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פרשת ראה The Shabbos 5780 AUGUST 14, 2020 ISSUE #4 Newsletter RABBI YITZCHOK WEEKLY INSPIRATION AND INSIGHT ADAPTED FROM CLASSIC ARTSCROLL TITLES HISIGER, EDITOR DESIGN & LAYOUT: AVIVA KOHN לע״נ ר׳ צבי יהודה בן ר׳ אברהם יצחק ז״ל :THIS WEEK’S NEWSLETTER IS DEDICATED

NOTHING CAN CHANGE Faith WHAT HE HAS DECREED From the brand new Beis HaLevi on Bitachon with commentary by Rabbi David Sutton

When it comes to our livelihood, although precisely what they need- we must put in hishtadlus (effort), our work ed. And on Friday, He gave does not determine the outcome. As the Beis them a double portion, HaLevi himself makes clear, we are required to because no manna would work hard to earn a living, but once we have fall on Shabbos. made appropriate hishtadlus, nothing we do Rav Yechezkel Levenstein (Ohr Yechezkel, can change that which Hashem has decreed Emunah p. 127) lamented that many people for us. mistakenly view the story of how Hashem Rav Shmuel Wosner ruled that maintain- sustained the Jewish people in the desert with ing a savings account is perfectly acceptable manna as a historical fact. In fact, the Torah re- and does not reflect a lack of bitachon, as it cords this episode to teach a fundamental les- falls under the category of standard hishtad- son (see Megillah 14a). Would people recognize lus, the effort we should make to sustain ourselves, alongside our belief that the ultimate result depends solely on Hashem. Of course, IT WAS CLEAR to truly live one’s life with such an attitude is a very high level of bitachon. Nevertheless, we TO ALL THAT THEIR should strive to apply this message in times when money is short, when we have enough SUSTENANCE WAS for right now but question what will happen in the future. At such times, we should remind FROM HASHEM. ourselves that it is Hashem Who provides us with the sustenance we need, and no one can add to or subtract from that which He decreed. that the story of the manna is a timeless lesson The manna fell for the Bnei Yisrael when for them, their complete reliance on Hashem they traveled in the Wilderness. The Torah would be greatly enhanced. says that no matter how much manna a person Rav Levenstein adds an interesting insight collected, he always ended up with the same to the lesson of the manna: Aside from the amount — one omer for each member of the Jewish people’s lack of worry in the desert, household. In the desert, the futility of extra they were living in a jealousy-free environ- hishtadlus was seen very clearly. A man could ment as well. They never had to outdo one an- spend hours collecting huge amounts of man- other or show off their riches, for it was clear na, but when he returned to his tent to give it to all that their sustenance was from Hashem. out to his family, everyone always received an Imagine how peaceful our lives would be if omer. Each day, Hashem gave the Bnei Yisrael we lived our lives this way. ARTSCROLL MESORAH ARTSCROLL PUBLICATIONS 1 WALKING HOME WITH MORAH Inspiration From the newly-released Blueprints by Rabbi Yaakov Feitman

Rebbetzin Shaina Elyashiv, the hallway, long after her session the venerable wife of Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, had been completed. rebbetzin. For had a “child of her old age” and “Rebbetzin,” the morah asked, her part, how- went to PTA night with all the worry written on her face, “did I ever, Rebbetzin young mothers. The rebbetzin wait- say anything wrong? I told you Elyashiv re- ed patiently for her turn, although that your daughter is a wonderful, sponded, “You can’t imagine how many deferentially tried to yield fine girl.” happy my daughter will be when their appointment to the noble With a serene smile, Rebbetzin I tell her that I had the honor of woman. She spoke to the teacher Elyashiv responded, “How could I walking home with morah!” and left the room. allow morah to leave so deserted a What chinuch! The lesson in At the end of a long evening, place at night all alone?” raising children to respect their the teacher was finally heading The teacher left the school ex- teachers is profound. But the lesson home. Suddenly, she noticed Reb- citedly declaiming how honored in humility throughout life is just as betzin Elyashiv sitting patiently in she was to be walking home with great.

