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R<1bbi fu1nd·.11.L. ·= on tile P<1rcl5hiih 2 MOM irislghts, stories, and observations on the weekly Torah reading OllllAY MYSTERl!S oted for his wit, Wisdom and- elocution-~ , N 1 In thiS fascinating book, .Leah latndan helps ary excellence, Rabbi Ylssocher Frand is the polite .solve very complicated cases IJY known throughout the world as a- masterfully finding ciues trom Torah sources. YOu'JI find clear teacher of Torah. Drawing from the' vaSt mysteries that .show the dark side of· the reservoir of Rabbi Frand's teachings, this -neW human heart_- and you'JI delight to see how volume is sure w enhance Shabbos mea1S people experien-ce rear _changes through faith and celebrations throughout the, year. and trust In the One AboVe. D•dicated ~ lhe Marrache Famlly of Gibmllar
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Mi":l)J/\ P1.Ac1·:MFi'i r f'Oll 71. ~oun1 J\FllJCAl\I f{E!'l{ESF.NTAflVi OJ.' O!rH GH)O!.IM -n1A'! II' SHOlll.0 NOT IH: !N l'SJC, tlNJ.ESS !TIS AN MR, \I. T.ABACK 1'1'>AVO!DAl\l.f·, NFCJ·:S'>!TY. •\N!J TllEN 0"-LY \VITI-I .'\LL S!Jf'JABLI-. PO /JO\ !i1.'>.~2. l'HE JEWISH O!lSERVLR DOJ::.~ NOT ,,S.~l'ME /(myf('IW. .{ohrmnnhltf' R E A D l'OR THE DAMAGING FALLOUT OF Rav Michel Yehuda's comments in Likewise, while "a bit of shelo lishma" COMPETITIVENESS Darkei Hachayim, vol. 1, pp. 365-367 may indeed be necessary as a tempo and vol. 2, pp. 64, 309.) rary measure, this is clearly not what To the Editor: The editorial comment accompa is happening in many yeshivas. While In my clinical practice as a psy nying Rabbi Nissel's article reminds Rabbi Dessler repeatedly cites Chazals chologist, I have frequently witnessed us, in support of competition, of the that emphasize the serious dangers the detrimental results of the hyper "echad mei'eleph"that emerges lehora'a. of learning shelo lishma (e.g., Michtav competitiveness common in many of However, Rav Michel Yehuda stated that MeiEliyahu, vol. 1, p. 135), many our schools and yeshivos. I was therefore this has no bearing on the question of mechanchim seem to be insufficiently pleased to read Rabbi Nissel's excellent competitiveness. Rather, this describes aware of this danger. Rather, shelo lishma article on this subject ("Inspiring or the natural course of events. In times is actively promoted with little thought Destructive,?" May '07). I would like to past, this process didn't undermine the of the need to reach lishma, since it is add a few points to his article and share motivation of those who didn't make it assumed that the process of mitoch shelo with interested readers what gedolim of to the top. They were able to be satisfied lishma ba lishma is an automatic process. past and present generations have said that they did their best. In the competi The famous dictum of the chinuch that on the subject, including what I was tive environment that many schools and "achar hape'ulos nimshachos halevavos" told by Rabbi Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz yeshivas actively and purposely induce, is also marshaled as reassurance that the N'i;»';iv in a personal conversation in Bnei however, it shouldn't be surprising that a1tificially induced motivation will auto Brak on 20 Sivan 5767 (June 6, 2007). not making it to the top will break the matically be internalized. Rabbi Chaim Regarding kin' as sofrim tarbeh spirit of many students, as I can, unfor Friedlander (Sifsei Chayim, Mo'adim, chachma, Rav Michel Yehuda agreed tunately, attest to from my clinical prac Vol. 2, p. 346) and other gedolim clearly with my observation that Chazal only tice. (A rav told me that Rabbi Shlomo state that this is not the case and that stated this axiom regarding melamdim Wolbe told him that the Mishnah stating a minimal level of internal motivation and not talmidim. He doesn't know how that it is better to be the tail of a lion from the very beginning of the process is it came to be applied to talmidim. Many than the head of a fox [Avos, 4:15] no required. Rav Michel Yehuda also stated gedolim, likewise, have emphasized that longer applies, because it would break that some level of lishma can be attained not every kin'as sofrim is the healthy, the spirit of most people.) even by young children (see also the positive type praised by Chazal (e.g., The editorial comment concedes Ga on in Evven Sh lo mo, 6:6) and that see Rabbi Matisyahu Salomon, Matnas that excessive competition "can prove prizes should be kept to a minimum. Chayim, Kinyanim, vol. 1, pp. 68-69 and harmful to those who cannot make it:' He also condemned the use of "Talmid Rabbi Henoch Lebowitz, Chiddushei However, the gedolim have specifically Hashavua" designations and Mishnayos Haleiv, Vayechi, 49:16). Rabbi Michel warned of the danger to those who can charts where all the students can see Yehuda categorically states that, in our make it, especially as it encourages gaiva how everyone else is doing, because this times, there is no one who is capable (e.g., Darkei Hachayim, vol. 2, p. 64). Rav induces competitiveness. (Of course, of positive competitiveness and that Michel Yehuda emphasized how even this is the very reason why schools have it is, therefore, the responsibility of bachurim who seem to be "making it" this practice.) 1nechanchim to eliminate competitive for years can actually be living under The editorial comment also relates ness in yeshivos, since it discourages excessive competitive pressure (often a story demonstrating how the Chazon serious learning and causes the worst without realizing it), and eventually suf lsh encouraged competitiveness among kind of emotional problems. (See also fer serious emotional consequences. metzuyanim. Rav Michel Yehuda told me r-=------~-=-----=-=-----=-~-T~~~-~-~~-0~=~~~,~~-~~~=------=---=~---=-~==~--=--=-=-i I I I that this story cannot be true. experts in the field. It's nice to see oth- Your opening article, quoting from I ) Some mechanchinz condemn the ers, such as Rabbi Ehr1nan, who1n I've the Alter from Novaradok) was an eye 'I concern over the detrimental impact had the opportunity to meet, and who opener. I looked through most of that ' of competition on self-esteem as symp- is also a ta/mid chacham, write articles piece and found that in the 8'" peirek, he I tomatic of the influence of modern on the same topic. briefly discusses kin'aamong talmidim. 1 I liberal educational theories on our way Rabbi Nisse! wrote about a topic that He says that it will cool them off from 1 \ of thinking. However, one can clearly has been one of my favorites for a long any encounter with their friends for a I sec that the concern for maintaining time. I have had the opportunity to run d'var mitzvah. [ adequate self-esteem has a long his- a small, after-school Hebrew school for Placing an article about Rav Mendel I tory in our mesorah (e.g., Ta'anis, Sa; about 20 years. We were successful in Kaplan together with some of his quotes .II' Sichos Mussm; Ma'amar 45; Michtav cutting out bees and contests that have on chinuch supporting the previous MeiEliyahu, vol. 4, p. 263 and vol. 5, one or two winners, while leaving every- two article was a stroke of literary bril- p. 50). This concern was also a central one else to suck their wounds or deal liance! focus of Rav Michel Yehuda's remarks. with their hurt feelings and egos. We are Again, yeyasher kochacha for bring- A remarkable example of gedolim's trying to give our talmidim a geshmak ing these topics to the forefront in concern for self-esteem is found in for learning and mitzvos. So how do your prestigious magazine. May you go Sefer Ohel Rachel from Rabbi Shmuel we do it? We generate pain, tension and meichayil el chayilandmaywe be zocheh Auerbach, (p. 142), where he quotes hard feelings! It's absolutely absurd! His that all our children have a geshmak and the Ya'avetz explaining why he left explanation of the Gemara about kin'as chaishek for Torah and mitzvos. out humility when discussing middos: sofrim applying to rebbei'im and not to SHIMON RICHTER "What can I do? This midda of anava the students is so basic that it's a wonder Lakewood, NJ has destroyed so many people I hamidda that so many well-meaning mechanchim, hazos she/ anava hishchisa kol chelka who for the most part are talmidei cha- FROM UNCONDITIONAL LOVE TO tova]!" chan1in1, missed it. I would add that, WHITEWASHED APPROVAL The Nesiwi Chinuch (Slonim, pp. in my opinion, that which Chazal tell 42-43) also condemns the use of con- us - that jealousy is a cause for pain: To the Editor: 1 tests and competition as a form of kin' a taiva vekavod) envy, Just, and Re: Rabbi Nissel's essay, "Inspiring or motivation in the strongest possible fame, remove a person from the world Destructive?" (May '07) terms. I have compiled an extensive - applies to kin'as sofrim as well, even Yet another ego-pumping, challenge- compilation of citations from scfarim among rebbei'im. Certainly, it applies to avoidant crutch for our talmidim who on the issue of competition, prizes the kin'a generated by contests. J once have already overdosed on a menu of and self-esteem and would be happy heard from Rabbi Frand that contests ho-hum mitzvah notes, accolades of to e1nail or fax a copy to anyone who as we know them now is not a Jewish praise for any accomplishment, inflated requests it by email ([email protected]) concept. Rather, it is something that we grades, fantasy awards and meaning- or by fax (718-377-0215). There is also learned from the goyim' less certificates for dubious talents. a great deal of research evidence that documents how extrinsic rewards and Most of us have several areas that co1n- inducements often undermine intrinsic pete for our tin1~ and attention. \\r~1en motivation. A summary of these stud L l e B a l ance these areas are 111 harn1ony, you w1/J ifi• experience a lV:'.llil nn1Jr.J - peace of ies and of a recent scientific review of A Life~Coach n1ind - n1aking you a n1ore effective, happier person. the self-esteem issue are also available can help JOU In 2-3 111onths, using weekly private phone sessions you can learn to I upon request. develop and effectively take control of your life. BEN/JON SoROTZK!N, PsY.D. J t ' HOW MUCH MORE PRODUCTIVE AND ENHANCED ma n atn a WOULD YOUR LIFE BE WITH BETIER LIFE BAIANCE' Brooklyn, NY wholesome · I b l WHY COACHING? hnproving one's life 1neans 1naking change; and a ance people need support and structure to keep distractions and obstacles fron1 REFRESHING DISCUSSION between the swainping their drean1s and goals. Coaching provides that solid framework ONCHINUCH important of support and structure. areas of I have over thirty ye<1rs experience in helping people fulfill their dreams, z;r. have authored books, L ------_____ " ____ ------"------"-- ____ , ______,, ______, _____ ., _____ ------, -- .------· ------·-· ------:--i "lOVEM!lER 2007 --···------· ·------·- ·------... -----··------·- ----·--··------·------· ------·----·- - I Hn1mm. a connection between self-esteem and ing each student's qualities and stun I Please refer the author to "Our Most success, only to find either none or a moning other strengths in the face of Praised Generation Goes to Work" (Wall negative correlation! The truth gnaws at challenge sidesteps intended goals and Street Journal, April 20, 2007), or the just our intellect and hashkafa, yet, we con overrides emmes and yashrus in today's released "The Use and Misuse of Self tinue to pursue the emotional gashn1iyus child-rearing and chinuch. Scratching Esteem" (Harvard Mental Health Letter, of "feeling food;' so much so that we our heads, but en1n1es geredt, our frus June 2007), or the earlier "A Nation of have n1ade it a pri1nary goal in educating tration level speaks volumes. Further Wimps" (Psychology Today, December and raising our children. Unconditional camouflaged by the arduous yeshiva 2004). No surprise!! What do you get? A love has 1norphed into unconditional schedule, young men's and women's and fragile, es kun1pt niir, entitled, anxious, approval, whitewashed. men's double-duty load, adapting to an narcissistic1 un1notivated underling! Not only praise, whether well earned accelerated life style, we delude ourselves The n1yth, born fro1n a "me genera or undeserved, has received such a poor into thinking "It's Okay:' tion" in the late 1960s, that self-esteem report card; frequent recognition and Our holy Torah advises us," Miktzas is a panacea to life's endeavors has so acknowledgement with little room for shevacho befanav" (minimize praising penetrated our society that it has kash risk and failure and facing its conse to one's face). Hashem promises each cred its way into unzer velt, albeit as a quences were also cited as contributing person a chartered place in Olam Habba, hedonistic pursuit. This creation and its to underachievement and feelings of one with madreigos (earned hierarchy) promise had such mass appeal that we insecurity. Add support, prompting that will genuinely correspond to his chose to ignore its lie. and hand holding, and you've created a deeds. Masks are offl "I'm Okay. anyway" Dr. Roy Baun1ei.ster of the Association learning model in vvhich a student gains won't work there! for Psychological Science, who was a access to instant feedback and makes Note, too, that competition and leading proponent of self-esteem, in little use of learning through hypoth capitalism are by far the 1nost success 2003 reneged on this theory and vvas esis or trial and error, thus obliterating ful systems. quoted as having referred to it as, "The curiosity for knowledge and the quest Whoever promotes a universal feel biggest disappointment of my career," for "lcfun1 tza'ara agra - reward is in good reward system certainly qualifies after he and his team reviewed 15,000 accordance with the effort invested." as a "real nice guy," an oheiv Yisroel, studies, of which only 200 were bona The well intended yet misguided and a ba'al rachamim. But perhaps the fide and standardized, trying to prove approach of recognizing and applaud- harm he might be concerned with is are inp,f~~4~1o~~proper structure, no~~50 L'~~~'.~~l~:f~.D. ROM & SONG. . . . . ~;~, . ·voURKlTCHENKO~~~~t~·7 A rRoPERsHAssos:·Jit~~E \t' '> :-i-:;_-;:,\-'i'>{._:--_, a str11~~~etowotkwltlf ~~~:~ust teacll ... an \W/;;.;< ,,,-«,' ''"'''%'''"' ISRAEL.COM orcall us at 73 2-'~l0-3 l..li-4 · pirchei@shernayl~rael.com "'"'··• '\.,, __ ,. _J r-=.