessing comes from us! When they hate us, they are rejecting their own blessing. As the Medrash tells us, “If the nations of the world had realized how important the Holy Temple was to them, they would have surrounded it with walls to protect it.” (Medrash Rabbah Vayikra 1:11, Kitov page 983)

When we emerge from the womb we forget what we learned in the womb, so we have to search for it again. But since we are taught that we are “free,” we run away from it. And then difficult things start happening to us, and life is not going the way we want it to go. So we start looking for better ways to live. We try THIS LIFESTYLE and we try THAT LIFESTYLE. As you heard from Leah, I spent the first thirty years of my life trying out different lifestyles. Anything but G-d, because I told myself that I am free and no one is going to tell me how to live! We know inside ourselves that, if we go along with Hashem, we are going to have to follow His rules, so we resist admitting that He is Real.

Torah is always the last place we go, because we are trying to make life work without Hashem. And all those false trails and failed experiments are filled with pain.

THIS IS, AFTER ALL, LIFE. It is not a game, and it hurts when things go wrong.

If we are fortunate, when we have run out of options,
WE SEE IT DOESN’T WORK.
And it’s only when we have tried everything else,
that we finally realize
THERE IS NOTHING ELSE BESIDES HASHEM!
“AIN OD MILVADO!”

THERE IS NOTHING ELSE EXCEPT G-D. BUT -- SINCE WE ADMIT THAT
ONLY AFTER WE HAVE EXHAUSTED EVERY OTHER POSSIBILITY -- 
THAT IS WHY WE HAVE TO HIT BOTTOM BEFORE WE ARE REDEEMED.

Let’s get back to the headlines: I am going to read you a quote from the Malbim, a famous rabbi who lived in the Nineteenth Century. This is from the Malbim’s commentary on the Prophet Yechezkel, and this passage can be found at the very beginning of my book, 2020 Vision.

Here are the words of the Malbim:

In the End of Days, after the Children of Israel have returned to their land, the children of Ishmael and the children of Esau will unite to attack Jerusalem. They will form a world coalition against the tiny nation of Israel. But something will go wrong with their plan.  The religious beliefs of the children of Ishmael and the children of Esau will clash, and the two nations will collide and destroy each other. This is what is referred to as the War of Gog and Magog. Following this cataclysmic conflict, the Final Redemption of the Jewish People will occur with the coming of Messiah the Son of King David.” (Malbim on Yechezkel Hanovi 32:17)

It is vital to realize that, in this tense, chaotic, even frightening world we are living in, we are very close to the greatest event in history, the Final Redemption of the Jewish People with the coming of Moshiach ben Dovid, which will mark the beginning of a universal era of peace, justice and harmony for the entire world. Right now, we are near the bottom, and – as in Ancient Egypt – Hashem is about to send a redeemer who will lift us out of this pit.

“In the period which will precede the coming of Moshiach …  insolence will increase … those who dread sin will be despised, youths will turn the face of their elders white (with insolence) … the face of the generation will be like the face of a dog ….Upon what, then, can we lean [in this terrible time]? [Only] upon our Father in Heaven!” (Sotah 49b)”

Because the world is resisting Moshiach, we are pushing away this great moment. But G-d is going to bring it about, just the way He rescued us from Mitzraim, even though we didn’t really deserve it. But we are His People, and He has promised to save us.

There may continue to be very disruptive, even frightening events which take place, but we should all know that – if we keep Hashem’s promise in mind – we don’t have to be afraid.

That is one reason we say, at this time of year.
“Hashem will hide me in His sukkah on the day of Evil.”

In Egypt the Redemption came, and today the Geula will come. We have to know that Redemption is real and Redemption is imminent. The fact that things seem so bad is in itself proof of how close it is. WE ARE GETTING NEAR THE BOTTOM.

As the Gemora tells us,

“All ends have passed, and the matter of the Messiah’s arrival
depends only on repentance and good deeds.” (Sanhedrin 97b)

And that is in our hands.

“Ka’ve el Hashem, v’ya’amaitz libecha, v’kave el Hashem.
Hope to Hashem,
and He will give you courage,
and hope to Hashem.”

MAY WE SEE THE GEULAH SHELEMAH AND GREET MOSHIACH BEN DOVID
IN THE PRESENCE OF THE BAIS HAMIKDOSH, SOON IN OUR DAYS!

