Sefardim and Ashkenazim Together at Last

BS"D

New signs have just been put up all over Jerusalem with the opinion of both the leading Sefardi and Ashkenazi Rabbis on the subject of modesty - specifically the length of womens skirts.

To make a long story short, they both say that the absolute minimum length of a skirt should be at least halfway down between the knee and the ankle. It is absolutely forbidden to wear a skirt that is shorter than this length. They also forbid the wearing of tight and stretchy skirts.

For more detailed translations of the previous posters on modesty and skirt lengths go to:

http://hazakweematz.blogspot.co.il/2012/06/great-and-terrible-tragedy.html

http://hazakweematz.blogspot.co.il/2012/06/gedolei-yisrael-call-for-modesty.html

We have to realize that we are at the end folks. When the leading Rabbis of the generation have to put up signs telling women that their skirts have to go lower than the knee and shouldn't be tight and stretchy you know we have pretty much hit the bottom. You should know that it has already been said by our Tzaddikim of past generations that there would be terrible immodesty right before the Moshiach comes, and judging by the scene out on the streets, it really can't be that much longer.

See http://hazakweematz.blogspot.co.il/2012/03/whats-cooking-in-pot.html and http://hazakweematz.blogspot.co.il/2012/05/wwiii-war-on-holiness.html for what the Baal Shem Tov and The Chafetz Chaim predicted would be right before the end.

And for all you guys out there who are trying so hard to survive and hold on to some degree of holiness in this incredibly unholy world, know that the only way to survive is by guarding the eyes. If you don't see it, then you cannot desire it. I know it's not easy but remember the words of Shlomo Hamelech, "The Tzaddik falls seven times and gets back up." And Rebbe Nachman of Breslov teaches us to never despair and never give up, and that even if we have fallen to the lowest places, we can still at any and every moment call out to and find Hashem. Here is a game I made up to help me when I have to go out on the street, it's called "Don't Get Shot." Enjoy.

Have you ever played the game called "Don't get Shot?"

Here's how it works. Before going out into the street, say a small prayer asking Hashem to help you guard your eyes, so that you should not see any improper images that will filthy up and destroy your mind and heart. Then once you step outside, the game begins. You are walking through heavily guarded enemy territory where there are soldiers and snipers out to get you at every corner. You have to accomplish your mission of... (here you can insert whatever it is you need to do, go to yeshiva, go shopping, drop off the kids, etc.). Now the rules are, if you don't see the enemy, then the enemy cannot see you. But if you do look up and see the enemy, then you get shot. If it's a quick look then it is just a flesh wound, but if it is a long look with desire, you just got shot and it's game over.
Bonus level: Perfume is really poison gas that the enemy puts out to trap you. If you quickly exhale it out and cover your nose you will probably live, but if you inhale it and enjoy the smell... that's right, you just got shot!

The best part of this game is that it is just like any other game; as soon as it ends, you can just start over. Do not despair, just hit the reset button, say your prayer, restate your mission, and you are back in the game. The score is kept by how long you can go without getting shot.

I once read a story that the Baba Meir zt"l said to his attendant, that he has not seen a woman in over 40 years; he was 47 years old when he said this. I challenge anyone to try to beat that score.

 http://hazakweematz.blogspot.co.il/2012/01/dont-get-shot.html

G-d Bless,

Yehoshua

The History and Truth about Sheitels (wigs)

BS"D

The custom of wearing wigs in public was established and spread amongst Jewish women about 170 years ago. This was during the time of many harsh decrees against the Jews in Europe and on the heels of the growth and spreading of the "Maskilim" (enlightened) who were after the total destruction of our religious observance. They even succeeded in uprooting the law of head covering completely, so that even in the houses of G-d fearing and upright Jews in Lithuania the wives were going with their hair completely uncovered.

This is mentioned in the Aruch Hashulchan (siman 75:7)

And now let us scream out about this breach of modesty happening now in our generation due to our many sins. For many years now the daughters of Israel have broken the boundaries of modesty and have gone with their heads uncovered. And all that we have cried out regarding this matter has not helped or benefitted. And now this parasite has spread so that even married women are going with their hair revealed just like unmarried girls. Woe to us that this has happened in our days.

Also known are the words of the Gaon Rav Shlomo Kluger of blessed memory in the sefer "Bishnot Chayim"(siman 316), That in his days there was a royal decree in Russia that forbade all the married women from covering their hair. Therefore, in order to minimize the violation of modesty by them going with their hair completely uncovered, the Rabbis at that time permitted them to wear wigs which was the lesser of the two evils.

Similarly it is recorded in the sefer "Ben Ish Chai" (Year 1, Parashat Bo #12), The women in the European countries are accustomed to go always with their hair uncovered.

And in opposition to this gloomy condition that many women had completely abandoned the mitzvah of covering their hair, the Chafetz Chaim wrote an entire sefer entitled "Geder Olam" in order to challenge and try to regain control of this terrible breach in modesty.

