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The War Does Not Exempt You From Cleaning Your Room, Young Man

http://www.preoccupiedterritory.com/the-war-does-not-exempt-you-from-cleaning-your-room-young-man/

By Mom

I know we’re spending more of our time than usual in the bomb shelter, but let me be clear: this war does not exempt you from cleaning your room, young man. I will hear no more arguments.

Yes, there is tension in the air, and the very real possibility of getting injured, or worse, by an incoming rocket, but you listen to me and you listen to me well: you will tidy up that disaster area of yours or rockets will be the least of your worries. Now get to it.

The Home Front Command was very clear on this: we are to continue living our lives as usual, going about our regular routine. That means you pick up every last bit of dirty laundry, every game piece, and every accessory. Then you sweep up the dust. I’ll not have you thinking that the risk of flying shrapnel means it’s just dandy to leave your filthy underwear all over the floor. I get a conniption fit every time I pass by that room of yours, mister, and that’s a far more pressing issue than any Fajr-5 or M-75.

Don’t whine to me about not having enough time because of having to run to the shelter. You seem to have plenty of time for your texting, your games, and your shows. Instead of posting memes about Hamas on Facebook, spend a few minutes picking up after yourself. A clean room does wonders for how you feel, and when you come back from the bomb shelter you’ll feel welcomed by it.

At least you have a room! Treat it with respect! Do you know there are people out there whose homes have been destroyed? They would do anything to have a room to clean! And you sit there among your piles of who-knows-what and act like rooms are a dime a dozen. Well, that’s no way for a person to behave. How would you like it if a rocket came down and blew apart this sty of yours you call a room?

You’re darn tootin’ I’d make you clean up afterwards.

The Learning is the Protection

24july2014 Lecture by Rav Yishai Tokayer

Everyone heard yesterday one of the Bockerim downstairs. He has a brother fighting in Gaza.

One of the Bocker (Single Yesiva Student) downstairs has Brother fighting in Gaza and a lot of friends also fighting there. His brother said:
This boy downstairs was a fighter also in the Army, was released a year ago maybe more. If you want to go fight there they will take him right away. He did Tzuvah 9Return to G-d), he is not sure, should I go? He is confused here it is so calm sitting and learning. But over there People are getting killed there. Should I go and help them to fight?

His brother is not religious yet . his brother called his mother 2 day ago Telling them what is going on.
They have a group of 11 Tanks. It is very crazy war.
Hamas is sending them Donkey with explosives on them. All kinds of crazy thing.

The commander of each tank his head outside.It is very dangerous.

There are 2 tanks, one on his right and one on his left both commanders were killed there was sniper shootings. Very crazy fighting
His brother is not religious, but in the Tank Commanderś  head during the whole fighting, In his head his bother sees his (Yesiva Studentś) learning.
his bother is a tank gunner very difficult, he broke several fingers. his brothers learning is the protection.
They are fighting constantly not sleeping, fighting 24 hours, sleeping an hour..

the real power is the sperial power.that is protection of the place they have no koach with out us learning.
Many rockets shooting
We are the protectors not the Army. The real power is the spiritual power. The physical power is the result.
Every word we learn is the protection.

Rav Yishai Tokayer-Learning is the Protection-24July2014

“Together, and only together, will we be victorious.”

Translation of Colonel Ofer Winter’s Inspiring Letter

Ofer Winter, Aluf Mishneh Commander, Givati Brigade 9 July 2014

28July2014 2014 http://dixieyid.blogspot.co.il/2014/07/translation-of-colonel-ofer-winters.html

9 July 2014
We have been bestowed a great privilege to command and serve in the Givati Brigade at this time. History has chosen us to be on the cutting edge of the war against the terrorist enemy, the “one of Gaza” [cf. Yehoshua 13:3] who curses, reviles, and defames the G-d of the battalions of Israel. [Cf. Dovid’s encounter with Golias, the Plishti, Shmuel I 17:10, 26, 36, 45.] Let us prepare and ready ourselves for this moment when we accept upon ourselves this mission with a sense of agency and complete humility and with a readiness to put ourselves in danger or give up our lives in order to protect our families, our nation, and our birthplace.

