| Erev Shabbat - Parashat Mishpatim 5784 | 30 Shvat 5784 - February 9, 2024 | |  February 5 was a fact-filled evening at
Mizrachi RZC featuring
Nefesh B'Nefesh representatives
Marc Rosenberg and Orly Tamir
 Click here for audio of the evening | | |  On January 29, 2024,
Mizrachi - RZC members and friends attended the Grand ReOpening
of the newly remodeled
Mizrachi - Religious Zionists of Chicago building
Listen to the ReOpening recordings
 | | |  We invite you to hear Rabbi Yona Reiss, Av Beth Din of the cRc, in our newly remodeled RZC building on Tuesday, February 20, 2024, at 7:30 pm. The topic will be: Halachic Perspectives on the International Court of Justice.
Immediately following we shall conduct the Mizrachi RZC Annual Meeting.
Only paid members can vote. You CAN join us on February 20 and pay your dues at the meeting or online and be allowed to vote, however the Mizrachi RZC office would appreciate it if you would pay your dues prior to the Annual Meeting. Dues are $50 per couple, and $30 per individual. To pay dues visit: https://member.rzc.us/ ; or contact the office 847-674-9733 x2, or send in a check, with "Membership Dues" in the memo. | | | 
"Mizrachi Chicago – you are amazing!"
That is what we heard from the representatives of the IDF families to whom we sent meals for Shabbat as part of this year's Raffle – Support IDF Families campaign.
So far, we have arranged for 355 meals to be sent, showing our care and concern for the IDF Families and creating personal connections with them.
We are continuing this effort, now in partnership with the Efrat Development Foundation. As before, each $60 donated will result In a Shabbat meal for an IDF family whose parent/spouse is on active IDF duty. Tax-deductible donations are to be sent directly to the Efrat Development Foundation by clicking here. | | | Angels in Gaza Rabbi Stewart Weiss  Our Sedra, as one might say in today's lingo, shows Judaism's "sensitive side." 53 diverse Mitzvot instruct us as to how we must be responsive to the needs of the poor, the widow, the orphan, the disenfranchised, the indentured slave; even members of the animal kingdom.
But the Sedra's closing section seems at first reading to be something completely different. It contains several mysterious episodes: First, G-d says, "I am sending an Angel to protect you; respect him, for My name is in him."
Then Moshe sends the youth of Israel to bring offerings; the blood of their sacrifice is sprinkled over the people as Moshe declares, "With this blood, the covenant is now sealed between you and Hashem."
Finally, Moshe, Ahron and the elders see a vision of G-d: "Under His feet was a sapphire brick, whose essence was as pure and bright as Heaven." What does it all mean?
To me, the message is as clear as day; do you not see it? Who are the Angels among us? Who are the youth of Israel who protect us, who embody the finest attributes of Hashem – Midot such as courage and Mesirat Nefesh - whose blood is sprinkled on the nation at large?
These can be no other than the proud young men and women who wear the uniform of the Israel Defense Forces, who selflessly place their lives on the line every day to defend Am Yisrael. G-d's name is in each of these children, and it is in their merit, I am absolutely convinced, that we continue to frustrate the evil designs of millions of enemies who would destroy us. In their z'chut the Yeshivot may flourish, the tourists may visit, the land may bloom. These angels in green, these green kids who traded their school bags for M-16s, are a source of great pride in Klal Yisrael and in this generation.
Chazal comment that the sparkling blue brick under Hashem's throne was there to remind Him of the pain and suffering we endured in Egypt, when the cruel Egyptians would place Jewish babies in the wall when their parents' quota of bricks was not fulfilled. Each time G-d started to lose patience with Bnei Yisrael, He would take out that brick. Remembering our great self-sacrifice, His attribute of Mercy would take hold and He would forgive us.
