בס"ד "אין עוד מלבדו..." "ברוך פודה ומציל, ברוך שמו"!! "הללויה" "אין סוף תודות, לאין סוף ברוך הוא"!!!
Issue 1015
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Lesson of Parshat “Bamidbar” 5781.
What is the reincarnation in cats?
About Seventy-six years ago, on 26 of Iyar 5705 (1944), not know what to answer to the jeers of those fools." the Holy Tzadik Rabbi Shlomo of Zevhil died, may his After a short silence, they continued and said: "These cats merit protect us Amen. just went too much with their strident wailing, and we can only We previously wrote about his holiness and the many ask from the honorable Rabbi Shlit”a to expel them from his miracles that occurred in the presence of the Rebbe Zlh"h. home, and by doing so, stop the contempt and disgrace These many wonderful miracles have left an towards us from those who mock us". impressionable mark on all those present, but even when Our Rabbi Zlh"h, who saw their chagrin, decided to go out they were standing amazed and astounded by the virtue of of his way to explain this conduct in order to settle their the great rabbi they were with, he used to dismiss their minds. And he opened and said: "Unfortunately, throughout admiration with one stroke of his hand, crediting the the ages there have been strifeful people who caused miracles to so and so, and with great humility he was able controversy among the people of Israel. to convince those around him that he is right. Some of these people were observant of Torah and The Rabbi Ztz”l had very lofty conduct and customs, that Mitzvot, who had very difficult time to keep quiet and avoid were not understood at all to simple people like us, and yet, dispute. because everyone always knew that an Angel of G-d walks When they passed away, they arrived at the Heavenly among them, they accepted his conduct and ways out of Court, and even though they had the merit to fulfill the very deep respect, and admired him even when they didn’t mitzvot, yet because of the terrible sin of being involved in understand him. a dispute, they were not allowed to enter their portion in Nevertheless, sometimes it was hard for them to accept the Heaven. fact that many cats were walking around the home of the The Heavenly Court sentenced they will be reincarnated in Rabbi Zlh"h, and not only he did not order to expel them, cats, implying that as cats do not have a house, so do they, but he was careful to give them food from his meal and was have no inheritance in Heaven. Some of these incarnated bothering and trying hard to "spoil them" as much as souls come to me and ask for Tikkun (correction), and I possible. One day, the cats divided into two groups and very much try for them, to rectify them." began quarreling while playing deafening "howls of rage", After a brief pause, the Rabbi continued and said: "The and the voice of their wailing echoed in every room. quarrel today between them was only due to their great His closest disciples and his trusted assistant, Rabbi chagrin of being reincarnated in cats, and each cat requires Eliyahu Rata Ztz”l, who very much spared his dignity, to be the next in line to have the Tikkun. Therefore tonight I approached him and said: "It is very hard for us with the will act and try very much for them, and tonight they would mock and ridicule expressed by people who do not all die, because they will be rectified, but tomorrow morning recognize the greatness of our Rabbi. At every occasion there will be another group of cats, souls that were they throw at us the lack of understanding of this custom, reincarnated in cats because they were involved in a and often we see the sorrow of the other students, who do controversy."
