MindFlex- The Story of Rabbi Yitzchak Dovid Grossman

So, I'm with Rabbi Yisrael David Grossman, the Rav of Migdal HaEmek, the founder of Migdal Ohr. And this is another project that came came to me, unbelievable project, through a long series of projects. And each person that I'm meeting is just more incredible than the next. And here we have project inspired. It's all about Am Yisrael. It's all about people who love Klal Yisrael. It's all about people who they give their whole lives to Klal Yisrael. And when I met Rav Grossman, I knew this is a person that probably more than I don't want to say more than anyone, but the top percentile of people who've given their whole lives to Klal Yisrael. And it all started back after the Six-Day War. In essence, what happened was that Kadosh Baruch Hu saved Klal Yisrael from a catastrophe. The whole world thought that the country was going to be destroyed. A lot of people in Eretz Yisrael thought that. They were You know, it was really a a terrible time for Klal Yisrael. And but it was a tremendous miracle. And Klal Yisrael won the war. And at that time, Rabbi Yisrael David Grossman was a young man. And he went to the Kotel HaMaaravi. And he stood by the Kotel and he said, "Ribbono shel Olam, I have such a Kadosh time. You saved Klal Yisrael. You saved Eretz Yisrael. What can I do for Klal Yisrael?" And he said, "I want to give a year of my life to Klal Yisrael. I'm going to go somewhere. I'm going to give a year pushing Eretz Yisrael, a love for Klal Yisrael. I want to go and I want to give of myself for a year." And that was the promise he made standing at the Kotel HaMaaravi, the Western Wall. Rabbi Yisrael David, a young man, young rabbi, went and he gave this promise to Kadosh Baruch Hu. And he went to Eretz Yisrael but the Lubavitcher Rebbe. Rabbi Yisrael David, what happened? Makara, what happened when you went to Lubavitcher Rebbe and you asked him, "Sha'alt oto, you asked him, where should I go?" What happened then? The Rebbe says, "It's Yitzchak Dovid. My name is Yitzchak Dovid. You got used to call me Yitzchak Dovid. Yitzchak Dovid, after the Hogan Akikdam Muskamin Abastin in Migdal HaEmek, maybe you will go and take a look what we can do in Migdal HaEmek. I never hear Migdal HaEmek in my life. I used to grow up in Yerushalayim. I go out from his home. I ask people, Migdal HaEmek, Migdal HaEmek, it's the worst place. At this time, it was the worst place, crime and drugs. Can't believe what happened then. But the Rebbe says, "I decided to go." The Rebbe says that he should go to Migdal HaEmek. And he decides to go. And he goes home and he says to his wife. And his wife says, "Listen, don't worry. Don't get all nervous. You'll go there. You'll see what the Rebbe says. And then you'll And then we'll decide." Now, his wife grew up in a house of of Rebbe. When the Rebbe says, you go. They were Chabad from the house. When the Rebbe says, you go, you go. So, it took him the better part of a day to get there. He had to travel bus after bus after bus. And he finally gets to Migdal HaEmek. And it's like this nothing of a town, but full of crime. And he gets off. Now, he comes into this place the Rebbe sent him. The question is, where are all the Jews? Where are all the bachurim? Where's the Torah? And he walks in. And this is the funny part. This is where it all starts. And he says to this guy he meets on the street. And he says to him, "Excuse me. Where is the yeshiva?" Right? Amarta la bachur, "Where is the yeshiva?" I I come from a Mea Shearim. Every building is a yeshiva. Everything is a kollel. I come there. I ask, "Where is the yeshiva? What yeshiva? Talmud Torah? What? Where can I find the youngsters?" They say "The disco." "Disco? I never hear disco in my life. In Mea Shearim, you don't know what disco? I hear disco, maybe I think maybe it's a yeshiva called disco." I go to the yeshiva disco. I go in. I see pulling in the middle of the night. People dancing, girls, boys. They see me. They can't believe. A rabbi with building parents come to they say to the to the rabbi when they saw the rabbi? What did they say to you? I I In the beginning, they're thinking maybe somebody died. They look for minyan for kaddish. But they say to me, "What are you doing here?" I say, "I think to come to live here." "You crazy? You living in Yerushalayim, come here?" "Yeah, you make brothers. I You you you you a Jew." To let's live together. Let's do together. And from this first minute, it became like a magnet between me and the youngsters. And I used to go every night into the disco. I have my my corner. My corner. And they used to come and speak and ask. Then my home became a disco. They come to my home. Then Shabbat became a all in in Shabbat night and Friday night. And this was I became very very involved in in in this youngster. Then somebody tell me, "My brother is in jail." I say, "Your brother is my brother. Let's go visit your brother." I come to the jail, Shatta. Going first time in my life. A jail, 400 youngsters, Moshe, Yaakov, Yitzchak. I go to the head from the jail. I say, "Let's me Let me make a program for rehabilitation through Torah." So, you have a program. How many years is this program of rehabilitation in the jails in Eretz Yisrael? How many years is that? Right now, when I sit with you, we have more than 1,000 prisoners right now in all prisons that sit and learn Torah. This program is going from 1973 till today. And how many people went through the whole program, would you say? Hundreds. Hundreds. Hundreds. And they became baalei teshuvah. Next month was a big was a big what you call a convention from the police and the system from the jails. The head from the jail says the head from the program from program from all jails in Eretz Yisrael, prisons. He says that the best program is the program that we have from Torah. Right. Because 70-80% don't go back to jail. But the most important in the end. Then I decided and start to go to the jails. Not in start, but more important, what you're going to the jails in in in the streets, in the disco. Let's take the boys and the girls before they go to jail. Before they go to come. Make him a home. And we started Migdal Ohr in 1972 with eight 18 boys. 18 boys. Today, we have more than 20,000 graduates. Unbelievable. I also wanted to talk about the the crazy story that happened when the Rav was the Rav in Migdal in Migdal HaEmek and on Rosh Hashanah. Cuz this was an unbelievable story. The The Rav is in shul on Rosh Hashanah and he's He gets tapped on the shoulder. And he turns around. What does he see? Sfi Eldaradi, the mayor of Migdal HaEmek is standing there. Sfi Eldaradi is a is a is a real character. We're not getting into that. But he he's tapping the Rav on the shoulder on Rosh Hashanah morning and he says, "We have a situation over here, code red. And we need the rabbi to come and put it out because if not, it's going to be a massacre." Now, what happened? What happened was So, the Rav says to him, "What happened last night?" He said, "Last night, there was a party in the Sachnut in the city for the new Russian immigrants who came to Migdal Migdal HaEmek. And what happened was a Moroccan boy passed by. And he heard the the singing. He heard the music. He He wanted to be in the party. And he came inside. And the Russians said, "Get out." And they told him he has to leave. And they forced him. So, what did this boy do? He took a bottle. And he smashed it down on a chair. And he broke the bottle. And then he killed one of the Russians. That's what happened. That's the background of what happened that night on Rosh Hashanah night in Migdal HaEmek. So, what happened? I don't know the whole story. And they said to me that right now, the whole Russians make a demonstration. They come together. And they're taking mamash everything what they have to go to fight with the Moroccan. And the Moroccan are going to save themselves. Going to be like a war between the Russian and Moroccan. And he says that he he goes there. And they want to say something. They're screaming at them. They want to to They want to kill him, the mayor. Then he says, "Maybe you come, you can help." I leave right away the yeshiva