So the end of the Parsha, you see, isn't really so different in essence from the 53 Mitzvot enumerated earlier. It continues the same theme: Be sensitive and appreciative of those who serve us and risk their lives for us, such as the heroic Chayalim in Gaza and throughout. They and those like them are the Heavenly bricks from which this great nation is built. | | 
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Na'aseh VeNishma
Rabbi David Milston  I feel that the truest understanding of "Na'aseh VeNishma" can be derived from the Rambam in Hilchot Me'ilah (8:8):
"Each person should study the laws of the Torah, and endeavor to understand them in relation to their intellectual capabilities. Yet if we find that we cannot understand, this should not lead us to ridicule. We should not think that Torah study is similar to regular academics. (If we do not comprehend human formulae it is quite possible that they are incorrect; that which is proven by one man can be disproved by another. However, this is not so with the works of Hashem. It is not just possible, but quite likely, that there will be times when we simply cannot fathom the meaning behind a given principle. However, we must remind ourselves that we are dealing with the words of Hashem, and we are therefore limited in our abilities to fully comprehend them.)"
Rambam is giving us a very clear formula how to approach Torah. Yes, we are obliged to search. Yes, we are obliged to strive for truth. However, if we do not find the answers we are looking for we must conclude that it is due to our human limitations, and not due to a lack of truth in the Torah.
I think this message can also be derived from a prayer we say at the end of Shacharit. The prayer begins with the phrase, "Ein Kailokeinu, there is no other like our G-d." In the next sentence we ask, "Mi Kailokeinu, who is like our G-d?" Surely one would expect the prayer to firstly pose the question and then supply the answer? I think this prayer is a clear reflection of the Rambam quoted above.
You may ask as many questions as you like. In fact, you should ask as many questions as you like. However, the prerequisite to those questions is that you fully understand there is indeed no other like our G-d. That is the essence of our faith. We continue to believe even when we don't understand.
This prayer is a statement of our faith. It therefore comes as no surprise to reveal that the first letters of the first three verses form the word "Amen." The prayer is the absolute definition of our relationship with Hashem.
"Na'aseh VeNishma" is the practical application of the above theory. Am Yisrael at Har Sinai accepted to first do, then study. We are committed to do whatever Hashem requires of us. We are also committed to studying and understanding His ways. However, if there is ever any conflict between the two; if ever our limited understanding conflicts with what Hashem requires, we will do, even when human logic demands the opposite approach. We will always listen to Torah.
Towards the end of Sefer Vayikra (Parashat Behar), we are introduced to the detailed laws of the Sabbatical year – Shemitta. Many commentators ask why the Torah specifically juxtaposes Mount Sinai to the commandments involving Shemitta at the end of Vayikra, after many other mitzvot have already been explained. As Rashi himself asks, "What is the particular relevance of Shemitta to Har Sinai. Were not all mitzvot given at Mount Sinai?" (Vayikra 25:1).
Having understood "Na'aseh VeNishma" the answer is obvious. The Sabbatical year is a year that demands absolute faith, not in theory but in practice. It is a year when we abandon our agricultural and material worth, and rely solely on G-d. Indeed, there is no greater application of "Na'aseh VeNishma" than the Sabbatical year. The mitzvah of Shemitta is the ultimate enactment of the theoretical ideal, hence the Torah directly associates it with Matan Torah.
Rabbi David Milston is Director of the Overseas Program at Midreshet HaRova. He is a member of the Mizrachi Speakers Bureau (www.mizrachi.org/speakers). | | Right is Right | Mishpatim 5784 Rav Doron Perez
Executive Chairman of Mizrachi World Movement We have all become familiar with 'woke culture' and one of its principles is that whenever there is a mismatch between a weaker and a stronger party, the weaker party is always right. We should support the underdog, the one where life had dealt a difficult hand to, where the odds are stacked against them, they need our mercy and compassion.
There is a specific command in this week's parasha which goes directly against that: "A poor person we do not show favor to them in his dispute." We need to show compassion to them, but if they come to court having contravened morality – just because they are the vulnerable party doesn't justify murder, rape, vandalism etc.