27 September 2017

Teshuva – Yom Kippur – Moshiach – End Days

Yom Kippur is About 
(originally posted in 2016)

TESHUVA, in a very detailed way. In the course of about 25 hours we will try to cover all of it, every possible sin we may have committed the previous year. If you’re not sure how we do that given the “short” list of confessions we repeat several times throughout the day, get a hold of one of the more detailed explanations. It will tell you which confession refers to which sins. It can be somewhat surprising.

One sin you won’t find on the list anywhere, however, is perhaps one of the most important of all. It is one of the main reasons why we are still in exile to this very day and suffering as a result. The later history gets, the more relevant it becomes.

It is the sin of the Spies.

“But,” you may interject, “that sin is over and has nothing to do with us. The Jews who perpetrated THAT sin,” you may argue, “paid dearly for it, as did their entire generation. There is no reason to add a confession to our existing list for that sin,” you may conclude.

Not so—according to the Arizal, based upon a verse from this week’s parsha:
Now you can understand the meaning of, “Behold, you shall die with your fathers, and this people will rise up” (Devarim 31:16), which is considered to be one of the verses that has no apparent explanation (Yoma 56a). (Sha’ar HaGilgulim, Ch. 20) 
The Talmud says this because the Hebrew word for “rise up” is written in the singular, implying that it is referring to Moshe Rabbeinu (the Hebrew verse can actually be read this way). It is, however, interpreted as referring to the Jewish people, as translated above because. After all, Moshe Rabbeinu was about to die. When was he supposed to rise up?
It can be explained with the words “rise up” referring to that which comes before and after them, and both explanations are true. (Sha’ar HaGilgulim, Ch. 20)
In other words, the words “rise up” actually refer to both Moshe Rabbeinu AND the Jewish people. It is not uncommon for a singular verb to be used with a collective noun such as “people.” The only question, if Moshe Rabbeinu was about to die, when was he supposed to get up?
In the future Moshe himself will reincarnate and return in the final generation, as it says, “you will die with your fathers and rise up.” (Sha’ar HaGilgulim, Ch. 20)
Though on a simple level the verse refers to the future rebelliousness of the Jewish people after Moshe’s death, Kabbalistically it refers to the future reincarnation of Moshe Rabbeinu. He was about to die, but he was also destined to reincarnate in the “final generation.”

And not only Moshe Rabbeinu, it turns out, but the Jewish people from his generation as well:
In the final generation, the Generation of the Desert will also reincarnate with the Mixed Multitude, and this is what the verse also says, “this people will rise up.” (Sha’ar HaGilgulim, Ch. 20) 
Thus, according to the Arizal the souls of the Jewish people at the end of history will include those of the Jewish people from the beginning of Jewish history. Why, if not to make amends for what was left unrectified in their own time? They may have paid for their sin, but they never really rectified it, evident by the fact we are still hounded by exile.

This would make the Final Redemption really the completion of the first one. Hence, one of the names for the end of the final exile is “Keitz HaYomim.” It may be translated as the “End-of-Days,” but it means, “end of THE days.”

THE days?
Which days?

As it is known, the Jewish people left Egypt 190 years earlier than the 400 years foretold to Avraham Avinu in the prophecy of the Bris Ben HaBesarim. The assumption might have been that the Egyptian exile came to an end once the Jewish people went out. However, the gematria of the word “keitz” says otherwise. It is 190 to teach that the missing years had not been forgiven, just divided up over the course of history until the arrival of Moshiach.

Therefore, when the Haggadah says, “Every Jew is obligated to see himself as if he too left Egypt,” it isn’t metaphorical. Every Jew is leaving Egypt in every generation because “Yetzias Mitzrayim” is a work in progress, and every Jew in every generation is part of it.

This may be why Techiyas HaMeisim, the Resurrection of the Dead, will be a period of 210 years, according to Rebi Yehudah, that follows 40 years of Kibbutz Golios (see last week). Jewish history began with 210 years in Egypt and was followed by 40 years of wandering in the desert. Redemption will be 40 years of ingathering followed by 210 years of perfect history.

There is more. It says in the Talmud:
Rebi Simai said, “It says, ‘I will take you to Me as a people’ (Shemos 6:7), and it says, ‘And I will bring you to the land’ (Ibid. 8). Just as the coming to the Land [of Israel] was with two of the 60 myriads, so too was the leaving of Egypt with two of the 60 myriads.” (Sanhedrin 111a) 
One myriad is equal to 10,000 people. Sixty myriads, therefore, equals 600,000 people, the number of root souls from which all Jewish souls come (Sha’ar HaGilgulim). Therefore, this number was constantly used in the Torah—in reference to males between the ages of 20 and 60 years—when counting the Jewish people in the desert, even though there were millions of Jews at the time of each counting.