Therefore, in order to get them to comply with hair covering at all, we were forced to permit them the wearing of wigs so that they would not be going with their hair uncovered outright. And after the decrees were cancelled, the custom of wearing wigs remained since they had grown used to it. This matter continued and worsened over time until the whole reason why the despicable and evil custom of wig wearing was permitted in the first place became completely forgotten to them, until nowadays, women who wear wigs in public think that they are acting in accordance with the strictest levels of the law of hair covering.                 Woe to us, look to where we have fallen!

Therefore, the time has come for the holy daughters of Israel to free themselves from the decrees of our cruel and wicked enemies! (From the words of Rav Binyamin Rubinovich in a letter he wrote as an approbation to the book "Dat Moshe VeYisrael")

Therefore it is a holy obligation for every Rav and teacher in Israel in whose congregation this parasite of wig wearing has spread, to learn the sugya in its entirety and to rebuke the congregation with gentleness that there is really no permissibility under Jewish law to go out with a wig looking like the women who roam the streets at night.  We must remove this plague from our houses and this evil from our midst, and return the crown to its former glory to be crowned with modesty. Women should go with a cloth head covering only as this is how our mothers used to look; and this is also in accordance with the halachic rulings of our Rabbis. May Hashem help us in this matter pertaining to the honor of His Name, and may we succeed in fencing in this breach speedily and in our days amen.

To receive this flyer for distribution or for donations please call 02-992-3264

Or email hazakweematz@gmail.com.

To get more info and flyers in Hebrew call 052-715-1890, 050-411-3653, 073-233-8833

"It is a time to act for Hashem, for they have forsaken Your Torah."

May all who bring merit to the many be blessed with health, happiness and righteous children.

A Great and Terrible Tragedy

BS"D

These signs were recently posted up all over Jerusalem signed by some of the most prominent Sefardi Rabbis. It reads as follows:

A GREAT AND TERRIBLE TRAGEDY

To our sorrow, the matters of tzniut (modesty) in our days needs a lot of strengthening. And behold a great and terrible tragedy has now begun in the matters of tzniut; the wearing of short and tight skirts and tops, that even one who wants to avoid these types of clothing cannot easily find a store that offers any other alternatives. And what a terrible disgrace it is for a man who is charedi to have to walk around with his wife who is wearing short and tight - incredibly immodest clothing.
And to our great sorrow, many are stumbling in this matter today. And on this our Rabbis of blessed memory have said, worse is one who causes a person to sin - than one who kills, and especially worse is one who causes the many to sin (as is the case when a woman goes out in immodest clothing - YG).

As Rabbenu Yonah wrote in his Iggeret HaTeshuva:
A woman has to be modest so that no man should look upon her... And if not, she will receive a great punishment for she caused them to sin, and she was a stumbling block to them because of her lack of modesty. (Think about it women, if you are carrying around highly radioactive toxic waste, you cannot just go spilling it around wherever you like and acting careless with it - you have to be responsible and make sure to keep it safe and protected so that it will not come to harm anyone else. The same is true of your bodies - YG)
And as a result we are now witnessing terrible tragedies in Am Yisrael, both national tragedies and personal tragedies, and all this is a result of the departing of the Shechina (Divine Presence) from our midst, as the Shechina is not found in a place where there is innapropriate exposure or lewdness.

And how can we sit silently and not protest and try to put a stop to this terrible breach. Therefore it is incumbent upon all of us to search for modest clothing and only shop in a place which carries appropriate clothing.

THE LENGTH OF THE SKIRT MUST COME DOWN TO AT LEAST HALFWAY BETWEEN THE KNEE AND THE ANKLE, AND IT IS ABSOLUTELY FORBIDDEN TO GO WITH A SKIRT THAT IS NOT AT LEAST THIS LENGTH.

Anyone who is in a position should assist in this matter, that there should be an increase of clothing stores which sell appropriate and modest clothing, and try to influence the current shop owners to sell only modest clothing and stop causing a stumbling for the many.

Anyone who is able to assist this cause in any way (printing out and distributing or emailing this message counts too - YG) and specifically in regards to the store owners, will have the great merit of the mitzva of modesty to protect him or her and all that is theirs. One who is cautious and one who cautions others will have abundant peace like a flowing river.

Signed by:
R Shalom Cohen
R Moshe Tzadka
R Shimon Badani
R Meir Mazuz
R Ben Tzion Motzafi
R Reuven Elbaz
R Benayahu Shmueli
R Yaakov Sheknazi
R Yaakov Chaim Sofer
R Yaakov Chai Yossef
R Aaron Zarchi
R Yitzchak Cohen

For more signs and translations that were put up last month on this same topic go to:
http://hazakweematz.blogspot.co.il/2012/06/gedolei-yisrael-call-for-modesty.html

Gedolei Yisrael Call For Modesty (with English translation)

There have been many signs put up all over the Mea Shearim area of Jerusalem expressing the calls from many of the Gedolei Yisrael for more modesty.

The first one which is signed by Rav Elyashiv and Rav Vosner reads as follows:

To our great sorrow, matters of modesty on which the resting of the Shechina (Divine Presence) and the holiness of Am Yisrael are dependent on have fallen greatly. Specifically in the areas of shortening the length of the clothing which is a precursor to immoral and forbidden relations.