Might is not right, but neither is weakness. What is right? Right is right. Nothing justifies people doing horrific things, no matter their background or how much they see themselves as victims. We look at the actions, not the balance of power. | |
Mishpatim 5784
Ariel Chesner, Director of the Center for Religious Affairs in the Diaspora, World Zionist Organization | | |  | Chicago Mizrachi Pina Chama in Itamar
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| |  | Daniel Perez: The Story of a Hostage Learn more about Daniel Perez, who is currently being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza. Hear his father Rabbi Doron Perez speak about Daniel, as well as voice-notes previously sent from Daniel himself.
We continue to do all we can until all the hostages are safely brought home.
Please continue to daven for the speedy and safe return of Daniel Shimon ben Sharon amongst all the other hostages. | | Right-wing MK: Outcome of Israel-Hamas war cannot be a Palestinian state - interview Religious Zionist Party MK Ohad Tal: Talk of Palestinian statehood after the war signals that terrorism pays off Eliav Breuer  Major Jewish organizations in the US, including liberal and democratic-leaning ones, are receptive to the claim that the outcome of the current war between Israel and Hamas should not be a two-state solution, Religious Zionist Party MK and member of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee (FADC) Ohad Tal said in an interview with The Jerusalem Post on Sunday. Tal spoke to the Post from the US, where he has spent over a week meeting with US officials, including National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications Adm. John Kirby, Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson, leaders of Jewish and Christian organizations, and others. Tal said that his core message in all of his meetings was that awarding the Palestinians a state as a result of the monstrous Hamas terrorist attack on October 7 indicates that terrorism pays off – and the entire world, not just Israel, will pay a heavy price and suffer a rise in global terrorism as a result. This message is opposed to the US administration's policy to end the war by creating a regional agreement that will include normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, and the taking of concrete steps towards the formation of a Palestinian state. But Tal is adamant that Palestinian statehood at this time would have disastrous consequences. "After October 7, even talking about a Palestinian state sends a very strong message in the Middle East that terror is the way to go… and tells radical Islam all over the world that if you want something, get it by terror," Tal stressed. He also said that he was surprised by the receptiveness of his messages from members of the House on both sides of the aisle, as well as by Jewish organizations, some of which are outspokenly liberal and democratic-leaning. "Many people in America [have been in] shock since October 7, and don't know what to do and how to translate their experience to a change of policy – but they do understand that something needs to change." The fact that they were willing to hear Tal, whose party is considered far-right, and even admit that his claim made sense, was significant. But policy won't change in one day, Tal warned. "I think we need to keep conveying these messages in America both within the Jewish community and in the political [arena], and I hope that the result will be a policy change," he said. Tal believes that rather than end the war with a diplomatic agreement, Israel must defeat Hamas decisively; to win the war not in Western terms, but in "Middle Eastern terms." "We have to think the way Hamas thinks, the way [Hamas leader Yahya] Sinwar thinks," he said. This means that Israel must not agree to a hostage deal that would include a lengthy ceasefire and the release of a large number of Palestinian terrorists from Israeli jails, unless the agreement included all of the 136 hostages. Otherwise, Sinwar would simply demand even more for another deal later on. Only a return of all the hostages could be considered an achievement, and this will only happen if Sinwar feels threatened, he argued. "The goal is to always pressure Hamas (militarily). That is the only language they understand," Tal asserted. Civilian life in Gaza in a post-war world Tal argued that in addition to pressuring Sinwar, Israel must not allow Hamas to return to positions of civil administration, and Israel should not allow the Palestinian Authority to receive such positions either – Tal repeats a claim made by many on Israel's right, and even its center, that the Palestinian Authority was corrupt and de-facto supported terror, and therefore was not a partner for peace.  