The Talmud is saying that of the 600,000, males between the ages of 20 and 60, who were alive in the desert and who could have entered the Land of Israel, only two did: Yehoshua bin Nun and Caleiv ben Yefuneh. The rest died off over the course of the 40 years in the desert after the sin of the Spies.

Likewise, the Talmud says, of the 600,000 males between the ages of 20 and 60 who could have left Egypt with Moshe Rabbeinu, only two actually did. The rest, as Rashi explains, died in the Plague of Darkness as part of the 12,000,000 Jews who died at that time. With respect to this point, the Talmud makes an ominous prediction about the final generation:
Rava said, “It will be likewise in Yemos HaMoshiach, as it says, ‘She will dwell there as in the days of her youth, and as on the day of her ascent from Egypt’ (Hoshea 2:17).” (Sanhedrin 111a)
According to the Talmud, the leaving of the final exile, of which the Jewish people have been a part now for over 2,000 years, will mirror the leaving of the first exile from Egypt. Kabbalah concurs:
The Generation of the Desert along with the Erev Rav reincarnate in the final generation, “like in the days of leaving Egypt” (Michah 7:15). (Sha’ar HaGilgulim, Ch. 20)
Why did 12,000,000 Jews die in the Plague of Darkness? They did not want to leave Egypt. The promise of the land of their forefathers did not appeal enough to them to compel them to leave the exile of their forefathers. They rejected redemption, and were consumed by exile instead.

Why did the myriads of Jews die in the desert? They did not want to leave the desert. The promise of their own land did not compel them enough to leave one they did not own. They too embraced exile and were consumed by it.

That was them. We are a different generation now.

Yes and no, the Arizal revealed. Physically we are a new generation, but spiritually our souls can be those of the generation of Jews who rejected Eretz Yisroel. They, we, may have returned to rectify this, and had we done so by now we’d all be back in Eretz Yisroel and Moshiach would have already put Creation back on track.

Thus, before a person rationalizes his or her lack of desire to live in Eretz Yisroel at this very late time in history, they should ask themselves, “What is the basis of my lack of interest to return to the land of my forefathers? Is it based upon what God wants, or the result of a soul that still can’t get it right after all this time. The fact that we have a second chance to rectify this ancient sin is remarkable. We won’t get a third one.

It is something to think about everyday, but especially this Yom Kippur as we work our way through each Viduy—Confessional Prayer.



Source: Rabbi Pinchas Winston Shlit”a,  Thirtysix.org

A Message [of Chessed] From Maran Hagaon Rav Aron Leib Shteinman Shlit”a

A Message From Maran Hagaon Rav Aron Leib Shteinman Shlit”a

Each and every Rosh Chodesh, the Gadol Hador, Harav HaGaon, Rav Aron Leib Shteinman (ה’ יחלימהו וירפאהו) sits and counts out— with his own hands—3000 Shekel for an esteemed network of Kollelim, Nezer Horaah. The Gadol proclaimed that those who support NEZER HORAAH are his partners in Harbatzas HaTorah.

Nezer Horaah is a network of 14 kollelim in Eretz Yisroel , hosting the gamut of hundreds of yungeleit from throughout Eretz Yisroel who toil from morning till night in the love of Torah. Ranging from Gemara b’iyun to Semichah and hora’ah tracks– they spend their days and nights growing in Torah and avodas Hashem.

So much so that the Tzadik Hador Maran Rav Chaim Kanienvsky, shlit”a, takes a personal interest in the welfare of our kollelim on a constant basis.

Many have seen Yeshuos supporting Nezer Horaah, Due to the Kesher it has with the Gedolei Yisroel.

Log in now to Nezer Horaah and be a part of the Torah revolution in Eretz Yisroel! [See the Video]

Every single dollar [donation] that you—and our kindhearted matchers—give us goes straight to feed the families of these heroic avreichim!

The founder and head of the network Harav Yochanan Segal, Shlit’”a, does not take one dollar from the Kollel budget, and every penny goes to support these kolel avreichim and their families.

Take a part in the tremendous zechus of supporting Torah and hundreds of its scholars, and join the Gedolei Hador in doing so!

Have a hand in building Torah during these difficult times.

In that zechus, may you and your family merit the greatest blessings amid nachas and good health anda Kesivah VeChasima Tova.

Join the Torah revolution in Eretz Yisroel!