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בס"ד "אין עוד מלבדו..." "ברוך פודה ומציל, ברוך שמו"!! "הללויה" "אין סוף תודות, לאין סוף ברוך הוא"!!! . And so it was, that night all the cats that were in the house died, and in the morning a group of other cats arrived. Shocking!! How difficult is the punishment of a person who takes a part in controversy, that even the fulfillment of Torah and the commandments does not have the Question: power to protect him, and he is reincarnated into a cat. Dear Rabbi, peace and blessings, May it be that in the merit of our Rabbi Zlh”h, we will all I was brought up in poverty, perhaps even destitute, it merit to escape from controversy and be of the disciples would not be an exaggeration if I write that many times of Aharon the Cohen, lovers and pursuers of peace, and my younger siblings and I went to bed at night after a may Hashem grant us that the name of G-d will always be day of only drinking water and perhaps we tasted a sanctified and beloved through our actions, and speedily little food, but certainly not enough to assuage our in our days may our eyes see and our hearts rejoice in the hunger. coming of Mashiach and the building of our holy and I remember long periods in my life as a child when I majestic temple Amen!!! never wore underwear or even socks. More than once we “celebrated” when a neighbor With Blessing of Hallelujah, cooked a pot of food for us, our parents were in Shabbat Shalom umeverach and Kol tuv, heavy debt due to unusual circumstances, which if I Moshe Yazdi detail I would be recognized which I want to avoid, so with your permission I will not explain further, but I will Blessing of the Year!!! add that it is for this reason that poverty and privation All Torah newsletters during this year are dedicated reigned in our home for many years. I must emphasize our parents’ love for us while we to the success of: were children, they lavished us with warmth and love Rabbi Moshe Babai Hy”v, and more than once they would hug us with tears R’ Aryeh Hariri Hy”v, falling from their eyes in great sorrow, that they could Yoram and Orly Tzeela Hy”v, not supply us even our basic needs. Leon and Clara Mizrahi Hy”v, My brothers and I are very capable and intelligent, and I David Atias Hy”v, remember our conversations while children, brainstorming how we could help our dear parents. We Doron Sharpian Hy”v, also talked a lot about how when we grew up we would Emil Eliyahu Hy”v, do all we could to succeed in life and thereby also have Chagai Cohen Hy”v, the ability to help other children in the same situation. Limor bat Mazal techi’ From a very young age I settled nicely in the workplace and put in all my time and effort to succeed, and For their health and success together with their families Baruch Hashem, fortune shone on me, I opened a Hy ”v, May our Heavenly Father fulfill all their wishes for business which was very successful, and my t he good and they will merit to be blessed with all the happiness was unbounded since I was now able to blessings of our Holy Torah, AMEN!!! help my younger brothers and sisters who are very dear to me.
Unfortunately, I was not religious until I got married. Shavuot with Amude HaShalom! My wife, who came from a very religious home, was
In the renovated luxurious “HaMetsudah” hotel in able to lecture me properly and waited patiently until I decided to repent my ways fully. Tzefat. Today we are the owners of a large and successful Holiday prayers in the synagogues of the Ar”i, Rabbi business and we merited to have two children, and we Yitzchak Abohav and the Rabbi Yosef Caro Zy”z. thank Hashem every day for this. Although I fully repented, my wife is still more religious Air-conditioned and well-equipped rooms, very spacious than me, and I am happy about this since I am sure this is and air-conditioned halls and dining room, luxurious and the reason for our strong "peaceful home" (marital varied meals in abundance like kings. harmony), as opposed to my old friends whose lives are The fascinating lectures of the Honorable very far from a steady "peaceful home", and in Rabbi Moshe Yazdi Shlit’a will create a unique and conversation they said several times: "we know this is the uplifting atmosphere throughout the stay. true path but it is difficult for us to change our way of life."
For details and registration, between 9:00 and 19:00 I decided to write you as for years we set aside ten 04-6972666, 050-5365552 percent of our profits as a tithe, and we understand that this is the reason for the success of our, which is Welcome! thriving daily. Since the amount of the tithe is very large, Check it out! The most pampering! The most discounted!
This newsletter is dedicated to the holy memory of our father, the Torah
בס"ד "אין עוד מלבדו..." "ברוך פודה ומציל, ברוך שמו"!! "הללויה" "אין סוף תודות, לאין סוף ברוך הוא"!!!