come there. I see what happened. All Russian demonstration. I started to speak to them in Yiddish. In this time, they know in in '73, they know Yiddish. I say, "Yidden!" Ken yishana Hashem Yisrael. What God did today? Can be a thing like this Rosh Hashanah? You must to make a demonstration as a demonstration. A demonstration. A demonstration. You must. But my idea is let's go to make the demonstration in the synagogue. So, instead of them fighting, what the Rav did is the Rav took them away from where they were going to actually fight and maybe kill each other to the shul to make the demonstration in the shul during Rosh Hashanah davening. The Rav pulled them from the shul. I come in with all people. I think all the mother also from the boy and everybody. The chazzan was there. Rabbi Yankel Jacobson from Monsey. He He is He has a beautiful voice. He's a big chazzan. And he decided to come to Migdal HaEmek to pray in his wife's bell. He's staying Jacobson is staying in pray. And suddenly the whole Russian comes in. Became a balagan. And they ask, "What happened?" We tell them that somebody killed He fell down. He fainted. Fainted. In middle of davening. In middle of davening. Then I go out. Everybody is inside. I go to the Aron Kodesh. Open up the Aron Kodesh. Say, "Jews!" In Yiddish. "Jews!" Of course. Of course, very hard thing what happened. But fighting? I tell you, if you will fight, you will kill somebody or or or or laftzoah, how do you say it to To wound somebody. somebody, you will not finish this year. Who am I speaking? A helicopter is coming. You hear a helicopter outside of the square of the show. who is coming the head from the police from the from Israel. The whole group You what happened the fight comes down they see him see the helicopter but they are running to him they want to says boom boom boom. I can't speak to everybody. Give me a delegation. They take few five six people the Russian He was in the room near near the synagogue. And what is a more kind of you don't speak Yiddish. And in they speak only only Yiddish or Russian. He says that they I want that I will So you the rabbi is going to be the translator the interpreter. Yeah. He said that he is Yiddish to I said that you must understand the more kind of they come they have no they have no apartments. They're very poor and you come and the government gives you nice apartment and this jealous is I say to myself if I will say to them what he says it will be it will be in doubt. I say he says that this boy will be a forever in the in the in the What the rabbi what the rabbi is saying is that the chief of police was basically telling the Russians things that the rabbi knew if the Russians would hear these things they would not react well. So the rabbi basically interpreted his words completely differently than what he was saying. He was saying you have to understand the rabbi is saying we're going to put them away forever we're going to lock them up. The newspapers wrote about the rabbi. What was the line? The line the line was for tight and for better. For tight translated and for better and made better. Basically everybody after this they understood that the rabbi understood exactly what to say and I like to say that that Rosh Hashanah was when the rabbi was cornered the rabbi acquired Migdal Emek. He saved the city from a massacre and that was the moment he became the rabbi of the city. Today two cities in Israel that keep up Shabbat 100% Bnei Brak and Migdal Emek. Everything is closed. When you drive into Migdal Emek there's a there's a gas station in the in both sides of the city there gas stations with signs that say closed on Shabbos and you don't find this anywhere else. This you find Tachanat gas station which is closed on Shabbos. I want to I want to talk to the rabbi for a second cuz the rabbi is not a you know he grew up in Mea Shearim he's not a person into sports. He was never into sports and yet somehow Rav Grossman not just did he get into sports he ended up being involved with one of the most famous sports teams in the world the New York Knicks and that how did that happen? Where the rabbi ends up going to Madison Square Garden on the parquet floor of Madison Square Garden. What was the story? Why did the rabbi end up going to Madison Square Garden? One day I was in my home. And the old guys that you call in disco in the beginning What what what was your name for the guys from the disco? What means the what means the The the guys from the disco. My rabbi Akurelam. Tzadikim. The tzadikim and the rabbi always called these guys in from the disco he called them his tzadikim. So he's he's sitting at home and there's a knock at the door. Tzadikim they come they knock on my door. The tzadikim are there. I open up the door and they take me and they started to singing Yesh Elokim Yesh Elokim is a God. And they put me over a car in the street of the car of the back from the car and they dancing Yesh Elokim. I think maybe Messiah is coming. Yesh Elokim. What happened? This night was a game between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Russia CSKA Russia. And Israel won with one point this Russian in the in the in television in the radio that he gives the news from the game because Israel is is is success he's taking he's screaming Yesh Elokim. So the sports announcer who was announcing the game he was so excited He was so excited that Israel won this game against Russia that he screams out Yesh Elokim there is a God. Now all over Israel people went crazy and and the tzadikim came to Rav Grossman's house screaming Yesh Elokim Yesh Elokim and they picked him up and put him on top of the car and they're dancing around the car screaming Yesh Elokim. So what happened? Then after them one for them maybe three years after them one from the boys in Migdal Emek very interesting boy sitting learning and learning and learning he finished he's he's decided to learning Shas. When he finished the whole Shas that the boy not only in Russian I make a big big party and I say to the old people you remember the the the the the screaming Yesh Elokim for this for this sport. Let's make a big party and singing Yesh Elokim for this boy. I brought Rav Ovadia Yosef to Migdal Emek he was the chief rabbi. That was a siyum. That was a beautiful siyum Yesh Elokim but then the rabbi had an idea and the idea was I just want to tell what I did. The rabbi said look there's so many Israelis in in America so many and they have no connection to to Yiddish guide they have no connection to Torah. How do I reach 20,000 Israelis in one shot? How do I do this? I want to I reach everybody in one shot. So the rabbi had a great idea. Tal Brody was the guy who won the game against Moscow and the rabbi had become friends with Tal Brody. So the rabbi goes to Tal Brody and says listen I want you to set up a game a basketball game between Maccabi Tel Aviv and the New York Knicks and I want I'm going to come and speak. in Madison Square Garden I am going to come and I'm going to speak in the middle of halftime show. So what happened? So tell what happened. In halftime show At halftime right. They say usually people stay up to drink to don't they say never supplies everybody sit to make darkness only middle of the light then I come in with a microphone I come in all people it says Achim Karimov my name is Rabbi Grossman I come from Israel to speak to you you Israeli. You remember are you what means what means a Jew? You never ever place that let's say together Shema Yisrael then we started Shema Yisrael then I said let's say sing together What song did they sing? They all sang together. Together all the people. 