Have you heard of the Ruba Award? Probably not. It’s a recent prize that I recently announced, and it’s available only to a (blessedly) small subset of humanity.
But you can read about it here.
Category Archives: News
Vayechi – Missing Letter, Vital Message
All the letters of the Hebrew alphabet are found in the bracha that Yehudah is given by his father Yaakov – with one exception: the zayin.
That fact is pointed out by Rabbeinu Bachya, who notes that zayin is not only a letter but a word – meaning “sword” or, more generally, “weapon.”
He writes:
“The reason is that the malchus Yisrael, which emerges from Yehudah, will not score its essential victory through the use of weapons like [ victories achieved by] other nations. Because the sword is Esav’s heritage but [not] that of the Jewish malchus, which will not inherit the land with their swords. And is not conducted by natural means, with the strength of the hand – but rather, through the… sublime power of Hashem.
And that is why one finds in the name Yehudah, the source of the Jewish kingdom, the letters of Hashem’s name…”
That fundamental message is always important to internalize, but it is particularly timely today. We have seen, in the Jewish fight against unspeakable evil, failures of military tactics, intelligence and weaponry, and the use of the latter bringing only more hatred against Klal Yisrael.
May we soon merit to see the success that can ultimately only come from Above.
© 2023 Rabbi Avi Shafran
Dastardly Digital Deception
Groucho Marx’s challenge—“Who ya gonna believe, me or your own eyes?”—needs updating in light of some Gaza-war propaganda.
To read about it, please click here.
A Tale of Two Surgeries
“A disfigured woman whose case has become well known is among the Palestinians released” was the headline of a New York Times story about criminals in Israeli jails being traded for hostages held by Hamas.
Want to know more about the woman referred to in the headline, a new definition of chutzpah and something you might not know about the Hamas leader in Gaza? Well, just click here.
Yes, Again
Have you heard about the “Camozuzah,” the “Safe and Discreet Mezuzah Case”?
To read about that sad sign of the times, please click here.
More Than Meets the Ayin
Ever wonder about the “G” in “Gaza”? Well, you should have, since in Hebrew, the name of the area is Aza?
Well, wonder no more. Just click here.
Meet the Mess
Good riddance to two New York Times employees. But hold your applause. Why? See here.
Yalla, Yahya!
You’re forgiven for not knowing that, in addition to my Agudah work and writing for various publications, I also work as a secret undercover agent for an unnamed country. After all, it’s a secret.
Until now, that is. To read about a recent escapade of mine and what it yielded, please click here.
Mr. Guterres’ Failure to Fill the Vacuum
The United Nations wasn’t birthed until June, 1945. But a “what if” scenario has been bouncing around in my head, about an imaginary U.N. in 1939.
To read about my fantasy, and more, click here.
Agudath Israel Statement on Campus Antisemitism
The statement can be read here.