we manage to help a lot of Yeshivot and Kolels, obligated to ask the people around us maybe they know, and according to my dear wife’s wishes. after a few enquiries Hashem will give us the merit to As I remember where I came from and I will never quiet the hunger of young children, and we would be forget the days I knew poverty and privation, I have fortunate if we have the merit to adopt one family and asked my wife a few times to give a share of our tithes cook for them daily. to organizations that help the needy, but she prefers to D. Returning to you: It is so good to hear about a child who support only Yeshivas and Kolels that learn Torah and grew up in a family with terrible want, who with Hashem’s avoids donating to those in need. help rose and climbed to the peak of success. This is not Recently our argument became very heated and something new, we are assured in our Holy Torah: “Your caused a lot of anger which dragged with it many beginning will be painful and in the end you will greatly unwanted thoughts which I quickly dispelled. When I succeed” (Job 8:7). This means: When the beginning of a came back and made it clear that I insisted that some man’s life is "unfortunate", difficult and filled with grief, of the funds be distributed to the needy, she did as I then later in life he merits “great success”, he will be very wanted but "complains," saying: "who guarantee that successful. the money reaches the needy?" Or "Although it is clear E. I too understand that the cause of your great success that it is important to help the needy, maybe it is more in your thriving business, is thanks to the amazing “tithes important to support the study of Torah." mitzvah" you fulfill, since we have been assured by our I see that this bothers her and I find this hard. Since we Father in Heaven through the prophet Malachi [Chapter 3, are numbered among your regular Torah Sheet readers 10]: In the merit of giving a tithe of ten percent, we and try to distribute it to all our acquaintances for their receive unceasing blessings and success. reading pleasure, we decided to ask you: "Which is F. Your wife’s fear your money would go to non-needy better?" We agreed between us that we would accept people are really very understandable, but if we aim to do any answer you give us fully and wholeheartedly, so charity with a loving heart, then Hashem will direct our we can accept your answer without difficulty. money to respectable needy people who really need our We would be grateful if you would quote your sources help. from our holy Torah. G. Moreover: a person who does not need financial help Thank you, from a successful and confused couple. and yet “feels” the need to cheat the “giving organizations” and be helped by them, he is “psychologically needy”, Answer: and a “psychologically needy” person is much worse My Dear distinguished friend, than a “financially needy” case, and we are obligated to A. Your description about poverty and scarcity you suffered work and help him as much as we can. in childhood are really shocking and unfortunately, I know H. Regarding your question: families who are severely depressed and are being treated You are right! You must split your funds between needy in special departments due to serious psychiatric problems people and Torah study families equally. which appeared in adulthood due to suffering endured The source for this is Talmud in Tractate Rosh Hashanah during their childhood. 18a: It is brought down that Ravah and Abbayeh, two Any sensible person realizes that it was only the love and Amoraim of the Sages of the Gemarah, were both warmth showered upon you by your dear parents that stood descendants of Eli Hakohen, whose line was cursed that by you with Hashem’s help and strengthened you they would not live more than eighteen years [Samuel 1, psychologically and spiritually in your suffering, and not Chapter 2], yet they managed to survive and live more only were you not hurt but even in your childhood you had than eighteen years, Ravah died at the age of forty and the power to think and to seek advice and plan your way to Abbayeh at the age of sixty. business success. Why did Abbayeh live 20 years more than Ravah? B. Every person knows their full obligation in respect of Answer: Ravah mainly busied himself with Torah study their parents, but you have double the obligations, because while Abbayeh busied himself with Torah study and despite the dismay they were in by not being able to supply benevolence, therefore he merited to receive an extra 20 you with your basic minimum needs, nevertheless they years. knew how to transcend any feelings of grief and pain they It is clear that Ravah did not stop learning when Abbayeh had and gave you “a loving heart”, it is a great privilege to closed the book and went to benefit society. It is because be born to such parents. Abbayeh closed the book and went to help the needy, that C. You wrote: “More than once we "celebrated" when a he merited the extra 20 years. neighbor cooked a pot of food for us”, and immediately I I. On you lays a special obligation to help the needy since thought to turn to all our readers and say: "Please, please you wrote that when you were younger you accepted take note! Maybe you are aware of families in need in your upon yourself to care for children in this situation. neighborhood or beyond who would be happy to May G-D grant there be many more Jews like you, "celebrate" the pot of food cooked for them? Please! Do Lovers of Torah and eager charity givers! not keep reading the next section before you try to J. Shabbat Shalom, good Yom Tov, comprehensive consider, maybe you know a family like this, if not we are salvation and all the best!
Scholar Kvod Harav Yashar ben Tzion Ben Shifra, of blessed memory.
בס"ד "אין עוד מלבדו..." "ברוך פודה ומציל, ברוך שמו"!! "הללויה" "אין סוף תודות, לאין סוף ברוך הוא"!!!
In one of the Yeshivas in Hungary studied a talented, smart and sharp young man. Unfortunately, he did not acquire the measure of modesty. He was proud and bragged about his achievements. His ambition knew no bounds, and he believed he would reach the heights of success quickly. As a teenage boy he already 'wished' to be appointed as a Rabbi, and indeed he passed his tests with excellence, and was ordained to teach. Even so, maybe because people saw his flawed character, or because of his young age, he failed to obtain a Rabbinical post. From one effort to another, from failure to failure, his bitterness grew, towards everyone. The community leaders who opposed, the Rabbis who stood against, and the people who agreed with the election of his competitors. His resentment grew and grew, until it burst and he decided that he will yet take revenge against all of them, the community leaders, the Rabbis, the people... He left the Jewish faith, and joined its enemies, he converted and went to study the priesthood. There they will appreciate his talents, there he will succeed, and from there he will teach all his Jewish brothers a lesson.
