This week’s Torah portion, VaYishlach, talks about how to prepare for a war.
It is uncanny how every week we are being sent such timely messages.
Jacob is returning home after years away.
But it’s not going to be one big family reunion.
His brother Esau is indeed coming to greet him, but he’s fortified his welcome committee with 400 men.
That’s a message to Jacob that he is still harboring anger over his mistaken understanding over the loss of his birthright.
(Selective memory here, he actually sold it to Jacob)!
Jacob strategizes over the coming encounter.
He engages a three pronged approach.
He first tries diplomacy by sending gifts to Esau.
He taps into Esau’s mindset and provides peace offerings that should speak to Esau’s desire.
Lest that not be successful, Jacob engages in a heartfelt dialogue with Gd, a meaningful prayer. Jacob prays that Gd should save him from Esau
“For I fear lest he come and strike me down, mother and children”.
Jacob knew that if Esau were to fight, he would have no compunction about attacking the women and children.
Sounds like a modern day scenario, how little has changed in the world of barbarism.
And finally, if all else fails, he prepares for war.
Menachem Begin, former Prime Minister of Israel studied these verses carefully before engaging with Anwar Sadat. He followed our Sages dictum that these verses are the protocols required before engaging with the enemy.
Our nation is at war.
Our women and children are under siege.
We are utilizing all the above means at our disposal to ensure victory.
For those of us, in America, far from the front lines, we may wonder if our prayers actually make a difference.
I have to share with you an unbelievable story.
I can vouch for it as I know some of the players personally.
There is a soldier in Israel, he is a 38 year old dentist, Dr. Eitan, a reservist, who was called to duty in Gaza.
Right before they began a dangerous sortie, the soldiers were handed a pile of letters written by children in America.
Dr. Eitan grabbed a letter and read what a little 10 year old girl named Emma Platt had written. She addressed it to “A Soldier” and she told him she was davening (praying) for him and that he was doing a good job for the Jewish people.
Dr. Eitan was deeply moved that a little girl on the other side of the world was praying for him. It gave him renewed resolve to face the danger ahead.
He tucked her letter into his combat vest, along with notes from his own family and the little wrist band from his newly born son. (Another story!)
Then he went into battle.
He was on the third story of a building when it was hit by an RPG.
The building collapsed and he fell three floors.
His survival was a miracle.
He was airlifted to a hospital in Israel.
He was visited by some Americans while in hospital and he told them how he felt the prayers and letter of Emma Platt played a role in his survival.
He asked them if they could help him find Emma Platt.
One of the visitors in the room assured him they would.
The visitor reached out to a young woman in America who has a podcast for kids. Since the war, she has about 3000 children joining her nightly for inspiration and prayer on behalf of our soldiers.
She found Emma.
This all happened live on her podcast.
She emotionally told the kids that each of them is also an Emma, because they are dedicating themselves to pray on behalf of our soldiers, and they should always remember that each prayer makes a difference.
They may not be privy to the final details, but their actions count, as we do vividly see from Emma’s efforts.
Emma and Dr. Eitan were connected via Zoom.
He had the opportunity to thank her for her letter and prayers and how much it meant to him, and she told him again that he was doing a great job.
Dr. Eitan was visibly moved by Emma’s dedication and composure.
Emma promised to visit him on the next family trip to Israel.
She lives in Hollywood Florida.
The power of prayer of a child.

Happy Thanksgiving!
According to the primary source for everything, you might think I mean the Torah which is the primary source for everything, but in this instance I was referring to Google,
Thanksgiving, which occurs o the fourth Thursday in November, is based on the colonial Pilgrims harvest meal which took place in 1621. It is celebrated to appreciate the blessings of the past year.
Rabbi Kalman Rosenbaum, former principal of Torah Day School in Atlanta, often intoned that every day is Thanksgiving Day.
Did he not know Google’s definition?
Rabbi Rosenbaum was familiar with the primary source mentioned above, the Torah, which inextricably intertwines the Jewish people and gratitude.
The Jewish people are called Yehudim in Hebrew.
The source for this name is found in this week’s Torah portion, VaYetze.
In this portion, our matriarch Leah, who is married to Jacob, gives birth to her fourth son.
She names him Yehuda.
The root of the name Yehuda, means gratitude.
Leah was expressing her thanks to Gd for the birth of her fourth son.
The Talmud states that since the time of creation, no one ever expressed gratitude to Gd as Leah did.
This is actually curious, because the Torah shares others who expressed thanks to Gd.
How is Leah’s thanks on a different level?
Rashi, the super commentator, explains that Leah knew that her husband was supposed to have 12 sons. As Jacob was married to 4 wives (it was Biblical times, and it wasn’t easy then either) Leah did a calculation and deduced that it was likely she would bear 3 sons.
When she delivered a fourth and unexpected son, Leah felt that this gift, which went beyond what she expected, deserved a special level of thanks.
Leah realized that even though her life was part of a Divinely ordained plan, everything that happened is a gift from Gd and should not be taken for granted.