Slichot Over the Years in Yerushalayim

סליחות בכותל המערבי מוצ"ש . . . Jerusalem selichot at the Kotel Sept 16 2017



Selichot In Hevron 
סליחות במערת המכפלה – Sept 2017



Carlebach Selihot in Old City 5775 - Chizki Sofer



Rosh Hashanah is over.
Now in Jerusalem, Israel,
it is time to prepare for Yom Kippur.
The late night Selihot are a major tourist attraction.
These special prayer services are now accompanied by music.


Avenu Malkanu with Reuven Rivlin at Selihot (2016)
Sephardi Chazan Chaim Israel, President Rivlin sang, this time
calling for “charity and good deeds.”






26 September 2017

WHERE WILL YOU BE ON JUDGMENT DAY . . . . AYECHA?

Things That Prevent Teshuva
Even though he discusses Rosh Hashanah
(it is all pertinent)




The Secrets Of The Story Of Jona The Prophet 
(Yom Kippur)[2015]




The World Is Boiling . . . Still
(Since the NFL is in the news now . . . and Iran and Korea Threats)
(also before Mashiach)




Hillula For The Ben Ish Chai
Rabbi Mizrachi’s theme is “Chessed” 
8/2015 before Rosh Hashanah
(This was amazing; I enjoyed it immensely)

Illegal Arab Neighborhood in Construction Above Jerusalem Railroad Tunnel

Illegal Arab Neighborhood in Construction Above Jerusalem Railroad Tunnel*



Several months ago, Regavim fieldworkers identified a new, illegal Arab neighborhood being built virtually on top of Israel Railroad Tunnel #3, just outside Jerusalem.

The illegal construction, on the outskirts of Beit Iksa, poses a serious security and safety threat, not only to the massive railroad project, but to the Mevaseret Zion community and to the main roads leading to and from Jerusalem. The illegal structures are being built adjacent to the longest railroad tunnel in Israel, as well as the Arazim Bridge to Route 1, the main artery connecting Jerusalem and Tel Aviv (click for a birds-eye (drone) view of the area).

Constructing Arab Villages as Staging Areas for Attacks on Israelis

Despite the fact that Beit Iksa is located between Jerusalem’s Ramot neighborhood and Mevaseret Zion, it is legally identified as a part of Judea and Samaria, and falls under the jurisdiction of the Civil Administration. Therefore, in April 2017, Regavim alerted the Civil Administration to the illegal construction and to the dangers it poses, to no avail.

Eventually, Regavim submitted a complaint to the Supreme Court, and a temporary injunction to halt construction at the site was issued. The court order confirmed the findings cited in Regavim’s complaint: it is almost inconceivable that an illegal neighborhood could have been allowed to spring up so close to the vital, strategic lines of transportation into the Capital City of Israel — transportation lines in which the Israeli government, and Israeli taxpayers, have invested millions.

Beit Iksa a Hotbed of ‘Home-Grown Terrorists'

The village of Beit Iksa has historically been a hotbed of anti-Israeli and terrorist activity (in fact, it was the first village to publicly fly the Palestinian flag, and boasts a legacy of home-grown terrorists).

“Are these the neighbors we want for the new railroad system, or for the roads leading to Jerusalem?” 

The Supreme Court’s temporary injunction is an important statement, the Regavim release said, noting that the injunction continues to be violated and the construction of the “Railroad Neighborhood” continues apace. It is now up to Israel’s law enforcement bodies to take action and to halt this potential disaster before it is too late. The illegal “neighborhood” is taking shape under the very noses of the law enforcement bodies entrusted with our safety.

Regavim’s statement vows it would not allow Israeli authorities to continue to look the other way. “We have already notified the court that its injunction is being violated, and we will continue to monitor the situation,” the movement announced.

Write to Knesset Members to Stops this Disaster in the Making
_________________________

*This is insane. Allowing terrorists to build a town/area overlooking the new high-speed rail line from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv is an invitation to disaster. The Government is asleep on this and other vital issues to the Jewish Nation.