Let us work with resolve and strength and with initiative, strategy, and hard work in our encounter with the enemy. We will do everything we can to fulfill our mission to cut down the enemy and to remove fear from the people of Israel. Our credo is “We do not return before the mission is done.” Let us work and do everything we can to bring back our boys in peace by utilizing every means at our disposal and with any effort that is required.

I am relying on you, on each and every one of you, to do your duty in this spirit, the spirit of Jewish warriors who go out in in front of the camp. “The spirit which is called ‘Givati.’”  I lift up my eyes to Heaven and say with you, “Shma Yisrael, Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad.” May Hashem, the G-d of Israel, bring success in our mission in which we stand to do battle for the sake of Your people Israel against the enemy who curses Your Name.

In the name of the warriors of the IDF generally, and in particular, in the name of the warriors and commanders of our Brigade, may Hashem act and fulfill in us that which it says in the pasuk, “Hashem your G-d goes out with you to do battle with your enemies for you to save you” [Devarim 20:4], and let us say Amen.

“Together, and only together, will we be victorious.”

Ofer Winter, Aluf Mishneh

Commander, Givati Brigade

Givati Commander Ofer Winter talks about the ananei kavod protecting the soldiers

31July2014 http://lifeinisrael.blogspot.co.il/2014/07/givati-commander-ofer-vinter-talks.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+blogspot/yTdM+%28Life+in+Israel%29

This commander of Givati, Ofer Winter, who got criticized for his pre-battle letter to his soldiers in which he said they will be fighting God’s battle and should say Shema Yisrael when going out to battle, is something special.

NRG excerpts part of an interview Winter has given to Mishpacha magazine (I assume the Hebrew edition – you probably should go out and buy this week’s edition to see the whole thing). As well, Ynet has some video talking to Winter and more of his comments on the battle.

Givati Commander Ofer Winter

Winter said that now, during this time of war, when the desire to join the armed forces is strong, now it must be stressed that what is really needed for the nation is that the yeshiva students should be learning Torah even more and with more force. It is the Torah that protects the nation of Israel more than anything else. Whoever can sit and learn – must do so now.Winter also describes how his forces have seen miracles in their battles. One story he relates is when they were fighting in Hirbat Hizaah, Wniter says he saw something he had not seen during his entire career in the army to date. Wnter describes that they had decided to attack the area in the week hours of the morning, before daybreak, so the enemy would not notice them. The extraction team arrived at the location on time, but the fighters arrived late. Winter says they did not know what to do, as the sky was already starting to light up and the soldiers were becoming visible, yet they needed to attack. Suddenly, Winter says, a cloud cover came over them and protected them. Clouds of glory (ananei kavod). Suddenly it covered us, the fighters, a heavy fog, that stayed there throughout the attack.Nobody saw us. Only after the houses targeted were destroyed and there was no longer any danger to the soldiers did the fog disperse. Exactly as it says “For Hashem will go with you to save you”.

There is more on NRG, and I assume there will be more in the full interview in Mishpacha.

It is with the increasing number of people like Ofer Winter in command positions in the Israeli army that they IDF will become not just Israeli but more Jewish in nature.

From Rabbi Lazer Brody’s Lazer Beams website:

Emuna News Analysis: Hamas, the Weed that Grows Back

15July2014 http://lazerbrody.typepad.com/lazer_beams/2014/07/hamas.html

Garden of Emuna

The Garden of Emuna – English New Expanded Edition!!!

“By way of emuna, life in this world is more beautiful, and…the entire world is like a blossoming garden.” This is a practical guide to life. Discover the power of emuna and powerful tools for dealing with life’s challenges. By Rabbi Shalom Arush, translated by Rabbi Lazer Brody. Paperback, 292 information packed pages. ISBN: 56-1024

Tonight is the start of the notorious “Three Weeks”, which commemorates the difficult things that happened to our people throughout history, including the destruction of both Holy Temples in Jerusalem.