·· Tl-IE JE\VJSH OBSE~VF.I( the patronizing, compensatory atti 1nent ca1ne to the podiun1 to present the the hours I put into that involven1ent tude in1plied in his term "losers" and award, she said a few words about the paled in comparison to the yearbook "winners." importance of studying English, and editor's. C!11\Nl F!UF!)i\'lAN, M .S. then announced that the award \vas In order to apply to college, I was LICENSED M EN.l:AL being given to someone whose perfor required to take the English SAT tests HEAi.TH PROl'ESSJONAI, mance had brought honor to the school administered by the College Board, and Brookly11, NY and its English faculty. their English composition test, as well. As she said, "And the \Vinner is ... " I don't knovv how things are now, but SOMETIMES WINNER TAKES ALL. .. all eyes focused on the yearbook edi at that tin1e, 800 was a perfect score. I THE ABUSE tor, who was smiling and holding the always found English very easy, and was sides of her chair in order to better able to score almost 800 in both the 'fo the Editor: be able to propel herself to a standing English SAT and the English composi Kudos to Rabbi Mordechai Nisse! position and stride for\vard to accept tion test. "fhis had brought recognition for his excellent article about com her prize. Her father \Vas already on his to our school and to its English teach petition in our schools (May '07). I feet, can1era in hand, approaching the ers. They, in turn, \vantcd to return the agree with everything he said. Rabbi podiu1n. But so111cthing very awk\vard favor and therefore voted to give inc the Nisse! dre\.v attention to the harn1 happened. Instead of saying the editor's English prize. that graduation prizes can inflict name, the depart1nent chair111an called I did not apply for the award, nor upon the losers. I would like to share out 1nine! did I do anything at all to promote my a personal account of a case \vherc a What had happened to create this dit~ candidacy. l1o\vevcr, even no\.v, five prize created ill effect for the wm ficult state of affairs? I should not even decades later, \vhen l think back on ners, as well. have been considered for the a\vard. I my high school graduation, I still feel As a senior citizen whose edu took n1y senior electives in the niath regret and re1norse that I un\.vittingly cational career predates the prolif department and applied for college in caused grief and e111barrass1nent to the eration of Bais Yaakov schools in a parnassa-relatcd scientific discipline. I yearbook editor and her parents. An1erica, I graduated fro111 a public did \Vritc for the school newspaper, but N,\:\JE Wrn-JHELJ) BY REQUEST high school. 1\t our gr.:1duation ccr en1ony, eJch of the ;:1caden1ic depart- 111ents in the school gave an award to one student. There were half a dozen such depart1nents, and therefore there were six winners arnong a class of over two hundred. There were no guidelines for the prizes. 'fraditionally, the winner was a student \Vho had taken the senior elective courses in that departn1cnt, was applying to college to n1ajor in that subject, and had devoted a considerable nun1ber of his or her after-school hours to the extra curricular program offered by that dcpartn1ent. Because every student was required to take English during each sen1estcr of high school, the English department \Vas the largest. It thercf RABBI SHLOMO FURST r 1 1 ! The Loud and, 1 Clear Messages of 1 Lashon Hara Based on lectures of Rabbi Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg ~"V>'n> to his yeshiva, Torah Ore, in Jerusalem FACING FACTS Basically, we tend to speak lashon hara the human being, who possesses · · · · · · · • · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · • · · · · because we forget our true essence - we intelligence and understanding. here are many practical reasons were each created betzellem Elokin1, in Besides alerting his talmidim to the why we should be concerned G·d's image - and that our true goal in seriousness of speaking lashon hara, the Tabout the great impact that life is to praise G·d and everything in rebbi was teaching his talmidim "to train · speech has upon our lives. Shemiras His Creation. their tongues not to speak unfavorably, I halashon, being careful about what we The sefer Chovos Halevavos (6:6) that it should not become habitual - ,I say, insures the quality of family life, quotes the following incident: and likewise, to train their tongues to ' friendships, social contacts and business Some talmidim were walking with speak favorably in order that it become associations. Proper com1nunication their rebbi along the road. During habitual." I is the basis of all successful human their journey, they came across a Clearly, we all are prone to speaking i relationships. dead dog. The rotting carcass had lashon hara. Nevertheless, in spite of this As obvious as this may be, shemiras an awful smell, and the talmidim tendency, we must learn to speak prop erly - about anything and anyone. 'I halashon is not always easy. We often spoke about how bad the stench was. 1 have the urge to speak las hon hara. We The rebbi countered and said, "How 1 can be tempted or compelled - even white its teeth are!" The talmidim i "justified" - to speak degradingly about realized their mistake and regretted D IFFI cu L TY Is No Excus E people. Nevertheless, since the Torah their disparaging remarks about the · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · • · · · · · l! co1nmands us to refrain from speak- carcass. speaking lashon hara reveals what ' ing lashon hara, we have to realize that It is significant to note that the talmi- we think about people. It also I we can improve and correct ourselves. dim could not refrain from speaking reveals what we think about G-d. : The more we understand about why we disparagingly, even in the presence of Furthermore, speaking lashon hara can speak lashon hara, the more successful their spiritual leader! Consequently, ruin our lives. This regrettable outcome we will be in controlling our speech. the sefer Chovos Halevavos learns the occurs with exacting justice - midda RAusi FuRsT, w1-1o 15 MAsuGIAc1-1 KvcttANI IN following lesson: kenegged midda, measure for measure KoLLFL RuAcH c11A1M, 1s ACT110R nF NEsH'os Since it is disgraceful to speak - specifically, through the words of our CHAIM - THE TORAll W.-1}' OF [,JFE SEIHES (THllS badly about a dead dog, how much own mouths. FAR. oN B101u:rs1-11s AND Sf/1,'Mns) BASED oN THE more so is it [improper to speak Rabbeinu Yona (Sha'arei Teshuva MOTz;A'EJ SHABBOS 1.ECTURES OF RABBI CHAIM J b a dl y ab out a l ivmg . h uman b emg. . 3:201 ) Cites . t h e G emara (A rac h.in 15 b) PINCHAS $CHEINB£RG. HF IS A FREQliENT CONTRIB- UTOR TO 11-IESE PAGES, MOST RECENTLY WITH "SJPUR And since it is proper to praise white- which deems those who speak lashon 1 Yt:TL1A.5 Mn-zRAnM- PREPARING FOR THE FuTuRE ness of a dead dog's teeth, then there hara as being kofeir ba'ikar- denie~sof 1 BY UNnERsTANDING THE PAsT." APRIL '07. is definitely an obligation to praise G-d. As proof, the Gemara quotes the ~ ------··--. -·- - - . ·---··· -- - -·---·- ·-- -· - - ·---··------.. -- 1 ------ passuk, "Our lips are ours; through our tongues we will prevail; who is 1naster over us?" (Tehi/lim 12,5). By refusing to acknowledge the right of Hashem to EASIER SAID THAN DONE govern their speech, these people sever their relationship with Him. Rabbeinu Yona (3:204) continues explaining that teshuva is very difficult i for those who speak lashon hara. The habit of speaking lash on hara becomes so entrenched that such people come to II speak without thinking. Their tongue eventually rules over their mind. So much so, that "the lips of the fool will and a rasha are their desires, motiva swallow him up" (Kohelles 10,12). tions and goals. Thus, the way people "It is obvious that since Hakadosh Speaking lashon hara thus causes talk about others reflects their attitude Baruch Hu created this exclusive physical and spiritual destruction. toward them. It also reveals their true, remedy for this ailment, it is abso People risk, chas veshalom, passing and perhaps flawed, disposition. lutely impossible for a person to be from this life without ever doing tcs The Gemara (Kiddushin 70a) estab cured from this ailment without huva. Hashem Yisbarach gave us the lishes the premise: "Kol haposcil bemumo this remedy. Anyone who thinks gift of speech in order to foster shalom poseil," meaning that when anyone to save himself without it is simply between people, to learn His Torah, and discredits someone, it is a result of the mistaken. He will only realize his to offer Hi1n our praises, our prayers person's own in1perfections; as Rashi error at the end when he dies in sin. and our repentance. Unfortunately, if explains, "It is never the way of a flawed For the truth is that the yeitzer hara we mistakenly believe that "Our lips are individual to praise others:' When we is very strongly entrenched in man. ours ... ," then as midda kencgged midda, view people, do we attempt to see their Hence, without a person realizing we will suffer the sad consequences. Our faults, or do we wish to see their virtues? it, it grows stronger and overpowers tongues will rule our thoughts and our The choice is ours. him, and will rule over him:' lips will not be ours, all because of the The Rarnban1 writes: Wholehearted devotion to learning mistaken belief that we can say what we Permission is given to every per Torah will enable us to become sensitive wish. As difficult as shemiras halashon son. If he desires, he is granted the to our true essence, the tzellen1 Elokim 1nay seem to be, we owe ourselves a clean ability to direct himself to the proper within us. Without Torah, we are blind, break from the habit. path and become a tzaddik. And if and this blindness results in a denial he desires, he is granted the abil of our basic perfection. When people ity to direct himself to the corrupt negate themselves, it becomes very easy A DECLARATION OF path and become a rasha" (Hilchos - natural - to negate and besmirch oth I IGNORANCE Teshuva 5: I). In the next halacha, the ers. Torah gives the tzaddik the ability to understand and acknowledge the basis I ·a·.. ·.· ~~-1~~:; ~~- ;~;~;r~: -~~1~:~~~ ~a;i~:e7:1~e~e~:~;~.fh:;;~z:d~~~ of all goodness, perfection and truth I I indicates how much we know BaruchHudecreesonaperson,from in people, and in the world. Thus, the about the dictates of the Torah the beginning of his creation, to be tzaddik finds it very easy to be care and how much we adhere to them. a tzaddik or a rasha. This is not so. ful about shemiras halashon - and the I Speaking Lashon hara also reveals our Rather, each person is fit to be a rasha not. own flaws. tzaddik like Moshe Rabbeinu or a Our self-image is a powerful influ We usually define a tzaddik as some- rasha like Yeravam .... The Creator ence on how we view and react to the I one who does good deeds. Conversely, does not decree upon a person that world around us. Who and what we are we think of a rasha as someone whose he will be upright nor that he will our affects our perceptions, and our I deeds are corrupt. The true distinction, be evil. ... The wrongdoer causes behavior follows suit. Created betzel- however, is much more subtle. This his own loss. lem Elokim, we have infinite power to .i I is because our behavior and speech The tzaddik understands and improve and perfect ourselves. We must I 1 are manifestations of our thoughts acknowledges the truth about all realize the truth of our essence, and dare ] and desires. Rabbeinu Yona (Sha'arei people: that everyone possesses a not speak disparagingly about it. \ 1 Tcshuva 1:18), when defining the essen- nucleus of perfection- tzellem Elokim. A tzellem Elokim is blessed with the [ tial difference between a tzaddik and A tzaddik is only concerned with the wonderful gift of speech. We all have I opportunities to draw close to Has:Jem Lsha,_c~e~ the ~~su~"=en ~~- go~d~1de~~eo~l~~~this~~o~v~ 11 ------r--···-·-··-·-- NOVEMl~ER 2 0 0 7 1 ------· ______,, ____ , ------·------______,, --··-----· and His 'forah. Above all, however, \Ve remain unrefined, and our speech and Lashon Hakodesh, a nan1e is not simply must want to. Without this desire and behavior vulgar. an identifying label. A name reflects without Torah, our perceptions will the true essence and purpose of the object to which it refers. Kavod literally ACKNOWLEDGING TRUTH means glory. Reb Yerucham therefore understands that the word "neshatna" he concluding words of Pirkei is synonymous with "glory" because Avos teach a basic truth of life: the purpose of the neshama is to glorify T Everything Hashem created exists Hashem. for the sole purpose of revealing His When we speak lashon hara, we glory. By speaking badly about people - violate our souls. \"le render them and anything else in the world, even the 1neaningless. In addition, we reveal reeking carcass of a dog - \Ve reveal that our ignorance of these basic facts we have very little or no understanding and announce to the world that we of this basic truth. We also betray the have no clue to what life is all about. tzellem Elokim within us. Therefore, if we bear a person speak- Specializing in small batim for a perfect fit. .. .in memory A of a loved one It is a mistake to think that the r:Mr Arff merits them /l:,J H \.J "eternal tzaddik is blind and does not realize G pleasantness tAN and light to that people have shortcomings. La the soul in He sees and understands fully the r, f/1Un Gan Eden." rllavu.111111 (Chofelz Chaim! flaws that people possess. To establish a perpetual Memorial or Honorary Fund at one of our 31 branches across Eretz Yisroel, contact: OZER DALIM 'Cl''7"T 1Tll1 1301 Avenue K, Rabbi Yerucha1n Halcvi Levovitz ing disparagingly, Rcb Yeruchan1 Brooklyn, NY 11230 i,~::zr (l)a'as Chacl1111a U1nussar vol. 2, alerts us, "We should know that this (718) 434-2228 111a'a111ar 14) \\.Tites: is contrary to reality." f-Iuinans exist OzerDalim The entire basis of Torah and of for the express purpose of glorify human existence is the glorifica~ ing their Creator~ and each other .. I Eretz i'lisroel's tion of G-d - and the glorification Speaking lashon hara is thus self of people. Glorification of G-d and defcating. Inevitably, laslwn hara 1 Most ReliaOle S11omer Snaef5os anCl Englisn Speaking Gar Service the glorification of tzellem Elokim speaks most loudly and clearly about are the foundation and source of all the one ·vvho says it. Visiting Israel? Need 1ransport? 