Friday, July 20, 2012

When all the Banks Fall



Message from Menachem, Tammuz 5770
I want to speak about The Golden Calf, and tell you that its end is very close. I want to tell you that it will all collapse and there will not remain any money or any coin that anyone can call money. The whole banking world will disappear for it is all built upon complete falsehood.
Once upon a time a person was able to make a purchase with a gold coin or a silver coin or some item of value, but now we almost don't see anything like this at all, just paper notes, credit cards and checks. All of a person's wealth is registered in some computer in the bank, and even if he is a millionaire, all he has to show for it is some large house, fancy car, etc. plus all of his credit cards and some large number written on his bank statement. But one day soon it will all disappear, the computers will stop working and there won't be any paper money left. Not only this, but the person himself will undergo a big "shock", because he has a car that needs gas – but the credit cards won't work, and he has a house that needs electricity – but this will also stop working. So then how is he a millionaire, with what?
The whole world of finance will fall because Hashem wants it to fall. The people who set it up have a lot of desire for money, for power and for honor and they built up a dream world. But it is really a dream world because it only exists in your dreams. The whole banking system is one big giant falsehood, and those who are involved in it are so deep into this falsehood that they actually think it is legitimate.
These deceivers are found in all different countries, including third world countries. They have all fashioned their own currencies, whether it be the Euro, the Dollar, the Sterling, it makes no difference what they call it, they are just pieces of paper that is printed at all times when they need more money. If the insurance agencies were found to have stolen too much money from their customers – no problem, just print more money to cover the deficit. And all the heads of state, the Parliament, the Congress, the Knesset, and anywhere else you may run to, they are all a part of this great big lie.
And who suffers? The simple people, who are not part of this club.

 All the money will have the value of toilet paper, and this is no joke. When all the banks fall, the shock that will accompany it will be stronger than if a nuclear bomb would drop. For what would be if a nuclear bomb drops? A person would simply die. But when a person will enter into the reality that there is simply no money, no banks, no electricity, no doctors, no medical clinics, no markets – all the things that the person felt gave his life security – he will enter into complete shock. And what will a person like this do? He can easily loose his life, for he will not know what to do, how to live, who to go to for help… for he will not think of turning to Hashem! But we have said this time and time again, that the Jews who are genuinely trying to get closer to Hashem, they will be saved G-d willing and merit to see the days of Moshiach and have eternal life.

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

A Letter of Encouragement to Women by Rabbanit Leah Kook


To all my precious Rebbetzins and to all the good and kosher Daughters of Israel who are publicly sanctifying the name of Hashem. Our Father in Heaven is pleased with you, and the heavenly angels take pride in you. You resemble the Kohen Gadol who wore many beautiful and holy garments for the honor of Hashem. The Kohen atoned for the sins of Israel with his holy and pure garments, so too it is in our generation; women and precious girls who are wearing clothing for the honor of Hashem such as the shawl and respectable and holy head coverings are atoning for the generation. It's worth it therefore to stay strong in spite of the bit of insult and mocking you may receive for the sake of our Father in Heaven and for the sake of our Holy Torah and for the sake of Tzniut (modesty)!

If you could only see what incredible pleasure you are bringing to the Creator of The World you would be as happy as Miriam the prophetess with her drums. Sara Shnirer who was the epitome of modesty and concealment, who was totally faithful and connected to her Father in Heaven, had stones thrown at her because of this. She was not upset; rather she turned to Hashem and said, "With these stones, I will build for Your honor the Beit Yaakov School."

So it is the same with you, you holy and precious souls who are so beloved above. You are bringing joy to all the worlds with your modesty, head coverings, shawls, and extra coverings – done for the sake of Heaven with humility and happiness. With this we will build for our Father the righteous women's gallery in the Heavenly Beit Hamikdash.

I love you all with all my soul and I pray for you all 24 hours a day. My feet are in Teveria, but my heart is in Yerushalayim the Holy City.

Your Tehillim are protecting all of Israel. Waiting every moment for the complete and final redemption, G-d willing.
Your sister, Leah Kook

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Rav Ovadia Yossef on Wigs / Sheitels (with English translation)

Peah Nochrit (wigs)
This is Absolutely Forbidden!!!

