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A PROJECT OF THE פרשת וישב שבת חנוכה כ״ו כסלו תשפ״א At the 5781 DECEMBER 12, 2020 ISSUE #20 ShabbosTable RABBI YITZCHOK WEEKLY INSPIRATION AND INSIGHT ADAPTED FROM CLASSIC ARTSCROLL TITLES HISIGER, EDITOR DESIGN & LAYOUT: AVIVA KOHN

Parashah / CREDIT WHERE IT IS DUE Chanukah Rav Pam on Chumash from Rav Avrohom Pam zt”l, by Rabbi Sholom Smith

When Yosef Hatzaddik in- Chanukah, the Chashmona’im that brought terpreted Pharaoh’s dreams, are portrayed as mighty war- about the he asserted that he deserved riors who fearlessly fought the victory, but no personal credit for giving Syrian-Greek armies and led the Hand an interpretation. “It is beyond the Jewish people to victory. of Hashem me. It is G-d Who will respond They displayed great courage that orchestrated the miracle. with Pharaoh’s welfare,” he and heroism in defeating such They were merely the players said. On these words, the Mi- a formidable military force chosen to bring about the sal- drash (Bereishis Rabbah 89:9) despite being heavily out- vation of Klal Yisrael. comments: “Talah hagedulah numbered. Yet in the word- The concern of the Chash- bivalav — He credited the ing of the special Al HaNissim mona’im was first and foremost greatness to its true Master.” prayer that Chazal instituted to rectify the great chillul Hash- When Pharaoh heard this, in commemoration of this em perpetrated by the Greeks and the brilliant interpre- great miracle, a different pic- and their Jewish collaborators tation that followed, he was ture emerges: Masarta giborim who astounded. Pharaoh realized that Yosef could have taken IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE this opportunity to demand PRACTICE OF GREAT JEWS anything that he wanted — NOT TO ATTRIBUTE THEIR wealth, honor, prestige or power. Pharaoh would surely ACCOMPLISHMENTS TO have granted him whatever he THEMSELVES. desired. Yet Yosef disclaimed beyad chalashim — You (Hash- sacri- any personal credit for his in- Rav Avrohom Pam terpretation. He underlined em) delivered the mighty into ficed the fact that it had nothing to the hands of the weak. The pigs on the Altar and who do with him. He was merely Chashmona’im openly ad- forbade the study of Torah, the mouthpiece of Hashem in mitted that they were weak as well as the performance transmitting to Pharaoh the people, kohanim who were of mitzvos like Rosh Chodesh, meaning of his dreams. It was inexperienced in the ways of Shabbos, and bris milah. to Hashem that all honor and war. Their great heroics are Once again, this theme is gratitude were due. It has al- downplayed by the phrase, stressed in Al Hanissim: For ways been the practice of great You delivered the mighty into the Yourself, You made a great and Jews not to attribute their ac- hands of the weak. The righ- holy Name in Your world, and complishments to themselves. teous Chashmona’im honestly for Your people Yisrael You per- This behavior is found in the gave credit where it was due formed a great victory and salva- miracle of Chanukah itself. In — to Hashem. It was not their tion as this very day. The main many accounts of the story of strength or military tactics thrust of

continued on page 2 MESORAH ARTSCROLL PUBLICATIONS 1 TRUE ENJOYMENT Chanukah What If on Yomim Tovim – Volume 2 adapted by Rabbi Moshe Sherrow from the works of Rav Yitzchok Zilberstein

Q. Kehillas Anshei Zahav has and Minchah, but not Maariv. Some Succah (50b) tells an exquisitely beautiful, unusually explain that this Gemara is Rabbi us that the mitz- large, and extremely expensive me- Yehoshua’s ruling according to his vah of Simchas Beis norah in which the gabbai lights can- own opinion, as he maintains in Hasho’eivah was dles during the eight days of Cha- Maseches Berachos (27b) that daven- preordained from nukah. During the week, after the ing Maariv is not obligatory. Tosafos the Six Days of Creation. During candles have gone out, the the Simchas Beis menorah is returned to the Hasho’eivah, the shul’s safe. On Shabbos, how- MAY THEY participants would ever, the menorah cannot be EXTEND absorb ru’ach ha- moved, because it was a ba- kodesh (Yerushalmi, sis (base) for the flames as THEMSELVES Succah 5:1) and ac- Shabbos began and is thus IN ORDER TO cording to some muktzeh. The gabbaim want GUARD THE opinions were even to know if people should ex- MENORAH permitted to play tend themselves in order to THROUGHOUT instruments on guard the menorah through- THE NIGHT Shabbos and Yom out the night of Shabbos OF SHABBOS Tov on behalf of Chanukah, or if they should the mitzvah. In con- simply light with an inex- CHANUKAH? trast, lighting Cha- pensive menorah on Erev nukah candles in Shabbos so as not to deprive shul is only a min- the would-be watchmen from the (27b s.v. halachah) explain that ac- hag, and one can satisfy that minhag mitzvah of oneg Shabbos. cording to this opinion, one would by lighting a simple menorah. One A. The Gemara in Maseches be allowed to waive davening Maariv could not apply the leniency found Sukkah (53a) relates in the name of in favor of a different mitzvah that regarding the Simchas Beis Hasho’ei- Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananya that he could not do otherwise. Thus, vah to lighting a menorah in shul; i.e., during the week of the celebration when the Yidden were involved in just because the congregants want of Simchas Beis Hasho’eivah, all those the mitzvah of Simchas Beis Hasho’ei- to light an expensive menorah, that who were present deprived them- vah, they did not daven Maariv. should not come at the expense of selves of sleep. They exerted them- It would seem that this would oneg Shabbos. selves in order to glorify the mitz- be a precedent that one would be The best solution would be to vah. There is another inconsistency allowed to forgo sleeping on Shab- find a pair of study partners whose in the schedule in the Beis HaMik- bos night in order to accord honor true oneg Shabbos would be to learn dash during the week of the Simchas to the mitzvah of lighting Chanukah in shul the entire night. In that way, Beis Hasho’eivah. During that week, candles. the menorah will be safe and the the Yidden did not daven Maariv! One could argue that this is no congregants will not suffer any They did daven Shacharis, Mussaf, proof at all. The Gemara in Maseches sleep deprivation.