1'orah and mitzvos. It is a mistake to think that the -··--CHOOSE-.. - l'he essence of and entire reason for tzaddik is blind and docs not realize the ncsha111a's existence is to praise and that people have shortco1nings. He Menashe Sopher's glorify its Creator - and all aspects of sees and understands fully the 11aws Airport & Limousine Service Creation. Therefore, as Reh Yerucham that people possess .. However, because Celchrating 12 years~( unbeatable scrvil-c! explains, it is for this reason that Dovid he knows that in essence, we are all OUR EfflC!ENf EKGLISH-SPEAKING OFFICE STAFF, Harnelech uses the word "kavocf' instead tzellem Elokim, then, in spite of all H;J LY-UCENSED, !NSl'RU) & AlR·t:ONDITIOMJ) VANS, DRIVEN llYjEWlSH, POUTE DR!VFRS, of the V\rord "nesha1na" in the passuk, our hun1an flaws and weaknesses, ARE TAILOR-MADE FOR ALL OCCASIO,"lS " ... may kavod (the neshama) sing out no one is worthless and deserving of 1.718.360.5083 to You and not be silent; Hashen1, n1y disgrace. The tzaddik knows that any or 972.2.533.3425 G-d, I will always thank You" ( Tehillim hu1nan imperfection has a ren1edy, 30,13). and is therefore only a temporary The pure soul within us has the condition. This knowledge enables the , ability to glorify Hashem Yisbarach. In ""ddlk rn :fill "I "' "'° """ :J r- ... Ti-IF. JEWISH O!lSERVEH: I of shc1niras halashon even under dif say that Hakodosh Baruch Hu docs not aspire, we will be on the way to bcco1n ficult conditions. We learn this basic give a person the power to acco1nplish ing tzaddikim. We will learn to see the lesson directly from the Torah. either good or bad. Rather, the choice good side of people and to understand Ada1n Harisho11 nan1cd his wife is his alone, as it says in the passuk, 'And the true worth of the tzellem Elokim "Chava, eim kol choi, the mother of all you shall choose life' (Deva rim 30: 19). \Vithin each of us. In the course of life;' specifically after the transgression After he has chosen a path that is good, events, we \vill have a much easier tin1e of eating from the eitz hada'as, \vhich [the process starts and J Hashem will be being careful about what \Ve say. brought death to the world. At that \vith hin1. "fhereforc, when he does one In the merit of our shen1iras halashon, point, the 1nost proper nan1e to give mitzvah, he will be helped to do another inay we soon have the privilege of see her would have been "the mother of mitzvah ...." ing the Beis Hamikdash rebuilt - and all death." If \Ve exercise self-restraint and resist may we all joyously stand together in Jn spite of the dire circun1stances, the temptation to speak lashon hara - its courtyards, using our voices to offer Adain gave Chava an honorable nan1e. even just one tin1e - Hashen1 can give glorious praise and heartfelt thanksgiv t1e did not forget Chava's true essence us an infinite amount of help. If \Ve so ing to our Creator. !l'!J - tzellem Elokim. The Torah empha~ sizes our constant obligation to speak in a n1anncr consistent with she111iras ha/oshon, even if we feel justified to do other,vise. Therefore, especially when someone does do son1cthing \vrong, we n1ust rernen1ber to exercise control and not speak badly about him or her. If we blunder and speak our n1ind, \VC must ask forgiveness and resolve to be careful not to fail again. INFINITE HELP n the fourth pcirek of Avos, Ben THEVORT • The menu for the seuda is Azzai teaches us, "Run to an easy ; °The ·vari ·ceieiJrat.ion· ;5 ·to. ·tie limited to 3 courses followed by a I nlitzvah, and flee fro1n a transgres discontinued. The L'chaim (held at regular dessert. sion, for a n1itzvah causes a niitzvah and the time that the engagement is • No Viennese table and no bar. a transgression causes a transgression, announced) should also not turn since the revvard for a rnitzvah is a nlitz into a Vort. THE MUSIC vah and the reward for a transgression THE WEDDING ; ·Ii Ganci" may consist of a·r1iax{niiJITi is a transgression." of 5 musicians (one of the musicians In his cornn1entary on Avos, Rabbeinu ; .F.cir· ·tyfiiC:a1 · tamiiies: ·0ri1y· «ioo may act as a vocalist) or four musi Yona explains that the phrase "A mitzvah invited guests may be seated at the cians and one additional vocalist. causes a mitzvah" ineans the following: chassuna seuda. (The Guidelines \t\Then a person does an easy n1itzvah one make provision for exceptional • A one-man band is recom tin1c, he co1nes closer to Hashe1n and circumstances - see full text.) mended. accuston1s himself to serving Jlashem. • The kabbolas panim smorgas FLOWERS & CHUPA DECOR It thus becomes easier in his eyes to do bord should be limited to basic ."rfie.totai ·cost ot'these.items for another mitzvah. Moreover, \vhen it cakes, fruit platters, a modest buf the entire wedding should not co1nes time to do another niitzvah, he fet, and the caterer's standard exceed $1,800. will do it quickly. When setting out to chicken or meat hot dishes. do a n1itzvah, \VC n1ust be constantly awJre of the potential of even one FOR THE FULLVERSION OF THE SIMCHAiGUIDELINES ' 1nitzvah to have a far-reaching impact WITH ITS RABBINICALENDORSEMENTS on our lives. 1\fterY11ards, H.abbeinu Yona explains AND THE ACCOMPANYING KOLKOREH, I what"The reward for a 1nitzvah is a mitz please cilll 212•612~2300 L" means: "F01 [Ben Azzai] means to I ·-··__d r-==····· -~-=--=~-----····----;~~~LL-~~~-;~~~~~-~--~~==·- ••. _----·~ i RABBI MENDEL WEINBACH The ! Spoon and the REFLECTIONS Knife ON THE POWER OF POSITIVE SPEECH 1en I was asked this past sum gossip, and slander). A Midrash (Yalkut placed before them soft and tough mer to speak at the Annual Shimoni, Tehillim 52) offers us an ad di· tongues. When he saw them all reach W kennes on Shemiras Halashon tional perspective. for the soft ones, he said to them: held in Jerusalem's Binyanei Ha'uma Rabban Gamliel asked his faith· "My sons, this is the way you should Convention Center, I was faced with ful and wise servant Tavi to go to always behave, with soft tongues towards \vhat was a challenge even for a veteran the marketplace and purchase some one another." lecturer. I had already spoken in previ good meat. He returned with a ous years, alternately in Hebrew and in tongue. Another day, he asked him to English, to the thousands of women who buy some bad meat. Once again, he APPLYING THE LESSONS attended these very special gatherings to returned with a tongue. Challenged gain chizuk in guarding their tongues, by his master to explain his para· poon and not knife; a soft tongue and I felt that I had already exhausted doxical behavior, Tavi replied, "The and not a tough one. How do we put whatever I had to say on this important tongue is both good and bad. When Sthis into practice? Encouragement, subject. But Heaven blessed me with an it is good, there is nothing better. compliments, greetings and thank yous inspiration! Instead of focusing on the When it is bad, there is nothing are just a few examples of the power of danger of forbidden speech, I decided worse.'1 positive speech. to call attention to the power of posi· The message of this Midrash is clear. In every Jewish community, especially tive speech. Not only does the tongue have the a Torah-true one, there are gen1achim of "Death and life are in the hand of capacity to cause deathly harm, but it all sorts to supply virtually every type of the tongue" (Mishlei l 8,2 l ). also has the power to enrich life. needed service. The Chareidi Telephone We are accustomed to interpreting The Targum of Akilas on this pas Directory in Jerusalem has gemach list this advice of Shlomo Hamelech as a sage cited in this Midrash offers a ings covering 85 pages! But perhaps the warning against the lethal power of visual image of the dual nature of the most important and most accessible negative speech such as rechilus, lashon tongue. "Spoon or knife - life or death:' gemach is not listed simply because it is hara and 1notzi shein1 ra (tale bearing, The sa1ne tongue can serve as a spoon available in every Jewish home. This is -----··"'------···--- dealing out honey to sweeten the lives the gemach of the ear and tongue. RABBI WEINBACH. NOSH HAY£STfl\/A. OF OHR of others, or as a knife stabbing them A relative or a neighbor is having a SOM.,.,YACH IN JERL'SALEM, IS AUTHOR OF SEVERAL BOOKS ON THE TEACHINGS OF 'THE CIJOFETZ CJ!A!M in the back. tough time. He desperately needs some· AS WELL AS 127 L£SSONS FROM /'l,ff:Glf.Li\S fSTHL'R, This is the lesson that Rebbi (Rabbi one to who1n he can pour out his heart. >\ND JliRNAB0111, BASF;O ON THE MAI.DIM:~ COM- Yehuda Hanassi) taught his disciples A compassionate listener relieves some MEN'IARY ON f:"STHER (FELDHEJM). when he invited them to a feast and of the burden. "When there is anxiety ~ --- ···------····----- ··----·------·-··--·------.- . ·--·.. ··----·-·· r-=-- T H E JE\.VISl-I OttsEJ deliverer of the compliment made in as well- begrudging someone else hav- human gesture? I order to achieve the 111aximun1 effect. ing everything that you have, even if And if the mussar sefanm are filled I ' Lesea~~d~~IC~~1a~bos .the-boy- it is no~at~~u~xpen~. Putti~ thi~ - ~i~1 ~ond~mnation~ ~ ~n~~i~ I,------· --- ·--""---·------·----·-- NovEMn1·:R 2 0 0 7 PilE~ld3~S ~DEE; shouldn't we be more careful in saying Over 50;years experience in Kvura in Eretz Yisrael thank you to those who deserve it - not Serving tFie Notth American Public and Funeral Industry only to a parent, a spouse, a child, a 7N1'11' )'1i'l J'i'l ;m::ip )li'l llj71j7 teacher or a helpful neighbor, but even Personal responsibility throughout service - NOT JUST ''PAPERWORK" to a driver of a bus or taxi? A warm ORIGINATOR OF THE PRESENT RABBINICALLY APPROVED METHOD greeting or thank you are potentially Highly recommended by Gedolai Hador- Here and in Eretz Yisrael in your spoon-tongue and they can make life so much brighter for both 162S-42nd Street, llrooklyn, NY 11204 giver and taker. Day &Night phone: (718) 851-8925 In conclusion, I suggest we revisit ]))t»r.JN1~r.JNj7 ))l"i7 - pi~ 1Nl mr.i::iv '1l~ the famous Midrash about the peddler Kavod Haniftar with Mesiras Nefesh and compassion for the bereaved family. who cried out, "Who wants to live?" 1'AHARAS HANIFTAR SHOULD NEVER BE COMMERCIALIZED and succeeded in gathering a crowd of customers anxious to acquire his magic elixir. When Rabbi Yannai invited him into his home and asked him what he was selling, he pulled out a Scfer Tchillim and read the following passage, "Who is the man \.vho wants to live ... ? Guard your tongue from speakiug evil. ..." (34, 15). Rabbi Yannai was so excited about this discovery that he offered the fellow a meal and a generous reward. Asked by his disciples whether he had been unaware of this passage, Rabbi Yannai replied that although he had certainly been familiar with it before, he had learned son1ething more about it from the clever peddler. One explanation offered by one of the gedalei mussar is that while Rabbi It hurts Yannai knew that the secret of long life lies in guarding one's tongue, he did not realize that this was such an obvious truth that it could even be popularly sold in the marketplace - something that the peddler proved. A modern expres sion of this is the annual kennes on Shen1iras Halashon, which attracts over It feels better just to talk about it. That's three thousand women - one evening in why we're here. Our staff is made up of Hebrew and the other in English. caring and sensitive individuals. Together, But perhaps we may suggest that we can help you explore your options. We can refer you to recognized professionals the peddler did not halt at the above for counseling, legal advice or help in mentioned passage, but read on to the finding a safe environment. We can also words, "Turn away from evil and do put you in touch with some very special Rabbis. But in order for us to reach out to good." Guarding the tongue against you, you must first reach out to us. gossip and slander is su1nmarized in the advice to turn away fro1n evil, but the Confidential Hotline 1.888.883.2323 ensuing counsel to do good n1ay mean (No caller ID) (Toll Free) to use the G-d-given power of speech 718.337.3700 in a positive way ... to do good. (NYC Area) Do it for yourself. Spoon or knife - life or death. The Do it for your children. Shalom Task forn' 1s a 501{(X3J ch 111agine in your 111ind's eye the 1vorld's Sadly, this parable reflects the reality tive to becon1e a bank and to originate largest kosher restaurant. 'The restau of our business dealings today. We have loans instead of silnply ac6ng as a broker. I rant is always bustling, serving thou becon1e involved in ever-increasingly Dozens of frum mortgage banks sprung sands of customers each day. It is a full sophisticated transactions and busi up, as people piled into an enor1nously service restaurant that serves both n1ilchig nesses that touch upon some of the most profitable business. With this change and fleishig. Incredibly, the restaurant complex areas ofhalacha. Hasagas gevul ca1ne significant halachic challenges. 1\!fost 1nanages to do this out a.f only one kitchen (invading property rights), geneivas neiv banks recognized the need to execute and with only one set of dishes. da'as (misrepresentation), ribbis (usury) a hetteir iska .for their Jewish clients. Now, in1agine that this restaurant has and even issues of doing business on Other banks, hoivcver, becan1e aware of no hcchsheir, no rabbinical oversight Shabbos arc prevalent in many transac these halachos only after inquiries .from to keep it kosher. The owners are fine tions. Yet, these issues are often over clients. Their original transactions were, ehrliche Yidden who wouldn't dream of looked; people enter into deals without unfortunately, ribbis ketzuza. serving tarfus to the public, and people the slightest thought of the halachic A few years later, a new problen1 rely on them completely. ra1nifications. Even when awareness of emerged. Mortgage banks typically sell Now, ifnagine that the owners of this a particular issue exists, there is little their loans in order to free up their cstablishtnent are co1npletcly ignorant of vigilance. Details of the transaction capital. Loans that tt'ere n1adc with a the laws of kashrus. They have never stud are stipulated \-Vithout considering the hetteir iska ivere being sold on second ied the laws of kashrus, and their knowl halachic consequences. l'he results, as ary n1arkets as conventional 1nortgages. edge is li!nitcd to sonic tidbits that they illustrated by the following example, Rabbi Elyashiv, in a teshuva published in have heard from a .few well-intentioned can be devastating. Koveitz 1'Cshuvos, writes that a conven custon1crs over the years. Many n1ortgage banks started out as tional hettcir iska is not valid for such Would anyone even think of patron simple mortgage brokers. The brokers transactions. ~i n/{!