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Four years have passed since the loss of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, and one year since the outbreak of the Iron Swords conflict. In these turbulent times, we can only imagine the wisdom he might have shared, the guidance he would have offered. His voice is profoundly missed, especially now when his words could have offered clarity and hope. This longing to “hear” his perspective propelled me on a journey… To Be a Jew is a booklet that was born from a deep desire to find meaning in the current historic moment. Distributed freely across the globe, with over a quarter of a mil...
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I am begging you, please help save my daughter My name is Yitzchak, and I am writing to you as a broken and worried father. Our dear Avigayil, less than a year old now, was born with a small, heartwarming smile, but now she’s fighting a severe illness—cutaneous lymphoma. The word “cancer” is still too heavy for us to assimilate, and the fear is unrelenting. A few years ago, my wife Tehillah and I went through a terrible time when our eldest daughter was fighting for her life after a severe accident. Somehow, we managed to get through it, but now we’re facing another painful battle, and we lose entire nights to worry. For our baby Avigayil to overcome this illness, she urgently needs costly biological treatment. We need your help. I am reaching out from the ...
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Baltimore, MD - Nov. 2024 - Chai Lifeline, the Jewish community’s leading children’s health and crisis support network, will recognize the extraordinary contributions of Dr. David J. Hackam, Pediatric Surgeon-in-Chief and Co-Director at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, with the Maimonides Medical Achievement Award at its National Gala on December 17, 2024, at Pier Sixty in New York City. The evening’s theme, “Shining Together,” celebrates the remarkable dedication of individuals like Dr. Hackam, whose work brings hope and healing to countless families facing serious medical challenges. Dr. Hackam is globally recognized for his pioneering work in pediatric surgery, specifically for his groundbreaking research on necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC)—a de...
Hezbollah's Secretary General Naim Qassem threatened to target Tel Aviv in response to recent Beirut strikes, speaking in an address released on Wednesday. "We will not leave the capital under Israeli enemy attacks. When Beirut is under attack by the enemy, the response must be in Tel Aviv." According to him, "The enemy must understand that things will not remain as such when Beirut is attacked." An Israeli attack on Beirut earlier this week killed the group's media chief, Mohammad Afif. Regarding the ongoing ceasefire negotiations mediated by the US, under envoy Amos Hochstein, Qassem said Hezbollah is awaiting Israel's response. "We got the negotiation document, we examined the document and we transferred our notes about it," he said. This comes as Hochstein delay...
El Al’s record-breaking year continued in the third quarter with revenue just over $1 billion, or 20% more than the second quarter. Net profit was $187 million in the third quarter, compared with $52m. in the same quarter last year, El Al reported Wednesday. Demand for El Al tickets has surged as foreign airlines have canceled flights to Israel due to the Israel-Hamas War, leaving El Al with near-monopoly status. Many Israelis are reluctant to book with other airlines even if tickets are available, fearing foreign carriers will cancel flights if the security situation changes. El Al said it was able to increase its available seat kilometers (ASK), a measure of its passenger carrying capacity, by 15% in the third quarter as it worked to meet increased demand. El Al&r...
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Linda McMahon has been a constant presence in Donald Trump’s tumultuous orbit, serving in his first administration and supporting his presidential campaigns. Now he’s chosen her to serve as Education secretary. Here’s a look at McMahon’s background, from business to politics. McMahon went from wrestling to politics McMahon is married to Vince McMahon, whose father was a prominent professional wrestling promoter. They followed him into the business, founding their own company that’s now known as World Wrestling Entertainment, or WWE. It became a juggernaut in the industry and American culture. When Trump was the star of the reality show “The Apprentice,” he made an appearance at Wrestlemania in 2007. The billionaire entertainment ...
 Donald Trump says he has chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO, the bedrock Western alliance that the president-elect has expressed skepticism about for years. Trump, in a statement, said Whitaker was “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” and “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.” The choice of Whitaker as the nation’s representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an unusual one, given his background is in law enforcement and not in foreign policy. Whitaker had been considered a potential pick for attorney general, ...
President-elect Donald Trump said Monday he is naming former Wisconsin Rep. Sean Duffy as his nominee for transportation secretary, as he continues to roll out picks for his Cabinet. Duffy is a former reality TV star who was one of Trump’s most visible defenders on cable news — a prime concern for the media-focused president-elect. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, was a member of the Financial Services Committee and chairman of the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019, and is co-host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business. In his announcement, Trump noted that Duffy is married to a Fox News host, calling him “the husband of a wonderful woman, Rachel Campos-Duffy, a STAR on Fox News.” A spokespers...
US President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday nominated cardiothoracic surgeon and television personality Dr. Mehmet Oz to serve as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator. “America is facing a Healthcare Crisis, and there may be no Physician more qualified and capable than Dr. Oz to Make America Healthy Again. He is an eminent Physician, Heart Surgeon, Inventor, and World-Class Communicator, who has been at the forefront of healthy living for decades. Dr. Oz will work closely with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to take on the illness industrial complex, and all the horrible chronic diseases left in its wake,” Trump said in a statement announcing the move. “Our broken Healthcare System harms everyday Americans, and crushes our Country’s bu...
Parsha Hashavua
True Life - Dedicated To The Refu'ah Of My Nephew Wounded In Lebanon - Noam Avraham Ben Atara Shlomit