There are more than 20 poskim who say that this is completely forbidden, it is absolutely forbidden to go out of the house into the public streets wearing a peah nochrit (wig). It is just as if you are going out with a completely uncovered head. Just like it is forbidden for a married woman to go out with her hair uncovered, it is equally forbidden for a married woman to go out with a wig on.
 There was a great gaon, Rebbe Pinchas Horovitz, a world sized giant, Rebbe Pinchus Leibush Horovitz, he took his beit din with him and they took a Sefer Torah with them and they pronounced a cherem (a decree of excommunication) on any woman who would wear a peah nochrit (wig). Who can violate a cherem of a man as great as this?! He was a giant, a giant in Torah… To violate his cherem… Who would violate such a persons' cherem? This is in addition to the fact that there were many Gaonim who have written explicitly that wigs are forbidden.


Any Rav who is lenient regarding wigs will face judgement for it in the future!

The Gaon of Vilna writes in his sefer on the Mishnayot explicitly that wigs are forbidden.
The Gaon Yaabetz writes extensively in his sefer 'Mor Uktziah' and in his sefer 'Tshuvot Yaabetz' very explicitly that wigs are absolutely forbidden!
The Chatam Sofer writes, "After the Gaon Yaabetz has thusly said, it is certainly necessary to forbid wigs."
The Maharif Chiyut in his sefer 'Ish Chiyut' writes in one of his teshuvot (halachic responsas), "It has already been forbidden by the greatest of the world and there is no room for leniency in this matter. Only the apikorsim (heretics), the minim and apikorsim are the ones who are lenient in this matter. Everyone else is very cautious in this matter."
Rav Chaim MiSanz writes in his sefer 'Shu"t Divrei Chaim' as follows, "It is the actresses, wild and immodest women, they began with this practice. Many have learned from them, we have mixed with the goyim and learned from their ways."
To my great sorrow, I have heard of many good girls who would prefer to wear a cloth head covering, and the boys, those learning in the Yeshivot are making conditions not to date them unless they commit to only wearing a wig after marriage. What Yeshiva students are these? These are ignoramuses, fools, wicked people! They are defaming the name of Hashem. People who ask for things like this learn in a yeshiva?! What Torah are they learning? They will have to face judgement for this in the future.
The author of the sefer 'Atzei Arazim' in Even Haezer writes, "I am certain that any Rav who is lenient in the matter of wigs will have to face judgement in the future!"

Friday, July 6, 2012

Memories of a Shochet - Horror Stories from Various Slaughterhouses Across America



If you really want to get an idea of what is going on in the field of Kashrut, specifically of what really happens in the slaughterhouses, then you need to give this article a read.
Email hazakweematz@gmail.com for the full free book "Memories of a Shochet".
In it, the Holminer Rebbe who was a practicing Shochet in America for 10 years and involved in Kashrut for many more years writes a list of firsthand accounts of some of the horror stories he personally witnessed in many many slaughter houses all across America. You can only imagine if it was like that then, how much worse things are now...

Here are a few excerps to help you get a better understanding of what shechita is all about. Also available is a book the Rebbe wrote entitled "The Gate of Kashrut" with tons of valuable information on the subject of how to truly keep kosher and avoid the many pitfalls out there and thereby save your and your families souls from the blemish of eating treifot and nevelot, chelev and dam.

(From "Memories of a Shochet") In this book I bring forth incidents pertaining to the status of Schita in New York and other locations that I myself have seen and experienced personally, being a Schochet for over 10 years, witnessing first hand the situation in beef and chicken slaughter houses under the finest and strictest supervision.
In the course of 35 years (5727-5762) I have visited the many notable slaughter houses and unfortunately, have witnessed all that is written in this book.