YOU’RE Gratitude Chinuch INCREDIBLE And Attitude Corner From the new, bestselling biography of Rabbi Dovid Trenk, Just Love Them, by Rabbi Yisroel Besser FOR EVERY Larry Spiewak was the only On Sunday BREATH child of a Crown Heights couple, morning, Larry Happiness: both of them survivors who had was tired, and Formulas, Stories, and Insights come to America and worked hard sometimes, his weary head would by Rabbi Zelig Pliskin at their small candy store. Motza’ei pitch forward and he would rest on Shabbos was a difficult work night. his desk in yeshivah. As you read The Sunday New York Times would Over the years, he had been this paragraph, be delivered, the various sections reprimanded several times for the you are breathing. habit, but once he had Rabbi Dovid Be aware of your next “SPI, PUT YOUR Trenk as a rebbi, that changed. breath. HEAD BACK DOWN. Rabbi Trenk would wait until Lar- Every time you breathe, ry opened his eyes, and then start YOU NEED A NAP.” you can either breathe sub- rhapsodizing about the glory of the consciously or you can separate from one another. The teenager’s kibbud av va’eim. choose to breathe mindfully. storeowners would have to assem- “What you are zocheh to do for ble the sections into piles, prepar- your parents every single week,” And then you can choose to ing each individual edition of the Rabbi Trenk said, addressing not be grateful for each breath, multi-section newspaper for the just one talmid, but the whole class, which is what the Mid- customers that would come in the “is so special. You’re incredible.” rash suggests that we do. next morning. It was painstaking Then, in a quieter voice, he Since you breathe regularly and tedious work, and the young would say, “Spi, put your head throughout the day, the prac- man would spend hours every back down. You need a nap.” tice of being grateful for each Motza’ei Shabbos helping his par- That’s how Rabbi Trenk respond- breath will fill your day with ents collate the sections. ed. What would you have done? gratitude.

2 THE REBBETZIN’S PROMISE Inspiration The Rebbetzin – The Story of Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis by Rabbi Nachman Seltzer

The Dobular family was one of you can add into your life at this and Reb- the many who were greatly influ- crucial moment?” betzin Jun- enced by the legendary Rebbetzin Sharon’s grandmother thought greis went Esther Jungreis a”h, whose fourth for a few seconds. to visit Mrs. yahrtzeit was marked this past week. “I never managed to count Sefiras Block with Sharon Dobular’s grandmother, Ha’Omer from the second night of Pe- their children. Rabbi Jungreis held Mrs. Block, became very ill at the sach all the way to the end,” she said one of the Sifrei Torah from his shul, end of her life and moved into the at last. “I always wanted to do it — I Ohr Torah, in his hands. He raised Dobuler home. Rebbetzin Jungreis, thought about actually committing the Torah to the old woman’s lips along with her husband, Rabbi Me- to the count many times, but some- and she kissed it reverently on its shulem Jungreis, and whichever Jun- how, I never got through it.” soft velvet covering, overcome at greis children were around would go “If you will count Sefiras Ha’Omer being granted such an opportuni- to visit her every Shabbos afternoon. every day,” the Rebbetzin told Mrs. ty at that stage in her life. She then The Rebbetzin shared many serious Block, “you will still be with us, im uttered the words “Naaseh v’nish- conversations with her. One Shabbos, as they were con- IS THERE ANY MITZVAH THAT YOU versing, Mrs. Block confided to the Rebbetzin how sad she was. NEVER MANAGED TO FULFILL “I’m not ready to leave yet,” she THAT YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO told her visitor tearfully. “But that’s not even the saddest thing.” ACCEPT ON YOURSELF NOW? “What’s the saddest thing?” “The saddest thing is that my yirtzeh Hashem (G-d willing), when ma” (“we will do and we will listen” granddaughter is about to have a baby we are celebrating Shavuos!” — the iconic term uttered by the and I won’t be around for the birth.” Sharon’s family began counting Jewish nation at Mount Sinai) and “When is the due date?” the Sefiras Ha’Omer with their grand- slipped peacefully into a coma. Rebbetzin wanted to know. mother on the second day of Pesach Mrs. Block passed away right “Around Shavuos time. This baby and continued, the patient never after Shavuos and her brand-new will be my second great-grand- missing a night. In the beginning, great-grandchild was born right child, but it doesn’t look like there’s she was still able to count the days after the shivah was over. It was a any chance of me being around to herself, but as the illness progressed, girl and they named her after her meet my great-grandchild.” she was no longer able to actually say great-grandmother — the Bubby “Mrs. Block,” the Rebbetzin the words, doing her best to mouth who so wanted to meet her. said, “let me ask you something. Is them instead. She was still alive at And so it was that the Rebbetz- there any mitzvah that you never the very end of Sefiras Ha’Omer that in’s promise came true and a terri- managed to fulfill that you would year, making it all the way through bly ill patient lived to accept Hash- be able to accept on yourself now? for the first time in her life. em’s Torah on herself on the very Any mitzvah you can think of that When Shavuos arrived, Rabbi festival when it all began.

