Tuesday, July 28, 2026

🇮🇱 NEW RECIPE & W4R UPDATE 113. Shmuel at Galilee Green

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Netanyahu is in Washington to Talk Iran Strategy with Trump

WAR UPDATE 113

From Mourning to Joy – While Our Leaders Sit in Washington

Tonight, Tuesday, July 28, as the sun sets in Israel, we enter Tu B’Av - the fifteenth of the Hebrew month of Av. Six days after the deepest national mourning of the destruction of the Temples in Jerusalem on Tisha B’Av, the Jewish calendar deliberately turns toward joy.

TU B'AV - The 15th of Av

Most people today know Tu B’Av as Israel’s “day of love,” a time for weddings and proposals. But the Talmud (Ta’anit 30b–31a) records historical reasons this day became one of the happiest on our calendar. Each one tells a story of brokenness healed and barriers removed.

1. The generation that left Egypt finally stopped dying in the desert. For nearly forty years, every Tisha B’Av, thousands of men of military age would dig their own graves and not wake up the next morning. On the fifteenth of Av in the fortieth year, the decree ended. No more graves were needed.

2. The tribes of Israel were permitted to intermarry freely again. After the conquest of the Land, a temporary restriction had limited marriage between tribes so that inherited land would not pass from one tribe to another. On Tu B’Av that restriction was lifted. Unity was restored.

3. The tribe of Benjamin was allowed back into the congregation of Israel. After the civil war that followed the terrible incident of the concubine in Gibeah, the other tribes had sworn not to give their daughters to Benjamin. On this day the ban was lifted and the tribe was reintegrated.

4. The roadblocks preventing Jews from reaching Jerusalem for the festivals were removed. In the last years of the Northern Kingdom, King Hoshea removed the armed guards that earlier kings had stationed to stop the people from going up to the Temple.

5. The dead of Beitar were finally permitted burial. After the Bar Kochba revolt, the Roman emperor Hadrian had forbidden the burial of the tens of thousands of Jews massacred at Beitar. Their bodies lay exposed for years. On Tu B’Av the decree was rescinded, and they received proper Jewish burial. The blessing “HaTov veHaMeitiv” (“Who is good and does good”) was instituted in part because of this mercy.

Every one of these reasons is about the same theme: after catastrophe, after division, after desecration, the Jewish people are allowed to reconnect – to each other, to the Land, and to life itself.

We are living that pattern again

Almost three years after the pogrom of October 7, the last living hostages came home in October 2025. The body of the final hostage, Ran Gvili, was recovered this past January. The mourning is not over, it never fully is, yet the calendar insists we must also choose joy and rebuilding.

At this very moment, Prime Minister Netanyahu is in Washington for his first face-to-face meeting with President Trump since the joint campaign against Iran earlier this year. Iran remains the top item on the agenda. There is a fragile lull in the fighting. Israel has approved the entry of a limited multinational force into Gaza under the American framework. Pressure continues regarding Lebanon and Syria.

We use every tool Hashem places in our hands. We appreciate the kindness of nations when it aligns with our survival. But we also remember the words of King David:

“Do not put your trust in princes, in a human being who has no salvation.”
(Psalm 146:3)

And we hear the voice of Moses in this week’s parsha, Eikev:

“And it shall be, because you will listen to these laws and keep and perform them, that the Lord your God will keep for you the covenant and the kindness that He swore to your fathers.”
(Deuteronomy 7:12)

The word “eikev” can also mean “heel” and refers to the small, easily trampled mitzvot. The message is clear: the great redemptions come when we are careful with the details of faithfulness, not only with the dramatic political moves.

Living with Joy

In Israel, the country is on summer vacation. Children are playing. Families are swimming in the Sea of Galilee. Young people are hiking in the mountains. And couples are getting engaged to be married. We still choose life.

Tu B’Av teaches us that after the destruction of Beitar, after the graves in the desert, after the roadblocks and the bans, the Jewish people dance again in the vineyards.

May the same God who removed the barriers to Jerusalem, also remove every remaining barrier to the full security and redemption of His people in our days.

And may those sitting in Washington remember that the ultimate Guardian of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps.

A joyful Tu B’Av to all of you.
Am Yisrael Chai.

R. Shmuel Veffer

Galilee Green

Breaded Cauliflower Florets!

Side dishes often leave me stumped. Should I bake potatoes, mash them, or serve plain rice? Do I even need extra starch in an already hearty meal?

I found my answer in tender cauliflower florets. These versatile pieces transform into a golden, crunchy side dish that feels light yet satisfying.

FULL RECIPE!

Sensational Sabra Cactus

Last week on our daily walk in the neighborhood, we spotted this Sabra cactus across the street. It was part of a living fence defining the property line of the neighbor's house.

It was loaded with what we call Sabra fruit here in Israel. You probably call them "Prickly Pears."

These were not yet ripe for picking. However, a few days later they were already changing color under Jerusalem's summer sunlight.

Did you know that the Sabra cactus is not native to Israel?

LEARN MORE HERE

Subscriber Photo of the Week

"The most delicious olive oil!"

This week's photo is from Dave Gordon of Toronto, Canada.

Dave is an old friend from Toronto. He's a journalist and media professional whose work has appeared in the National Post, BBC, Baltimore Sun, New York Times, Washington Times, UK Guardian and more than one hundred other publications. He's an expert in many areas... including olive oil.

I'm using the most delicious olive oil - from Israel! It came from the groves of Galilee Green. Lovingly grown and carefully pressed by local farmers. You won't think of olive oil the same again. The flavours are just incredible. (Not paid to say this -- I really like this product a lot)

I'm so glad the dent in your tin didn't affect your enjoying your GGOO, Dave! (There are a lot of postal workers in Canada who may not love the Israel symbols we print on our packages)

Blessings to you and your family - stay safe in Toronto.

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