GENTILES SLAUGHTERING TURKEYS AND TAGGING THEM KOSHER, THE OWNER IS AN
ISRAELI MURDERER. SHOCHTIM CROSSING BOUNDARIES OF OTHER SCHOCHTIM
With the Schochtim R'...... and R'........ (two well~ known Schochtim I used to work with near Vineland. There also the Schita was veryquick. But there I only served as a helper to the Schochet, so that the Schochtim were able to rest. I do not remember the exact quantity of the Schita but it was very quick. The knives were defective because they had to slaughter up to the back of the neck, and they used to cry
aloud “cut deeper, deeper”. I used to yell back that I can't slaughter any deeper because I am afraid the back of the neck will defect the knife. After touching the back of the neck you must check the knife
over 6 different ways. The experienced Schochet told me, "Don't worry about the knife. The back of the neck causes no defect. look at my own knife." I never understood how they weren't ashamed to show me such defective knives!
The son in law of Rabbi...... Was a Mashgiach and told me that one day the owner told him that because there was a big snow and the truck of turkeys did not arrive, there will be no Schita, and there is no need
for him to come to work. The Mashgiach was then in a hotel only a few miles away and being a heavy person, he was immune to the cold and never wore more than a sweater. Although the owner thought he had to arrive by car, the Mashgiach out of boredom, decided to take a walk and he walked towards the Plant. When he arrived, he was shocked to see how turkeys were being butchered and kosher tags put onto them, without a Schochet! The owner threatened him that if he reveals what he saw, someone will
shoot him. The owner himself carried a gun on him. He was a former Israeli soldier and was suspected of being an underworld criminal. The Schochet kept quiet and did not tell anyone the story; however he did
tell it to me... This was a long time after I stopped being a Schochet and where I once worked as a Schochers helper for 6-8 weeks.
One time I didn.t feel well, and I sent the Schochet R'....... to substitute for me. The supervising Schochet R'....... saw the Schochet slaughtering in back of the neck and asked him to stay on and work there instead of me. He would receive $60 a day and only have to work two days a week. This particular Schochet stayed on and a week later told me that he had my job. I asked him how he could do this and showed him the Halacha regarding crossing boundaries'. Then he presented this to the Supervisor, the Supervisor in return said, 'With me there is no such thing as crossing boundaries. I hire and fire who I please, and I prefer those that accomplish the most' (slaughter the most animals per hour). And with that I resigned from this Schita.


SLAUGHTERING OF ANIMALS AT 60 PER HOUR-SLAUGHTERING WITHOUT
FEELING-USING A DEFECTIVE KNIFE-IN OUTSIDE EXAMINATIONS THE ADHESIONS
ARE CUT- THE SCHOCHTIM ARE VERY LENIENT AND PERMIT EVERYTHING
I was at a relative who was a Schochet and although I was already experienced in Schita I said that I still knew nothing and am learning the trade. This way I was able to see and observe all that was going
on without being suspected of having too much knowledge. I had very nice knives, and my friend R'...... had also R'...... were impressed with the knives, which are actually the basis for a good Schochet. They told me that if I saw knives with defects I was not to say anything about it. There were two Schochtim - one a Hassid of Rebbe M.....and the other a Lithuanian. The Schochet who was a Hassid showed me his knife that was very smooth but in the middle had a terrible defect, but I said nothing. In short, my relative the Schochet slaughtered only 60 per hour and examined his knife after every animal. He then gave me the knife to examine and I told him I still have to learn what is called fat, in the middle of slaughtering the animals from Schita to Schita you feel fat if it is not a defect. He examined the knife and then showed it to me. Once I found a defect and I said that I felt some- thing and maybe it is just fat. He examined the knife quickly and said it was good. He continued to slaughter another 5-6 animals and gave me the knife again to examine. I told him again that I feel something, and when he examined it again he agreed that there was a defect on the knife and accordingly declared the animal treif. I told him that the first time he gave me the knife to check, I also felt the same defect and he asked me why I didn't tell him. I said I did but that I didn't quite know the difference between fat and a defect and I only said I feel something.
To tell the truth, I felt the defect very well because I was in many slaughterhouses, but I wanted to see how I would feel slaughtering 60 animals an hour alone. Is there feeling and how? The Schochet continued to Shecht without another Schochet standing by his side examining the knives.
Internal examinations are made while the animals are hung. Each examiner makes notes for himself as to what he has found and passes it on to an outside examiner that has nothing to do with the Schita. It is all done in a carefully planned manner. The examiner R'...... permitted everything that had an origin with Rabbinic authority, even when it tended towards the lenient. He removed the most difficult adhesions that even had a blood clot that every Posek would prohibit. I asked him why he is trying so hard to remove it when the animal is treif anyway. and he said that it is absolutely not so and then told me there is a technique called Bais David. that determines that in such a case it is also considered kosher. He showed me the Sefer and told me it was his job to find permits even if the majority rules against. This he declared Glatt Kasher Lemehadrin.. The work on the lung took 15 minutes. I learned from him how to remove adhesions,( He put all the pious Schochtim in his little pocket). Most of our Schochtim don't even know how to remove adhesions, they just tear them and they don't even have nails to do that. Well. that plant already burnt down and thank G-d there is one less place to cause Jews to eat Treif and vile meat.