When I write my weekly Parsha musings, I type it directly onto WhatsApp and disseminate from there.
Last week when I was trying to type my thoughts I couldn’t get the typing to work.
It kept jamming.
You might think this has to do with my lack of technological skills and you probably would be correct.
But the reason I was having such a hard time is that my phone was in constant action.
You see, I had signed up to participate in a WhatsApp group that was reciting consecutive Tehillim, chapters of Psalms.
This is an age old practice of the Jewish people to tap into the spiritual arsenal of the Psalms of King David.
His words are a powerful tool which can be used to combat evil, acquire heavenly merit and protection, while providing tranquillity to the soul.
During times of challenge, one of the first Jewish responses is to grab a Psalms, (called Tehillim in Hebrew) and tap into the heavenly assistance they provide. The Psalms can be recited in Hebrew or English.
In these difficult times, many are saying Tehillim.
The particular WhatsApp group I am referencing is open every day from 4 pm EST until midnight. This group was formed as a response to soldiers who said they need spiritual fortitude to continue to fight. Many of their operations take place from 11pm at night till 7am in the morning, so this group says Tehillim constantly during that time to inspire Heavenly protection.
We know that Prayer can change the reality and bring about miracles.
This week’s Torah portion is called Toldot.
It begins with the prayers of our matriarch Rifka and our Patriarch Yitzchok, colloquially known as Isaac and Rebecca.
They were praying to be blessed with a child. Rebecca was unable to conceive, and according to the natural course of events, she would not be able to have a child.
But the prayers they sent heavenward were so powerful, they were able to overturn the reality and create a new one, resulting in the birth of twins.
The word used in the portion is Vayeetar, and they prayed. That particular version of prayer is one that overturns the reality and creates a new one.
The Talmud teaches us that the root of Vayetar is the same root as the Hebrew word for pitchfork, an Eter.
Just as a pitchfork uproots the ground underneath and displaces and replaces it and moves it from place to place, so do the prayers of the righteous move Gd from the place of judging harshly to another place, judging with mercy.
These days have been very dark.
As we hear and read of the experiences of our brothers and sisters, our hearts are torn to shreds.
But there are many miracles that abound.
Let me share two with you.

This was a week of so many words.
Words that made you sob and words that lifted the spirit.
Some words were written some words were spoken.
Here are some words that made me smile.
These were words written on a note.
The owner of a plant nursery in one of the Kibbutzim that was so brutally attacked, destroyed and devastated, returned home after having escaped three weeks ago.
He fully expected to see rows upon rows of dead and dried out greenery in his greenhouse.
To his shock and delight the owner found a note leaning against one of the blooming shrubs.
“Sorry we broke into the nursery.
We had to water the plants.
Signed
The Chayalim (the soldiers)
Words of love coming from seemingly such an unlikely source, our warriors who go to war to protect us.
Let’s investigate more warriors who wield words.
Miriam Peretz, the Israel Prize winner, a mom who lost two sons in battle, is bringing words of comfort to those who are bereaved and grieving.
She often quotes from this week’s Torah portion which is called Chayei Sarah, the life of Sarah. In the beginning of the Portion Sarah passes away and we have a full narrative of Abraham’s grieving process.
He buys a burial place in a a sophisticated power play and he eulogizes Sarah.
But then the Torah tells us that Abraham rose up, got up, in the presence of his dead.
Miriam Peretz emphasizes again and again these words, “and he will rise”.
Because after the crying and the tragedy, Abraham knew he must get up and continue.
He is not paralyzed. He must use the grief to fuel his further mission in life.
The words”and he got up” are words of hope and inspiration.
In Kibbutz Bari which was hit so hard, the synagogue stands.
It survived the destruction.
The wonderful woman Rachel Fricker, who is it’s founder, was contacted by the soldiers stationed there.
They wanted to use the synagogue but it was locked.
She told them that the key was in her home but her home had been incinerated.
She gave them permission to break in.
Since then, the synagogue has been in constant use, 24/7, for prayer, Torah study and for gathering.
Rachel Fricker who survived the massacre, came back to Bari to participate in the writing of a Torah.
As she looked inside she noticed that the first word Breishit, in the beginning, has within in it the letters of her home, Bari.
She sees that word as a beacon of hope, that there will be new beginnings and light to dispel the darkness.
Breishit. The word that means In the Beginning.

