העורך Editor

In a recent, well-written piece by Rabbi Moshe Malubitzki shlita in Kedushas Tzion (page 14), he argues that the legendary “Four Holy Cities” (Jerusalem, Chevron, Tzefas, and Teveria) were first designated as such in the 16th century, and this, solely due to their being the largest Jewish settlements in the Holy Land at the time.

As Rabbi Yehuda Shurpin writes: The expression was coined in the 16th century when “these cities banded together for charitable purposes under the leadership of Rabbi Moshe Alshich, together with Rabbi Yosef Caro, Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, and Rabbi David ibn Zimra (Radbaz)”.

Well, we are not bound by Ottoman-era royal garments, charity bookkeeping, or its shopworn phrases. Certainly, Jerusalem always bears  pride of place, and an Ir Miklat may be greater, as the Mishna says, etc. Kivrei Tzaddikim are wonderful (but found all throughout the land…). Any additional reasons to call, say, Chevron “holy” (in the same article by Rabbi Shurpin) must therefore be after-the-fact embellishments.

(I haven’t looked into this claim by Rabbi Malubitzki carefully, but it logically appears incontestable.)

Bottom line: wherever members of the Holy nation now dwell in Eretz Hakodesh, Baruch Hashem, we can say “עיר הקודש __ תובב”א”! 

Read the original Hebrew article here…

Finally experience it for yourself, this time for real.

You already know or guessed the benefits, but going it alone can be tough (hard to pronounce, the parsha division is very long), so the organizers came up with a brilliant new concept.

To inspire and create a sense of mutual obligation, you join a group of 87 Jews doing different pages, altogether completing the entire corpus monthly. Or you can do a daily Amud, finishing every two months. Complete your personal cycle of the whole Zohar every few years!

If you don’t own a set of Zohar, you can receive small booklets at cost price every month.

Don’t overthink this. It’s Zohar, so plain reading is fine, too (if not preferable). It can’t hurt, right?

For more details and registration, check out “Iskanshu” here (Hebrew or Yiddish). They even answer the phone: 033066666

Here it is…

I like the jokes (for the first 19 minutes), but the halacha part reminds me of a kid cramming for a book report.

Rabbi Orlofsky knows less than nothing about the topic. Instead, he runs through the answered-a-thousand-times shibboleths: Nignaz, the “proper” tint, “Gedolim”, so-called “Masorah”, all outrageous. Rabbi Orlofsky also suspects the sellers are diluting their wares (there’s a hechsher!). And his “hashkafic” ideas are antinomian\anti-halachic, not that he’s alone, sadly.

(As a neighbor, he should really do me the courtesy of reading Hyehudi more.)

Just to say something new, though: regarding Rabbi Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg (minute 49), see this. Also, he is probably unaware of the significant transformation by many, such as Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch.

תזכורת משנת תשע”ה:

We have already written on the “libertarian” site’s obvious Jew-hatred, but they used to be at least careful in not purveying utter lies in malice. No longer.

A recent article on LewRockwell.com (dated May 19, 2025) claims that “German media” admitted Anne Frank’s diary is fake. The article in question, written by one Michael Walsh, pretends to quote Der Spiegel second-hand (and is written by a bloodthirsty Holocaust-denier). No new evidence is shown, and the old claims were never backed up by anything, either.

But worse, LRC is thereby quoting Der Spiegel as now saying Anne Frank’s diary is fake (with no link). At least digitally, there is no such article at all!

Maybe Der Spiegel can sue for defamation?

Here’s a screenshot: