SHABBAT READING
Sibling Rivalry: Mikketz, 5771, 5784, The Rabbi Sacks Legacy — The Torah is a deep book. We make a great mistake if we think it can be understood on one superficial level. On the surface, the story is simple. Envious of him, Joseph’s brothers initially planned to kill him. Eventually they sell into slavery. He is taken to Egypt. There, through a series of vicissitudes, he rises to become Prime Minister, second only, in rank and power, to Pharaoh.
Maimonides’ Purim and Chanukah Message of Peace: Prof. Menachem Kellner, The Torah.com, Dec 15, 2016 — Maimonides combines the laws of Purim and Chanukah into one section, with two chapters on each holiday.[2] A number of reasons may have motivated Maimonides to treat Chanukah together with Purim in the same section. On a practical level, it could be that each was quite short and did not warrant its own section.[3]
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National Security Adviser Indicates War Against Hezbollah Likely Once Hamas Is Defeated: TOI Staff, Times of Israel, Dec. 9, 2023
America Must Plan for Israel’s Likely 2024 War with Hezbollah: Eric Mandel, The Hill, Dec. 13, 2023
Hamas Creates New Terrorist Group to Destroy Lebanon: Khaled Abu Toameh, Gatestone, Dec. 11, 2023
The “Lebanonization” of Hezbollah Has Not Altered Its Commitment to Israel’s Destruction: Dr. Yusri Khizran, BESA, Dec. 10, 2023
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No End In Sight For Escalating Israel-Lebanon Border Conflict: Nada Homsi and Nada Maucourant Atallah, The National News, Dec. 12, 2023 — In the early days of the Lebanon-Israel border war, young men could still be found on the streets and in the cafes of Kafr Kila, a southern Lebanese town directly in Israel’s line of fire.
As It Fights in Gaza, Israel Is Girding Itself for Another Potential War in Lebanon: Eliyahu Freedman, JTA, Dec. 7, 2023 — When Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7. Lea, a former infantry instructor in the Israel Defense Forces, cut short a trip to Central America and booked a ticket back to Israel, hoping to contribute to the war effort.
Israel’s Message in Gaza to Iran and Hezbollah: Yonah Jeremy Bob, WSJ, Dec. 10, 2023 — Northern Gaza has been flattened. It isn’t just another combat zone. The area will need years of rebuilding before Palestinian civilians can live there.
Iran’s Proxies in Syria Move Toward Escalation with Israel: Kasra Aarabi and Jason M. Brodsky, Foreign Policy, Nov. 10, 2023 — Since the conflict between Israel and Hamas broke out on Oct. 7, there has been concern that the regime in Iran might initiate a multiple front attack against Israel via its network of militias in the region—a threat that it has consistently made. Until now, much of the attention has focused on the Lebanon-based Hezbollah, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) oldest and deadliest proxy.