Am Yisrael Chai!
That is the battle cry we hear over and over again.
The Jewish Nation Lives.
We believe it.
We live it.
We seem to be saying it often lately.
But sometimes it’s very hard to keep alive in these dark times.
Not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually.
How do we do it?
We have a teaching from the holy Chofetz Chaim, Rabbi Israel Meir Kagan. Chofetz Chaim is the appellation given to this 20th century leader of the Jewish people. He entitled his famous book Chofetz Chaim which means pursuer of life. Those words come from Psalms where King David teaches us that he who desires life should guard their tongue from speaking evil and do good.
Rabbi Kagan, The Chofetz Chaim who lived from 1838-1933 wrote
“Today, when the attribute of judgement is very strong (we are being judged harshly by Gd) and there are many challenges and maladies we cannot escape, it is important to be involved with Chessed (acts of loving kindness) as this will awaken Gd’s Chessed. Gd will say (so to speak), these people need loving kindness themselves, yet they are focusing on others and showering them with kindness instead of concentrating on their own needs.
We have been given a formula.
If we want Divine mercy we need to engage in acts of love and care.
This harks back to our Patriarch Abraham who is the personification of loving kindness.
This week’s Torah portion, VaYera begins with Abraham recuperating from the circumcision he has just undergone.
Despite the fact that he is in pain, and the heat of the day is at its peak, and he is even in the exalted position of conversing with Gd, Abraham sees wayfarers in the distance and is anxious to welcome them and tend to their needs.
The Torah which is sparing with words, spares none as it describes the quick pace and hands on involvement this nonagenarian extends on behalf of creating a magnificent meal for his guests.
Abraham was a wealthy man, he had servants at his beck and call.
Yet he did not want to delegate the opportunity to another, and miss a chance to do Chessed.
Abraham was dedicated to kindness to others and he wanted to do all that was necessary, himself!
The story of Abraham’s life is replete with this theme.
In fact it is the attribute of Chessed that Abraham is identified with and the attribute which he implants in his children.
One of the attributes of the Jewish People is that we do loving kindness.
Nowadays, getting through each day is challenging.
The stories of the barbarism wreaked against the Kibbutzim in the South of Israel are horrifying.
Antisemitism is everywhere.
And the backdrop of everything is the perpetual worry over the hostages.