This week's piece is dedicated to the refu'ah of my nephew wounded  in Lebanon - Noam Avraham ben Atara Shlomit. May Hashem grant him and all the other chayalim a complete and speedy recovery.

In our previous pieces, we have delved into the profound and transformative power of Torah and mitzvot in our lives. They safeguard our health and foster our personal and spiritual growth, inspiring us to reach a higher spiritual plane.




Sustaining True Life


Rebbe Akiva saw Torah learning as not just critical but essential. In response to those who questioned his teaching Torah in violation of a Roman decree, Rebbe Akiva compared our need for Torah to a fish’s dependency on water (Berachot 61b). Torah is not just an enhancer of life but a condition for it. Though we can survive physically without Torah, our spiritual life hinges upon its sustenance.


 Significantly, Rebbe Akiva compared our dependency on Torah learning to that of a fish, not a human, on water. Unlike humans, who can survive three days without water, fish require constant water support. We, too, need continuous exposure to Torah to sustain our spiritual existence. Torah is not just our water; it is our oxygen, and we must commit to its continuous study.


The Netziv (Vayikra 18:5 and Devarim 4:1) applied Rebbe Akiva’s message to mitzvot, explaining that the Torah links life to mitzvah observance because sustaining true human life requires spirituality. Though the Torah uses the same word, “chayim (life),” to refer to both physical and spiritual life, the latter depends upon mitzvah observance.


Onkelos (Devarim 8:3) highlights the distinction between chayim as spiritual as opposed to physical life by translating the word differently when it refers to life sustained by spiritual nourishment (chayei) versus life maintained by physical food (mitkayem). Only life sustained by spirituality is true life.


The Netziv (Bereishit 2:7) saw Sefer Bereishit’s description of man’s creation as the source of this unique aspect of human life. As opposed to animals, which the Torah describes as alive the moment Hashem creates them (Bereishit 1:21), the Torah defines man as alive only after Hashem imbues him with a soul (ibid 2:7). True human life consists of more than that of an animal. It also includes the soul and its spiritual nourishment.




Life Itself


Sefer Devarim presents Torah and mitzvot as even more central — they not only sustain life, they are life itself. Devarim Perek 31 explains that choosing mitzvah observance is choosing life because mitzvah fulfillment is life.


What does this mean? How are Torah and mitzvot actual life?


Torah learning and mitzvah fulfillment are life's purpose and essential content. Though we need food and water to survive, mitzvah observance and Torah learning are why we are here and what give our lives meaning. A life without Torah learning is not an authentic life.


