Purim was epic. One hundred beautiful souls came together to celebrate the downfall of Haman and triumph of Esther and the Jews. We didn’t just celebrate the past but took the time to internalize that Haman has descendants like Khamenei, Tucker Carlson and Anna Kasparian. Like Haman, at first, they didn’t share their real intentions, but five minutes later they couldn’t help themselves and revealed that it wasn’t about Zionism or Israel, it was about the Jews. Tucker went after Chabad this week claiming that we are behind the war with Iran because we are working towards the building of the Beis HaMikdash, the Third Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

In this week’s Torah portion, Ki Sisa, we read about the sin of the Golden Calf, when the Jewish people were sucked in to believing that Moses wouldn’t return from Mount Sinai, so instead they should serve a golden idol. While most of the Jews didn’t sin, it’s only the Levites that stood up and condemned the unholy behavior. Most of the Jews were neutral, “I don’t want to get involved” or “it’s too political”, standing silently at the sidelines as immorality ensued. The Levites were rewarded for eternity, gifted with the priesthood and Temple service, for having the backbone to stand up to the insanity in real time. Martin Niemöller’s famed “first they came for the socialists” is more relevant today than ever before in my lifetime, and if the Golden Calf taught us anything, it’s that we must stand up to Tucker and his ilk.

It’s to the point where it feels like theatrics. The left labels the right as nazis and the right does the same to the left. While we can debate the term nazi at a different time, the right and left both have loud voices that are putting targets on the backs of every Jew and are playing with fire. So, let’s do this: if you’re a democrat, please spend your time ousting the Jew haters from the leadership of your party, and if you’re a republican stop telling me about the left-wing crazies and focus on the ones in your party. America is going through a darkish period and if the people with a moral clarity remain silent when it’s happening in their ranks, then they’ve lost their moral high ground. And to Tucker the Jew-hater and Islamic terrorist backer, Chabad, and all Torah-observant Jews, do believe in the third temple reconstruction, we hope and pray for it three times each day and when Mashiach comes and it happens, it won’t be a time of war but as Maimonides rules “In that era, there will be neither famine or war, envy or competition for good will flow in abundance and all the delights will be freely available as dust. The occupation of the entire world will be solely to know God”.

We want Mashiach now!

May G-d guard our brethren in Israel and the world over from harm and send us Mashiach speedily. May G-d protect the armed forces of Israel and the United States wherever they may be!

Earlier this week we enjoyed our second Mensch Men’s Club. Hosted at the Sypes Canyon home of Howie Levine and led by Rabbi Mendel, twenty-two men came together to enjoy delicacies for the body, nourishment for the soul, with deep nuanced Jewish conversations ranging from the history of secular Zionism to the values of a Torah-based love of Israel. While in discussion, Dimitri brought up the topic of the post October 7th awakening, and how so many Jews of all ages have been pushed back into the arms of their Jewish family because their gentile “friends” have alienated, and hated on, them. It’s a real thing and I have the Monana numbers to prove it.

In this week’s Torah portion, Tetzaveh, we read about the oil used for the Menorah in the Tabernacle. We are instructed to utilize only clear, pure, oil, but we differ on how far we must go. Rashi teaches that it’s only the olive oil that needs clarity, ensuring that it’s sediment free, but the Ibn Ezra teaches that the olive themselves must also be beautiful and wholesome. The Midrash teaches that just as one must crush an olive to enjoy its oil, so too to appreciate the Jewish people, for their inner deliciousness to be revealed, it must undergo a good crushing. When life is smooth and the world tolerates us, we tend to assimilate or get too cozy, but when they come for us, when they spew blood libels at us, we shine, we unite, we serve Hashem.

During the Purim era Jewry was assimilated. They partied with the psychotic king at a Treif gala, and, unlike Mordechai, bowed to Haman. Yet, when Haman came to annihilate them, when they felt like they were being crushed, the inner Jew awakened like a lion and followed Mordechai and Esther’s instructions, sticking with G-d, and the rest is history. Since October 7th the floodgates of Jew-hatred have opened and as a result the Jewish soul has come back to life. From Townsend to Wilsall, from Ennis to Bozeman, the Jewish people are experiencing a renaissance. So, my dear haters, your Haman moment will come soon enough but, in the meantime, thanks for the crushing, the oil is incredible.

A Freilichen Purim!

May G-d guard our brethren in Israel and the world over from harm and send us Mashiach speedily. May G-d protect the armed forces of Israel and the United States wherever they may be!