Source Article: Jewish Press and Regavim

25 September 2017

עת לעשות : MEIR ETTINGER

עת לעשות

לפעמים נדמה שקריאת השופר, ללא מילים או יעדים מוגדרים, היא חסרת תוחלת. אך מסתבר, שדווקא הקול הטבעי, העמוק והחודר אל הלב הוא שדרוש לנו - מאיר אטינגר מסכם שנה

  • מאיר אטינגר 
  •  
  • כ"ח אלול תשע"ז - 16:26 19/09/2017



משל מפורסם מהבעל שם טוב הקדוש מספר על מלך ששלח את ילדיו הצעירים לציד ביער. הבילוי הסתבך והילדים תעו ואיבדו את הדרך. כשניסו למצוא חזרה את הדרך, רק תעו והסתבכו עוד ועוד במעמקי היער הסבוך. כשהבינו שאיבדו את הדרך התחילו לקרוא לעזרה, אבל איש לא ענה, כעבור תקופה ארוכה חשבו בדעתם שאולי הם שכחו את השפה שבה מדבר אביהם, ולכן החליטו לצעוק סתם ככה – בלי מילים.
ניצוצות ממשל עמוק זה שנאמר על תקיעת השופר, נוכל לקחת גם לאובדן הדרך שמובילה אל הגאולה. בטור הקודם, ביטאתי את תחושותיי על חשבון הנפש שאנחנו צריכים לעשות על הייאוש מהפעילות בשטח. אבל אי אפשר להתעלם מהשאלה הראשונה שצפה כאשר רוצים לעשות תשובה ולהאמין בשטח - מה עושים?
הדרך שבה הלכו רוב כוספי הגאולה, והמייחלים לבניין מלכות ישראל בעשרות השנים האחרונות, קצת הסתבכה ומצאנו את עצמנו אבודים בתוך היער, מתלבטים לאן ממשיכים מכאן, היכן הדרך ממשיכה מכאן.
כנראה שגם השופר שיבשר את הגאולה, כמו במשל, הוא שופר שקורא קריאה ללא מילים, קריאה שמבטאת את הרצון העמוק והפנימי שלנו. לפעמים נדמה שקריאה כזו – ללא מילים, ללא יעדים מוגדרים, מדדי ביצועים, היא חסרת תוחלת. אך מסתבר, שדווקא הקול הטבעי, העמוק והחודר אל הלב הוא שדרוש לנו. שופר הגאולה שיקרא למרד, הוא צעקה ללא מילים, צעקה שעניינה "עת לעשות לה'."
במה דברים אמורים? יש כאלו שנדמה להם שתכליתה של העשייה הוא ההישגים והתוצאות בשטח. כשמקימים מאחז – המטרה היא לראות יישוב פורח. שמטרתו של המאבק על המצב הביטחוני הוא התוצאות המעשיות, וכן הלאה.
כשקובעים מטרות אלו ליעדים, ברור שכאשר הדרך נחסמת, ומגיעים ימים שבהם הקמת יישובים חדשים נעשית לבלתי אפשרית, והשלטון רומס כל מי שחושב לפעול מחוץ לתחומי המושב שקבע – המסקנה תהיה שהעשייה בשטח אינה מועילה.
אנשי החזון אם כן יפנו לתחומי ההסברה, להפצת יהדות ולזירה התרבותית. אנשי המעש יעדיפו להשתלב מבפנים, ולאסוף פירורים מבעד לשולחן. כך או כך, זירת המאבק – בשטח. היכן שנבנה חזון מלכות ישראל, ננטשה, וגם החזון עצמו לאט לאט מתפוגג.
הסוד של השופר שיתקע לפני בוא הגאולה אומר כי אמנם יעדים אלו חשובים, אך הם משניים לעומת העיקר – קול השופר הקורא למרד, למהפכה שתתפשט ותתרחב בכל עם ישראל, ותעורר את הרצון לגאולה. שתמיר את הקיטורים, הפוסטים בפייסבוק, והטוקבקים המתבכיינים ברוח יהושע וכלב: "עלה נעלה וירשנו אותה כי יכול נוכל לה".