20,000 people. And after them I I can't explain the feeling from the old people they don't want to leave. They singing again Am Yisrael Chai Shema Yisrael. Many Israel many people in New York remember. And then they started to call me send letters and many many people became close to Hashem from this game. Unbelievable from one game from one night. Wait a second but we have to say the best part of the story was that Dr. J right? Dr. J said to the rabbi maybe take a shot. Now Rav Grossman never never shot a basketball in his life but Dr. J says look let me help you and he says okay hold the ball like this and bend your knees like that. The rabbi said let me do it by myself. What happened? I say let me then I take the ball I concentrate myself and I put in is it going in? Swish. Yesh Elokim. I I want to I want to talk about one other story. I mean we Commercial matter we could talk we could talk all day and all night Baruch Hashem which we did when I'm the book the safe the book that's coming out now from the from the rabbi it's called Legends and it's and it's with Artscroll and this is a book that's hours and hours and hours that I spoke with Rav Grossman about his incredible life but just one more story this story was really one of the most amazing stories that the rabbi had in his life a life of amazing stories but this story was like Hakadosh Baruch Hu speaking to the rabbi. And this is going back to 2004 if I'm not mistaken when the rabbi signed I decided to build me build a beautiful a very big campus for the boys. I signed is I signed for $6 million. I have maybe maybe 200. 200? That's it? That's it. Maybe more. Then when I signed you have a video to see that I say the boy in Israel I signed to you will pay. That's what I say. Okay they're laughing and they After them I became the Israel prize. Oh so at that time Israel gave Rav Grossman the a very a very prestigious prize it's called the Israel prize which is really it was for a lifetime of achievement. That's what it was and therefore because he had the prize everywhere he went in Israel people recognized him. Because all all the Everybody knew it was a big thing. It was a big thing. Also the prime minister and the and the president in televisions Right. I come to El Al to go on fundraising trip. Fundraising for the for the girls in El Al Rav Grossman mazel tov chatan pras Yisrael you received the Israel prize we want also to give you a prize. What? They want upgrade me to the first class. Now Rav Grossman never used to go on first class because what I used to duck money for for for travel? No no no. But now they gave him the upgrade for free he said Okay. Okay. I go in first class with six seat two and two and two. I sit there nobody is there in the last minute comes a couple an American couple and sit there. Okay the flight is take off. Never I do this I don't know why I do this I stay up go to this man and say shalom my name is Rabbi Grossman I work with thousands of kids they used to call him the disco rabbi tell him the story and say maybe you want to see a DVD a video from my place. Now the rabbi the rabbi knew he can't go anywhere. He's stuck. He he can't go anywhere. Where is he going to go? He has to watch it. Say okay. Then I take the the the DVD and put him take this table from the in in the plane put this in and he he hears Him and his wife right? his wife and they hear I take on a eight minutes I see finished. I come to take back. Okay, slow down. So, let's let's get what happened here clear. The rub gets up from his seat. The rub goes over to this man and his wife to take back the DVD machine that he that he just watched very nice. Now, what happens next? What happened? You know, in this plane you have a button, you know. A button on the seat, yeah. A button on the seat. If you push the button, then the seat became like a bed. I come I I come with one one hand I want to take the DVD from another hand I put my hand on the button of the And then I push the button. I make him let let down. goes from one second to the next from sitting up to lying down without knowing it. He's shocked. He doesn't know what's what's going on. And I also been shocked. And of course he was shocked, yeah. She she she saw look take somebody very fat and he's put him in and lay him down. I don't know what he's doing and I stay. And then I I I I is is living like them I give him a kiss in his his his Okay, so this is a very funny part of the story. Rub Grossman standing he's towering above this guy. This guy just went from sitting to lying down and Rub Grossman he doesn't know why he does this, but for whatever reason not knowing why he bends over and he gives the guy a kiss on the forehead. He doesn't know why he does it. say and say excuse me because I want to show him excuse me. And Rub Grossman felt bad for what happened. excuse me excuse me excuse me and then I take back. I go back to my place and I speak to myself why you doing things like this. Why did you do this? I shame for myself. Two minutes later he stand up. With his wife come to my insurance and says Rubai, I want that you know I've been very close to BB. And I've been very close to Bielski. Bielski is the head of the Jewish Is that Bielski? Zev Bielski from the UJA. Very blessed. He says, I put away a big amount from from for for building that I want to save kids like what you're doing. They show me many things UJA and the the the Sochnut the home school The Sochnut the Jewish Agency. Jewish Agency and BB and they show me this I don't like. Ask my wife. I make a sign with God. If somebody will come and he's walking with these kids from walking home orphans and he will give me a kiss here, this is the man that I need to give him the money. Can you believe that this is make a sign like a crazy and he gives me a couple million dollars to build this building? Unbelievable. I just wanted to say we're going to finish off with the this interview the mice that all started. If we go back in the beginning, it all started from the Rub's with obviously Rub wanted to go and save Klal Yisrael. That's how it all started. That's where it began with with the Rub with a person that you know wants to give and save Klal Yisrael and that led to a lifetime of the most amazing amazing story. Because we say every every day you say in the davening Baruch Elokeinu sheb'raanu lichvodo. I thank you God that you created me for your honor. I say every time in my speeches drosh in my drasha I say a story. This was a father in America and he has a son in America and two sons in Israel. One is rich lives in Caesarea and one is a poor lives in Migdal HaEmek. And he marry off his son from America. He sent a letter to his son from Caesarea the big the richest in shekels say your brother is going to be your brother is going to be wedding I want that you come to the wedding. Everything what you will spend for the wedding I will give you back. And he says also, please try that your brother with his kids from Migdal HaEmek from Migdal HaEmek will also come. This son from Caesarea save a letter that the father will give back everything what he spent is going to Tel Aviv. In Dizengoff Center bought for his wife a boutique boutique you know boutique the nice clothes. He buys for himself beautiful wood beautiful suit everything for his kids. But the Migdal HaEmek his brother he sent them I have a ticket for you this and this day we're flying to America. But you don't go to buy clothing in in in in and for his wife his brother's wife and the children. Okay, they is coming. The two families come to Elpelt Lud. They go on the plane to America. In America in Kennedy Airport the father and the host and in the mechutanim they're waiting. First go out there from Caesarea with the with the boutique With the great. great good and he says this is my Look look it's a mechuten. This is my son this is my grandchild is so proud he's so nice. Then later comes the the other son from Migdal HaEmek clothing wearing like like poor. He became ashamed. What can he do? Okay, day after he take him to 13th Avenue in Borough Park bought him clothing finished. The wedding was beautiful wedding wedding in in Waldorf Astoria was beautiful. After the wedding after the Sheva Brachot time to go home. This son from Caesarea waiting the father to give him the back for his Where's the money? Show me the money. I see don't you go to his father and father you know how much cost me the whole boutique and the whole clothing and everything. The father says you're a big boy. You will work a little harder. You will you will pay back. He says yeah I have overdraft in in bank. You will pay back. Father, but you promised me that everything what I will spend you will give me back. I promised you. I have the letter. Okay, that's Show me the letter. He take the letter. Let's read together. Everything what you will spend for mine honor I will give you back. And he says to his son, if you will think of mine honor you will try that your brother and his wife and the children also have beautiful clothing. What you spend is for your honor. I never promised you that I will give you for your honor. What is the moshol? Baruch Elokeinu sheb'raanu lichvodo. If you try only for yourself that you learning and davening and keep up Torah and mitzvahs, but if you do this only and you don't try that your brother also to have little shiyurim and to give him love, God says this is not for mine honor. You do this for your honor. And every day we say Baruch Elokeinu sheb'raanu you came lichvodo. And if you think lichvodo, you need to take care of your brother's kids and then you know, I grew up in a home in Batei Varshin. My father was the going Rabbi Yisrael Grossman. 