CREDIT WHERE IT IS DUE further developed in the words of the navi Zechariah, continued from page 1 which is read as the haftarah of Shabbos Chanukah: Not the prayer is to emphasize that the disgrace of Hash- through armies and not through might, but through My em’s name was rectified. The great victory in battle spirit, says Hashem, Master of Legions (4:6). was of only secondary importance. Again, the theme May this important message of Chanukah inspire us of “talah hagedulah bivalav” is underscored. This idea is all year long. 2 Kindness PING PONG WITH THE RABBI At Any Hour The biography of Rav Shlomo Gissinger, by Avrohom Birnbaum

Confused. Upset. Alone. In turmoil. That was the Bentching was over. The adults were world of Bruce Abrams*, a young teenager who had leaving the table. Suddenly, Rabbi been living with his family in West Orange, New Jersey Gissinger addressed Bruce: “Bruce, per- NEW! until his parents turned his life upside down. haps you want to play a game of ping It began with a Shabbos visit at some rabbi’s home pong with me downstairs?” in Lakewood…which he did not join. It continued with Thus, Rosh Hashanah afternoon, the afternoon of a relationship that was slow- one of the holiest days of the year, found the illustrious ly bringing them closer and rav playing a mean closer to a more enhanced IN THAT ENERGETIC game of ping pong level of Torah observance… GAME OF PING PONG with Bruce. It was to which he did not sub- ON ROSH HASHANAH a spirited game scribe. It culminated in a AFTERNOON, RABBI they played before move to the ultra-Orthodox GISSINGER CAPTURED Rabbi Gissinger stronghold of Lakewood, walked to Kimball BRUCE’S HEART. where his parents became Medical Center members of Khal Zichron Rav Shlomo Gissinger to blow shofar for Yaakov…which he completely resented. anyone who might need to hear it. As they were inching closer and closer to the big It was a vigorous game during which the noted rav move, Bruce felt more isolated than ever. He wanted and posek showed a teen how much he valued him. In nothing to do with his parents’ new adventure, but he that energetic game of ping pong, Rabbi Gissinger cap- could not exactly venture off on his own. tured Bruce’s heart. From that moment, Bruce asked all And then Rosh Hashanah was approaching. The his shailos to Rabbi Gissinger, who wisely let him move Gissingers invited the Abrams to join them in Lake- at his own pace, supporting him and helping him. wood for Yom Tov and they were thrilled to accept… Slowly, their relationship flourished, with Bruce other than Bruce, who had no choice but to sullenly seeing time and time again just how much the rav un- accompany them, but he was not going to make it easy. derstood him. When Bruce married, Rabbi Gissinger Bruce was accustomed to going to synagogue on Rosh was mesader kiddushin, guiding him throughout. Hashanah, but he was not used to such a long, serious Bruce currently lives in the Yerushalayim neighbor- davening. hood of Ramat Eshkol and his children all attend ye- By the time the seudah was drawing to a close, Bruce’s shivos…all because a rav in Lakewood understood that mood had plummeted even further. His parents were even Rosh Hashanah afternoon was a time when one terrified that at the rate things were going, his precious, needed to play ping pong with a youth in order to show sensitive neshomah might be lost to Yiddishkeit. understanding of his inner world…

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3 Parashah for Children פרשת וישב

Remember the kesones passim that Yaakov gave .פסים Yosef? In Hebrew, the word “passim” is Its letters stand for all the groups Yosef was sold to: Samech — socharim ס Peh — Potiphar פ Yud — Yishmaelim י (slave traders) Mem — Midyanim ם By the time Yosef arrived in Egypt he had been sold four times!

The ways that Yaakov and Yosef were similar to each other

4 They looked alike.

4 They both had brothers who hated them.

4 Their mothers both had only two children.

4 They both had angels that Hashem sent to protect them.

4 They both got married outside of Eretz Yisrael.

4 They both had children outside of Eretz Yisrael.

4 They both had important dreams.

One of the reasons for the Why do you think Pharaoh had the Chief mitzvah to drink four cups of Baker killed, and let the Chief Butler go free? wine on Seder night is because The Chief Butler wasn’t really at fault. It’s the Hebrew word “kos,” which easy for a waiter to miss seeing a fly jump means cup, is mentioned four into a silver cup when he is bringing it out. Or times in the Torah when it discusses the Chief Butler’s maybe the fly flew in after the Chief Butler had dream and what it meant. served the wine to Pharaoh, while the cup was What does his dream have to do with Pesach? standing on the table waiting for Pharaoh to drink. The dream was also a message to Yosef about what would The Chief Baker was not careful. He should have sifted the flour happen to the Jews in the future. The three branches were the and checked the dough more before he baked it. He was sloppy three holy people Hashem would send to lead the Jews out of about his work. Pharaoh could have broken a tooth on the pebble slavery in Egypt: Moshe, Aharon, and Miriam. or choked on it. So Pharaoh felt the Chief Baker was guilty.