If necessary, the IDF must run civilian life in Gaza until a moderate Gazan force comes forward, Tal explained. Such moderate forces exist, he argued, but they are not coming forward out of fear of Hamas and of "mixed messages" originating from Israel. Some Hamas civilian officials have already begun to appear in northern Gaza, and Israel must make it clear that Hamas will no longer hold any administrative positions. If this requires that the IDF take over the distribution of humanitarian aid and run civil matters in the Strip, so be it, Tal argued. Furthermore, Tal presented a security-based argument in favor of Israel's retaining control over at least parts of the Gaza Strip. "Israel is facing for the first time in 75 years a real existential threat, because Sinwar succeeded in showing everyone in the Middle East that it is possible to [bypass] Israeli intelligence… [demonstrating] that Israel is vulnerable. This, in the Middle East, is extremely dangerous," Tal said. Israel's enemies in the Middle East are sitting on the fences watching, and killing thousands of Hamas terrorists or even killing Sinwar himself is not enough, "because Hamas will rebuild and everything will go back to being the same," he added. The only real deterrence of Palestinian terror is therefore loss of land, Tal claimed, and only by taking over parts of the Strip will Israel's enemies understand the price of attacking Israel. Tal even provided an estimate of the portion of Gaza that Israel should take over and demilitarize – 45%, which is approximately the entire Strip's northern area. Debate over the issue of building Jewish settlements in Gaza can come later, Tal concluded. jpost.com | | 
WATCH: The Torah scroll that survived the battles in Gaza Battalion 7421 moved from place to in the Gaza Strip, fighting Hamas terrorists. Everywhere they went, they were accompanied by the battalion's Torah scroll. Dvir Amar Battalion 7421's Torah scroll departed the Gaza Strip together with the battalion after it accompanied it through its battles. "Have a good look, we are writing our history, what's boarding my bus? A Torah scroll," said Luba, the driver of the that which transported the troops. One of the battalion's soldiers expounded on the scroll's history: "This Torah scroll was with us in Khan Yunis and moved a few synagogues, every time we moved to another location, the scroll moved with us. On Thursday, the scroll went in again with the platoon when we established a synagogue and now it's going out with us as we have completed our activity. We started this war on (the holiday of) Simchat Torah and now we are completing it during the time of the acceptance of the Torah. That is our tradition, we are always with the Torah, it always follows us and will be with us forever, Am Israel Chai!" An additional soldier told Arutz Sheva-Israel National News about the Torah scroll's journey: "We fought with the Paratroopers Brigade Battle Team, and at every location that we moved to we established a synagogue and called it by a name. We wrote down the service times and the forces in the area came. Shabbats were the pinnacle. During the week there were services between the operations. Our goal was to lift the troops' spirits and plant buds of Jewish settlement at those locations." The soldier added: "The first synagogue which was established in Shuja'iyya was called "Ka Ribon" after the song written by Rabbi Israel Najara, the Rabbi of Gaza. Later we moved to other locations and so seven synagogues were established which expressed the troops' fighting spirit." israelnationalnews.com | | | Here is a direct link to join the group - | | 
Here is a direct link to join the group - | | |  | WATCH: AK-47s found in UNRWA construction bag IDF soldiers found 4 bags with UNRWA's logo stuffed with AK-47s inside a mosque in Gaza. worldisraelnews.com | | Meet the Indigenous People Who Support Israel Avi Kumar  During pro-Palestinian marches in the Western world, we have seen several minority groups, including "indigenous" people, who identify with the Palestinians and their claim to be the displaced natives in Israel.