10 kids in 70 meters. In the 50s arrived in Israel the Yemenites. My father go to Rosh Ayin speak it going to Yemenites you the let live they live this time in in tents. Yeah. The winter very bad. He goes from tent to tent. if you have a problem for your kids I have a place. And he brought to my home. I in my home were five kids. Yemenites. I used to sleep in one bed with two Yemenites. I show you you see them. Sure. This is my blessing. 70 meters. 10 kids. He has patience to go and my mother and father to take another five kids. The Yemenites. Why? This is Ahavas Yisrael. Because you don't live for yourself. You live for Kodesh Boruch. Thank you very much Rub Grossman. You're an inspiration for all of us against Klal Yisrael. Thank you very much. Amen. Hi guys, my name is Steve Gar. A huge shout out to Project Inspire. Guys, thank you for making bringing this together. The staff, the educators, the leadership of Project Inspire dedicated bringing Jews from all over the world together to bring them to the land of Israel to show them the special the holiness the the beauty that exists over here. So, you guys do amazing work and I want to say thank you for giving me this incredible opportunity. It's a privilege that I get to show you guys one of the most amazing places in Israel. My name is Steve Gar again. I live here in the Gush Etzion which is just north of us where we standing right now. I made aliyah from South Africa. I serve on an elite counter-terrorism unit. I'm the first response to terrorist attack that happens in the area. I also help run a special needs yeshiva. This allows young men and women come to learn in Israel for their year away. They come to learn but they have special needs Down syndrome, autism, and we give them that opportunity. The third thing I do, which I'm absolutely passionate about, is I love showing people around the Israel. Showing them our history, showing what it's all about. So, I'm honored that Project Inspire has chosen me. I want to give a big shout out to David Sussman, who's his team production is putting this production together. So, David, thanks for making this happen. It's awesome working with such a professional. Guys, what we're doing over here is going to explore the holy city of Hebron. There are four holy cities in Israel. Jerusalem being number one, number two is the city behind us. This is the city of the patriarchs. In Hebrew, Hebron. The root of the word Hebron is haver, which means friendship. But, you know that it's much deeper, the word haver. Where does that come from? From a word in Hebrew that says chibur. What is chibur? It's a connection. When you connect to someone, that's how you build a friendship. Do you know that's right behind me in this gorgeous valley? In there is the ancient point where we believe there's a direct connection between heaven and earth. Guys, this is incredible. Our sages teach us in the oral tradition that heaven actually touches earth at that very spot. If you look in the center of those walls, looks a little bit like a castle, that is the tomb of the matriarchs and the patriarchs. We believe that's a direct line between that spot on earth to the Garden of Eden, to Gan Eden. Unbelievable to be able to explore this area, to see the history, both modern history and ancient history that happened over here. The trials, the tribulations, what we have are the massacres. But, I want to take you through this tour, and how we're going to explore different neighborhoods over here. Different stories, personal stories of people who have lived here in ancient and both in modern times. This is an exciting tour, and I'm so excited that you guys have got this opportunity to be with me, to really connect on a deep level to this place, cuz that's what it is about. Hebron is about chibur, is about connection. The connection between the Jewish people and the land of Israel, the connection between us and the almighty, the connection between each other. And I think this is an unbelievable opportunity that we get to connect to such a special place. So, Project Inspire, thank you for making this happen. Join me on this awesome tour of this city of the matriarchs and the patriarchs. Abraham lost his wife at the age of 127. Sarah passed away. Abraham, looking for a burial spot, came to this what was a field. Guys, forget the rocks, the stones, the brick structures. This was a field belonging to Ephron. Ephron, seeing that a leader, a world leader, Abraham, had lost his wife, said, "You can take this cave to bury your wife for free." Abraham said, "No, I will not take it for a gift." And then, Ephron said, "If you want to pay for it." He told him 400 silver coins, which was way above the market price. Abraham, the first Jew, did not haggle. What was the reason? Why wouldn't he take it as a gift? Why wouldn't he take it or try and get the price down if it was too expensive? Abraham knew that this place would be disputed. He didn't want a gift. He wanted to pay the full value, so that one day this would never come into any dispute that this belongs to his family. It's where our forefathers are buried. It's where our matriarchs and patriarchs are the final resting place. He said, "I'm paying the full price, and I'm not going to bring you down. I'm not going to negotiate, because we want you to know that this is our land." This was 3,700 years ago. Guys, 1,700 years after Sarah be is buried over here, comes a Jewish king, King Herod, at the time of the Romans. And this is over 2,000 years ago. He comes over here and he says, "We need to beautify this place." What he does is he puts up these stones. These are the classic Herodian stone. We can see his signature mark, how he does the border of each stone. Probably one of the greatest architects of the ancient world, King Herod. We know Masada. We know the Second Temple. We all over Israel, he built. He's probably the greatest architect in Israel in the ancient times. So, this is the Herodian stones, and it's beautiful to see the size and how it's kept. We're looking at a structure that is 2,000 years old. That's real ancient history over here. So, this is a little bit about the structure. This is about the architecture that you see, but I'd like to tell you how the Jews came back here in 1967. Guys, we're standing in the spot outside the Me'arat Hamachpelah, the Cave of the Couples, which for many years was known as the seventh step. The seventh step was a place just outside where Jews were allowed to go. They were not allowed to pray inside. And this all changed in 1967. We have the chief rabbi, Rav Goren, who drives his vehicle by himself, wanting to be one of the first soldiers to enter, to blow the shofar as the Israeli army enter Hebron. He drives in and he finds he's alone. He sees the Arabs are starting to surrender, and this is where Rav Goren comes. He finds his way to go to the door, the entrance, just behind us at the Me'arat Hamachpelah, but it's locked. He uses his Uzi to try and shoot it open. It doesn't work. He pulls it with his car, and eventually makes it in to be the first Jew in 700 years to pray inside the spot. What a feeling. And that's the chief rabbi of the Israeli army, Rav Goren, the highest ranking religious officer