__l~_/:__q!!_ .. <:!.1!!_1?!_~sh ~ en_t!_ .. _ ·-·--·-··- did not extend loans; they simply paired In response to this ruling, new {orn1s of RA e B 1 MARBURGER JS DllH.crot~ OF r>.·IACllON clients with various 1nortgage banks. This hetteir iska were developed by rabbanim. L'c11os11EN M1sHPAT, sun+s As A OA>AN 01· BA1s business was .fairly simple .from a halachic These forms shnvly gained acceptance and DIN Mt>.YSHAR!M, AND IS Al'TffOR OF fJ/rS/NFSS viewpoint; the brokers 1-vcre not lending were gradually adopted by many, but not f-IA1ACllAJ1 (Ainsr-Rou.MESORAJJ, Di-:c. '01). 1noney and ivere therefore not involved all, of the mortgage banks. I-IE !S Cl'RRENH.Y A MEMBJ'.J~ OF THE Cl-IOSJIEN MtSllJ'AT Cl!A13\l!~A!I OF BET!! M EDRA.~lf GOVO!!A, in the ribbis aspects of the deal. Today, there are new issues facing the [ .AKE\\'OOD, AND Sl·~RVES /\S Ri\13/:l!NIC CONSI ILTAN'l As tiine went on, 1nany of the business industry. As credit conditions deteriorate, fOR PrArfNL'M CREDIT MAN,\(;/-.MEN'l. es evolved. It hecan1c increasingly lucra- buyers are begmmn~ to ~efault on their 1 17 "------"-"_____ -"---"--"-""_" ___ ---"--"-~ NOVEMBER 2007 -··---··---·--·------·------·-···--·----·'"------.... ----.,---·--····----·· ---"----··--··--- ' loans. Mortgage bankers are obligated business as a frum Jew? If one chooses to frum Jew opens a food establishment, to buy back loans if the default occurs explore the halachic guidelines to run the public, correctly, will not rely on within a certain period of time. May one ning a business, where can one turn? the owner) and will insist that out collect interest on these loans that are now This leads us to the crux of the side rabbinical oversight be present. In between two Jews? Does a hetteir iska issue. Too few business1nen are familiar contrast, how many of us can say that (transferring ownership to a non-Jew) with the intricate halachos of Choshen we are familiar enough with Choshen survive the sale on the open market, and Mish pat and Yoreh Dei' a, and too few Mishpat to say that we keep a "kosher is it still in force when the mortgage is rabbanim are intimately involved in kitchen"? How many of us have any returned to the originator? the inner workings of high finance and knowledge of or background in any of The goal of this article is not to pro complex business transactions. While the relevant halachos? Although there vide halachic guidance on these she'eilos. as a klal we are not lacking expertise is often no one involved in these deals For that, a person should turn to his rav. in either halacha or business, we are that has any background whatsoever The point is that as business models sorely missing the interaction between in Choshen Mishpat, and the parties evolve, there are significant changes with the two. have no way of knowing if the deal is halachically acceptable, deals are made without a moment's hesitation. I believe the explanation for this phenomenon lies with a serious misper ception of the entire concept ofhalachos relating to money. People often view The perception is that as long as a Choshen Mish pat as business ethics. The perception is that the halachos reflect person acts honorably, he should have no simple concepts of honesty, respecting concern about halacha, and no need other people's rights, and not stealing. As long as a person acts honorably, the to question his actions. This concept assumption is that he should have no is a colossal mistake. concern about halacha, and no need to question his actions. This perception reduces Choshen Mishpat from being the d'var Hashem, a complex system of halacha, to a simplistic collection of self-evident cliches. People do not feel the need to consult with a rav on these halacha ramifications. It took months The kashrus industry has to a large issues. We all believe that we have a if not years for rabbanim to become degree mastered similar challenges. strong sense of integrity. We believe that aware of the changes to the inortgage Kosher supervision organizations run we can trust our intuition to do what is industry, and to recognize and deal with sophisticated operations and pride right, and that we have a strong sense the many michsholim (stumbling blocks) themselves on their technical expertise of yashrus (rectitude) even without a that it entailed. The business owners and and their ability to keep abreast of all background in halacha. clients who patronized these establish- of the rapid changes in the food service ments were unaware of the issuriln that industry. they may have violated. This sort of expertise and oversight BUSINESS ETHICS, OR This example is certainly extreme. does not exist for financial services. This D'VAR HASHEM? Most people are not running large is truly puzzling. Choshen Mishpat is in · · · · · · · · · • · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · businesses that involve wholesale viola- many ways more intricate than the laws This concept is a colossal mistake. tions of ribbis. But all of us engage in of kashrus. Yet, while we would never The Chazon Ish illustrates the transactions that have halachic guide- dream of eating foods that were not fallacy of this perception with lines. Ona' a in contrast to appropriate produced with the strictest rabbinical the following example. pricing, hasagas gevul - as opposed to oversight, we do not see the need for A small shtetel in Europe had a beloved fair competition, and geneivas da'as are any oversight of our business deals. In a melameid. He had been a melameid in issues that confront all businessmen on sense, the exact opposite should be true. town for decades, and many of the towns- a daily basis. Do our businesses operate Every Jewish household has someone people had themselves been his students. on Shabbos? What about our websites? who is familiar with the basic laws of One day, a young melameid moved into . Is that a problem? How many of us have kashrus and is capable of keeping a town. He announced that he was avail- i b:" pute without knowing the underlying The business grew. The person expanded halacha could not possibly determine into other operatio11s1 and ultitnately the yashrus of the situation. His actions opened an ambulance company, day care would be guided by bis feelings and his centers, and a dialysis center. He never underlying sense of justice, but would bothered revisiting the hetteir niechira, fall short of the Torah's perspective. never added the nelv businesses, and Child Development Specialists Although this matter seems to be a didn't bother adapting it when he trans Helping Infants & Toddlers matter of ethics, it is in fact a halacbic ferred a portion of the nursing home to question. Only after understanding the his children. with Developmental Delays and Disabilities Torah's viewpoint can we begin to make Can you imagine this person's judgment calls. anguish when he realizes that he has This concept applies in a less dramat been mechalleil Shabbos all of these ic fashion to many day-to day scenarios. years? Can you imagine his feelings Before we can judge how to respond to \vhen he recognizes that as he sat with what we consider a con1petitor's inap his family around the Shabbos table, propriate business tactics, \Ve need to singing zeniiros and enjoying the ta'ani understand the underlying balachos. Shabbos, he was in reality violating the Taking harsh action against a competitor laws of Shabbos? How could it be that at who has acted within his halachic rights the same time that he joyfully welcomed is clearly inappropriate. That sa1ne reac Shabbos every Friday afternoon, he tion, however, may be perfectly justified never considered how his business was if the competitor has violated halachic operating on Shabbos? guidelines. The unfortunate ansv.rer is that we No one would ever drea1n of stat tend to separate our business dealings ing that he will rely on his intuition from halacha. There is little focus on to decide what should be kosher, and practical halachic matters in the shiuriin that he need not learn the laws of Yoreh that we attend or in the literature that Evaluation and a full range of Dei'a. No one would have the audacity \Ve read, and there are few rabbanin1 Therapeutic Services provided to presume that he could guess what who are prepared to deal with these Hasheni at our Center or in the privacy considers kosher. Yet, at times matters. we can be completely uninhibited in 1'here are a number of obvious steps of your home our business decisions. We unilaterally that can be taken to help mitigate these Bilingual Services Available decide what the appropriate behavior problems. As a start, an effort can be Services are provided based on the child's needs is for a Torah-true Jew, and we do not made to organize shiurim on Choshen as determined by the 7'YC Early Intervention even feel the need to ask or confirm our Mishpat. We need to create quality lit Progran1. The Early lnten'ention Official will decisions. 'fhis is because we do not erature on these subjects, and we must detem1ine the location and provider of any needed services. This Early Intervention view it as a matter of halacha; we tend make a conscious effort to raise our Progratn is funded & reb'lilated by the NYC Dept. to view it simply as a 1natter of doing collective awareness of the issues. of Health & Mental Hygiene. what is ethical. Executive Offices: THE MACHON OF SEMINARS 649 Thirty-Ninth Street SHABBOS AND SHIURIM Brooklyn, New York 11232 his problem is not limited to MachonLechoshenMishpatwas areas of Choshen Mishpat. Our founded by Rabbi Chaim Queens Office: Tbusiness dealings are often insu- Kohn, Dayan of K'hal Adath 70-14 141 st Street lated from other areas of halacha, as )erushurun (KA)), with the backing Flushing, New York 11367 well. of many prominent rabbanim and A businessman bought a nursing home. askanini, to initiate these projects. Before the purchase, he dutifully went to Seminars on Choshen Mishpat have SERVING BROOKLYN, QUEENS, a rav and obtained a hetteir mechira been held in Lakewood, Chicago and STATEN ISLAND & MANHATTAN to allow hini to operate the business on Passaic, and numerous other events are Shabbos. He filled out the form, handed being planned. www.challenge-ei.com it to his "Shabbos gay," and pramptly While shiurim are certainly impor- : forgot abo~tt:~zatW~ Years-we~~Y·-~ ~a~,~hey-will not~n ~~r ~~s~:J ~- Seminars and shiurim by definition try guidance in all areas of life. Having a rav, or ask the Machon for a pe'sak on to attract a broad audience, and deal relationship with a rav that one respects particular issues. with general topics that will be relevant and confides in is certainly the correct The beauty of this program is that to as many people as possible. Because tzura (image) of a Torah home. it enables people, in a relatively quick of the need to appeal to a wide range of In reality, however, many people are and easy manner, to find halacha issues audience, it is not the appropriate venue unable to form such personal connec· that they may not be capable of identi· to present detailed piskei halachos about tions, and 1nany rabbanim do not have lying on their own. It may be virtually I any particular issue. Problems that are the time or expertise to be involved in impossible for a typical businessman to specific to a particular business are left their congregants' business affairs. To master all of the halachos relevant to the unaddressed by these formats. address this problem, the Machon has business world. By taking advantage of a One solution has been to set up created its Business Review Program. Business Review,' he will be directed to seminars on halacha that are geared The idea is simple. The Machon the areas that are most relevant to him, towards specific industry groups. Such has set up a team of dayanim and and that he should focus on. events can focus on the challenges facing rabbanim that are specially trained to No one willfully wants to violate a particular group, and offer detailed interview business1nen and review their halacha. People are simply unaware of advice and guidance. The seminars operations from a halachic viewpoint. the myriad of halachos that apply to present professionals with the oppor· The process is very straightforward. It their daily business, and may not be tunity to raise issues that they confront begins with a consultation in which equipped to deal with it on their own. on a daily basis, and hear advice from the businessman describes his opera By n1eeting for a consultation with a rav both rabbanim and their peers. These tions to a rav. The rav identifies areas who has expertise in these areas, one events are healthy for the rabbanim, of halachic concern, and discusses the has the opportunity to ensure that his I as well. They have the opportunity to different variables and solutions that ventures are consistent with halacha.fiiJ hear firsthand about the challenges that are available. After the consultation, I professionals face, and are able to gain the businessman is provided with a l The Business Reviews are carried out under a better understanding of how a pe'sak written report outlining the areas that the auspices of Rabbi Chai1n Kohn, [Jayan of KAJ. For further infonnation about any of the halacha and various suggestions play require further inquiry. He may then Machon's activities, please contact the Machon I out in the business world. either discuss the infor1nation with his at 1-877-MlSHPAT (647-4728) Machan Lechashen Mishpat has ini· I tiated such events for attorneys and I accountants in Lakewood, and has plans OUR STAND I to expand the program to different loca· ·--•--- tions and different fields. NOW YOU CAN In a sin1iJar vein, a pilot email group for attorneys has been set up. This email PUT THE SPARK BACK I group affords attorneys the opportunity IN YOUR INSURANCE. to present halachic challenges to the I group, and to receive guidance from Call me today to hear about these new I rabbani1n. optional features: New Car Replacement This approach has limitations, as Accident Forgiveness and Deductible Rewards. well. Shiurim