Christian Daniel Augustin Flores⚽🛹🥰

18, from Finland,Gay, (Center Right) Engaged💍to Stefan, 100% Boy, Brother to @JoaquinHonghui y @MaltheF19260 y @elan_flor29874 Pro Israel!!!✡️DOB 08/11/06

[Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו @netanyahu]

רעייתי שרה ואני כואבים את פטירתה של זהבה שאול ז״ל, אימו של סמ״ר אורון שאול ז״ל.

במשך למעלה מעשור היינו בקשר אישי וקרוב עם משפחת שאול, וליווינו את מאבקה העיקש והאמיץ להשבתו של אורון הביתה.

זהבה לא ויתרה לרגע, גם לאחר פטירתו של בעלה הרצל ז״ל היא נשאה את הכאב בכוחות נפש יוצאי דופן ופעלה מתוך אהבת אם שאין לה גבול ובאצילות נפש מעוררת השתאות.

לאחר שנים ארוכות הושב אורון לקבר ישראל בפעולתם האמיצה של צה״ל ושב״כ, זהבה זכתה להיפרד ממנו ולראותו מובא למנוחת עולמים בארצנו, שאותה אהב ועליה מסר את נפשו.

לעולם אזכור את שיחתנו המרגשת לאחר שהצלחנו להשיב את אורון הביתה. יחד אמרנו את הפסוק שליווה את תקוותה כל השנים: ״ויש תקווה לאחריתך נאום ה׳, ושבו בנים לגבולם״.

יחד עם כל בית ישראל, שרה ואני מחבקים את אבירם ואופק בניה ואת כל משפחת שאול היקרה ומשתתפים בצערם העמוק.

יהי זכרה ברוך.

[Kosher @koshercockney]

Judaism and Christianity are religions of peace.

[Vivid.🇮🇱 @VividProwess]

Heartbreaking 💔 Another IDF hero was killed by a Palestinian terrorist today in Samaria.

🕯️ Major Yuval Ezra, 27

May his memory be a blessing.

[Edden @Edden005]

Pass it on 🇮🇱🤍

[Hillel Fuld @HilzFuld]

Signing off for 25+ hours of family time away from all ringing, pinging, tweeting devices! Best time of the week!

This week, we read the portion of Va’etchanan, which means “I begged.”

This is one of my favorite portions because it is jam-packed with some of the most fundamental ideas in Judaism.

That includes the centrality of the Land of Israel (turns out you can’t separate Zionism from Judaism), the prayer of Shema, the basic principles of faith, and, of course, the Ten Commandments.

Let’s begin.

Va’etchanan—“I begged.” Who begged, and what did he beg for?

The portion begins:

“I (Moses) pleaded with the LORD at that time, saying, ’O my Sovereign LORD, You who let Your servant see the first works of Your greatness and Your mighty hand, You whose powerful deeds no god in heaven or on earth can equal!

Let me, I pray, cross over and see the good land on the other side of the Jordan, that good hill country, and the Lebanon.’

But the LORD was wrathful with me on your account and would not listen to me. The LORD said to me, ’Enough! Never speak to Me of this matter again!

Go up to the summit of Pisgah and gaze about, to the west, the north, the south, and the east. Look at it well, for you shall not go across yonder Jordan.’”

Moses is begging God to let him set foot in the Land of Israel.

Not only does God reject Moses’ request and pleas, but He seems to pour salt on the wound.

“No, Moses. You can’t go into the land, and don’t even ask Me again. But go up on the mountain and take a look at what you’re missing. Once you get to the top of the mountain, look in all directions. See how amazing Israel is…”

Strange.

But maybe not so strange.

First of all, just think: the great Moses, the greatest prophet in history and the epic leader of Israel, is denied entry into Israel.

The commentators say he begged Hashem 515 times over the course of an entire week to let him in. He was rejected over and over.

So why is Hashem torturing him here by telling him to look at what he’s missing?

Perhaps He’s not. Perhaps He’s doing just the opposite.

Hashem knows how much Moses wants to enter the land. He understands that Moses would have given anything to enter the land.

Hashem says to Moses:

“You can’t enter the land, but here, go up to the mountain and take a closer look at this amazing land.

You’ve never seen it like this. You’ve never seen it from this close.

Look in all directions. Take it in.