who came over here in 1967. You know, when ministers came to visit afterwards, they knew about how a Jew was disgraced by that seventh step where I'm standing over here, and a Jew wasn't allowed to walk in to the place of their forefathers and their foremothers proudly with their head held up high. And this was all changed. You know, one of our ministers, Rehavam Ze'evi, his name's Gandhi. He, when he came to visit, he brought with him a sledgehammer, and he said, "Before I go in to pray to the the almighty, I'm going to destroy that which disgraced the Jew." A Jew now is in Hebron. A Jew now is have come back to their original heritage, to their birthplace. So, he came over here with a sledgehammer, smashing that seventh step, and this is the place where I pray, actually, because I'm a kohen, a priest, and priests are not allowed to go inside a burial site. So, for me, this is the closest I can actually go. But, the Jewish people now are able to go inside and not be afraid to really connect to their heritage, to their birthright, and be able to pray in one of the best places on earth, and connect to the almighty. Guys, we're standing in the ancient cemetery here in Hebron. This is the ancient Jewish cemetery that we can see dates back to the 1300s. 1290 was where we can actually find a written source for the cemetery. The graves over here go back many, many years. Famous rabbis, the Reishit Chochmah, the Steipler Gaon, Ra'avad, all are buried over here. These are really incredible giants and brilliant rabbis that that lived in Hebron and would had the merit to be buried over here. Unfortunately, 1929, this cemetery was taken over by the Arabs, and was destroyed in the massacre. The last time it was used was to bury the Jews that were killed in that massacre. So, you can actually see their graves over here, and then it wasn't used. And it's then we have a young family, the Nachshon family, Sarah Nachshon, a powerful woman who has her brings her three children, brings seven families, and they come and come back here in 1968, after the Six-Day War. It's over here that they are able to have more children. And in 1975, they have Avraham Yedidya. Do you know their idea was to take this young boy and to circumcise him inside the Me'arat Hamachpelah. This was the burial spot for the matriarchs and patriarchs. It was not allowed to do circumcision there, because that burial site is shared with Muslims and Jews, and according to Islam, wine is forbidden. So, to show not not not to to offend, we do not bring wine into into We do not bring wine into the burial spot, and that meant we cannot do circumcision there. But, Sarah said, "I am determined. I want my son to have his brit milah." We give circumcision 8 days after a young boy is born, and she did it. You know, her husband packed a bag, because he knew he's probably going to be arrested for doing such a criminal act. And what happened was is that she was able to have and circumcise her son in the Me'arat Hamachpelah. Guys, you should know that they gave him the special name Avraham Yedidya, which means Abraham, our beloved, after the Abraham, our patriarch. Unfortunately, it's a sad story. At 6 months old, Abraham Yedidya died of sudden infant death syndrome. And it was then that Sarah understood there was a calling. What she wanted to do, she said, "I want to bury my son." Although forbidden, against Israeli law, to bury and to use this synago- this cemetery, she said, "I want to bring my son back over here." She drove, but the soldiers didn't let her through. She said, "I'll go on foot." Wrapped in a prayer shawl, she carried the infant, 6 months old, up from the Tel Rumeida, and she encountered a soldier, an officer, who broke down when he saw a grieving mother. Said, "It's too far. Jump in my car." They drove, and he actually helped bury and dig the grave for the 6-month-old infant Aramia Didia. Guys, it was because that Sarah had this presence of mind that she said, "I want to come back over here. I want to reignite. There must be a reason that God gave me this precious kid who's irreplaceable." If you don't mind, I'd love to read you a little excerpt that comes from the the speech that Sarah Nachshon gave at her young little baby's funeral that happened right over here in the cemetery. "I, Sarah, am holding my dead baby, Abraham, in my arms. And just as Abraham, our father, came to Hebron to bury his Sarah, so too I, Sarah, have come here to bury my Abraham. At this moment, I know why God gave me this irreplaceable gift. For only 6 months, he wanted me to reopen the ancient Jewish cemetery of Hebron. We're going to see the grave, and I want you to know it's because of her courage, because of her determination, that this ancient cemetery is now used by Jews to this day. Okay, guys, follow me as we go to our next spot. As you can see just in the distance over there, I'm pointing at an Israeli flag. That is called the Tel Rumeida. That's the highest Jewish little neighborhood here in Hebron. We're going to have a beautiful view up there and discuss a little bit of this area. Follow me as we go to the Tel Rumeida. Guys, we're standing on Tel Rumeida, one of the highest positions in Hebron. This is the highest Jewish community in terms of altitude, looking down very safe. What we have here is a bunch of caravans. Wasn't easy setting up these caravans. Every inch of land over here was was very difficult to to to acquire. In fact, unfortunately, if I can take you to 1998, 1998, there was a terrorist attack that happened over here. A famous rabbi, Rabbi Ra'anan, the grandson of the first Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rav Avraham HaCohen Kook, he was his grandson and a tremendous Torah scholar, and he was living up here in a caravan with his wife. A terrorist broke into his caravan, stabbed Rabbi Ra'anan. Thank God, the Rabbanit, his wife, was able to escape through the window. It was then that the Arab set alight the caravan with a Molotov cocktail, and Rav Ra'anan was killed. He was a very famous man, as I said, a grandson of the Chief Rabbi of the first Chief Rabbi of Israel, and many dignitaries came to the shiva, the 7-day mourning period where we console the mourners. And the Prime Minister at that time was Bibi Netanyahu. He came in and he saw the mourning widow and said, "Money can't really help, but your husband gave such a tremendous contribution to the nation of Israel, his learning Torah, his coming to live over here. I want to give you this check." And he handed her an envelope. The Rabbanit opened the envelope, and in front of the Prime Minister, this widow tore up the check. She said, "We don't need money. You see, we fought for every inch of land over here. Every inch of land, it wasn't easy putting up these caravans. Do you know that the government at some stage gave a 24-hour grace period. They said, "Build whatever you want." What do you build in 24 hours? So, they scrambled and said, "What we will bring is as many caravans as we can to place on top of other caravans and next to it." In 24 hours, they brought as many caravans as possible. The clock ended. One caravan was on a crane in the middle air. This opened up a Supreme Court case where the Supreme Court, the judges had to decide whether the caravan hanging in the air was allowed to be placed over here or because it hadn't been placed yet, would be removed from this area. The Supreme Court voted, and that caravan was allowed to be placed down. They said, "As long as it was in the air, it was on its way down, even though the 24 hours had expired." Do you see how everything over here is a struggle? Because it's very controversial land, we are completely surrounded by Palestinians, by Arabs who do not want Jews to return to this place. In the memory of Rav Ra'anan, the special rabbi, his widow has created an incredible yeshiva over here, a learning house where young men are starting to be ordained rabbis in this very area. But what's so incredible is what's underneath this incredible yeshiva, this residence, this Tel Rumeida. Come and follow me. I want to show you an ancient archaeological ruin. Now, guys, when we're talking about ancient times, you