But there are other indigenous people who view things differently. The Indigenous Coalition For Israel (ICFI) is one organization that aims to change the narrative, consisting of individuals from the Americas, Australia, Asia, and Africa. The ICFI has just launched an office that will be housed within the Friends of Zion Museum in Jerusalem. Native Americans Ryan Bellerose, a native Canadian of the Metis mixed-race community, told me that "the false narrative concerning the Israel-Palestinian conflict has easily taken hold amongst many indigenous peoples." He feels that many have misunderstood what the term "indigeneity" means. He spoke about how the Jewish people's ethnogenesis took place in the Levant, just like the Native Americans' took root in the Americas. He noted that even if Jews lived in the Diaspora at times, their cultural identity "evolved" in the Middle East. Some on the Palestinian side claim that they have Canaanite roots. Bellerose argued that the Palestinians are "not doing much" to actively preserve or upkeep this Canaanite culture despite the claim. Bellerose feels that indigenous Americans are still feeling the "residual effects" of a genocide, and can therefore learn a lot from the Israeli example, where Jewish society was "rebuilt" after the Holocaust. He also cited Israel's Hebrew revival as a good example of decolonization, and hopes that other groups that have lost their native languages, such as his ancestral Cree, will be able to revive theirs as well. New Zealand Māoris Dr. Sheree Trotter is a New Zealand Māori. She said that while some Māori Iwi (clans), including the biggest one, Ngapuhi, issued statements supporting Israel, there is no uniform view across the group. She noted that there are still many Māori who are pro-Palestinian, among the indigenous minority who are 16.5% of New Zealand. Trotter said that many Māori became Christianized in recent times, and therefore connect with the story of Israelites. She blamed international forces, such as the Soviet propaganda of the 1960s, for causing many Māori to shift towards identifying with the Palestinian narrative. Africa Olga Washington is a member of the Tswana ethnic group in South Africa, a country that has taken an outsized pro-Palestinian stance in recent years. However, she insists that "the majority of South Africans don't have such beliefs, even if the 'loudest voices' are anti-Israel." Washington noted how Israel supported the apartheid regime in South Africa (1948-94), but that continuing to blame Israel for abetting this exhibits "a double standard" since "many other countries" also supported apartheid South Africa, including the US, UK, and Japan. She insisted that allegations of Israeli apartheid are "not true" — having witnessed apartheid firsthand in South Africa, where the term originated. She said that during the Cold War era, the Soviets, Cuba, and other forces allied with the now-ruling African National Congress (ANC) party were anti-Zionist, and this legacy has remained. The ANC has been in power since 1994. She noted how South Africa chose not to support their Miss Universe candidate when the competition was held in Israel in 2021. "But we still do have diplomatic relations with Israel," she noted. "Jews are indigenous to the land and the Palestinian claim is a very self-harming approach as it rejects Jewish indigeneity," she said. And indigenous people around the world who know the true history of Israel likely agree with her. Avi Kumar is a Holocaust historian/journalist from Sri Lanka. He has lived in many countries and speaks 11 languages. He has written about a variety of topics in publications worldwide. algemeiner.com | | 
WATCH: IDF finds a dozen hostage cages in Gaza, used by Hamas as human shields IDF intelligence estimates that Gaza chief Yahya Sinwar and other top Hamas leaders used these hostages as human shields to protect them from IDF attacks. Yonah Jeremy Bob The IDF announced on Wednesday that it found a second round of Hamas hostage cages underground in Khan Yunis. The announcement followed an earlier IDF announcement of a similar finding of hostage cages on January 20. In this case, there were cages for 12 hostages, nine of which are still held by Hamas, and three of which were returned to Israel during the November 23-30 hostage exchange deal. For both discoveries, the cages were only found after delving deep into a very extended tunnel with a variety of defenses until arriving at an unusually large space with many Hamas terror management functions, including the cages for the hostages. Yahya Sinwar using Gaza hostages as human shields in Gaza  IDF intelligence estimates that Gaza chief Yahya Sinwar and other top Hamas leaders used these hostages as human shields to protect them from IDF attacks.
Millions of shekels were invested in these special underground spaces to outfit them with unique capabilities, including the cages, and to manage the war with Israel.
IDF intelligence is unsure how many more such spaces there may be, though, at this point, the IDF has said it has nearly achieved operational control of Khan Yunis, and it had already achieved such control in Gaza City over a month ago.
At this point, IDF sources have suggested to the Jerusalem Post that Hamas's leadership and the hostages may be in Rafah, hiding among around 1.5 million Palestinian civilians, while some may also be in a part of central Gaza, which the IDF has not finished with.
jpost.com | | IDF to increase mandatory service, reserve duty amid war in Gaza Besides the extension of service time, reservists will also need to serve 40 days per year instead of 25 days per year. Yonah Jeremy Bob The IDF revealed plans on Wednesday to increase the length of both mandatory and reservist service in the military due to the needs presented by the war and troop losses. The planned changes are to already existing laws, which will need to be approved by the Knesset.