SCHITA ON THE FEATHERS – THE SCHOCHET ADMITS THAT HE CONTINUES TO
SCHECHT EVEN AFTER FINDING A GREAT DEFECT
Unfortunately, I taught schita to a student, following the instructions of the Satmer Rebbe ZTL. The student was a difficult one and it was harder for himto learn than the knife used to schecht. Then, to my good fortune he was ordained and he started to schecht.
At....... a Schochet was absent and the manager in charge, the old Schochet R'......, took my student to shecht for him. He did not know how to schecht like the others. One time I saw how he slaughters on
top of the feathers, like that other Schochet who gives others treifus to eat..... This caused me great anguish, since he was my student and no less according to the Satmer Rebbe.... On the fourth or fifth day
that he worked there he showed the knife to the old Schochet. He found a great defect. He asked him when it happened, and the student said it happened about an hour and a half ago. Then the old Schochet yelled at
him why he waited so long if he thought something was wrong - why didn't he show it to the more experienced there...... However, inspite of all this, that entire Schita still remained kosher!

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

This Is What Our Mothers Used To Look Like

This is what our mothers used to look like...
Woe to us, look to where we have gotten?! 

This flyer is part of a series on modesty that has been widely distributed all over Israel. Many of them include quotes of some of our greatest Gedolim and Tzaddikim on the subject of modesty.
More to come G-d willing.

Learn more about what real modesty is by reading http://hazakweematz.blogspot.co.il/2012/01/concept-of-modesty.html

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Is The Meat You Are Eating Really Kosher?

BS"D
Find out how we are being fed Non-Kosher meat in the entire USA under our very noses, just as had occured in the city of Crakow 300 years ago.
Rav Shalom Yehuda Gross Shlit"a, the Admor of Holmin has been fighting the war on Kashrut for years trying to tell people the truth about the 'Kosher' meat that they think they are eating. Find out the real Kashrut status in the USA by reading his book "The Twin Towers Meeting - The Kashrut Status in The USA" (email hazakweematz@gmail.com for the free book)
In his writings he explains why it is almost impossible to find Kosher meat nowadays.
Please take these words very seriously, I know the Rav personally and he is one of the few true leaders left in our generation who are not afraid to speak the truth.
You can get his over 1000 sefarim written on all areas of the Torah as well as many letters he has received from many of the Gedolei Yisrael of today and of the past at his website http://www.ha-zohar.info/.
Please pass this on as well as the attached books to whomever you can. You can also get them printed out and distribute them. May the merit of the many stand for you and may all who assist in this holy work be blessed with health, happiness and ritcheous children, amen.
Below is an excerp from his book "Amalek's Partners - Why You Cannot Find Kosher Meat in the USA" (email hazakweematz@gmail.com for the free book)

THE FOUNDATION OF THE SANCTITY OF ISRAEL IS
THE OBSERVANCE OF THE LAWS OF KASHRUT

And you shall be holy men to me; nor shall you eat any flesh that is torn of beasts
in the field; you shall throw it to the dogs. (SHEMOT 22:30) Rashi comments on
this verse the following: “If you are holy and abstain yourselves from the
repugnancies of Nevelot and Terefot, behold you are Mine, and if not you are not
Mine”
May it be known that the foundation of Israel's sanctity and purity is their
painstaking observance of the laws of kashrut. We find this stated explicitly in the
Torah at the end of Parshath Shemini (Lev. 11:44)
“For I am the L-rd your G-d, and you shall sanctify yourselves and be holy,
for I am holy; and you shall not defile your souls with any creeping thing that
creeps on earth”.
Thus the Torah is very explicit, that by abstaining from forbidden foods we
sanctify ourselves, and by laxity in this field, we, G-d forbid, defile our souls.