know, old in different countries. I'm from South Africa, you've probably picked up the accent by now. But guys, you know, we're talking about ancient times. We're going back to the early Bronze Age. This is 4 and 1/2 thousand years ago. Guys, according to the Jewish tradition, we're at 5781, 5,781 that year. This goes back to the original time period. We're going back to the matriarchs and patriarchs. As I've said, and I'll continue to say, it's not just that the matriarchs and patriarchs were buried here, here in Hebron, but this is where they lived. It's very possible that over here, down in these ruins over here, this was the neighborhood where Abraham himself lived. This is where Sarah, who gave birth to her son Isaac, we are standing in a place where the great matriarchs and the great patriarchs lived. It's incredible to stand in a spot so holy, so connected to our tradition, to be in a place so close to the second holiest place in the Jewish for the Jewish people. We are in Hebron, the city of the matriarchs and the patriarchs. Guys, what we're standing in front of over here is a yeshiva. This is a place where young men get to study the scriptures on the deepest deepest level. It will be a 5-year program that these students will do. It's called Hesder. This 5-year program allows a young man, once he finishes school at the age of 18 years old, he'll come and learn in a place like this. Now, this is a place where they combine learning and serving in the military. 2 years, they will learn scriptures. They will learn the Jewish oral tradition, the the explanation to the Bible, to understand this age-old tradition that goes back many thousands of years, and this is where they would learn it. It's all written in Aramaic with many commentaries that go through throughout the ages. And this is what young men are doing. You know, we believe as part of the Hesder program, religious Zionist Jews will believe that what they're doing over here is protecting their nation in two ways. There's one way of protecting our nation physically with a weapon, and they do that. After 2 years of studying over here, they will go and protect their nation, serve on an infantry unit, serve on an elite unit, become commanders, tanks. Then, after they serve in the military, they'll come back, and for another, maybe year, year and a half, they will study again. All in all, a 5-year program, not only protecting our country physically, boots on the ground, but also protecting our nation and our country spiritually by connecting to the Bible, connecting to our roots, connecting to our oral law, connecting to what makes us Jewish. Guys, we're very lucky to have found a soldier over here. We would love to show you the difference between the Israeli-made weapon, the Tavor, and the American-made gun, the M4, the one that I'm holding over here. So, a lot of you know the M16. It's a classic basic rifle. And this weapon, assault rifle over here, is the Israeli-made one. So, what's the difference between them? We're going to go through. I just want to say thank you to this Givati soldier. We cannot show his face because obviously we want to keep him safe. But this soldier over here is in one of the best units, the in fact, the second best unit in the Israeli army, Givati. The best unit is obviously Golani. That's the unit I'm from. You ask any Israeli soldier, they'll tell you his unit is the best unit. Now, just kidding, guys. We've got here a sharpshooter using a Tavor, the Israeli-made gun. What's the difference? So, guys, most weapons that when you have a weapon, what happens is is that you have the magazine. The magazine is not something we read. It holds the bullets, and that goes in front of the trigger. And you got the handle. And then, when you put the magazine inside, just above that, you have the chamber. So, that chamber is where your barrel begins. Now, you know what makes a weapon accurate is the length of the barrel. The longer the barrel, the more accurate your weapon. You got a short barrel, it's not accurate over long distances. The problem is, when you got a soldier, you want him to have a weapon that's close to his body, easy to maneuver, go around corners, look under places. You want a weapon that is compact. You can never ever make a soldier happy because it's either compact but not accurate, or very accurate and not compact. Israel designed the gun. This is the Tavor. So, just having a look at the Tavor over here, you've got the back of the weapon. If you look, and we're going to ask the soldier just to show you, there is where we put in the magazine. Now, normally, the magazine goes in front of the trigger. This magazine is all the way at the back. So, what they've done is is moved the whole shooting mechanism to the back of the weapon, which means the barrel starts here. So, this soldier has a safety mechanism in here, and this is a Magpul and this is the beginning of the barrel. What I want to show you is the size of his weapon compared to mine. If you have a look at the size, my weapon is a lot longer. In fact, his Tavor is about 2/3 the size of this gun. But, let's see. We have combat. Let's see who's got a longer barrel. So, I'm going to put my barrel over on his barrel, and let's see which has a longer barrel. And if you have a look, you can see sticking out 1/2 in longer is the Tavor. We have an Israeli-designed gun, which is more compact and more accurate than a regular weapon using the bullpup design. This weapon is phenomenal. It's completely ambidextrous, which means if he's a right-hander and he's shooting, the shells are coming out of this window. But, you know, it's so amazing, if you turn that around, all I do for a lefty is take out that box, put it over there, and the shells eject away from the soldier, not into him. That's not possible to do on an M-16. It's a pain for a lefty to shoot with uh this. Guys, it's completely versatile, this gun. He's got a special Trijicon sight. This is a reflex sight, very accurate, and that's on the top of the weapon. At the bottom, he's got legs. He could put a flashlight, a laser, completely modular. And that is something that's pretty incredible. He's put also a handle over here to make that gun really firm. It's close to his body. Um for ejecting, if he's a right-hander, he ejects it over here. Left-hander, we've put another um uh place for us to eject. Um switching off your safety, you never take your hand off. So, when I take off my safety, it's using my thumb. Lefty and righty can use this. A completely ambidextrous weapon. One last thing to tell you, and this is phenomenal. This shoots a 5.56 mm round, a NATO round. You know what's so cool? If you want to change this, you can take out this barrel, change the shooting mechanism, and you can put a 9 mm shooting mechanism with a barrel. So, you can change it and modify the gun to suit the different needs. So, this is Israeli gun. From Har Tavor, there was a great battle over there. The battle with Deborah, the prophetess. We had an incredible soldier. She wasn't big and tough, but she beat those Philistines, the Peleshetim. How did she beat them? Not because of muscle, but because of using our brain, the greatest weapon Israeli soldier has. And our friend from Ashkelon will tell you this. The greatest weapon we have is our brain. We made a clever weapon over here, and that's what makes a soldier good is that we sharpen this weapon, cuz that's the most important thing. I want to thank you for helping us, showing us, and letting everyone see the difference between an Israeli-made gun, the Tavor, and an American one. Ta-da. Hi, guys. We are now standing outside the Bikur Cholim Hospital. It didn't have that name originally. Originally in 1893, this hospital was made by the famous Baghdadi Jewish family. They brought in the money to make this hospital. This was a hospital that served for Jews and Arabs alike. There were Jewish and Arab doctors, nurses. There were patients that were served the Jewish and Arab communities. We shared hospitals together. This was life over here, 1909. The money to keep this hospital running came from the women Hadassah organization all the way in the United States. Guys, thank