In September 1970, several airplanes were hijacked by Palestinian terrorists and redirected to an airstrip in Jordan, where the passengers were held captives. While most of the non-Jewish passengers were released after a few days, all the Jewish passengers were separated and held for several weeks longer. The most famous hostage was Rabbi Yitzchak Hutner, one of the Sages of the generation.
Around the world, the Jewish people mobilized to work for their safe release and, of course, to pray for their safety and freedom. At one point during their captivity, after they had already been held for several days, Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz addressed a prayer gathering in Jerusalem where he delivered an address.
He focused on the story told in the Talmud of the scene that occurred at the burial of our Patriarch Jacob.
When the mourners arrived at M'aras Hamachpeilah, the burial site, Eisav, Jacob’s brother, came to intercept them, insisting that the last remaining plot in the cave -- which is where they were going to bury Jacob-- should in fact be his. They explained that Esav had sold the plot to Jacob, and when Esav demanded proof, Naftali, one of Jacob’s sons, returned to Egypt to retrieve the documentation.
As they waited for Naftali to return, Chushim, a grandson of Jacob, asked why they were not burying Jacob right away. Chushim was deaf and had not heard any of the conversation. When they explained what was happening, Chushim said, "And while Naftali goes back and forth to Egypt , should my grandfather lie in a state of indignity?" He took out a stick, struck Esav over the head and killed him, after which Jacob could be buried without incident.
Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz posed a question: why was it only Chushim who possessed such indignation at the delay in the holy Jacob’s burial? Why did nobody else feel and react the same way to the travesty of justice the evil Esau was promoting?
The answer, he explained, is that everyone had gotten used to the situation. They heard the discussion and participated in the back-and-forth. The state of affairs had developed slowly and the shock and instinctive objection to the mistreatment of Jacob had gradually worn off. But Chushim was hearing of it for the first time; his reaction was genuine and fresh. His sensitivity remained sharp, while everyone else's had dulled.
Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz then addressed his gathering: I sense, he said, that we have become like everyone else at Me'aras Hamachpeilah. A week ago, we were shocked by the news of the hostages. But now, we have become used to it. Now, somehow, I sense that our prayers are less urgent. We have come to accept the status quo. But we cannot, we dare not, become unfeeling. We have to be like Chushim; we need to keep our sense of urgency and outrage intact.
I do not think our own sadness, grief and confusion has dissipated much since we began to absorb what befell our people on October 7. And I do not think any of our sensitivity to the plight of our hostages and the danger to our soldiers and the risk to the country has yet dulled.
But while we hope for a miracles to happen tomorrow, it is also possible that difficult days still lay ahead, and they may stretch ahead of us for some time. And it is only natural that a part of us comes to accept this new reality; it is only natural that our prayers might become less urgent, our drive to grow and change might become less strong, our energy to help and volunteer and speak out and advocate might become less powerful. It is only human nature to get used to things on some level.

Tonight Jwcatlanta hosted our annual Challah Bake.
We were led by the inimitable Gitty Fredman of JustBakeIt, who uplifted the preparation of challah (and cinnamon buns) with her trademark upbeat attitude and spiritual teachings.
It might seem surprising that Jwcatlanta hosted a Challah bake in such uncertain times.
Our hearts go out to our brethren in Israel in this dark and tragic time of war.
Which is absolutely the reason to proceed with such an event.
First of all, the tone of the evening did pivot as we moved from celebration to introspection.
The program consisted of the preparation of Challah for Shabbat as we also included prayer and a focus on advocacy.
Jwcatlanta was fortunate to hear from Shaked Angel, the regional director of Israel American Alliance who shared the heroic efforts of his childhood friend whose bravery saved his Kibbutz 13 days ago. We were able to hear directly from the wife of this hero as she described via video, the harrowing hours she and her three children endured in their safe room while their father and husband was literally battling outside for their lives.
Then we heard from Moran Mizrachi who is involved in various advocacy projects including an organization that has printed the photos of each of the 199 kidnapped Israelis and is trying to get those pictures posted all over. This puts a name to the faces of our brothers and sisters, some of them very young children, who are being held captive in Gaza.
Our dear Shari Magnus hand crafted beautiful jewelry which was yours for the taking, if you committed to donating to charity of your choice to benefit Israel.
And the generous Rachel Goldschein donated Shabbat candles for us to light this Shabbat. A little bit of light can overcome a lot of darkness, and the spirit of Shabbat can enlighten and uplift us.
We separated Challah, separating a portion of the dough prior to shaping it, with a powerful prayer on all our lips.
It was also an evening of community and sisterhood, with so many commenting on how much they needed our special connection at this difficult time.
Bringing together 300 Jewish women to pray, study and create food that will nurture them body soul - that was the recipe for tonight.
It is so important for us women, to remember what our job is during these times.
Everyone is constantly asking
“What can we do?”