Your descendants will populate this incredible land. I know you’re upset that you can’t go in, but because you love the land so much, I will allow you to enjoy the incredible views of the Land of Israel. I know it doesn’t replace going in, but it’s something, and I know you’ll appreciate it.”

Now let’s not forget what Moses’ life was like until now. Moses had absolutely everything handed to him on a silver platter.

He had food from Heaven, water from rocks, protection from the Clouds of Glory, and, most importantly, he had a direct line of communication with God.

In other words, Moses was super comfortable in the desert, and he was also incredibly spiritual and religious.

And what would happen if he were to enter the land?

If he were to enter the land, everything would change. Everything would become more difficult. He’d have to establish an army, build an economy, appoint a government, and so on.

The open miracles would cease, and Moses would be transformed from a prophet into a regular politician.

And it wouldn’t only be his material life that would be downgraded. He would also be downgrading his spiritual life.

Or, in today’s language, he’d have to cut his salary in half, downgrade the size of his home, drive a less fancy car, deal with rude Israelis, encounter terrible bureaucracy, learn Hebrew, and yes, he’d even be exposed to secular Israelis, which might compromise the religious education he gave his kids. (Said in sarcasm).

In other words, he had every excuse not to make Aliyah. He had every justification to stay in the desert.

And despite all that, Moses spends his last days on earth begging, pleading, crying out to Hashem to just let him enter the land.

Pay attention to what he asks for. Does he ask Hashem to let him buy a nice house in Rechavia or Caesarea? Does he ask for a discount at the Waldorf or a first-class ticket?

What does Moses ask God for?

“Let me, I pray, cross over and see the good land on the other side of the Jordan, that good hill country, and the Lebanon.”

Let me just pass through. I don’t even have to live there. Just let me enter. Let me breathe the Jerusalem air. Let me just experience Israel. Once.

Just let me see it!

Well, he gets half of his request, and God tells him to go up on the mountain and see it.

So God wasn’t being cruel. What He was doing was saying to Moses, “I’m sorry I can’t grant your wish to enter, but I will grant your wish to see the land.”

I don’t think I need to mention the lesson here. I think it’s pretty clear. If you’re a Jew who doesn’t even have Aliyah on your mind, just ask yourself one question:

What would Moses say?

What would you say in a conversation with Moses?

“I know all you wanted was to enter the land. I know I can get on a plane for ten hours and live in the miraculous modern State of Israel. I know I can build an incredible life for myself there. But I think I’ll stay here instead. Not sure Israel is the right place for me.”

Just imagine the look on Moses’ face…

There’s a famous story about an important rabbi who made Aliyah and moved to Israel.

His students asked him, “Tell us, Rabbi, what do you miss most from your old country?”

The rabbi looked at them and, without hesitation, answered:

“What I miss most from the old country is my longing for Israel.”

Moses had a deep longing to simply set foot in this land we can now call home. And still so many Jews choose not to!

His prayers were rejected over and over. Take note.

That begs the question: How did God not hear Moses’ prayers?

The answer is that He did. He heard Moses’ prayers, and He said no.

I’ve told this story before, but it’s worth repeating.

When I was in high school, there was the tragic story of a boy named Nachshon Wachsman who was kidnapped. The entire country prayed for him around the clock, including me and all my classmates.

For weeks, we begged Hashem to watch over Nachshon and bring him home safely.

Nachshon was murdered when the IDF attempted to rescue him.

We were all devastated, and it made us question our faith. We had all prayed so hard. How did God not hear us?

The answer came from a very unexpected source: Nachshon’s mother, who famously said to the entire nation:

“God didn’t not hear us. He didn’t ignore us. He heard us, and He said no.”

Hashem heard Moses’ prayers, and He said no.

How does Moses respond?

Well, just looking at the verses, he doesn’t respond.

But maybe that was his response—not saying anything and accepting God’s decree.

In fact, not only does he not complain or rebel, but the very next thing he says to the nation after being rejected for the final time is:

“And now, O Israel, give heed to the laws and rules that I am instructing you to observe, so that you may live to enter and occupy the land that the ETERNAL, the God of your fathers, is giving you.”

Immediately after having his life’s mission destroyed, what does he do? He turns to the nation and tells them that they are to follow God’s laws if they want to live a fulfilled life.