you for that, because I want you to know this Hadassah hospital is the original. We have Hadassah hospitals in in Israel, famous big hospitals that are really at the cutting edge in the when it comes to medical advances through the whole world. So, this was the original one, Hadassah, coming from 1909. This is 100 years ago, guys. The Hadassah hospital, the original one, we standing right here, and that's got a quite a special story. So, we're going to go down the stairs into that hos- into the uh the the original hospital. It's been converted into a museum, so we get an understanding of what happened and what's the history over here in Hebron. Guys, we are in the Bikur Cholim Hospital over here, converted into a museum. This museum has different chambers, each chamber focusing on a different period in in the history of Hebron. I want to focus on a very difficult history, the history of the 1929 riots. You can see the difficult pictures behind us. As we said, we had a wonderful relationship with between the Jewish and Arab community pre-1929. What we have is British-controlled Israel. The British are in control over here, and um under British rule, Jews and Arabs get on fantastically. In fact, in this hospital, we have Jews and Arabs being patients, being doctors, medical staff, nurses. There were Arab doctors who looked after Jewish patients, and vice versa. Guys, there was a great relationship. This all changed in the 1929 riots, brutally turning on each other. These were communities that got on, gave each other livelihoods, were friends, looked after each others' children. What we see over here are not is not friendship. Unfortunately, this hospital, which I really believe was a symbol of coexistence, of tolerance, of looking out for one another to see how two main religions, Muslim and Jew Judaism, can really coexist together, that all ended in 1929. The beautiful Avraham Avinu Synagogue was completely destroyed. What we're looking at the blood pouring down the steps, this is Jewish blood. Jews were mutilated. There were 435 Jews that were able to evacuate, but the devastation, to see a beautiful holy Torah scroll torn and ripped, to see it being burnt, to see the children that became orphans, it's just horrific to go through all these pictures. 67 Jews were killed, but many, many were maimed, amputated their limbs. It was horrible to see how cruel one nation can be to another. So, this left Hebron in devastation. It meant that we had to be evacuated, 435 Jews. It wasn't only Jews that were here in Hebron, but the the uprising against the Jewish people in 1929 happened all over Israel. All in all, 133 Jews were massacred in those uprising. And um this was all under the noses of the British. The British were in control over here. They had the guns, and uh they were responsible for keeping the communities here safe. So, unfortunately, that didn't happen. 133 Jews killed here in Hebron, we got hit the hardest. 67 Jews were slaughtered. This beautiful place where we're standing over here was burnt down to the ground. And um rather than being a place of healing, a place where people could come and doctors could take care of them, rather than a place of healing, it became a place of death. And uh very sad that this symbol of peace and coexistence was completely destroyed in 1929. But, this is one of the most beautiful synagogues that was destroyed in the 1929 riots. Um it was created, this synagogue, 480 years ago, in 1540, by uh Rav Malkiel Ashkenazi, a Jew who came here and he and founded this synagogue. We know that there's incredible stories that happened. The synagogue being used for 480 years, 400 years. In 1619, there's an incredible story written by Rav Naftali Bacharach. He tells us he's the Emek Hamelech, the Valley of the King, how an incredible guest came here 400 years ago to this synagogue. Pretty incredible. But, you know, in 1929, when the riots broke out, they vandalized the Arabs vandalized this beautiful synagogue. They tore the the the books. They burnt the synagogue down. The chazzan was able to run out and save one of the sifrei Torah. From until 1967, this synagogue lay desolate, but not just desolate, because it was a Jewish symbol, a beautiful synagogue burnt to ashes. The Arabs over here decided to make this a place where they kept animals. Goat It was a goat pen. They used to They kept goats inside. Very soon after that, when it became too disgusting, they made this the public toilet. A holy synagogue, the public toilets of Hebron of this area. It laid waste. After becoming public toilets, a garbage dump. People used to throw garbage. And you actually can see there was a dome on the top. We'll see when we're inside. There was so much garbage in this place, they actually threw the garbage through the broken windows on the top of this dome. So, um when the Jews were able to come back here, we not only restored this the the the the actual synagogue, it's not a museum piece. This is used on a daily basis. We pray three times a day inside this very synagogue using that Torah scroll that was saved in the 1929 riots by the cantor of this synagogue. Guys, follow me inside, and we'll hear an extraordinary story about a fascinating guest who was inside this very synagogue. Follow me, guys. I want to tell you a story that happened right over here in this synagogue. It was a couple of years after it was built. We're talking about 400 years ago. We have a very special rabbi, the Emek Hamelech. And in fact, behind me is written the entire story in one of his books. He was a kabbalist, and he wrote that it was Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year, here in the second holiest city for the Jewish people. And what happened right over here is that nine men were waiting for the 10th to start their minyan, to start the quorum where they were going to pray. Nevertheless, all the Jews, for some reason that year decided that they were going to pray in Jerusalem. So, came Yom Kippur in the city of our votes, the city of our forefathers, our four mothers, the matriarchs and patriarchs, there wasn't going to be a minyan. What would they do? They stood and stood and the sun was setting. Kol Nidre is the prayer where we open and they're holding the sifrei Torah. That's the Torah scrolls are in their hands and they say, "What are we going to do? No minyan? How can we not have a minyan on the holiest day?" All of a sudden, the door opens and comes through a door a man with a big gray beard. They They've never seen him before. What a miracle. They finally have the 10th man and they pray the whole of Yom Kippur. Coming day end of Yom Kippur, they drew lots. Who was going to um have this guest who helped them make the minyan come and break the fast, to eat after Yom Kippur had finished. It fell on the chazzan, a very holy man. The chazzan was able to take the guest and he said to the guest after locking up the synagogue, they walked out through the alleyways on the way home. This guest was standing behind him. And as they turned the corner, the chazzan turned around and wasn't able to see he The man disappeared. He was frantic. He didn't know what Was he kidnapped? The man didn't talk a lot. He just didn't know, you know, he just came to make a minyan and then he vanished. He had to break the fast. He'd been fasting for 25 hours. After searching, he found he couldn't find the man anyway. He went home, broke the fast, frantic and and afraid that something terrible had happened. He went, sat down on his couch. His wife said, "Don't worry, it's going to be okay." He fell into into a deep sleep. And in that sleep, that old man appeared to him. That man with the big gray beard came up to him and he said, "Stop worrying. Stop looking for me." He said, "I don't understand. Who are you?" He said, "My name is Abraham Avinu, Abraham the patriarch. Holiest day of the year, there wasn't going to be a minyan." He said, "I got permission from the ministering angels to be sent down over here to complete the minyan. I was only allowed to come for the entire Yom Kippur. And I came down and made the minyan. And it's incredible to stand in a place where we can actually feel the presence of the