With his great talents, and his tremendous hatred, he climbed to the top. It was not long before he was appointed cardinal, a high position, with much authority. But of course, for him, it was not enough, it was just the starting point. In those days anti-Semitism was on the rise in his country. Young teenagers, badly influenced, gathered in groups of “The Iron Cross" and plundered and terrorized the Jews, H"YD (may Hashem avenge their blood). They burned stores, abused and tortured. Cardinal Mendel gave them his approval time and again, supporting the horrible ideology of Jewish hatred. He published slanderous articles against the Jews, dotted with quotes from the Torah that were taken out of context, in order to turn people against the Jews. The anti- Semites quoted him as an authority, and great troubles were caused to the Jews because of him. The Second World War began, Jews were sent to concentration camps, and the twisted Nazi race ideology started to take root. The converted cardinal felt that his position was no longer safe. A nightmare he had tipped the scales... One day, a tortured Jew came before the Rabbi of Skolan Z"L who was "The father of orphans and refugees" and presented himself: "I am Mendel Shuv"... He left everything behind!!! Sneaked out of his fancy chambers, and returned to his faith and religion, with a bowed head, and humbleness, and asked for a way to repent and do Te'shuva. The Skolan Rabbi did not burden him with mortifications, and instructed him with symbolic things. His Jewish brethren caused him constant pangs of conscience, which saddened him greatly. So many suffered from his poisonous preachings, and now they did not hold back their grudge, they cursed and ostracized him. He bore it all in silence. He withdrew to himself and spent his days and nights in prayers, beseeching, fasting, and saying Tehilim, to atone, scrub and purify himself. Near the end of his days he went to Israel where he continued a life of remorse and confession, as is written: "In the place where those who return to the faith stand, not even great Tzadikim stand," that was his place, may Hashem give us the merit!! The one who consoled, encouraged, and strengthened him in his new way was the Rabbi from Skolan Ztz"l. One day as they were talking, the Rabbi asked him: "Tell me dear Reb Mendel, what happened, happened. You left abruptly, slamming the door behind you, converted your religion, turned to paganism, became a priest and a cardinal, turned against your people, and did horrific things, may Hashem have mercy. Why did you not complete the process, why did you not change your name, your family name?" Mendel's eyes filled with tears, as he said: "I'll tell you Rabbi! I always kept my name Shuv (meaning 'return' in Hebrew), for I knew that "Shov A'Shuv", that I will return"... A Jewish soul, who can know!
The following is an example of the holy customs and ways of our father, who served G-d with all his being, Kvod Harav (KH), Yashar Ben Tzion Ztz”l ben Shifra A”h.
We wrote a lot about Mor our father Zlh”h since his passing, exactly 11 years ago, yet, we did not even write a third of his wonderful way of life, which was a whole, complex treatise, of pure, wonderful love of G-d at every step of the way.
Our dear mother, may she live good and long life, and us, his brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, and the grandchildren, still talk about him at every event and every occasion, each and every one of us has personal stories and sweet, pleasant memories of the time we spent with him.
Since in his lifetime he was the "central junction" of the near and extended family, we can always remember and quote him in almost any area: "Father Ztz’l said so and so, grandfather of blessed memory did such and such."
Just as throughout the generations the sages of Israel were called "the eyes of the congregation", both because all eyes were raised to them, and because of their ability to see and predict, with their sharp vision several steps ahead, and thus teach others which path and actions to take, so we felt about Mor our father Zlh"h, he was "the eyes of the family." Our eyes were always raised to him, to his wisdom and helpful advice. He always saw few steps forward, and he was almost never wrong.
Many of the readers of this wonderful newsletter and perhaps most of them, open and read first this section, where we write about him. This is probably the reason many come to pray and ask for mercy on his grave site in the Persians plot of Har HaMenuchot
Givat Shaul. We also wrote in this column about people who had the merit and received salvation after praying at his grave site.
Mor our father Zlh"h was a symbol and an example of the love of G-d, love of people and love of the land of Israel, and it was with the power of these wonderful loves, that he was able to succeed and elevate himself to such a high spiritual level, who was always happy to help others, and helping others was his source of joy.
Tnsb”h. His merit should protect us. To be continued next week.
To merit and spread Torah, look for us and follow us (Harav Moshe Yazdi) on and on