can only reach a limited I numberof people. In addition, while an (718) 268-1700 industry·specific seminar may cover the I basic issues that a particular industry I may confront, it cannot address issues that are unique to an individual's busi· ness operation. Furthermore, not every Martin Levy businessman is able to assin1ilate all 103-20 METROPOLITAN AVENUE of the necessary halachic parameters FOREST HILLS discussed in a seminar and apply it to [email protected] his particular business model. Allstate~ You're in good hands. To deal with a person's unique situa· Call or stop by for a free quote tion, ''personalized" haJacha is required. In a perfect world, every businessman I feature 1s optional and subiect to terms and cond1t1ons Available m select states rrnw and in most states by 1/31/06 (sub)ect to \ would have a personal connection with regulatory approval wt1ere reqwred) Allstate Properly and Casualty Insurance company Norlhbrook IL ©2005 Allstate Insurance i I •moreh ®: •"" Im will RABBI CHAIM KOHN r + The following article is a proposal for businessesthait must operate on Shabbos and are owned by Torah obser vant people. It addresses the special halachic challenges faced by these companies and offers a halachically and legally valid format to solve those problems. SHABBOS VIOLATIONS do a forbidden labor) restricts one from opinions agree that it is an issur deOraisa BY PROXY hiring a gentile worker to do any act of (Torah prohibition) to have a melacha melacha (forbidden labor) on Shabbos done by a gentile on Shabbos on the odern commerce presents on behalf of the employer. For example, Yisroel's premises and on his behalf. many challenges to the turning on lights in hallways or fixing Furthermore, the Aruch Hashulchan M shomeir Shabbos businessman an elevator are obvious melachos of (Orach Chayim 243:10) characterizes who wants to participate in certain Shabbos. Although the Jewish owner is shevusei Shabbos, the rabbinic prohibi industries while respecting the sanc by contract obligated to carry out those tions of Shabbos, as being similar in tity of Shabbos. Many common invest services in a timely fashion, it cannot level to issurei deOraysa. Because of the ment opportunities involve situations let gentile employees perform those severity of these prohibitions, Chazal that, without carefully restructuring, services on Shabbos. (rabbis of the Talmud) were especially violate both the laws and the spirit of Even the operation of a sales office stringent about mar' is ayin (misleading Shabbos. on Shabbos that does not involve mela appearances) on Shabbos, as well. Even Two specific fields especially sus chos per se is an act of chillul Shabbos. if an employer might meet the halachic ceptible to the challenge of shemiras The Ramban (Shemos 12,16) states standards that permit the gentile to do Shabbos are real estate and nursing that conducting business on Shabbos work for the Yisroel's benefit, Chazal homes. These facilities require 24/7 as one wonld on a regular weekday prohibited many gentiles from doing tending to the needs of tenants or violates the mitzvah of shevisa, the so where the Jewish employer may be patients. An owner must provide nec biblical obligation to rest on Shabbos. suspected of having told him to work essary services on Shabbos. If a boiler It is for this reason that Nechemya on Shabbos. blows, or a snowstorm hits, the tenants (ch. 13) described the inhabitants of will not wait until after Shabbos for Yehuda who engaged in regular bnsi service. Obviously, no shomeir Shabbos ness on Shabbos as mechallelei Shabbos, THE "MAR'Is AYIN" FACTOR owner would dream of running the people who were desecrating Shabbos, ...... company on Shabbos himself. Instead, even thongh they did not perform any he severity of a shevus on Shabbos such owners employ gentile employees actual melacha. Thus, one may not hire is also illustrated by the fact that who provide necessary services for the gentile employees to manage a business Talthough the concept of mar'is day. This in itself, however, does not on Shabbos. ayin is not limited to Shabbos, it ordi solve the problem. The prohibition of Generally, the rule of amira lenachri narily applies only to issurei deOraisa, amira lenachri (delegating a non-Jew to is considered a shevus, a rabbinic pro but not to issurei derabbanan (rabbinical RABBI CHAIM KOHN, SERVES AS DAYAN OF K'HAL hibition. Based on an interpretation of prohibitions), as evident from Yoreh , ADATH JERl'SHURUN (KAJ), IN MANHATTAN, ANO the Mechilta quoted by the Beis Yoseif Dei'a (77:3, see Shach 6). The exception \ FOUNDED MACHON LECHOSHEN MISHPAT. (Orach Chaim 234), however, many How To Learn (beginner to advanced) Rabbi Meir Pogrow, founder ofMasterTorah, wa average Baal haBayit, to master the ENTIRE Torah. Rambam, Halacha and Gemara - by heart! Endor~~1/; HaGaon HaRav Aaron Leib Shteinman. 1. Talmud Shaklah V'Taryah Focuses on Shas Gemara and memol'i. '''' 2. Rambam Ba' al Peh Program Goal is to master all J 5, 000 ha 3. Mishna Ba' al Peh Program Learn all ofSh as MishnayoJ 4. Shas Review Program · On www.shasataclip.cq from an archive ofs · A Brief History of tb Rabbi Mic Rabbi David Fohrm Covenant 3. The Vineyar 4. WhyWasA Torah Does Don't Watch It Hap How You Can Make Mr. Richard Horowitz Raising Emotionally H Dr. David Lieberman 1705 Reisterstown Road, Phone: 973-597-1552 Ext. 6 1he convention continues ••• THE FUTURE OF JUDAISM Setting the Course A <:onference Examining the Relationship ofJews tO Judaism January 2.0- 22, 2008 The M¥riott f!unt Valley Inn •• Baltimore, Maryland :I Twerski Rabhi.Tzvi Hersh Weinreb. Special Sanday Training I have started to become effective lliekarvim, in some cases, .r AJOP's Convention Shabbaton, we will be foc:usl:tig oif"Fhe &serttials ofFundraisirtg & l\1an~ment •mm unity? How can you impact your family and your Toi:ih • Starting an Integrated Developmen~ Program sm? • IdentlfYing and Soliciting Annual Donors • Time Managementand Technology •ound the world for a unique Shabbos "")'erience. Don't • B.oard and VolunreetDevelopment tabbi David Fohrman, Rabbi Ronnie Greenwald, • Talting Yourse!f)lnd Your Organization :From Good Rebberzin Lori Palatnlk, Rebbetzin Feige 1werski and more. to Great · Advanced FUitdraislngSeminll!" :ct elevate your famil/s Shabbos forever. Rabbi NachumStiletman Learn to effectively use timeiskills and resources ·~it U]illnever learn Torah the same way again. to raise money. Advanced Managemiln.t<::;o!lfs~ Rabbi Avraham Edtkte~n ..• Advanced ~a; call888"789-AJOP (2567). ma~rlal insiglirs fel~ed ~a t#ii11illg 1 an org.mizatii:>n. -'.'.·.. ·•.. ··.·.• .. •·.. <:.-,'.·.-,----.--: .... ·• .. - __ , ''._-'<' << -_,-, :- ' WC would like to thank the spomor ofthe AJOP ~onlJe1'itt6~ iha6b~~~' rali Rabbi Meir Pogrow efMaster Torah, for bringi.ng us this beautifolShabbo$program, www.MasterTor:ih.com \---=----==------==------===--·-·------==---_--__ -N-'-~-~--V--E -~- - ~---,-.;-R-"-- --~-0-~--- __7 ______---_ ·-=-i- independent contractor, is working for make its profit for that day. Although AVOIDING himself, and is not considered the the contract with the manager clearly MISINTERPRETATION I employer's substitute. As long as he is states that he has no obligation to man not obligated to work specifically on age the premises on Shabbos, it is still other condition that must be Shabbos, he should, in principle, be considered that the manager is work met by the kablan is that he can permitted to do the job on Shabbos. ing on Shabbos on the owner's behalf. ot do any work where the Jewish There are, however, certain limita In contrast, a salesman who earns a employer may be suspected of having tions that apply even to a kablan. For commission for selling merchandise told the gentile to work on Shabbos. This instance, a business may not be oper does not have to sell his merchandise the principle of mar' is ayin. ated by a kablan if its operation on on Shabbos to generate his profits. The The concern for mar'is ayin applies Shabbos is necessary in order to gain same sales could be made another day. if a) the kablan works on the Yisroel's profit for this day. For example, a park In this case, there is no specific need to premises; or, b) if it is known that the ing lot that charges daily or hourly rates work on Shabbos in order to generate work is being performed for a Jew, and must operate on Shabbos in order to these profits. it is not well-known that the worker is a kablan. Consequently, a Jewish-owned •$rand- canyon Come and connect to the wonders of Hashem's management company cannot allow a 1 I creations in some of the most •arvce··eanYon kablan to do repairs on the company's C !!!r spectacular locales in premises on Shabbos. But a person 1iZion .·.Natloniail Park Ma Rabi.I ::> Western America. is permitted to leave his car with a •'1'.'.h•: Gald_en / For boys ages 13 thru15. DATES: June 29-July 18 mechanic to have repairs done in the Gate 'Bl'idge Optional 4th week available ending July 24. mechanic's shop, since mechanics are •sea-world Under the direction of Rabbi Raphael Mendlowitz, Experienced Staff, generally kablanim. •ftll~~- B0~_*'9 and Rabbeim. Early bird special-register before January 15. Another instance of concern is in '!S~1~_:__ -.~ki~-" industries that generally employ work llP,li-~·- /~~··~"'" liWaShillgtim I);(:; ers as po'alim. Even if one were to hire a worker as a kablan to avoid Shabbos issues, people could assume tbat the per son doing the work is a po'eil and mar' is ayin may well apply. See Chofetz Chaim (Biur Halacha 244) and Rabbi Moshe Feinstein (Igros Moshe, Orach Chaim 3:35) for a discussion of the different opinions concerning this matter. Generally, concerns of mar' is ayin can be corrected by announcing to the public You can! Tust call that the matter is done in a halachically The Yitti Leibel correct manner, although the appropri Helpline. ate methods of publicizing the matter are a subject of halachic discussion. On HOURS: a practical level, it depends on the par Monday-Friday ...... Sam * 12pm Monday-Thursday ...... Spm -11 pm ticular conditions of the mar'is ayin. For Sunday ...... 9an1 -12pm, 9pm -1 lpm example, Rabbi Wosner in Sheivet Halevi 718-HELP-NOW (9:50) rules that an ad in a newspaper is .,J sufficient pirsum (public information) (718) 435-7669 \~i for matters of mar' is ayin. Chicngo .•....•.•.•...... •.• (800) HELP-023 It should be noted that the Chofetz Lakewood ...... (732) 363-1010 Chaim (Biur Halacha ibid) writes, based Cleveland ...... (888) 209·8079 on opinions of Rishonim, that it is prefer- Baltimo;e ...... (4l0) 578·l ll I able that even a well-known kablan not Detrnit ...... (877) 435-7611 San Diego ...... (866) 385-0348 be hired to work on any publicly known Tornnto ...... (416) 784-1271 Jewish assignment if the work is to be The Rebbetzin Phyllis Weinberg Branch of the Yitti Leibe\ Helpline done in a public place, since people WhO >t"V n7vn1;:r~11 J11J 7R1D'V ·; r::i l':'Ol"'r •Pn nDVJ •11:.i:t• 1•r~n "''R ~, ,~l.'D)) see him working might not be aware Fl":t' 11W1J '111' <1\C')J '1 p <'J'):t't-'' ''\ F1·':rcr: 11·0 'J lt-'m1 that there is any difference between a Dedk WHEN "COMPANY AKUM" Is IN CHARGE ow, from all the above, it is For careful attention to your clear that service-based busi individual needs, call us today! N nesses, like nursing homes or management companies, cannot let (845) 354-8445 employees who are po' alim do any meleches Shabbos. The Jewish-owned management company, however, may ~------~ hire a gentile-owned company (Akum) I I to assume all legal responsibilities of I Are You Movi ? I managen1ent with the explicit aboli I IS YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS PRINTED I tion of any obligation on Company INCORRECTLY ON THE JO MAILING LABEL? Akum to do any meleches Shabbos. As I We need your help to ensure proper delivery of the Jewish Observer to your home. I such, Company Akum is a kablan of I Please attach current mailing la~el in the space below, or print clearly your address .and I the Jewish owner. To avoid any mar'is I computer processing numbers that are printed above your name on the address label. I ayin issue, a sign proininently placed on the premises should state that all I I personnel on the premises are employed by Company Akum, which provides all I I services on the premises. In addition, I Affix old label here I Akum is renting the premises, includ I I ing all inventory, for a nominal fee which according to the Chafetz Chaim I I (Sha'ar Hatziyun 252:17) relieves the I Name I issue of meleches Yisroel on the Yisroel's I New Address I premises. In the scenario of a real estate man I ~ I agement company, it is advisable to I State, Zip I restructure the lease with the tenants I Date Effective I so that the tenants are hiring the Akum The Jewish Observer Management Company to maintain the I Send address I changes to: Change of Address I premises on Shabbos and Yam Tov. The I 42 Broadway, 14th Floor, New York, NY 10004 Akum Management Company will then be providing services to the tenants, I Please allow 4-6 weeks for all changes to be reflected on your mailing label. We will not I I be responsible for back issues missed unless you notify us 6 weeks prior to your move .J i, Lo~od1e Jewish owners. Nursing L ------~ 27 -- -- - Preserving One's ldentitv As a Ben Torah rom the time of the first galus of While it may be feasible to keep the the prohibition in recognition that such Adam Harishon from Gan Eden, Internet out of one's home, that is sim interaction is simply unavoidable (Bava Fmankind has been "cursed" with ply not pragmatic in the workplace. Metzia, 70b, d"h "Sashich"). the responsibility of working for a liv Additionally, many bnei Torah - Clearly, the problem is of a magni ing and toiling to earn one's parnassa. ba'alei teshuva prominent among them tude that Chazal took drastic action Caius after galus has brought differ - have attained measures of proficiency to minimize it. Although the specific ent challenges to living and working and success in their respective fields. takana (injunction) was rescinded, the amongst our non-Jewish neighbors They are now faced with the challenge mandate to address the problem clearly without being corrupted by their val of maintaining the hatzlacha they have exists. ues. Much has been written about the worked so hard to achieve in both the destructive influences of the "street" spiritual and material realms