11 Adar Alef 5779 – Feb 16, 2019 BSD from God and cleave to divine service, God is overjoyed, and it The Upside of Evil (Tetzave) causes a divine light to spread forth. By Rabbi Ben Tzion Spitz May we always overcome our negative natural impulses and turn our inner demons into radiant light. Evil is unspectacular and always human, and Moshe Feiglin on the Latest Yisrael shares our bed and eats at our own table. -W. H. Auden Hayom Poll: ZEHUT at 5 Mandates In describing the construction plans of the Holy Tabernacle, the Torah adds a short line about the fuel needed to light the Menorah, the golden candelabrum, which was one of the special fixtures of the Tabernacle. It states as follows: “And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure olive oil beaten for the light, to cause a lamp to burn continually.” – Exodus 27:22 The Berdichever focuses on the choice of words of “beating” the olive to get light. He compares the olive in this case to one’s evil inclination. The evil inclination is constantly enticing us to follow our base desires, to indulge in what is forbidden and to separate us from spiritual and divine service. The solution is to “beat” that desire and then elevate that very same desire, to channel it into divine service. To use that passion, that interest, that energy, in holy ventures. We need to consider that if we have some physical yearning, how much stronger should our yearning be for the infinite, for God? If we have some physical fear, how much stronger should our fear and awe of the divine be? Dear Friends, When we’ve managed to convert that evil inclination, those base Yes, this morning it looks like ZEHUT’s sun is beginning to shine, desires into spiritual energy, into holy actions, then that evil has thank God. become a base, a powerful springboard for good. The Nation of Israel pines for a message, for vision, purpose and This is one of the reasons God has created some distance, some liberty. Our Nation has ZEHUT. obfuscation between us and Him. For if we constantly, diligently Who would believe that an Israeli political party would publish a served him without fail, with pure clarity and devotion, then God platform of 340 pages, sell it in bookstores and within ten days, it would not have the same level of satisfaction from our efforts, from would be first on the bestseller list? our struggle to overcome our evil inclination, by our conquest of Our Nation is not stupid. It understands who respects it and its our animalistic instincts and converting ourselves into more liberty. It understands who respects its intelligence and give it the spiritual beings. A state of constant bliss is not really bliss. Us opportunity to make a true choice. mortals need the ups and downs. We need the encounter with our Entering the Knesset with five mandates, however, is not really our evil inclination to appreciate good, to fight for good, to conquer goal. The in-depth analysis that we conducted unequivocally shows evil on a regular basis, predominantly in ourselves. that ZEHUT’s potential is at least three times that. So please, just as you did not despair of the polls, do not get carried When circumstances have us at a spiritual distance from God and away by them. We still have a lot of hard work ahead of us, and we we then “beat” the evil inclination, break the masks that hide us can still expect ups and downs. And time is short. Contact us: [email protected] Editor: Jeffrey Cohen www.zehut.org.il 9046 .org 2 The Nation of Israel needs a ZEHUT revolution. And ZEHUT a good or very good chance of crossing the voting threshold. needs you in every possible place. Why don’t the polls show this? It has already happened in Israeli politics that a candidate went to sleep as prime minister-elect and With a sign on your front porch. woke up as the head of the Opposition. With a sticker and flag on your car. The source of the difficulty in discovering the real number of By distributing our platform summary at your workplace, Feiglin voters is in the fact that Feiglin is an unconventional man to family and friends. who heads a party with an unconventional platform. The man has With the amazing work that you are doing on the internet. an orderly, stable and consistent agenda, which covers so many And yes, with donations as well. societal, religious, diplomatic and security issues that Feiglin voters can be found in every sector – even among Arab voters. We do not receive government funding. All that we have is you and The polling companies have gotten used to the easy life. Smotrich all the small donations combine to create a great, illuminating voters? Look for them in the settlements. Gantz? The White Tribe, revolution. of course. Bibi? The Teddy Stadium and Machaneh Yehuda I thank each and every one of you, who have stayed with me marketplace. United Arab list? Look in the Triangle. through all the rainy days, who have been the targets of scorn and Enough with these simplistic politics. Let us see you providing us aspersion. Now, we turn together toward the sun that is beginning with a reliable and realistic number of Feiglin voters. You have no to shine a new path upon us and our Nation. idea how to begin, right? ZEHUT’s “To be a Free Jew” #1 on Moshe Feiglin’s New Book, “To be a Israel’s Best-Seller List Free Jew” Convincing Tool Within only ten days, ZEHUT’s platform/book has risen to #1 on Israel’s best-seller list of non-fiction books. Clearly, Israelis want politicians who have a clear program and something to say. Israelis are willing to invest time and money to learn what a political party has to offer them. They are looking for vision and hope. They understand that ZEHUT is offering them something completely new. And they are listening. You can buy the book at your local The following is a message that I received this Friday: Tzomet Sfarim or Steimatzky’s book stores (if they haven’t run Shalom to the very dear Moshe Feiglin, out). Or on line at http://tinyurl.com/y37neh4t I feel a strong need to tell you about the intense day that I just had. Or the digital Hebrew version here: http://tinyurl.com/yx8ke7hv For three days, I have been searching for a copy of your new book News 1: How I Stopped Being Afraid in the Tzomet Sfarim shops in my area. This morning, I finally found one store that had the book. I immediately went there and and Learned to Like Moshe Feiglin bought 25 books. I ran with the books to my family, friends and By Yuval Cohen acquaintances and gave them the book for free. I feel that this is the least that I can do for our blessed party (with the emphasis on The writer is not associated “our”!!). Over the past months, I have been convincing the people with ZEHUT. The following in my area to vote for ZEHUT. I have no doubt that the book will are translated excerpts from the do the job well. article The very fact that I brought them the book and said, “Take the book http://www.news1.co.il/Archive/003-D-132423-00.html and read it. This is the platform of my party,” shocked them. “A …From an analysis of the stomach aches demonstrated by the platform in a book? I have to read this!” I am sure that they will political organism, which automatically sends antibodies to destroy pass the book on to others. I have no doubt that we will be the any pathogen in the form of a new party, it looks like the reaction surprise of the elections. The ground is on fire and I feel it well in of the immune system is more violent and aggressive in its war my city, Haifa. With blessings for much success. I have the utmost against Feiglin and his party, ZEHUT…This means that Feiglin has admiration for your work. Contact us: [email protected] Editor: Jeffrey Cohen www.zehut.org.il 9046 .org 3 Polls, Politicians, Peanuts and Popcorn 3) Let’s go to Brazil where, this past October, there was an election for President. The front runner was a guy who had By Shmuel Sackett already been president twice. He left office in 2010 and was now running for a 3rd term. His name is Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. All polls showed him winning. Trailing close behind him was a woman named Marina Silva. Polls had her just 2- 3 points away. In 3rd place – at just 15% - was Jair Bolsonaro. Here is a direct quote from a Brazilian website; “Bolsonaro does not poll well, even for the number 3 man in the line-up…” Well, guess who won and is now President of Brazil??? Jair Bolsonaro, the guy who “does not poll well”!!! 4) Back to the USA: I don’t think I have to remind you of what happened in November 2016. Every poll had Hillary Clinton as the winner. All the “experts” predicted it and the polls backed them up. According to the polls, it wasn’t even going to be close. Sorry, Mrs Clinton, but just like the other examples above, the polls were horribly wrong.