Torah from Bet El: Shmot

What Israel Does to Your Mind

Baruch Gordon looks at the promise that Hashem made to Moshe about the Land of Israel and considers what it means for us today.

Torah from Bet El: Vayechi

The Proper Diaspora Mindset

Baruch Gordon looks at why prophecy was taken from Yaakov when he tried to share the secret of the date of the Redemption and deduces what should be the mindset of a Jew in the Diaspora.

 

Ketzaleh: Yesha is Growing, Despite Netanyahu

by Hillel Fendel

"It is not true that there is no Jewish construction in Yesha," Yaakov (Ketzaleh) Katz told Arutz Sheva today. "There most definitely is, even if less than in other years. But in general, Yesha growth should not be credited to Prime Minister Netanyahu; it's not because of him, but despite him."

Ketzaleh explained the situation of Jewish construction in the settlement enterprise of Yesha (Judea and Samaria): "Over the past 10-11 years since Netanyahu returned to office, construction here has been initiated mostly by the mayors, the heads of local councils, and individuals – but not at government initiative. We should give Netanyahu credit for standing by his word when he said that building Yesha is not his priority. He has in fact built less in Yesha, percentage-wise, than any other Prime Minister since these areas have been in our hands."

Netanyahu vs. West Bank Jewish Villages

by Hillel Fendel

Even though the Knesset has dissolved and new legislation will have to wait until after - way after - the elections in March (a week before Passover), efforts are still underway to get the Government of Israel to approve a very basic civilian need: hasdarah - the official hooking-up of 20 small Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria to the official national water and electricity infrastructures.

The success of these efforts appears to be dependent upon one man: Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.

IDF Prep Academy Hosts "Corona" Wedding

Last Wednesday night Israel's Cabinet approved a third lockdown to begin this past Sunday and to last for at least two weeks. This did not bode well for Oded, a former student and current counselor at Bet El's IDF Prep Academy, who was supposed to get married this upcoming Thursday at an open wedding hall in the Mercaz.

When Oded first came to the Academy, he had no contact with his father, no serious connection to Torah and mitzvot [commandments], and he was working in a mall with very few prospects for his future.