without and how they have infiltrated our col sacrificing one for the other. OF SAFEGUARDS AND lective neshamos. The focus, primarily, The corrosive culture that permeates SAFETY NETS has been on the sur meira - how to best our global workforce challenges every shut out the corrosive environment that area of halacha. From Orach Chayim ow, then, can we protect our surrounds us and remain protected in (Shabbos, Chol Hamoed, tefilla betzib- selves and our families from our parabolic teiva, sheltering us from bur ... ) to Yoreh Dei'a ( ribbis, kashrus ... ) H the aforementioned dangers? deluge, like Noach's ark. to Evven Ha' ezer ( tzeniyus, arayos ... ) Many individuals have succeeded on Unfortunately, for many frum adults, and Choshen Mishpat (just about every many levels by keeping vigilant safe it is simply unfeasible to go to work and siman in Shulchan Aruch), we are met guards and remaining connected to a not be involved with gentiles on a daily with constant challenges to remaining rebbi, Rav and/or makom Torah, which basis. With rising tuition, medical, and a true Torah Jew, 24/7. serve(s) as an anchor of stability. This, housing costs, coupled with a competi The concern that business interac of course, is something incumbent upon tive job market, it has become necessary tions with the outside world may have every Yid - at every time and in every for many individuals to broaden their a negative i1npact on our 1nadreiga place (Asei lecha rav ... kevias ittim .. . ). job search to include commitments of (spiritual level) is not new. In fact, Having a nioreh hara' a to consult with, time and place that may jeopardize pro Chazal prohibited charging interest to and a strong personal kesher (bond) will tective measures that hitherto sufficed. an Akum (pagan) to discourage such go a long way towards keeping a person ------~·-.. -----· true to his ideals. ZVI FEINER IS A MAGGIO SHlUR IN TllE C!IJ<:AGO unhealthy relationships. Unfortunately, COMMUNITY KOl.LEL AND PRESIDENT, FI::;tNER the reality of galus is not new, either. Awareness is a vital first step. We INVESTMENT CORP. Tosaphos explain that Chazal rescinded must be aware that the daily pressures, r-.···· T111:: J1·:w1sH OBSERVE!{ -=-1 I by our employers and co-workers, and an actual yeshiva within its corporate one co1npany. While one must be an atzas hayeitzer (in1pulse and distraction) walls. Together with a predominantly employee of IDT to benefit from its I are lurking to snare us at every turn. [rum workforce and kosher cafeteria, exceptional environn1ent, the Wi-Fi \!Ve need to recognize that every office employees can work productively both Building services an array of frun1 com party will bring challenges of tzeniyus materially and spiritually. panies, large and s111all, and is open to and kashrus. Holiday seasons will bring Similarly, the Wi-Fi Building in any [rum proprietor. unique additional challenges. We 111ust Chicago has succeeded in creating a Such arrangen1ents elevate all those be avvare that our bosses, who have a Torah-true environment, co1nplete with who work there. If anything, the pres large degree of control over our future a fully stocked bcis 111idrash, a heimishe sure is to shtcig and be part of all of careers) n1ay not share or appreciate our deli, and the famous 1Cacher's Center, the Torah and tzorchei tzibbur that go value syste1n. We 111ay be asked to act in where rebbei'in1 and 1noros can receive on there. Additionally, by showing that a n1anner that is inconsistent with our additional training and resources .... one can indeed have "shtei shulcharzos Torah ideals. They host Rosh Chodesh luncheons with - find a place at both tables" - without As a rule, Zeh le'umas zeh - Every guest speakers, shiurin1 and 1ninyaniln sacrificing either, it has created a kiddush challenge, every test, every opportunity open to the entire community, various Hashen1 and inspired inany to con1e for downfall, brings with it an equally con1n1unity-wide events, a su1n1ner closer to Yiddishkcit. powerful opportunity to be mekadeish n1echanchin1 kollel, and an internship By constantly seeking new ways to Shein1 Shc11nayin1. Every tin1e we stand progra1n for bachuri111. infuse our derech eretz with 'forah, we up for our ideals, every time we demon What differentiates the Wi-Fi can continue to grovv and be tnatzliach, strate that we have higher standards, we Building is that it is not li1nited to i"O:::t, bruchniyus uvegashn1iyus. ~ are creating a unique kiddush Hashern. The fact that these challenges may have an impact on our careers strengthens the significance of our firmness to our ideals. But it requires strength. We have to be aware that it is a constant struggle. We will have numerous opportunities and rationalizations to lo,ver our stan dards. And every failure will "lower the bar" and make it easier to fall prey to future tests. The most effective way to combat the prevailing culture is with Torah." J3arasi yeitzcr hara u'barasi r[orah tavlin .... • Mlshnah and Gemara study serv'1ces Mashcheihu lebeis hamidrash" - Hashem • Completion of entire Shishah Sedan'm said: "I created the evil impulse, and I • Completion of missing masechtos created Torah as its antidote:' ... "Draw • 732.364.7029 • On time for shfoshim or yaht1zeit I him (the impulse) into the house of [email protected] • Tax deductible I acceptable for ma'aser • N"IJ')'O Ql)J'lj'J 1)11) noJOTIJ study" (Kiddushin 30b). I If we are forced to leave the beis midrash through most of the day and As long astl)~re are Jewish fami enter the "jungle" of the workforce, we lies in All)enca that don't have 1nust bring the beis rnidrash with us to the workplace. cce~~,flf'i»f kvaos, we won't stop A number of [rum proprietors have il~i~g!fjem. Won't you join us in created batei 1nidrashi111 in their offices ~ fl~J~,;lllitzvah? Please donate to where they hold rninyanin'l and shiurini. oor1Mikvah Building Fund today. Still others have taken this concept to a \vhole new level, providing a work envi /;''<'.' MIKVAH USA ron111cnt that is not only not combative Btiffltiug Mikvaos A cross America to spiritual growth, but is actually con- , --~ ;CJiiinutnit11 Mikvah Co11str11ctio11 Grants '1 ducive to slzteiging. One such exa111plc · • Htlladtic Supervision is the Newark, New Jersey-based IDT, • Outreaclz P11blicatio11s I • Ed11catio11 L by Howard Jonas, which has had - .--- ··- . I' Battlefields and Fallow Fields he imagery that comes to mind Simhon, thundered a threat to forbid permitting individual rabbis to rule in with the word "Shmitta" is a imports from Arab-owned land, and accordance with their consciences.) Tscene of calm and tranquility, some in the religious-Zionist camp And, finally, a lawsuit was brought ofland lying fallow and hearts directed accused "the Chareidim" of trying to before Israel's High Court by a group of toward the Divine. Certainly not a cha- coerce them to hew to a higher standard "Zionist Orthodox rabbis;' as The New otic battlefield of angry rhetoric, mis- than they recognized. York Times characterized them, bent on leading media, intra-Jewish animosity The media was happy to join the fray, undermining the official state rabbin- and political upheaval. And yet, sadly, with The New York Times contending ate's power. They succeeded. the Shmitta year, not two months old, that an Israeli Chief Rabbi, because he In a ruling on 12 Mar Cheshvan, has evidenced precisely such a depress- respected a revered elder gadol's judg- the Court ordered the Chief Rabbinate ing panorama. ment, is "considered" - by whom was to disallow local rabbis to decide for This year, Israel's Chief Rabbinate not clarified - "a puppet"; with The themselves what Shmitta standard to declared that while it still did not oppose Jewish Week wrongly describing the new apply to their certifications. It was fur- reliance on the hetter mechira- the fall- policy as some sort of prohibition; with ther ordered to replace any local rabbi back plan that was endorsed by some a New York Sun columnist insinuating refusing to grant his hechsher to hetter gedolim in 1896 and later, by which that piskei halacha were born of a desire mechira produce with one who would. land owned by Jews was technically to make money on the backs of the At this writing, no response has transferred for the Shmitta year to the poor. ("There are, after all, no farmers in come forth from the Chief Rabbis. If, possession of Arabs - it was permitting the ultra-Orthodox community;' wrote as some are predicting, the Rabbinate municipal rabbis in Israel's towns and Hillel Halkin, wrongly, "and plenty of will, one way or another, comply with cities, when issuing kashruscertifi.cations, rabbis and kashrut supervisors who the Court's decision, it will put to rest, to decide for their localities whether to will find jobs making sure that Jewish- once and for all, the illusion that Israel's rely on that halachic construct or certify grown fruits and vegetables are not, G-d official religious authorities are "where only produce grown by non-Jews in areas forbid, being smuggled into the diet of the p'sak stops;' so to speak. not under Jewish control. unsuspecting Israelis:') There is much food for thought here, From the reaction, one might have The Jerusalem Report soberly opined especially for any of us who may have thought that the Chief Rabbis had that "Confrontation looms as the been lulled (somehow, despite so much declared an extra year of Shmitta rather increasingly powerful ultra-Orthodox evidence to the contrary, old and new) I than simply taken what amounted to a camp flexes its muscles and attempts into imagining that the word "Jewish" in I pluralistic stance on religious standards. to impose strict observance of the the phrase "Jewish State" has more than Israel's agriculture minister, Shalom Shmitta commandment on all Israelis." ethnic meaning. When a secular court ----- ·---- (It was interesting how observers usu- can impose its will in a halachic mat- RAssr SHAFRAN SERVES AS AGUDATH ISRAEL a 11 y enamored o f eco 1ogrca · 1 an d l"b1 era l ter, we are a 11 remm· d e d t h at ga f us d"d1 I' OF AMERICA'S 0JRt;t'.TOR OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND "rn•. AM>.>ucAN orncnoR 0 ,. AM E:CHAo. "''· ideals were somehow transformed into not end in 1948. As if the geopolitical AcuoAni !sRAEL-1NsP1REn EnucAnnNA1. ouT- fierce opponents of leaving nature alone, realities weren't proof enough. j' ~CH moR> A=•=·=------providing Arabs with extra i-ncome and ---But in another universe-from all the ___ ,__ ------THE JE\VISJ-1 O!lSERVF.n media 1neshugas and political postur rose more than 200-fold from then, j?Qll'< llJO ~ ing, Shmitta's calm and tranquility in to 55,000. This year, I 00,000 acres are ofeq Institute fact reign, as they should. Thousands expected to be left fallow in accordance of farmers are doing what they believe with the Torah's directive. will merit security and peace for all And in that universe, instead of dis Jews in Eretz Yisroel, opting to observe cord and conflict, there is dedication Shmitta in its original way by allowing and concern, the yield of the deep bond their fields to lie fallow and relying on forged between those farmers and the other income or tzeddaka (ultimately, tens of thousands of Jews worldwide on Hashem) to make it through the who are endeavoring to assist then1 in months when their fields are resting. their holy non-work. In the 1950s and 1960s, that amounted Keren Hashvi'is, which accepts dona to about 250 acres of land. Seven years tions by credit card, can be reached at ago, the number of acres left untilled 1-888-9-SHMITTAH. ffil NONDISCRIMINATORY POLICY AS TO STUDENTS Yesh'1va Rabbi Naftali Riff admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to al! the rights, privileges, programs and activ.1ties generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, nar1onaJ and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school administrated programs. Yeshiva Rabbi Naftali Riff THE COMPLETE South Bend, Indiana MESILlATYESHARIM 3207 S. High Street, South Bend, IN 46614 • (574) 291-4239 RABBI MOSHE HAYYIM LUZZAITo's MASTERWORK Challenging Lemudei ·Kodesh program IN Two VERSIONS Excellent Secular Studies program feq's Hebrew edition of the two Beautiful campus, friendly small town O versions of Mesillas Yesharim - the Dialogue version based on a new Applications now being accepted for Elul 5768/ August 2008 manuscript discovery, and the standard version restored - has changed our appreciation of this mussar classic. Now in a bi-lingual, facing-column format, this precise, new, comprehensive English translation with lucid commentary, Introduction & Epilogue (Bein Hamesilos) allows the brilliance of the original to WORlOWIOf Cf llPHONf Rf NTAlS shine through. 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Others most frightening is the self-evident fact A 1vave ofhorror and anger washed S111ay clai1n it to be obvious and that many of these bloggers are frum over me. I anxiously typed the follow known. I wish to categorize it as an Yidden-who seem to be possessed and ing words: "Don't you realize that it is essential and crucial topic of discus entranced in a quest to sn1ear other forbidden to write any of these posts sion in our rapidly evolving world. Yidden and portray them in the most or add comn1ents on this website? This What is clear to all is that the faster the negative light. And it doesn't stop at page is beingmevazeh (scorns) gedolim world progresses in the area of tech our fellow"sta1n" Yidden. These"fruni" and talmidei chacha1nim!" nology, the more tests and challenges bloggers criticize and heap scorn on our The response of the "blogger" sent a are hurled upon those striving to raise gedolei Torah and manhigei Yisroel. shiver down my spine: "It's a niitzvah their children with the same Torah-true - everything on this page is ]esheim values and beliefs with which they were Shamayim." raised. QUICKSAND OF SCORN LESHEIM SHAMAYJM? My heart It is therefore no wonder and no ON BLOGSPHERE sank as I realized this blogger was using surprise that our leaders - the gedolim terminologies that revealed his affili - have homed in and focused upon n an attempt to survey the extent of ation with the Orthodox segment of one of the most troubling modern Orthodox Jewry's plunge into the Jewry. With a feeling of shock and dis inventions of our days - "biogs:' Rabbi I quicksand of the "blogosphere;' I belief, I watched as dozens ofadditional Avrohom Schorr recently spent his searched key religious terms in one of bloggers began lambasting my post, allotted time during The Chofetz Chaim the popular blog search engines. The saying that this page is "the emes" and Teleconference Program discussing the search utility allows the user to find again "completely lesheim Shamayim." "spreading disease" in Kial Yisroel, called all biogs that discuss or mention the I sat stunned by the computer for a biogs. word or phrase that you provide. When fe11 1 mon1ents. One thought echoed in We all know and understand the I searched on «yeshiva;' it retrieved an my mind: "Frum Yidden? Lesheim "deadly" potential of these biogs. Rabbi astounding 26,888 biogs. Searching on Schorr emphasized that never in history the word "Gemara" yielded a sizable THIS IS ZVI FRANKEL'S FIRST _,O,l'PEARANCE IN was there such a vehicle with the abil- 4,462 biogs. Entering a few different gedolet Tor~Ws-~-ames--m the sea:J ~'' ''cE' .. ______...... ------.