את הסוד הזה אפשר להעתיק לכל תחום. האם סיימנו את מלאכת המאבק על שלמות הארץ? ומה עם הארץ שנותרה הרבה לרשתה? מה עם שכם שלנו, ויריחו שלנו – שכחנו את זה? כיצד יהיה רצון בעם לשינוי ההנהגה אם הוא ישכח את החלום הזה, אם הוא לא יזכור בכלל מה הוא מפסיד תחת השלטון הזר הזה?
למה שלא נחזור ונחדש את הצעדות בכל רחבי הארץ שבנט ושקד רוצים למסור לאויבינו, נתקע שם יתד ונקים מאחזים? נכון, לכאורה, לא יצמחו שם יישובים לתפארת, לפחות לא לבינתיים. אבל אם נזכור שלא זו המטרה, נצמיח שם רוח חדשה של מהפכה, שאם נשכיל לנהל אותה בצורה מדויקת תתפשט ותסחוף אחריה רבים מהעם, ששכחו כבר את החזון.
וכן, גם לגבי המצב הביטחוני, ובעיית הגוי אשר בקרבנו. אם רק נשב בבית ונבכה, נתלונן על מחדליו של הצבא, או נכתוב על זה פוסטים בפייסבוק, הגוי אשר בקרבנו יעלה מעלה מעלה ואנחנו נרד מטה מטה.
כאשר אנחנו לא יוצאים לרחוב, לכל מקום שבו היה פיגוע. ומזכירים כיצד צריך להילחם בטרור על פי הוראת הרבי מלובביץ' (במכתב לרמטכ"ל בר לב), שרק "יראת העונש ופעולת תגמול בכוחם למנוע חבלנות", ומהו הפתרון השלם האמיתי – עידוד ההגירה, מה הפלא שאפילו במפלגת 'הבית היהודי' מעודדים עבודה ערבית כפתרון לטרור?
כמה צריך להכות על חטא על התרשלותנו בנושא הר הבית השנה. כמה בושה צריכה להציף את פנינו כשראינו איך המתפללים לאל לא יושיע, הופכים עולמות כדי שלא יתערבו ולו במאומה בפולחנם, ואנחנו... בושנו ונכלמנו להרים פנינו אליך... אילו רק היינו נאספים אז באותם ימים גם אנחנו  וצובאים על השערים, מתפללים ברחובות ולא מסכימים ללכת עד שיפתחו עבורנו את השערים. כמה יכולנו לשנות אז, כמה יכולנו לפעול.
נכון, בלי הסברה והפצה, לימוד התורה והטעמת פנימיות התורה לאחינו התועים, לא תהיה תועלת לכל המעשים האלו. מבלי שנוכל להסביר מדוע המדינה היהודית – מדינת התורה היא הדבר המתוק ביותר לכל יהודי, מעשינו יהיו לבטלה. אך מצד שני, ללא מצוות מעשיות אלו, מבלי שנצא לשטח, לא תהיה לתשובה הציבורית שום אחיזה.
אין זה סוד, הקב"ה לא זקוק לנו כדי שנביא את הגאולה. ובכל זאת הוא רצה את ליבנו. כשאומרים שהקב"ה רוצה את ליבנו, אין הכוונה שמדובר רק בכוונה בלבד ללא משמעות מעשית, ללא כובד האחריות לפעול בדרכי הטבע ולהשיג תוצאות. אך העיקר הוא השמעת קול השופר, לעורר את העם לצאת מהבית ולדרוש גאולה, לדרוש את ארץ ישראל השלמה, לדרוש את בית המקדש, לדרוש כבוד לאומי, את הלב הזה ה' מבקש.
אז איך העזנו בכלל לשאול 'אבל, מה יש לעשות?'. כל כך הרבה עבודה יש, כל כך הרבה מעשים, פשוטים וקטנים השווים לכל נפש שיחד מרכיבים מהפכה של ממש, שביחד ישמיעו את קול השופר, את קול המרד.
שתהיה שנה טובה ומתוקה. שנה של 'עת לעשות לה’. 