It’s the beginning.
We start the Torah anew.
And in the very first words we get a description of what is happening to us right now.
When Gd created the world it was “astonishingly empty, with darkness upon the surface of the deep”.
This week we have learned the most horrific definition of emptiness and darkness.
The black hole created by the bestial actions of our enemy is beyond comprehension.
Then “Gd said, Let there be light, and Gd saw the light was good”.
In these horrendous times when darkness would seem to prevail, there have been myriads of stories of light filled actions.
I want to share some with you because even a little bit of light can chase away a great deal of darkness.
Today was the funeral of Dekel Swissa. Those of you who attended the rally this week heard a little about him.
Dekel was an Atlanta Shinshin , a gap year student, (Shinshin stands for Shnat Sherut), who performed a year of community service here in Atlanta, before entering the Israeli army.
One of the families who hosted Dekel were my next door neighbors. Through their hospitality, we were truly privileged to get to know this exceptional young man. He was warm, friendly, kind, humble and wise beyond his years. I was looking forward to seeing the incredible mark Dekel was going to make on this world, but his life was tragically cut short at the age of 23.
He left us too young.
But a mark he did make.
He was the commander of his platoon, and his men (little boys of 19 or so who should not have to engage in life threatening gun battles) told Dekel’s parents that when the fighting began he ordered them into a safe room and took on the terrorists himself, killing dozens until he was overcome.
The soldiers told the parents that he saved all their lives.
A Rabbi who lost his son this week on the battlefield said something so profound.
His son was killed at 33, also much too young.
But his bravery also saved the lives of many, and the Rabbi realized that his son did not just achieve 33 years, rather he achieved eternity in the accumulation of all the years of the people and their descendants who will come forth from the lives he was able to save.
Dekel was only 23, but in his selfless actions he will live on for countless years to come.
He also left us his mantra
“Start every day with a smile”
And when we start our day with a smile, let us do so with this brave and kind young man in mind and honor Dekel’s memory.

Do you know what kreplach are?
You might think it’s a Jewish version of a wonton.
Basically it’s a piece of dough which is wrapped around a small portion of meat and served in the chicken soup.
My Father of blessed memory was famous amongst his friends and acquaintances as a great raconteur and story teller. Some of his stories were extremely moving, some of his jokes were quite funny, but for some reason, amongst his Eastern European friends, his kreplach joke was iconic.
Here it is, but it went over better in the original Yiddish.
A little boy was in fear of kreplach. Whenever he saw one he would shriek “kreplach” in fear and horror.
His mother decided to take matters in her own hands and with a mother’s intuition, and well before her time, she decided to employ exposure therapy.
She sat her son down and rolled out a circle of dough, it’s just a pancake right?
He agreed calmly.
Then she placed a small ball of meat in the middle of the pancake.
Just a mini meatball right?
Her son agreed with equanimity.
She folded the dough around the meat one side at a time with her son following along with interest, all was good.
But when the last side was folded up, the boy took one look and shrieked…kreplach!!
Like I said, the original Yiddish gives a different flavor.
Tonight and tomorrow is Hoshana Rabba, which means a time of great salvation.

I think I might have told you the story of Adonis.
He is a gentleman I met in Atlanta when he delivered some furniture. We spoke briefly when he finished the delivery and then he asked me where I had lived on the West Side.
I was literally flabbergasted. I asked how on earth he knew that I came from the West Side of Manhattan. He shared that he had previously been a beat cop in Manhattan and spent a great deal of time with the denizens. He met all kind of people and was able to discern the accents of those who were natives, it helped him recognize who was a resident.
Adonis was able to identify a West Sider just by an intonation.
Growing up on the West Side was an eye opening experience.
My family attended a synagogue there which was a magnet for Jews searching for their Jewish roots. The synagogue hosted a myriad of activities such as lectures and meals on Shabbat and holidays. There was also a concerted effort to bring Judaism to the streets of the West Side and make it accessible to any Jew who had interest in learning more about Jewish teachings.
One of my favorite activities as a young teen was joining a group of my friends on Sukkot to share the mitzva of Lulav and Etrog. We would literally stand near a mobile Sukka and offer passersby the opportunity to take the Lulav and Etrog. It was so fascinating to hear people’s reactions. Some were highly emotional, feeling a deep spiritual connection. Others waxed nostalgic, remembering taking the Lulav with beloved grandparents. A few were amused by the ritual and there were those who were deeply curious about the meaning of taking the four species and literally wanted to understand all the mystical aspects, while standing on one foot.
But all were united in their deep appreciation of having the opportunity to participate in this Mitzva.