AMALEK AND HIS PARTNERS 2
Forbidden foods dull a person's intellect, clog his heart and soul, thereby
causing him to entertain evil thoughts, leading him to apostasy and disbelief, and
eventually he will stumble upon serious transgressions.
The words of the Holy Rabbi Hillel Kolomayer Ztk’l are well known (Bet
Hillel siman 48, 9): “You should know that the sin of eating Nevelot and Terefot is
much graver than other sins…And our Sages say that the reason why young
children die, G-d forbid, is because of this sin of eating forbidden foods, therefore
pity your children and don’t destroy them, Chas ve Shalom”
It’s also known what the Zohar ha Kadosh (Parashat Shemini) writes on this
matter: That to eat forbidden foods is just as serving idols and the person is
punished forever and loses his portion in the world to come.
In matters of Kashrut the problem is more serious than with other matters
as the author of Shne Luchot ha Brit wrote that the body of the person that
stumbles upon forbidden foods changes its nature into a dirty and impure thing
indeed.

1 - Why are you writing this book?
At first look you may wonder why we are writing on the situation of the
Shechita in The United States and the world in general, aren’t there many great
Rabbonim and people fearful of Hashem in many cities and for sure the Shechita
today is better than what it could have been back in Europe, and the Shochatim
today are well versed and know the laws and have Yirat Shamaim. And if ever
there were any problems with the Shechita in past years it has already been
corrected by now so basically we should have nothing to worry about.

WARNING
We feel compelled to let everyone knows, everyone who cares for his life
and that of his household, let him be wary of the excuses many times heard on
the street when people start talking about the problems of Kashrut of meat. Some
of the excuses are:
All the problems occur in other communities or in other countries but not
here in our community.
All the problems have been already fixed.
All the Great Rabbonim are careful to check all the details.
How can it be that everybody is eating Nevelot and terefot?

AMALEK AND HIS PARTNERS 3
We must warn the public that not only is the situation not better than what it
was in Europe in the distant past but it’s many times worse with the problems
growing more severe with the passing of time.
The foundation of the laws of Kashrut is the Shechita and all other
problems when compared to those of Shechita are minimal. When the shechita is
not Kosher, we run the risk of eating Nevelot and Terefot, also we run the risk of
eating the blood of the animal and we run the risk of eating forbidden fats
(Chelev) and you surely know that the punishment for eating blood or Chelev is
Karet (Same as eating on Yom Kippur or eating Chametz on Passover and the
punishment consists on untimely death and that the soul is cut off from the world
to Come, G-d forbid).
There are many pitfalls that occur in the Shechita, and they occur even in
the Shechitot that are more careful and observant, and it’s the same whether it’s a
shechita for large animals or for fowl. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that the
Shechita from which you eat doesn’t have any problems.
As it is known the main problem today with the process of slaughtering is
the great quantities that are slaughtered. In an average day a thousand animals
and tens of thousands of fowl are slaughtered in a single place.
The owners of the Slaughterhouses are businesspeople whose sole
objective is to make profits the more the better, and this is normal for that’s why
they are in business. Problem is that speed efficiency and profits don’t go hand in
hand with Kashrut observance. To increase profits and output, you must decrease
carefulness and hence Kashrut compliance.

We know our work will not bring us any honor. And we also know that
the meat mafia will not sit idly with their arms folded. They strive to silence
anyone who dares speak about the problems of the Shechita. Dear Jews: Don’t let yourselves be fooled!!!

There’s no need to find fault on the Rabbonim who know about the
problems of Shechita yet keep silent. They do so for they worry for their lives and
the lives of their loved ones.
We beseech the L-rd, to cast our lot with those who lead the public to
righteousness, and perhaps we, too, will benefit by it. We appeal to everyone to
read this book, for we have added nothing original; it is based only of the works
of the saints of yesteryear. May their words permeate the hearts of us all. Amen