Google English Translation
A PROPITIOUS TIME
Sometimes it seems that blowing the shofar, without words or specific goals, is futile. But it turns out that it is precisely the natural voice, deep and penetrating to the heart that we need 

A famous parable from the holy Baal Shem Tov tells of a king who sent his young children for hunting in the forest. The fun got complicated and the children lost their way. When they tried to find the way back, they were lost in the thick woods. When they realized that they had lost their way, they began to call for help, but no one answered. After a long time they thought that perhaps they had forgotten the language spoken by their father, so they decided to shout just like that - without words.
Sparks of this deep administration, which is said to be blowing the shofar, we can also take the loss of the path leading to redemption. In the previous column, I expressed my feelings at the expense of the soul that we have to do about the despair of activity on the ground. But one can not ignore the first question he had expected when he wanted to do teshuvah and believe in the field - what to do?
The way most of the Redeemers went, hoping for the establishment of the Kingdom of Israel over the past few decades, got a bit complicated and found ourselves lost in the forest, wondering where to go from here, where the road continues from here.
Apparently, the shofar that will proclaim redemption, as in the parable, is a shofar that reads reading without words, a call that expresses our deep and inner desire. Sometimes it seems that such a call - without words, without defined goals, performance measures - is futile. But it turns out that it is the natural voice, deep and penetrating to the heart that we need. The shofar of redemption that will call for rebellion, he shouted without words, a shout that means "a time to do to God."
What do you mean? There are those who think that the purpose of the activity is the achievements and results on the ground. When you build an outpost, the goal is to see a flourishing settlement. The purpose of the struggle over the security situation is the practical consequences, and so on.
When these goals are set for goals, it is clear that when the road is blocked, and when the establishment of new settlements becomes impossible, and the government tramples anyone thinking of operating outside the boundaries of the moshav, the conclusion will be that the action on the ground is ineffective.
The visionaries will then turn to the areas of public relations, the dissemination of Judaism and the cultural arena. People of action will prefer to integrate from within, and collect crumbs through the table. Either way, the scene of the struggle - in the field. Where the vision of the kingdom of Israel was built, abandoned, and the vision itself slowly dissolves.
The secret of the shofar that will be stuck before the arrival of the redemption says that while these goals are important, they are secondary to the main thing - the sound of the shofar calling for rebellion, for a revolution that will spread and expand throughout the Jewish people and awaken the desire for redemption. Which will turn off the whining, the Facebook posts, and the talkbacks whistling in the spirit of Yehoshua and Kalev: "Let us ascend and inherit it, for we can overcome it."
This secret can be copied to any field. Have we finished the struggle for the integrity of the land? And what about the land that remained to be inherited? What about our Nablus, and our Jericho - have we forgotten that? How will the people want to change the leadership if they forget this dream, if they do not remember what it is missing under this foreign government?
Why do not we go back and renew the marches all over the country that Bennett and Shaked want to hand over to our enemies, get stuck there and build outposts? It is true that there will not be glorious settlements there, at least not for the time being. But if we remember that this is not the goal, there will be a new spirit of revolution that, if we manage to manage it accurately, many of the people who have already forgotten the vision will spread.
And also with regard to the security situation and the problem of the gentile among us. If we just sit at home and cry, we will complain about the army's failures, or write posts about it on Facebook, the gentile among us will rise up and we will go down and down.
When we do not go out into the street, wherever there was a terrorist attack. "What is the real and complete solution - the encouragement of immigration? It is no wonder that even in the 'Jewish Home' party, Arab work is encouraged," he said. As a solution to terrorism?
How much should we repent for our negligence on the subject of the Temple Mount this year? How shameful we must face when we see how the worshipers of God can not save, turn worlds so that they will not interfere with anything in their rituals, and we ... ashamed to meet you. If only we had gathered then, we would have gathered on the gates, They agree to go until they open the gates for us. How much we could change then, how much we could have done.
It is true that without Torah and distribution, Torah study and the teaching of the Torah to our errant brothers, there will be no benefit to all these actions. Without being able to explain why the Jewish state - the state of the Torah - is the sweetest thing for every Jew, our actions will be annulled. But on the other hand, without these practical commandments, without going into the field, the public answer will have no basis.
It is no secret that God does not need us to bring redemption, but nevertheless He wanted our hearts, and when we say that God wants our hearts, it does not mean that we are speaking only with intent and without practical significance. But the main thing is to listen to the sound of the shofar, to inspire the people to leave the house and demand redemption, to demand the Greater Land of Israel, to demand the Temple, to demand national honor.
So how dare we even ask, 'But, what should we do?' There is so much work, so many simple and small deeds that are equal to every soul that together constitute a real revolution, that together they will hear the sound of the shofar, the voice of rebellion.
Let it be a good and sweet year. A year of 'a time to do to Go.'

RABBI YISROEL NEUBERGER to speak at Teshuva Boot Camp in Tzefas

BS"D

Teshuva Boot Camp Speaking Announcement

Dear Friends:

For any of you who are in the area of Tzefas, Israel I want you to know that Leah and I will be speaking IY”H this week at the Teshuva Boot Camp, an all-day program of study for women. Our presentation will take place on Tuesday, September 26 at 1 pm at Beit Chabad on Simtat Chatam Sofer.

For information please contact
judypaikin@yahoo.com,
054-780-5161

I have also included some pictures taken at recent programs in Israel.




































With sincere wishes for a Gmar Chassima Tova!

May we soon see the Geula Shelemah!

With brachas from the Holy Land, 
Rabbi Yisroel Neuberger

24 September 2017

UPDATE: NILE CLARIFICATION – MARIA IS DEBATING HER NEXT MOVE

I apologize for this not quite accurate reporting. Thanks to a fellow blogger, we have uncovered a misrepresentation of current events. Rather, the subject-matter is being used to further a specific viewpoint of WSO. Therefore, I am removing the video, but have left the picture for relevance.