The severity of causing others to sin is already known, as Rabbenu Yonah writes in Iggeret Hateshuva,
"A woman has to be modest and cautious to not cause others to stare at her (attracting attention to herself) etc. And those who stare at her will descend down to Gehenom and in addition she will receive the same exact punishment as each and every single one of them for it was she who caused them to sin by not being modestly dressed, and she was a stumbling block to them."

We have already made our opinion known that the length of a skirt must come down to at least halfway between the knee and the ankle.
They then go on to say that it is very important now more than ever to spread this information and even set up learning groups where the laws and attitudes of modesty are learned.

The second sign is pretty similar in nature and the third one makes many praises to women who have taken on the original custom of the previous generations and are following the Rambams ruling that a woman should not go out into the public areas without putting on a covering (shawl) over her body.

G-d willing with the increase of modesty we will be saved from all types of terrible tragedies in Am Yisrael and we will cause a greater dwelling of the Divine Presence amongst us.
(end of translation)

Think about it ladies, when you wear those tight and stretchy skirts and tops, do you not realize that the whole world can clearly see the shape of your behind and chest!?
Are you not ashamed to walk down the street with your behind showing!?
Have we lost all our human dignity!?

Rav Shalom Arush recently said in one of his lessons that when there is no modesty there is no shmira (protection from Hashem). Many wonder why there are so many terrible things lo aleinu going on in our streets and in our neighborhoods. Well I think we have our answer. When we abandon holiness, than G-d leaves us out of His protection.
May we all merit to strengthen ourselves in modesty and holiness and may all the holy women who decide to take on more modesty be blessed to see clear and open miracles in her and her families lives.

It is a big mitzva to pass this information on to others. All those who bring merit to the many will be blessed with righteous children, amen.

Do Not Fear and Do Not Lose Resolve

Hashem encourages Yehoshua in the first Chapter of the Book of Yehoshua to remain firm in his trust that the Land of Israel will be inherited by the Jewish people. He tells Yehoshua to be strong and courageous and that adherence to the Torah is what will guarantee success for the conquering and settling of the land.

It is important to always remember that no matter what is going on in the world or whatever threats there may be out there, we have a promise from Hashem that if we stick to the ways of the Torah, we will succeed in all that we do and be protected from all of our enemies. It is not a new thing that there are nations out there who want to destroy us (G-d forbid), in fact, we say every year in the Haggadah of Pesach, "Rather in every generation they rise up against us to destroy us, but it is Hashem who saves us from their hand."

So with that being said, we do not have to fear and we do not have to worry about anything or anyone, for Hashem is always watching over us. He only tells us to worry about following the ways of His Torah, and He will take care of the rest. Our Rabbis and Holy Books tell us that the land of Israel is the most conducive place to observe the ways of the Torah.

Through the revelation of the kedusha of Eretz Yisrael we will witness the destruction of the wicked. Not only will we be delivered from their hand, but we will see them suffer the very evil they sought to inflict upon us (Likkutei Moharan 55:2,3).

If a man is outside Eretz Yisrael, he has a soul of lesser celestial forces. If he merits entering Eretz Yisrael, a soul from a newly created source comes to him, and clothes itself with his old soul. The first night he sleeps in Eretz Yisrael, both souls depart from him and rise to worlds above, and in the morning, only the new soul returns (Chessed LeAvraham, Maayan 3, Nahar 12).

The motive for making the journey to Eretz Yisrael should be purely spiritual: To draw closer to G-d. A person who goes there with this as his aim will surely benefit. Merely by stepping foot on the Land, he will become merged with it and transformed by its sacred character. That is why, "One who walks four cubits in Eretz Yisrael will assuredly inherit the World to Come (Ketuvot)." On the other hand, if a person's motive has nothing to do with devotion to G-d and cleansing himself of his evil, than what help will the Land be to him? The Land will vomit him out "as it vomited out the nation that was before you (Leviticus 18:28)" (Likkutei Moharan 29).

Rabbi Yaakov Emden (The Yaavetz) writes in the introduction to the siddur, Beit Yaakov, "When it seems to us in our present peaceful existence outside Eretz Yisrael, that we have found another Eretz Yisrael and Yerushalayim, this is to me, the greatest, deepest, most obvious, and direct cause of all the awesome, frightening, monstrous, unimaginable destructions that we have experienced in the diaspora."

The Shela HaKadosh writes (at the end of Massechet Sukkah) "I will disclose something that has always troubled me greatly. I have seen Jews building homes like the fortresses of princes, making for themselves permanent, this worldly dwellings in impure lands. I have observed that it is their intention to leave theses homes as an inheritance to their children after them! This appears to be (G-d forbid) an abandonment of the idea of redemption. Therefore, even if G-d gives you wealth, build simple houses, to accommodate your bare needs, and no more."

Rebbe Nachman of Breslov says in the Likkutei Moharan, "Pray to G-d to give you desire and yearning for Eretz Yisrael. Then you will succeed in reaching there."