And not only that, but look at the end of that verse:

“…that you may live to enter and occupy the land that the ETERNAL, the God of your fathers, is giving you.”

In other words, Moses is selflessly saying to the nation, “You are blessed and fortunate to be allowed into the land. Please don’t mess it up. Follow God’s word, live according to the Torah, and if you do that, the land will be yours.”

Not only is Moses not bitter after hearing God reject his prayers for the final time, but he turns to the nation and once again demonstrates what good leadership looks like.

He basically tells them to learn from his mistakes.

Another thing worth noting is that first word: Va’etchanan—“I begged.”

Perhaps that word can answer another question.

Not once, but twice, Moses blames the nation for angering God and preventing him from entering the land.

The question is why. How are they to blame? He sinned when he struck the rock. Why is he blaming the people?

Maybe that first word, “I begged,” is the answer.

Moses is saying:

“Throughout my entire life, I prayed for you—for the entire nation. When you sinned with the Golden Calf, I prayed for you and saved you. Over and over throughout our journey in the desert, I defended you.

“And now God is telling me I can’t go in, and who shows up to pray to God and ask Him to let me in?

“Me.

“Moses.

“I begged.

“Not ‘we.’

“‘I.’”

The commentators say that if the nation had joined Moses in praying for him to enter the land, God would not have been able to say no.

But they didn’t join him.

They abandoned Moses when he needed them most.

“I begged,” Moses says.

If only we had begged.

“And you, the Jewish people—you didn’t show up. You didn’t have my back. And because of that, I won’t enter the land.

In that way, it is their fault that he’s not entering.

Now, I need to point something out.

Later in the portion, the Torah says the following:

“See, I have imparted to you laws and rules, as the ETERNAL my God has commanded me, for you to abide by in the land that you are about to enter and occupy.

Observe them faithfully, for that will be proof of your wisdom and discernment to other peoples, who, on hearing of all these laws, will say, ‘Surely, that great nation is a wise and discerning people.’

For what great nation is there that has a god so close at hand as is the ETERNAL our God whenever we call?

Or what great nation has laws and rules as perfect as all this Teaching that I set before you this day?”

Before we go any further, allow me to point something out.

Throughout those verses, whenever I wrote the word nation, what is the exact word the Torah uses?

You ready?

Sit down, because you won’t believe this.

How does the Torah describe a nation?

With the word…

Goy.

That’s right.

When talking about the Jews, the Torah uses the word goy over and over.

For those who think the word goy is derogatory, here’s your evidence that that’s fake news.

Goy simply means nation, and anyone who tells you otherwise is simply wrong.

“Surely, that great nation (goy) is a wise and discerning people.”

“For what great nation (goy) is there that has a god so close at hand as is the ETERNAL our God whenever we call?”

“Or what great nation (goy) has laws and rules as perfect as all this Teaching that I set before you this day?”

Three times the Torah uses that word to describe the Jewish people.

Just sayin’.

Later on, there is a fascinating verse:

“Know therefore this day and keep in mind that the ETERNAL alone is God in heaven above and on earth below; there is no other.”

We say this verse in our prayers three times a day.

There is a very obvious question.

Why does the Torah have to say “heaven above” and “earth below”?

Don’t we already know that heaven is above and earth is below?

It could have simply said, “in heaven and on earth.”

Aren’t the words above and below redundant?

I once heard a beautiful answer.

Things that are in the heavens—a.k.a. spirituality, closeness to God, and religious observance—we should always look upward and strive to be better.

Things that are on earth—a.k.a. health, wealth, and comfort— we should always look downward and realize how good you have it and how much worse things could be.

I have to say, I try to live my life this way.

I stub my toe and it hurts?

I remind myself how thankful I am that it isn’t something infinitely worse.

I think I have certain good traits?

I try to become better.

When it comes to Heaven, look up.

When it comes to earth, look down.

And one final thought.

“Know therefore this day and keep in your heart that the ETERNAL alone is God in heaven above and on earth below; there is no other.”

Shouldn’t it say “believe,” not “know”? Know God? Or believe in God?

And if it says “know,” shouldn’t it say “know in your mind”?

Isn’t knowledge a cognitive thing?

Doesn’t knowledge come from the brain? Why does it say to know in our heart?

And can we really know God?

Isn’t it faith rather than knowledge?

Well, maybe the answer is hidden in the question.