The Most Popular Siddur All-Hebrew Siddur – Yitzchak Yair NOW WITH ENGLISH Nusach Ashkenaz INSTRUCTIONS! Dedicated by Phil and Malki Rosen 3 FORGOTTEN BENTCHING Q & A What If - Volume 3 Adapted by Rabbi Moshe Sherrow from the works of Rav Yitzchok Zilberstein

Mendy glanced up from his sefer to check the The Gemara (Succah time and was startled to discover that he only 25a) teaches that one Qhad two: minutes to run to the shul down the block to whoA is: involved in one mitzvah catch the last minyan for Minchah. He scolded him- is exempt from fulfilling a different mitzvah. The Pri self for getting so involved that he had not noticed Megadim (Siman 72) infers from the Magen Avraham how much time had gone by. (§4) that even involvement in a mitzvah d’Rabbanan It took extra effort to concentrate on the first bera- exempts one from a mitzvah d’Oraisa. chah of Shemoneh Esrei, and during the second bera- Mendy, however, cannot be exempted from ben- chah, Mendy suddenly remembered that before he tching even though he is now involved in davening be- had delved into his sefer, he had been eating lunch and cause he was negligent for not having bentched when he had forgotten to bentch! If he continued to daven he should have. If he does not bentch at this point, he Shemoneh Esrei, more than 72 minutes will have gone will be blatantly transgressing the mitzvah to bentch. by since he had finished eating and it would be too late In addition, the Pesach HaDvir writes that one who to bentch. (See Mishnah Berurah 184 §20. If a person ate started doing a mitzvah d’Rabbanan is exempt from do- to the point of satiation, he may bentch until he is hun- ing a mitzvah d’Oraisa at that time, even if he will not be gry again. If he ate only a small amount that did not sa- able to do the mitzvah d’Oraisa afterward. The rationale tiate him, he may bentch until 72 minutes have elapsed, for this exemption is that at the time the person started as until that point, his food has not yet been digested.) the mitzvah d’Rabbanan, he was not yet obligated to do What should he do now? Should he bentch during the mitzvah d’Oraisa. In our case, Mendy was already Shemoneh Esrei? Maybe he does not have to bentch, obligated to bentch before he started davening. Hence, as he is davening Shemoneh Esrei now, and one who is he cannot be exempted. already involved in a mitzvah is exempt from doing Rav Chaim Kanievsky ruled that Mendy should other mitzvos (Succah 25a). If he can no longer bentch bentch between the berachos of Shemoneh Esrei, as te- afterward because the allotted time has elapsed, then fillah is a mitzvah d’Rabbanan, and since bentching is a perhaps he is an oneis. A third possibility might be to mitzvah d’Oraisa, it therefore takes precedence. pause to go to the shul’s kitchen and eat something to Of course, this question would be relevant only if keep his meal going, which will give him an addition- Mendy was no longer satiated by his meal. If he still al 72 minutes, and then he could bentch after he com- felt full, then he can bentch even more than 72 min- pletes his davening. utes after his meal, in which case he can certainly What should he do? finish his davening first (Mishnah Berurah 184 §20).

IN TIME FOR DAF YOMI Czuker Family Edition of Seder Moed TRACTATES ERUVIN / PESACHIM NEW! Volume Dedicated by the Dreifus Family Features of this groundbreaking edition include: A new, flowing, and readable translation The complete newly typeset Mesoras HaShas “Insights” that bring out the many lessons that are edition of Sefer Ein Yaakov relevant to our lives The full classic Vilna page of each Gemara cited. An “Additional References” section Also available: Tractate Berachos vol. 1 & 2