The suggested changes a re:
• Mandatory service will be lengthened to three years; • The age of reservist exception will rise from 40 to 45; • The age of exemption for reservist officers will rise to 50; • The number of mandatory reserve duty days per year will double. The IDF is not expected to try to publicly push the coalition – which currently has two haredi parties that oppose the draft – to more equally integrate the haredi sector into the military, which is experiencing severe losses that are felt by every other sector.
Reservists to serve 40 days per year, up from 25
New recruits, mandatory service: Prior to October 7, certain recruits served 28 months, while mandatory service soldiers were set to serve 32. Due to the high demand prompted by the war, all new recruits and current serving soldiers will have their service extended to 36 months.
Reservists: Prior to October 7, the tracks for reservist duty at ages were 40, 45, and 49, depending on their roles. The IDF is suggesting extending the service from age 40 to 45, from 45 to 50, and from 49 to 52. A special category of reservist volunteers would now be asked to continue up to age 66. The plan also includes a variety of other specific reservist extensions.
Besides the extension of service time, many operational reservists will also need to serve 40 days per year instead of 25, while others could be increased even more. These changes would be reflected in compensation, with specific, more essential units getting higher raises in pay than others.
Mandatory service soldiers will also be paid significant bonuses comparable to initial officer pay for the additional months of service they will need to perform beyond what they originally signed up for.
Until the law is approved by the Knesset, Draft Order 8, which gives the IDF emergency temporary discretion to increase service times, is expected to remain in effect. The spirit of the plan provides for a larger standing and reserve army over a longer period of time without the need for Draft Order 8.
The reservists command will also be more formally split up into different levels of importance, with a second level of reservists serving more on a volunteer basis within the framework of defending specific towns they reside in.
About 70,000 reservists in a third level may serve less time, but they will still be available to carry out specific duties as needed and could still be called up for extended service in the event of a war.
The number of reservists at any given time will multiply exponentially by five times.
These changes come as the IDF not only needs to fight more intensely than usual on more fronts than usual, but where 563 soldiers were killed during the war, 2,830 were wounded and hospitalized, and another 9,053 were wounded but not hospitalized.
About 55% of the soldiers killed during the invasion of Gaza (130) have been reservists, with reservists making up some 10% of all combat forces, whereas it was at closer to 2% before the war.
The IDF said it is spending more time trying to take care of reservists' wider needs, including their families. Many of them are parents who need assistance with their families or to spend more time with them in creative ways. There are 116 widows and 352 orphans as a result of the war.
There has been a steady line of complaints that the IDF did act fast enough, or has not done enough, to protect reservist students from falling behind or being penalized in their university studies. Military sources said they were handling the issue, and that no student would ultimately lose out for having served the country, although the sources were short on specifics.
In the realm of mental-health awareness and treatment, 25,890 soldiers received lectures about resilience and about how to track and handle potential problematic signs. The vast majority of such issues could be handled within the IDF command structure by commanders providing support and guidance, military sources said, adding that a significant minority of soldiers are provided with professional assistance.
The plan suggests a budgetary addition of NIS 450 million to compensate reservists and address the issues brought on by the war and the longer service times.
At the beginning of the war, the IDF had the ability to call up 360,000 reservists. Some 287,000 have served since the war began, including 112,000 of whom have families, 50,000 who are volunteers, and 40,000 who are women. About 130,000 reservists are currently serving.
From a sectoral perspective, the IDF said 450 haredi men have volunteered for the war effort – separate from the already serving haredi soldiers, such as the Netzah Yehuda Battalion, formerly known as Nahal Haredi – a miniscule participation by comparison. Exemptions for haredim have been in place for decades, and the High Court of Justice has consistently said they are illegal. It still has petitions pending before it on the issue, but it has repeatedly allowed governments to delay a resolution.
The Brothers in Arms NGO vowed to return the issue to the public discourse, calling the new plan a disaster in terms of inequality because it allows haredim to continue to not serve in a disproportionate manner. jpost.com | | | | |
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