In order to know God, you have to open your heart.

If your heart is open and you genuinely seek God, you will undoubtedly find Him.

But if your heart is closed, you won’t recognize God’s presence, and you’ll never reach the level of truly knowing Him.

This reminds me of a bit by the comedian Pete Holmes:

“Some people think God created the universe. Some people think nothing created the universe.

Which is the funnier guess?

And the nothing people make fun of the God people. They say God doesn’t exist.

I’m like, okay, maybe. But you know what definitely doesn’t exist? Nothing!

That is the defining characteristic of nothing—it doesn’t exist.

So what are we talking about?

Either you think it’s God, something you can’t see, touch, taste, photograph, and science can’t prove, or you think it’s nothing, something you can’t see, touch, taste, photograph, and science can’t prove.

But I think we can all agree that if your nothing sometimes spontaneously erupts into everything, that’s a pretty magical nothing, you guys.

And ask the nothing people what happens when you die. They’ll tell you, ‘Nothing. You go into nothing.’

I’m like, ‘You mean you merge back with your creator?’

That’s called Heaven.”

If you want to see God, if you open your heart and welcome Him in, you won’t just have faith in Him—you’ll KNOW He’s there, holding your hand every step of the way.

And if you had any doubt about that, later on in this portion, the verse says “But if you search there, you will find the ETERNAL your God, if only you seek with all your heart and soul…”

Want to find God? Search for Him with your heart and soul and the Torah promises us that we will find Him!

Shabbat shalom.

[twinkcouple @twinkcoupleboy]

Nos meterías un gol?

[axelydani @axelydaani]

Cual os gusta más?

[Hananya Naftali @HananyaNaftali]

Thank you, Ambassador Huckabee, for standing strong with Israel and speaking the truth! 🇮🇱🇺🇸

[Joaquin Miguel & Jiang Honghui @JoaquinHonghui]

Jett Blyton - Speed Dial (Official Lyric Video) https://t.co/W8838JPv80 via @YouTube

[Daniel Collados @danielcollad694]

🪽

[Karl @KarlchenGerman]

@Daniel_Tex18 🤣😂😜

[🌊🌴DANÍEL🌴🌊 @Daniel_Tex18]

😳 🏃‍♂️💨Me,, running back in the house to find more trash…… 😅
😂😂😂

[Karl @KarlchenGerman]

@JoaquinHonghui @danielch161 @elan_flor29874 @SteveASquirrell @MaltheF19260 @ChristianD79211 I completely agree with you. It wasn't until I learned about the terrible things that happened to Noah that I truly realized how happy my own childhood was. Honestly, before Noah, I had never come into contact with things like that.

[Joaquin Miguel & Jiang Honghui @JoaquinHonghui]

@KarlchenGerman @danielch161 @elan_flor29874 @SteveASquirrell @MaltheF19260 @ChristianD79211 Me and Christan and Elian had a great childhood...We hadn't experienced the things that Noah went though...Our brothers who aren't on the internet also had good childhoods...Its heartbreaking to see Noah having to work through this but he refuses to give up.

[Christian Daniel Augustin Flores⚽🛹🥰 @danielch161]

@KarlchenGerman @JoaquinHonghui @elan_flor29874 @SteveASquirrell @MaltheF19260 @ChristianD79211 You're doing just fine...Noah's recovery will take time... very likely years to repair the damage...all help is very much a blessing to us...Social Media can be a rough place to discuss these issues but you're one of ones that makes it worthwhile.

[Karl @KarlchenGerman]

@danielch161 @JoaquinHonghui @elan_flor29874 @SteveASquirrell @MaltheF19260 @ChristianD79211 ❤️🤗

It’s not much. I wish I could do more for Noah.

[Israel News Pulse @israelnewspulse]

The entire Middle East Israel conflict in one image.

[Daniel Collados @danielcollad694]

🌊🏝️🐚🇲🇹...
Unlock full me 👇❤️

[Vivid.🇮🇱 @VividProwess]

Last night, Tisha B’Av at the Western Wall.

God bless Jerusalem, the eternal capital of Israel.

[Vivid.🇮🇱 @VividProwess]

Palestinian terrorists attacked Israelis when they were hiking in Samaria, killed one of them, others are badly injured and one is in critical condition.

Palestinian terrorism never stops.

Will the media report about this?