To join the thousands of recipients and receive these insights free on a weekly email, obtain previous articles, feedback, comments, suggestions (on how to spread the insights of this publication further, make it more appealing or anything else), to support or dedicate this publication which has been in six continents and over thirty-five countries, or if you know anyone who is interested in receiving these insights weekly, please contact the author, Rabbi Yehoshua Alt, at yalt3285@gmail.com. Thank you.    

לעילוי נשמת שמואל אביגדור בן יצחק מאיר

Archives: https://parshasheets.com/?s=Rabbi+Yehoshua+Alt

Please feel free to print some copies of this publication and distribute it in your local Shul for the public, having a hand in spreading Torah.

COMING SOON Bez"H

Fascinating Insights—The Sefer (in English).

For Dedication Opportunities (which can be used from Maiser money)—L’Ilui Nishmas, in memory of a loved one, L’Refuah Shleima, Hatzlacha, or for any reason, in addition to sharing in the merit of the Torah learned by each reader—please send an email to yalt3285@gmail.com

A Turn For The Worse

The Greeks didn’t want to kill us rather they wanted to take us away from Judaism. This is indicated in the letters of יון as each letter that follows is bigger than the previous, as it begins with a י, then a ו, and finally the ן since this is how one drifts away from Judaism. One who goes off the track of Judaism doesn’t do so in one shot rather in a series of events that make him drift further and further away. For example, one doesn’t start with eating a cheeseburger rather he first uses the bathroom in the non-Kosher restaurant. Then he may get soda. Later, he decides to buy a salad. Next, he is onto the French fries until he finally actually eats the cheeseburger.[1] In this light we can explain ופרצו חומות מגדלי וטמאו כל השמנים[2] as each breach leads eventually to a defiling of everything. Accordingly, the word יון means quicksand as in מטיט היון,[3] since it makes one descend lower and lower.

Now we can grasp on a deeper level why the Greeks prohibited the Mitzvos of מילה, שבת, ראש חודש[4] since these separate us from the non-Jews. ראש חודש was given to us so that we now rule over time as in מקדש ישראל והזמנים. Next is Shabbos in which the law is עכו"ם ששבת חייב מיתה,[5] a non-Jew who observes it, is liable to death. Last is מילה, which is what makes us distinct. 

Rabbi Alt merited to learn under the tutelage of R’ Mordechai Friedlander Ztz”l for close to five years. He received Semicha from R’ Zalman Nechemia Goldberg. Rabbi Alt has written on numerous topics for various websites and publications. He lives with his wife and family in a suburb of Yerushalayim where he studies, writes and teaches. The author is passionate about teaching Jews of all levels of observance.