The Rambam (SHN”F 7:1) uses this idea to explain the exiling of a teacher with his student to the city of refuge. The gemara (Makot 10a) derives this halachah from the Torah’s usage of the word “va’chai (and he will live) to describe the fate of an unintentional murderer (Devarim 19:4).


Taken simply, “va’chai” entails physical protection and sustenance. Indeed, the gemara initially explains the word this way when it requires providing the murderer with a livelihood. It is, therefore, surprising that the gemara derives the need to exile the rebbe along with his student from this same word.


The Rambam explains that those who value wisdom, which we find through Torah learning, are considered dead without access to it. The word va’chai requires us to exile the murderer’s rebbe with him because the murderer would be regarded as dead without access to his rebbe’s teachings.


We should reflect more on this teaching of the Rambam. We devote most of our time and energy to activities that sustain and enhance our physical survival and existence, but we don’t often consider why we exist. Torah and mitzvot are the answer. They are why we were created and what we should focus on.




What Our Life Amounts To


As the world around us focuses on physical survival and leisure activities, we must constantly remind ourselves that Torah learning and mitzvah fulfillment are what truly matter — the essence of life. Ultimately, what we invest in them is what our life actually amounts to.


Rav Ovadya Yosef zt”l told the story of a rabbi who visited a town for the first time. The locals gave their honored guest a tour, taking him to the shul, the school, the mikveh, and, finally, the cemetery. The rabbi was shocked to see that all the gravestones memorialized those who had died young: Reuven, 12 years old. Shimon, 11 years old. Levi, 15 years old, and so on. “Was there a plague here?” he asked. “A pogrom? Why did they all die so young?”


“No, rabbi,” the mayor explained. “In this town, we keep track of the time we spend each day learning Torah and doing mitzvot. At the end of the day, we count up those hours and write them down on a little pad. At the end of each week, month, and year, each person tallies his total hours of Torah study. When someone dies, we add up the time spent learning Torah and doing mitzvot. For this person, it was ten years; for that person, twelve. The ages on the gravestone are their Torah ages, not their biological ones.”  




Conclusion


Our last few pieces have examined different ways of explaining the Torah’s linkage of human life to mitzvah observance. These explanations are not mutually exclusive; mitzvah fulfillment can benefit us in all these ways.


The Ramban (Vayikra 18:4) adds that the benefits we derive from mitzvot depend on how we approach them. Those who seek reward receive just that; only those who perform mitzvot seeking personal growth and life enhancement achieve these more profound and meaningful goals.


May appreciating how mitzvah observance can impact us inspire us to fulfill mitzvot with the ideal intentions and goals.




Rav Reuven Taragin is the Dean of Overseas Students at Yeshivat Hakotel and the Educational Director of World Mizrachi and the RZA.


His new book, Essentials of Judaism, can be purchased at rabbireuventaragin.com.


 

