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Dear OZ family,

Simple moral clarity. Most of the people I come across on the way to shul every day, can identify evil. They hold up a hand or a fist to me and say “I’m with you bro”. The vacuous poison, that permeates a large section of elite academia, media and politics, however, is astonishing as much as it is worrying. Nazi Germany found very willing academics who were all too happy to see their Jewish colleagues fired and removed from their posts, just as much of Europe gleefully cheered on, as Jews were forced from their homes, which could then be grabbed by their neighbors. My father spent 2 years in flight, in close proximity to his home, and after liberation, he was warned not to make any attempt to retrieve anything (perhaps his Tefillin, a picture, a memento), because Jews who attempted to do so after the war risked being killed by those who took over the house.

The gullible media jumped on the hospital tragedy because they want to portray Israel in a negative light every chance they get. No one has yet seen an actual building being destroyed, just burnt out cars. They shoot rockets from hospitals, and Israel, at great peril avoids collateral damage with every bit of fire it returns. As we all know by now, the actual missile that damaged the hospital originated with Islamic Jihad. Don’t wait too long for all the media outlets and Arab consulates who jumped on this story as well as the number 500, to apologize. In the Middle Ages, a child who died would be dumped in a Jew’s property and you have an instant pogrom. The same lies and blood libels are being spread about Israel today. President Biden publicly professed that the hospital damage was no fault of Israel’s, but Chamas is still playing into the hands of the haters. They want to disrupt Israel’s peace with its neighbors, and they don’t care how many of their own people suffer and die in doing so.    

We know that Chamas will be wiped out of the land. Yeshayahu said so. At the end of the Haftara of Parashat Ki Tavo, (Yeshayahu 60:18), We read: “Chamas” shall no more be heard in your land. The same prophet also speaks of what thousands of Israelis continue to experience every day, sometimes for hours at a time. “Go my people, enter your inner rooms and lock your doors behind you. Hide, but for a little moment, until the danger passes, for behold! The Lord shall come forth from His place to punish the dwellers of the earth for their iniquity, and the land shall reveal its bloodshed and shall no longer conceal its slain” (Yeshayahu 26:20-21).

Yeshayahu makes many promises of consolation, redemption, and salvation. They are conditional though. They are ready to come to us when we begin to see the light of God’s righteousness, and spread the glory of His Torah. They are ready to come to us when we “Unlock the fetters of wickedness, and untie the cords of the oppressed, when we share our bread with the hungry, and take the wretched poor into our homes” (Yeshayahu 58: 6-7). There are endless stories of profound chesed that abound in Israel at this time. The best of all of us is coming out and we know that God is watching. Dr. Joe Offenbacher yesterday left for Israel to bolster the depleted medical field in Israel and selfless acts like this are replicated thousands of times among our people.

Chazal say that when Moshe first appeared before the elders of Israel with Aharon, that they insisted that he pass the test of an interview with the one remaining survivor of the trek to Egypt, with Yaacov at the end of Sefer Bereshit. That was Serach bat Asher, who knew the password Moshe would have to use to assure that God really did task him with his redemptive mission. The words were “Pakod Pakad’ti” (See Rashi Shemot 3:16), which means that God remembered. The numerical value of those two words are exactly 784, which is this year, tov, shin, peh, daled. Let’s give God many reasons to remember us! Pilots on El Al flights are saying Tehillim and Tefillat Haderech on the PA system, chesed abounds and minyanim are full. Let’s keep it up !

At the same time we have to give our politicians many good reasons to continue supporting Israel. I am including materials from Aipac that will make it easy to contact our representatives and all those who have forcefully come out in favor for what is right and just. They need to hear from us - click HERE.  Chazak!

We were told that the reprehensible support for Chamas is raising its ugly head at a demonstration today at 34^th St. and 5^th Ave. It may be wise to stay clear of that area this afternoon.

Stay safe and healthy.

Rabbi Allen Schwartz

Congregation Ohab Zedek

118 West 95^th Street

New York, NY  10025-6604

Phone 212.749-5150, ext 200

E-mail ras@ozny.org

Website:  www.ozny.org