But be not dismayed, we still have vital information about MARIA:

MARIA 

NEW - Hurricane Maria - Models leaning LEFT - East Coast Advisory – ARRIVAL NEXT WEEK–SUCCOT


September 23, 2017: UPDATE / Models are suggesting a possible East Coast impact by Hurricane Maria. New York may not be out of the question as the models continue to lean towards the left/west.











FURTHER CLARIFICATION: This photo is from 2016 and we have be led astray. I searched the European Space Agency and could not find this photo or the story. Very 
CLARIFICATION OF THIS PHOTO:
The European Space Agency’s latest image of the Nile River might have a few doomsday zealots heading for the hills. It appears the Egyptian river is a deep, blood red, drawing parallels to the first biblical plague of Egypt as told in the Book of Exodus. The Nile River is seen from above, turning a deep blood red. It’s a satellite image captured by the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-3A satellite. The red color indicates the location of vegetation, according to an ESA press release.















23 September 2017

The Innocent Door – Fascinating Film on the Early Renovation – And Today’s Modernization of JERUSALEM


The Innocent Door

Today, Jerusalem is constantly forced to grapple with issues surrounding its ancient history and future growth. This is not a new phenomenon, however, as demonstrated by this short documentary from 1973.

In it, the viewer is given a first-hand look at the very beginning of the transformation of the city’s architectural character through the eyes of its residents and planners, including Moshe Safdie.

This short documentary affords us an unusual and privileged view of the old city of Jerusalem, before and after the redevelopment of certain key sectors took place in the early 1970s. The man appointed to try to reconcile the need for change with traditional values is Montreal architect Moshe Safdie. His plans, shown in scale models, are in harmony with ancient architecture and encompass the “innocent doorways” that lead from walled streets to pleasant courtyards. [with Moshe Safde, Amos Elon, Meron Benvennisti, Teddy Kollek]




Nir Barkat Is No Moshe Safde

People from Tel Aviv will commute to Jerusalem - only 30 minutes by train.

In the coming weeks, the Israel Land Authority (ILA) and the Jerusalem municipality will begin issuing tenders for the purchase of land on which a new business district near the entrance to Jerusalem will be built. 24 buildings will be constructed on 300 dunam (75 acres): nine 36-storey buildings and 15 buildings of up to 10 storeys. In all, there will be 1.6 million square meters of business space for a city with a 44% poverty rate, compared with a 22% nationwide rate.

You planned a business district with no connections to residences. All over the world, people have already realized that it is important to mix residences within largely business zones.


Situated next door to the nearly-completed
HaUma Railway Station, the building’s visage
will loom above the circular opening of the transportation hub,
commanding the gaze of commuters
arriving from Tel Aviv via the high-speed rail.

"In my nine years as mayor, I've been thinking like a market maker. My main job was to see where Jerusalem was strong, generate demand, and then facilitate supply capacity to meet that demand. The first area was a combination of tourism and culture, which generates an economic dynamic - to generate an enormous mass of demand, following which the supply would awaken. We had 9,500 hotel rooms then, and now we have 12,000 hotel rooms, with 5,000 more rooms in the pipeline. This happens only in Jerusalem. Businesspeople already realize that we're determined to develop culture and tourism in Jerusalem, and generating the demand will also bring the supply.

"The second area is High Tech, Medicine, the life sciences, and high tech are spheres in which Jerusalem is growing faster than the rest of the country. Over the past two years, we have added 4,000 more employees: we have gone from 14,000 to 18,000 employees in these fields. It's not only because of Mobileye, which now has a total of 700 employees in Jerusalem. It's very likely that we'll be among the 20 leading countries in the high-tech world in the 2017, and we're regarded as one of the world's fastest-growing cities in high tech. This drama, and this is the infrastructure for the new business district, is infrastructure that we created nine years ago. We don't have an available square meter in the city now. We're starting to develop the business district at the entrance to the city at a time when high tech, hotels, and night life are flying high.

Jerusalem has grabbed a position it didn't have before, and with this demand, we're starting to generate the supply. The business district is planned to provide a real solution to demand for jobs. It's located on the most highly developed transportation hub in Israel, at the exit from the regular railway, with two light railway lines, 1,400 parking spaces and a central bus station. It's a little like the Azrieli Center in Tel Aviv, but seven times as big. The business sector and real estate companies will obviously rise to the challenge.”

Interview with Nir Barkat, Mayor of Jerusalem 2017.
Published by Globes [online], Israel Business News - www.globes-online.com - on July 19, 2017
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