------··· ity to mass-disperse absolu-te-hotza'as T 11 E J E W I S 1-f 06SF:HVEH -__ __ _ ------______,, ,, ______------~------, r-=- ______·------_,-.__ I 1 query returned over 200 biogs. With minute updates and articles, thereby Akiva's 24,000 disciples perished dur sorrow, I n1ust inforin the reader that )Ollllng the family of bloggers. This ing Sefira due to their speaking /ashon I most of those biogs were full of cri unfortunately gives a glowing hechsheir hara. Moreover, the Chofetz Chaim tiques or absolute !ashon hara about to use this very treife tool. A rabbi's sup points out fro1n nu1ncrous sources the revered tzaddikim. In addition, these port for his shul's use of a blog might be that our current Ga/us of two millen biogs have thousands of readers who con1pared to endorsing his congregant's nia is a result of lashon hara. With the comment with their own feedback. It is wish to purchase cable television to watch Orthodox com1nunity's enforce1nent of clear from the displayed summaries of his broadcast of divrci Torah at their con a zero tolerance policy towards biogs, it these biogs that many arc written and venience. The rabbi giving his haskama is everyone's hope and desire that it will visited by religious Jews. These biogs (approval) to his shul's blog could per thereby fulfill the required rectification are a inanifcstation of a disease that is haps be sin1ilar to putting a tremendous of our own speech, and we will then spreading throughout Torah Jewry at a stumbling block before those who follow be zocheh to the coming of Moshiach breakneck speed. his halachic guidance and, of course, their speedily in our days. !i!J Is this new destructive phcno1nenon impressionable children. simply an uncontrollable consequence The blog is a recent technological of this generation having such an outlet creation that has its own area and seg readily available at its fingertips? Or can n1ent of the Internet. By going to any one go a step further and proclain1 that blog, including the shul's, any child can this growing"disease" represents an unfor simply click a mandatory link on top tunate product of a lack of clzinuch in our of the page that says "next blog;' which ho1nes and schools? Ho'v can thousands thereby brings them to another, unrelated of frun1 bloggcrs \vrite and con1ment on blog. That blog may consist of any mate forums that are dearly forbidden by the rial, including, obviously inappropriate 10rah, and then rationalize their n1ajor sin content that would be detrimental to by cxclain1ing, «It is all leshehn Shan1ayi111;' one's spiritual health. Based upon the Get a cell phone thus falsely convincing then1selves of their implicit endorsement of the rabbi, his self-righteousness? congregants and students 1nay rationalize fromt~r\people The crux of this unfortunate issue is that the world of biogs is not something clearly nianifest when one exa1nines the to scorn; after all, their rabbi has a blog you can trustl well-knovvn surge of"yeshiva ne\vs" blogs. of his own. These arc the blogs that represent a clear and present danger to those who live by the mandate of halacha. Some are filled WHEN AN ADULT TAKES with filth and hotza' as sheim ra, which can THE LEAD be clearly identified. Others arc more dis creet in that they publish interesting and he only way we have a chance of ...... relevant yeshiva news, but still represent combating and eliminating this Total Communication a very significant danger in that they slip T spreading plague is to undertake solutions and spread words of Lashon hara on occa an absolute and unwavering approach. sion. These destructive "religious" gossip As with all things of this nature, it 1nust biogs are authored by a mix of modern begin with action by the adult, which l-866:-TALK .. N-SAVE Orthodox and Chareidi individuals. In will then give credibility to enforcing {I ~866·825-567.2) general, the writers ren1ain anonyn1ous the rule upon children. For those who e,mail: info@talknsa~e.net due to various reasons, including the may allow their children access to the Custtimenervlce now available realization that upon discovery of their Internet, they n1ust incorporate blogs from 9:00 ~:m, • 12:00 midnight - Ism.el time! identities, they niay be forced to ansvver to into whatever Internet guidelines they -*Celltom_tertiffed Agtinls the many whom they have harmed. already have (e.g., the children may use the Internet; however, they 1nay not use chat roo1ns, blogs, etc.). For those "LEGITIMATE" BLOGS? that do not have the Internet in their hon1es, they niust sirnply niake it clear any"legitimate" Orthodox out that biogs are something detrimental to lets are IlO\V utilizing the vvorld frumkeit and are forbidden in any place M of biogs. Shuls have begun to and at any tin1e. their own biogs for up-to-the- The Maharsha states that Rabbi [------~---=------~------=-~------__-_-_------=----- __-----·----~0---~~T_HE ____ -A_~E_N_-~-=A~----··------·-·--~--==·-··--·--~~------_ -1 / RABBI ELI TEITELBAUM ! I I- WHEN A SNACK BECOMES suit. We even have me-;.onos frankfurter significant change in the bread's taste is AMEAL rolls. Today, everyone is in a constant it to be considered cake. "If it looks like a rush and is eager to take the easy way duck, quacks like a duck, and tastes like a yonewhohaseverflownonaplane out, and so the mezonos-bread myth duck, then it is a duck:' While some poskim nd received a boxed kosher meal has become the ticket to fast food con claiJn that one must use real apple juice N 1ows that it comes with a small sumption with little gain and major and not the concentrated kind, which is note claiming that the roll is "Me-:..onos" Joss. Washing and bentching only take mostly water, to be considered n1e:::.onos, and one need not wash or bentch. This is an extra few 1ninutes. Moreover, negli the OU does not authorize the production certainly a great convenience when sitting gence of netillas yadayim is one of the or marketing of any mewnos rolls. on a plane; however, it is very misleading three things that can chas vesha/om lead It should be noted that when some of and in fact it often is contrary to halacha. to poverty, while one who is meticu those who give their stamp of approval Every poseik knows that when eating more lous in this mitzvah merits to become on 1ne:::.onos bread wrappers were asked than a certain quantity of cake, called pas wealthy (Zohar, Lech Lecha; Minchas why they do so, they replied that they only habba bekisnin, one must wash and bentch, Chinuch, mitzvah 430). Is taking out endorse the kashrus of the product, but since it is now considered a n1eal rather an extra few minutes and showing our not the beraclw to be made on it. It was than a snack. Most poskim say that the proper appreciation for Hashem :S daily encouraging to see a recent advertisement amount of cake for which one is required to sustenance too much to ask for? V\Thy by those who endorse them warning people wash is usually given as the volume of four try to circumvent the 1nit:.vas asei of to be careful when beingkovei'a seuda on eggs, since this is the amount that satiates "Ve'achalta, vesavata uveirachta-the them. This ad was long overdue. One hopes most people. Other poskim give a larger positive comn1andment of "You will that they will also put this disclaimer on amount. According to some poskinz this eat and be satisfied and you shall bless the product's wrapper. True, the Mishna volume includes all else one eats together Hashem, your G-d" (Devarim 8,10)? Berum ( 168:24) notes that there are those with his bread or roll. This means that one Would they also avoid wearing a four who are lenient as to how much food is must include everything on the tray, such cornered gannent to spare themselves exactly considered kevias seudn ( conven as the cupcake, tuna, egg salad and cheese from 'vearing tzitzis? ing a meal), but everyone agrees that when that one eats with his roll. Eaten in this This same din also applies to eating at eating a large "111.ezonos" sandwich or a few manner, cake assumes the same status as a kiddush at which they serve gefilte fish, that are equivalent to a full-sized meal, as bread in regard to washing, the beracha kugel, cholent, and other dishes along many people do on a regular basis, one ("Hamotzi"), and bentching. with the cake. One must also be aware of must wash and bentch despite the mew Most people find this boxed meal quite this factor when eating even one slice of nos label. Everyone must consult his own filling and therefore the airline calls it a pizza accompanied by french fries, a knish, poseik as to the precise halacha. meal and not a snack. TI1e lasttime I mea or other side dishes, since most people I once asked a reliable, very frum bagel sured it, it far exceeded the volume of four consider it a meal rather than a snack, feel store owner why he bakes me:onos bagels eggs, which according to many poskin1 is satiated, and do not eat a meal afterwards, when he knows that most people will eat considered a kevias seuda. Yet, for reason The assumption that most people eat it as the1n as a regular meal and for nzelaveh of convenience and the very great difficulty a snack is highly debatable and should be mnlka. He replied that if he wouldn't do of getting out of one's seat in the plane, seriously anal)'7~d. Most kids and mothers so, all the rest of the stores would take there are some kash1us supervising agencies today would certainly agree that it is a very away his business. Money not only changes that have decided to change the rules and filling lunch or supper, especially when hands - it also changes people. And so the inforn1 the unsuspecting consu1ner that it served with french fries and all. bottom line ren1ains: "Money, time, and is not necessary to wash or bentch. They ignorance are the three pillars upon which base their claim on the fact that the roll they America stands," provide is a much smaller size. THE APPLE JUICE FACTOR The mewnos epidemic has not only · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · A personal PostScript: When I fly with hit the airline industry. Many bagel Many leadingposkim rule that if bread my Camp S'dei Chemed can1pers to Israel stores and grocery stores have followed is made with apple juice, and it does not each summer, I tell them to wash, and ) 1 RAeei TEtTELeuAM oF BRooK1.YN, NY, 15 PIREcToR require a sweet taste, it is not considered none of them seems to find it much of an \ oF ToRAH coMMLINJCAnoNs NETWORK AND oF cake but rather regular bread. Only if inconvenience. It's time we spread the word j ~ s m' CH•M•:"rnNAnoNA_• - --··--:e apple juice is undiluted~d makes a-- and put a-stop to the mezonos man~ LETTER FROM JERUSALEM YONOSON ROSENBLUM To Overturn the World UNDEFINED HORIZONS Kuntreis Hachayim, a hashkaja work of was entirely secular, and most of the nearly 400 pages. That work was greeted residents hold university degrees. On the former yungerman remarked to with remarkable success. More than 8,000 to\vn plan, no space was even allocated me recently that he sees that there copies have been sold, and it is found in for a beis kenesses (shul). The entire area are almost no positions available aln1ost every yeshiva in Eretz Yisroel - around Tzoran was equally secular. On for top level talmidci chachamim, and Litvishe, Chassidic, and Sephardi. the thirty settlements nearby, containing that there is virtually no turnover in the That sefer was also the immediate approximately 30,000 families, nearby positions that do exist. (I am primarily impetus for a dramatic change of direc there was barely a religious Jew under describing the situation in Eretz Yisroe~ tion in Rabbi Betzalel's life. Shortly after 65 to be found. with which I am more familiar.) its appearance, he received a call from a I mentioned this insight to another Jew in 1Zoran, a co1nmunity of 1,300 friend, the head of a well-known ba'al families near Netanya. The man told IT BEGAN WITH A PREFAB teshuva yeshiva. He responded that part him that he had chanced upon Kuntreis of the problem is that those possessed Hachayim, and wanted to invite Rabbi abbi Betzalel noticed an aban of such remarkable talents fail to con Betzalel to Tzoran to teach a class. Rabbi doned prefabricated structure sider more than one avenue for using Betzalel had never even heard ofTzoran, Rshortly after his arrival, and he their gifts. Tbey do not realize that they and doubted that there was any direct offered a group of boys a prize and a story have the power to overturn the world in bus from Bnei Brak to a sleepy, bedroom if they wonld clean it out. That structure spreading Torah. co1nmunity. He was wrong about that. soon became the focus of his activities. Rabbi Aharon Betzalel is an example It turned out that once a day, at 5:30 (Ten years later, the shul is formed of the of a bndding young ta/mid chacham who p.m., Egged had a bus from Bnei Brak to original prefabricated portable classroom did just that. As a 26-year-old avreich in Tzoran. (No return bus existed.) and three others linked together.) Bnei Brak, he published his first sefer, Just the fact that such a bus existed Within one month of Rabbi Betzalel's seemed to Rabbi Betzalel as a manifesta arrival, a daily minyan had begun in the RABBI RoSENBLUM, WllO LIVES !N lERIJSAJ.EM, IS A CONTR!!HiT!NG EDlTOn TO Jhejewish Observer. 1-lE tion of Hashgacha, and he agreed to make prefabricated structure, even though JS ALS() DIRECTOR OF THE ISR·\ELl i)JVIS!O'\i Of AM the trip to Tzoran. The young avreich's there was still not a single shon1eir ECHA!), Tf-fE AGl!DATJ-1 ISR.