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Baltimore, MD – Nov. 19, 2024 - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Menachem Berry & Baila Deutsch on their engagement!    Mazel Tov to Mr. & Mrs. Moshe Berry and grandparents Mr. & Mrs. Joe Berry     יה"ר שיזכו לבנות בית נאמן בישראל. אמן!  
Baltimore, MD – Nov. 20, 2024 – 3:09PM –  Major accident reported on Reisterstown Road Southbound, just before Woodholme Shopping Center (home to Trader Joe's). Expect delays and proceed with caution
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The United Nations Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza without preconditions for the release of the hostages was blocked by a US veto today (Wednesday). An American official told reporters ahead of the vote that the US would only support a resolution calling for a ceasefire if the ceasefire was conditioned on the return of the hostages. “As we stated many times before, we just can’t support an unconditional ceasefire that does not call for the immediate release of hostage," the official stated. Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon thanked the US for standing with Israel at the UN. "Today, a shameful attempt to abandon our kidnapped men and women by the UN was prevented. Thanks to the US, we stood firm with our position that there will be...
The Biden administration announced Wednesday that it will give Ukraine antipersonnel mines to help it slow Russia’s battlefield advances, marking the second major shift on U.S. military support for Kyiv in days. After allowing Ukraine to use longer-range American missiles to launch strikes deeper into Russia, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the shift in Washington’s policy on antipersonnel land mines for Ukraine was needed to counter changing Russian tactics. The war, which reached its 1,000-day milestone on Tuesday, has largely been going Russia’s way. Moscow’s bigger army is slowly pushing Ukraine’s forces backward in the eastern Donetsk region, while Ukrainian civilians are being maimed ...
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Baltimore, MD - Nov. 20, 2024  - This evening, between 7 PM and 11 PM, expect heavy rain and thunderstorms to move quickly across Maryland. These storms may bring: Brief torrential rain Wind gusts of 40+ mph A very slim chance of an isolated tornado After the storms, strong winds will follow, with gusts of 40-50 mph lasting 2-4 hours. This could cause: Fallen trees or branches Isolated power outagesA wind advisory may be issued. Later, from Thursday night through Friday afternoon, some snow showers are possible. However: No accumulation is expected No travel impacts are anticipated It will remain windy through Shabbos, with gusts up to 40 mph. Stay safe and secure loose outdoor items!
Baltimore, MD – Nov. 20, 2024 -  BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to Shragi & Rochel Kasnett on the birth of Nechama Rus Mazel tov to the grandparents Yakov & Devorie Kasnett and Rabbi & Mrs Yisroel Zev Chesir.   יה"ר שיזכו לגדל בתם לתורה, לחופה, ולמעשים טובים. אמן!
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Baltimore, MD — Nov. 19, 2024 – DoubleTree by Hilton Baltimore North - Pikesville is proud to announce its new partnership with Y Events and Catering as their in-house kosher caterer. This collaboration brings one of Baltimore’s preferred culinary artists and event planners into the hotel’s enhanced offerings for guests and event planners looking for exquisite and personalized affordable kosher events. Y Events & Catering is renowned for its commitment to quality and creativity, providing exceptional kosher catering services for more than a decade. Having led the menu development, managed event programming, and Pesach program experiences for many years, Y Events and Catering has always been known for their fresh ingredients and delectable combinations. Th...
Jerusalem, Israel - Nov. 19, 2024 - Planning an event in Israel with a war raging north and south, with soldiers injured and dying is not a simple accomplishment. However, the 3rd Jerusalem Business Conference, organized by Lesley Kaplan with AACI at the Nefesh B'Nefesh Campus, was held in Jerusalem, Israel on Monday, November 18, 2024, with a full and satisfactory attendance. As stated by media consultant Linda Lovitch who trains diplomats and business people in presentations, "Yes world, we are still doing business in the throes of war?! ...You bet, and networking and learning how to grow our business. That's how we roll in Israel." The first presenter in the morning was the Former Minister of Science & Technology and  Member of the Knesset ...
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US Senate Majority Leader-Elect John Thune stated that the Senate and the US would adopt a more pro-Israel policy when President-Elect Donald Trump and the Republican Senate Majority come into office in January. "It's been over 13 months now since Hamas terrorists waged war against Israel, and for the past year-plus, Democrats have struggled to support our ally Israel, and it has literally fractured the Democratic Party," Thune said. "For example, we are expecting, tomorrow, Senator [Bernie] Sanders to offer a resolution denying lethal aid to Israel." "The refusal to have our ally's back and the hesitation to call out antisemitism in our own country has consequences. It enables bad behavior and bad actors around the world, and it encourages others to abandon Israel in their tim...
Baltimore, MD – Nov. 19, 2024  - BJL wishes a hearty Mazel Tov to  Binyamin & Nechama Wach on the birth of a son. Mazel Tov to grandparents Shimshon and Donna Wach. Mazel tov to Zaide Yechiel Sochet, great grandmother Sybil Barer and great grandfather Victor Goldberg יה"ר שיזכו לגדל בנם לתורה, לחופה, ולמעשים טובים. אמן!
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