The current war is a message from Hashem that necessitates some national soul-searching.

Despite the massive IDF airstrikes on Gaza, Hamas is far from down and certainly not out. Defying all logic, after every round of hostilities with Israel, Hamas only gets stronger. Meanwhile, even between conflicts, the south of Israel has been bearing the brunt of intermittent rocket attacks that making living a normal life impossible.

We periodically smash Gaza, but like a weed that’s not completely uprooted, Hamas rears its ugly head soon again. Look at recent history:

“Operation Cast Lead” began on Dec. 27, 2008 and lasted for 3 weeks. The ceasefire lasted on and off for four years, and then hostilities broke out again with “Operation Pillar of Defense” that began on Nov. 14, 2012 and lasted for 8 days. Yet, since Hamas wasn’t uprooted – indeed, it got much stronger: we only received a 20-month break until the current “Operation Protective Shield” began on July 8, 2014. So far, it has lasted 8 days, but the end is not yet in sight.

Why does Hamas continue to get stronger? In the Arab world, anyone who fights Israel is a hero. But that’s not the reason. Without going into too much detail, our sages (Gaon of Vilna, Rabbi Chaim Vital, and others of saintly and blessed memory) warned us that in the end of days, Ishmael will be our menace, and this last exile before Moshiach will be Galut Ishmael, characterized by suicide warfare, as we see with the shahidim of today.

Hashem continues to do phenomenal miracles for us. What are the chances that a GRAD rocket make a direct hit on a gas station, and no one gets killed or the 35,000 L gasoline tanker doesn’t explode? Impossible? One in a zillion? It happened in Ashdod this past Friday.

Yet, a reverse miracle is happening in Gaza. Despite the massive IDF bombings, Hamas keeps firing at us, as we here in the south of Israel can testify. Where does Hamas get its power from?

From Hashem – Hamas is a stick in Hashem’s hands. As long as our political and military leadership fail to understand this and to come to proper conclusions, the cycle of hostilities will just keep going.

Hashem has put the Israeli Government in a bind: At this point, a ceasefire with Hamas is pointless. More aerial bombings of the Gaza Strip won’t produce lasting results either. And, a ground invasion of Gaza would be a gift for Hamas, giving them a tangible opportunity to inflict damage on our troops, Heaven forbid. Not only that, but the Israeli Government is not even clear on the objectives it wants to achieve by way of “Operation Defensive Shield.”

So how does Israel stop the Hamas and the rocket fire?

Israel must uproot the spiritual cause that gives Hamas its strength. We must make a peace-treaty with Hashem. That means returning to Him with full and dedicated emuna. It means Torah and teshuva. Every Jew who reinforces his Judaism is a cogent weapon against Hamas. Every woman who decides to dress more modestly – despite the summer heat – is exhibiting the dedication of an elite commando in Hashem’s army. This is not just “nice talk” – it’s the solid spiritual truth. Deny it, and forget about defeating our enemies. They’ll only come back stronger.

Hashem sent the Hamas and Hashem can make all their missiles blow up in their face. But, we must do our part. Hashem wants to send Moshiach and He wants us to get stronger – spiritually – and cling to Him. Once we do, it’s a knockout for the Hamas, soon, amen!

– See more at: http://lazerbrody.typepad.com/lazer_beams/#sthash.3faPNFz0.dpuf

A Strong Home-Front, IDF Ground Assault in Gaza

18July2014

Iron-Dome-missiles-intercepting-7Hamas-rockets

Ashdod, Friday morning, 10:05 AM – no, this is not Star Wars, but Iron Dome missiles intercepting a barrage of 7 Hamas rockets from Gaza Last night, the IDF began a coordinated ground operation in Gaza. Having discovered the terrorist tunnel near Sufa, which could have ended in a devastating tragedy Heaven forbid, the government and the army were left with no choice but to do the utmost to free our citizenry from the threat of terrorist tunnels. As such, the combat engineers are playing a critical role in the assault. Our soldiers are performing a task that dangerous beyond description – we owe them our non-stop prayers and support. May Hashem protect them and give them success!Since midnight, we’ve had 5 separate missile attacks here in Ashdod, whereas each attack consisted of multiple missiles fired at us. With Hashem’s mercy, no one has been hurt.If you or your children heard just one alarm siren, or the crash and explosion of just one missile, not only would you remember it in your mind always, but you could appreciate what our families are going through.