great patriarchs and matriarchs that are the bound foundation, the basis of the Jewish religion. Thank you guys for joining me here. Follow me and let's go outside. Guys, as I've mentioned before, there are four Jewish neighborhoods here inside Hebron. Now, Hebron is predominantly an Arab city. We're talking about four Jewish towns, little little neighborhoods, not even a town, neighborhood within a massive city. When I say a massive city, we're talking about somewhere between 100 to 150,000 Arabs in this area. Now, I must be honest, I love coming to visit over here. I love being in the city of the matriarchs, of the patriarchs. I love coming to pray at one of the most important places on Earth for a Jew to pray here at the Cave of the Patriarchs. But you know what? The only reason I'm able to come here is because of the incredible sacrifice that these Jews living here 24/7. I don't know if I could do it. You know, I've got a beautiful family, thank God. Five children, a gorgeous wife. I must be honest, I don't know if I could live right here in this neighborhood completely surrounded by possible enemies. But these families that are here do. And they make that sacrifice so that Jews like myself, friends, tour groups can come over here and enjoy being in the second holiest city of Israel. But it's incredibly challenging because it was 2001, March, where a young baby, 10 months old, was in her stroller. Her dad, Yitzhak, Isaac, Isaac Pass, was standing holding the stroller when a sniper, all the way from across the valley, all the way on that hilltop over there, aimed his weapon. He had a telescopic sight. He put the crosshairs on the young infant and squeezed the trigger. When we investigated this horrible terrorist attack, we found that this was a well-trained sniper. He knew exactly what he was doing. He aimed at the stroller, at the head of the stroller of Shalhevet Pass. This young infant baby girl, 10 months old, was killed instantly. You know, that bullet went straight through her skull into the leg of her father, Isaac. Isaac was critically wounded. After shooting the baby, the sniper turned the weapon onto the father. The mother was here. Immediately after hearing the gunshots, she ran for her little baby but found a bullet hole straight through the skull of her baby ba- little child. It's a very very sad, a very extremely sad story that took place right over here. A tremendous painful story. But you know, I get a little bit of comfort when I see the type of people who live here, who are willing to sacrifice being over here, maybe being surrounded by so many enemies. Their sacrifice has not gone for nothing. It allows us to be here and to really understand and to connect to our Jewish roots, to understand what this city is all about, to connect to the holiness of the patriarchs and the matriarchs. You know, we have here a memorial. This is a memorial for Shalhevet. You know, Shalhevet actually means a flame and we can see over here the stroller that Shalhevet was in when the sniper from the hilltop shot her. We can see the baby inside and the flames going upwards. This is the name of Shalhevet. Shalhevet in Hebrew means a fire, a flame. A flame always rises. No matter how much it actually defies gravity, it goes up. These people over here defy being sad, being depressed. They get up like lions. Am K'lavi Yakum, they are a nation that get up like lions. And that's what we have over here. The response to terrorism, the response to pain, the response to a baby being massacred is that we rise up. You know, with these flames actually go up to a window that I'm pointing at. That window over there is actually where there's a very holy man, a scribe, a sofer stam. He's sitting in that very window inside that office. And there he is writing a Torah scroll. We have Jewish law that when you write a Torah scroll, you have to be pure when you write the holy name of God himself. When you write God's name, you have to purify yourself and that's why sometimes when I'm standing here, I see this holy rabbi, the scribe, come down the stairs right past the spot going into the ritual cleansing bath. This is a mikveh. A mikveh in in in the Jewish tradition is how we purify ourselves. Going into the mikveh, he washes himself, purifies himself just before he goes back to his office to write God's name. In between purifying himself, he's not allowed to take phone calls. He's not allowed to talk. He's not allowed to do anything. He has to have full intent of the holiness of writing God's name. Do you know what's so beautiful for me? Is that he comes past the spot every single time he writes the the holy name of God. The very spot where a young baby was killed and he won't be deterred. And the families will not leave here. They stay here. And you know what we call a Torah scroll? We call it in Hebrew Etz Chaim U'Machazikim Bah. It's a book of life that strengthens us, that gives us power. This book of life is not focused on death, but rather on how these people respond to pain and suffering. They get up. They rise up like a flame. They rise up like lions. Do you know that Shalhevet Pass's mother just lost her baby. Her husband was in ICU, intensive care unit, in Jerusalem. We did not know if he would make it. But she had the presence of mind to go to the Israeli army and say, "I will not bury my little baby. I will not bury my baby until you can assure me that this area, these four Jewish neighborhoods inside the heart of Hebron, are safe for the Jewish people." She had that strength to say, "I'm not burying." Now, in Jewish law, to bury a baby, especially for a religious family, a religious woman, is one of the greatest acts to take the baby and to send her back to her creator. But she said, "I will not do such a thing unless we can protect other babies, unless we can protect other Jews." In that very spot where a Palestinian sniper put the crosses on an infant there in Israeli army base. And at that army base, they are watching over Abu Sneineh, which is the Arab neighborhood looking over this neighborhood, the Avraham Avinu neighborhood. So it's over here that this young mother was able to make sure that the Jews living over here the Jews coming to visit over here are safe from snipers. You know what that army base if you look carefully. I want you to see that on the corner of that army base you see a symbol of Jewish strength and that is the symbol of the menorah the candelabra that we light for 8 days on Hanukkah. One of our festivals and you know that when you look at that Hanukkah how the Jews were able to survive even against fighting a superpower that we picked ourselves up and then we were able to win the war. The Hasmonean were able to beat the Hasmonean Empire were able to beat the greatest military force of that time the Greek Empire. We were able to push them back and we won that war. You know on that army base. We are able to show strength that we can live here peacefully to connect to our roots and to pray to the almighty. This is the very spot. Where we remember the Jewish response to pain and suffering. We're going to get up like lions just like the Hasmonean got up in the history against the Greek Empire just like a young mother after losing her baby while her husband is in critical condition is able to get up and say enough Jewish blood is not hefker. It's not meaningless. It should not be spilt in vain. Let's keep. Us safe from further terrorist attacks. It's been an honor showing you around taking you and seeing Hebron seeing the beauty and this mysticism the holiness the spirituality that exists here in Hebron the connection between the Jew and the land of Israel between the Jewish people. And. The holy spots. The synagogues. The ancient mikvahs the spiritual ritual baths. The hills the actual stones. Where the greats our great great grandfathers the forefathers the foremothers this is where they walked. It's been an honor showing you around. I hope you guys were able to feel a connection to this incredible place and I really hope that you'll be able to come and see it physically not just through a video. Thank you guys. Thank you for joining me and I want you to stay safe and healthy.