ליקוטי-מוהרן

ליקוטי מוהר”ן

ספרו הקדוש של רבי נחמן מברסלב ובו תורותיו הנשגבות והעליונות, חידושים והקדמות יקרות ונפלאות, דברים הנאמרים בצחות ובפלפול, מסודר ב’צורת הדף’ כולל מפתח עניינים ותיקון הכללי. הוצאה מיוחדת ובלעדית של אתר ברסלב ישראל.
מק”ט: 1-8000

It’s easy for the western politicians to tell Israel to restrain itself. If you live in America, then “war” refers to some faraway place like Afghanistan or Vietnam.

Israel has no such luxury. Here in the south of Israel, the front lines on the Gaza border are less than a half-hour’s drive by car for hundreds of thousands of people. The Home-Front is therefore extremely close to the front.

There’s a vitally important principle that no country at war can ignore: a capable and effective military is neutralized if the home-front is weak. Therefore, a strong home-front with a strong morale is vital for victory. Nothing keeps both the army and the home-front strong like emuna.

Emuna Outreach, now under the auspices of Rabbi Shalom Arush shlit’a, gives top priority to strengthening our home-front. We have been distributing emuna books and CDs all over the south of Israel, to civilians and IDF soldiers alike.

The outdoor market of Ashdod has in the past been a favorite Friday-morning Hamas target, particularly because of the concentration of people there. Rebbe Nachman of Breslev promised that anywhere his book Likutei Moharan is, there won’t be fire or catastrophe. Emuna Outreach has already fitted quite a few armored vehicles in the IDF with Likutei Moharan. Earlier today, we made sure that bomb shelters and local merchants received the book as well, thanks to your generous support. Everyone who received the book was truly moved and tremendously grateful. I was asked to relay a ton of blessings to our contributors.

You can do your part in the war effort too. Your donation helps strengthen Israel’s soldiers and civilians under fire. Your assistance in spreading emuna wins wars. Please donate with an open heart to Emuna Outreach – you can do so by clicking the “Donate” button on the top left-hand toolbar of this site. This is a tremendous mitzva and a direct contribution to the war effort and to the full redemption of our people. Thanks, Shabbat Shalom G-d bless always!

– See more at: http://lazerbrody.typepad.com/lazer_beams/#sthash.LQUYjrt8.dpuf

Emuna Outreach’s “Strong Home-Front” Project: Merchants from Ashdod’s outdoor market, hit in past by Hamas missiles, receiving Likutei Moharan from Rabbi Lazer – See more at: http://lazerbrody.typepad.com/lazer_beams/#sthash.LQUYjrt8.dpuf

30,000 Meals a Day among Outpouring of Support for IDF

31 July2014 From /matzav.com http://matzav.com/30000-meals-a-day-among-outpouring-of-support-for-idf

Doron Elbaz, who owns a farm near the Gaza border, told his kids: “Let’s go buy some lemons and make lemonade for the soldiers driving by.” Soon, his lemonade stand became the focal point for donations that began pouring in from across the country – food, clothing, toiletries, shampoo, baked goods.

Joined by a few volunteers, he started making 1,000 meals a day for soldiers, then 2,000 meals, then 5,000 – as donations, and requests from IDF units, poured in. Now 250 volunteers are cooking 30,000 meals per day. A dozen masseurs have set up tables to offer free massages. A barber was offering free haircuts and free shaves. There are a number of similar “rest stops” for soldiers at many intersections along the Gaza border.