·\EL-lNSP!RED EDLICA- arrival in Tzoran caused n1ore than a Shabbos in Tzoran and the minyan did TJONAL 01 rnn-:ACH EFl'ORf AND MF!JL'\ Rl:Sot-RCL few raised eyebrows. The community ~not posses~ sefer Torah. (The Safra :J THE .lr:w1s1-1 OBSER\'l·:R ily eventually contributed a sefer Torah.) in 1nud on rainy winter days. Krnuv - STAGE Two Is After six months, a wealthy hotelier Today there are 86 boys in the school, Ai.so VITAL fron1 1'el Aviv got wind that something grades kindergarten through fifth. wJs happening in Tzoran, and provided Government funding is available only for o describe such a Talmud Torah Rabbi Bezalel with the funding to open the kindergarten, leaving Rabbi Betzalel as not being involved in kiruv up a kollel of ten ovreichim. to cover a 15,000 shekel deficit monthly. Treflects a con1mon 111ispercep One of Rabbi Betzalel's next projects The school can afford neither secretarial tion - i.e., that kiruv ends when a Jew \Vas collecting n1oncy for a n1ikvch in nor janitorial staff. The teaching staff has puts on a kippa or becomes sho1neir Tzoran. When 80,000 shekels had been to do all the secretarial work, and Rabbi Shabbos. That attitude reflects a failure gathered in drips and drabs, he conducted Betzalel is the principal, is a classroom to understand that the teshuva process is J rnassive international advertising ca1n teacher, takes care of all contacts vvith the an ongoing over a period of years. paign to search for a donor to provide the Education Ministry and local authorities, Failure to recognize that fact is poten private funding needed tOr the n1ikveh. and acts as the so1netime janitor. On the tially dangerous. Someone who heads Not only was a donor found to finance a day I visited, he had to stop and clean the a very large kiruv organization told me state-of-the-art 111ikveh in 'fzoran, replete floors in t\YO dassroon1s before returning recently that many ba'alei teshuva har vvith a Jacuzzi, but another donor \vho to Bnei Brak. bor great resent1nent against those who ansvvercd the ad built a n1uch needed Though the school looked clean first attracted them to 1orah because 1nikveh in Beis She1nesh. and orderly at the tin1e of 1ny visit - they feel abandoned once they become After two years, one fan1ilyin Tzoran announced only that n1orning - the slunncir mitzvos. Too 1nany feel that was ready to send their child to a Torah strains under v1hich it operates have those who originally drew them to Torah school, Rabbi Betz.alel had to be in caused about thirty students to leave in observance did not really care about 1'zoran (a 35-ininute to an hour drive the past. Rabbi Betzalel told me that with the1n as individuals, but were eager to from Bnci Brak, depending on traffic) only $50,000 a year, he could add a new n1ove on to add new notches in their by 7:30 every n1orning in order to take class and thirty students every year. "gun" as soon as they brought them to that child to school in Netanya. That The Talmud Torah has not succeeded the point of observance. In other words, exa111plc inspired other fan1ilies, and after in attracting outside support, even fron1 they were a cheifetz she/ mitzvah, the two years, Rabbi Betzalel was ready to individuals and organi12tions whose focus "lulav;' for someone performing the open up a single classroon1 with tvventy is on kiruv rechokim. When they hear that n1itzvah of being 1nckareiv other Jews. students - ten fron1 Tzoran and 10 fro1n only children from families without TV Yet, these ba' alei teshuva still need the surrounding areJ. and in \Vhich the mother covers her hair n1uch guidance, and with no exan1ples 'fhc ne\v school \vas the target of are admitted to the school, they conclude of a [ruin fa111ily to en1ulate, they cannot den1onstrations for the entire first n1onth that it is not a school for ba'alci teshuva. do vvithout a rav who knovvs then1 and of its existence, 1nost of it fomented by Yet, not one parent in the school was Torah their individual situation. Their feelings outside agitators. Yossi Sarid, then head observant even ten years ago, n1uch less of resentn1cnt at what they perceive as of the anti-religious Merctz Party, can1e born into a religious fa1nily. abandon1ncnt, 1ny infonnant explained to Tzoran and led a dcn1onstration under the slogan, "No to the darkness of Torah." 1'he dc1nonstrators succeeded in pre venting the school fro1n opening the next year in 'fzoran. lnstead, it opened in the neighboring con11nunity of Kadi1na, and today there are 300 students- 150 boys See The Himmelstein Family and 150 girls - under the aegis of Keren Nesivos Moshe. Come Alive! In addition to the Nesivos J\1oshe The Herman Brothers enchanting puppetry school, Rabbi Betzalel opened up a & visual production of "When Zaidy Was Talmud Torah for parents seeking a Young" series tale two, is at your stores now! Continue to enjoy the saga of the n1ore intense Torah education for their Hlmmelsteins & Anshei Kartoful! children. The Talmud 1(irah was given the shell of two buildings, and Rabbi AN UNBEATABLE TREAT FOR Betzalel was left with the task of installing YOUR WHOLE FAMILY! plumbing, electricity and stairwells, and covering the mud-filled courtyard so that the children did not come home caked L ---- j r-=·-==-·---==~~~~-~~.·~~~=-======··-1 I , . to me, has left these ba'alei teshuva a families who want a high-level Torah Even from the narrow perspective of ] potentially destabilizing element in the education for their children, they will kiruvitself, the investment in strengthen- Israeli Chareidi world, which is already have no choice but to move from the ing ba'al teshuva families pays off. Such in the throes of its own transforma- area to all Chareidi enclaves like Elad families often provide the best model for tions. or Bnei Brak. others just starting on the process, and Moreover, the view that nothing Yet there is a growing recognition are more likely to attract newcomers more need be done for those who have among those involved in kiruvwork that to Torah. When the emphasis is exclu- I already progressed to the point that they moving to an established all-Chareidi sively on what might be called stage one donothaveTVsathomeisshortsighted. community is often not a healthy or kiruv-i.e., getting people through the For one thing, it conveys the message advisable step, and that the disloca- door - the inevitable result is a fetish that ba'alei teshuva should not seek, and tion involved and rapid readjustment with numbers and an overemphasis on are not entitled to more than a minimal to completely new societal norms is quantity over quality. That phenomenon level Torah education. And if there is often very stressful for both children was observed a decade ago in work with no Talmud Torah in Kadima for those and parents. Russian-speaking immigrants to Israel, I when, for instance, Chanukah parties that attracted I 00 elderly Russian Jews Everyone's talking about the with free sufganiyot too frequently June Jewish Observer that took precedence over building a core of explored challenges in the families of Russian-speaking bnei Torah, Shidduch scene ... and some even though each of the latter families had a wide influence on many others. They're abuzz about the September issue on A CROWDED AGENDA ''Adults at Rish of spiritual oblivion." lack of funding has seriously mpeded Rabbi Betzalel's work, nd not just in the school. Until recently, there were afternoon groups for fifty children in each of three neighboring communities. But the funds ran out for It's not too late to get the current two groups, and only Rabbi Betzalel 's I October Jewish Observer focusing on group limps along in Tzoran. Every night, Shalom Bayis - the challenges, some successful he must collect I 00 shekels for gas to I approaches, and their rewards ... plus special features, bring his rebbei'im to the Talmud Torah , current topics, and historical reminiscences from in the morning, and to return himself leading writers and commentators. again in the afternoon to teach a group of men in the shul and run his group for youngsters of around bar mitzvah age. The time spent collecting comes at the expense of time available for his families. Once, he thought nothing of driving back and forth four times a day I Jl!i~ to meet with families. He tells me about Uttered words can sometimes be more revealing than their speakers intend. They cart be a source of deeper under standing- some yielding smiles; others, tears. With lhe goal of mining contemporary quotations for insights, intended or olherwise, The Jewish Observer here continues its feature, "Of Public Record:' which presents illuminating citations culled from varions media; Of Public Record "Is it blacklisted?" [If the U.S. guaranteed no vio· BUT MORE WAYS NOT TO -A vendor at a Hungarian church Jenee against Iran,] could there be Dept. service, challenging a reporter who an Iranian guarantee of no violence "There are ways to live with a pointed out, among .his wares, a copy againstisrael? nuclear Iran:' of "Mein Kampf" '-Question posed to Mr.Ahmadinejad - Recently retired top American The New York Times, October 24 at a meeting with Christian leaders. commander. in the Middle East, The Iranian responded by asking for General John P. Abizaid I "Ouronlyprevionsexchangeswith a 3-minute break "for the interpreter" The New York Times, October 18 I.I' the Iraqis are the Scud missiles?' and then changing the subject -'Dr. Sion Houri, of an Israeli-based The New York Times, September 27 WE.LL-POISONING Dept. nonprofit group lhat arranges for The Seattle Kolle! and its aco- 1 Israeli doctors to treat Iraqi .children "Humanistic Judaism is so vain- lytes represent a foothold in our city I Associated Press, October 9 able to me because .it affirms me for a dangerous brand of .Haredi I when I'm with it and when I'm not. Judaism .... 1 call on Jewish Seattle I "Mind-numbing racism" It doesn't make any judgment about to reject this hostile takeover of our 'i - Characterization by Columbia me ...." community. University Professor Hamid Dabashi of "Humanistic Rabbi" and Harvard - Dr. Noah Friedland I I the university president's public rebuke chaplain Greg Epstein, on the ben- Letter to the editor,]T News (Seattle), I of Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, ,,,., efit of his "belief" system October 5 I New York Sun, October 15 Forward, October 19 I L _------. ---- -~ Ir-:---=~--==~=====-===-==~~~~~=~===-=-=~==-==-=~===~=--==~ -- i YAAKOV SALOMON ! I have never met "Reb Yoseif." 1 And yet, I would like to introduce I ~to~. I He was in his mid-70s when he first learned the full extent of his I condition. He had, for many years, suffered from shortness of breath and spasm-like chest throbs. But, like so many of us, he eschewed the dreaded, but necessary, doctor appointments. "I'll be all right;' he refrained. "The pains come, but they go away. And what do the doctors really know, anyway." Having been born and bred in Jerusalem, Reb Yoseif was made of tough stuff, but the time had come when he could no longer avoid the tender truth. His condition \Vas serious and it was not going away on its own. Reb Yoseif had never held any official position of renown or glory. Beloved teacher, mentor to many hundreds, and bastion of unflap· pable belief, he carried himself with uncanny humility and unruffled confidence. The old-timers of Jerusalem know about people like Reb Yoseif. There are more than a few of them. They flee the spotlight, detest honor, and quietly guide those who seek a word of consolation, advice, or reassurance. They don't revere G-d. They live with G-d ... every waking moment and with every fiber of their being. "We must face reality, Rabbi;' said Dr. M. "The medications are not working. We've tried several different kinds of medicine for quite a few months. There is really only one more option:' Reb Yoseif sat calmly in the predictable, grey metal chair, listening to Dr. M. He knew what \Vas coming. "The only choice left is surgery; and yes, it is rather risky:' Dr. M. went on to describe the details of the terribly complicated heart surgery that represented the best and only hope he had. Reb Yoseif did not inquire about numbers, chances, or odds. That was not his way. But Dr. M. offered them anyway. 'Tm going to be totally honest with you, Rabbi. Without this opera tion, you n1ay not live more than 12 1nore n1onths. If the surgery is successful though, you could have 20 more years. But there is a 50-50 chance that you will not leave the operating roon1 alive. 1'he decision is totally yours:' Just imagine being faced with that kind of dilemma. Imagine his wife and children. Do they want him to have the operation, knowing full well that they may never see him again? Or do they not dare chancing a risk of that magnitude and just hope ... and pray ... that the doctor is wrong? Having to encounter a quandary of this in1port is to reside in one of life's most perilous neighborhoods. After more than a fe\V sleepless nights and several consultations vvith the wisest of men, Reb Yoseif agreed that it was a risk worth taking. It was a short time later that Reb Yoseif entered the hospital. Well wishers from everywhere, whose souls had been touched by his kindness and his holiness, prayed for his success. But only his closest family mem bers \Vere per1nitted at his bedside in the precious pre-op moments. And then, it was time. They wheeled Reb Yoseif out of his room with his modest, appre- A real person, his na1ne has been changed to respect his privacy. --.. -··---·-----,-·_,______, ______YAAKOV SALOMON, CSW. IS r\ PS)CHOfHERAP!:>T \N PRIVATE PRAlT!CE IN BROOKL'JN. HE IS A FREQl ;ENT CON"IRlBL'i'OR TO THESE f'AGl,S, MOST RECENTl.Y WITH "So \'I/HAT IF SHE'S I 0!.DEf~ THA,"\J ME .. "(DEC. '06). THIS ARTTCJ.~: FIRST Al'PEAHE!l ()"l AJSfl.COM. 1 ~------··-----·--,---.------,------___ __J JEWISH -___- ,, ___-- .__ --- ·------1-- --- ~ ------·------.:~- hensive procession following dose behind. to know. Now I will tell you what you have \vhat happens here today, you can never His wife, among others, fortified and to know. take full credit for extending life. You have determined; his granddaughter, terrified "Should this surgery not be successful ... been given extraordinary talents, and you and bewildered. No one said a word.1bere should your intervention bring n1e death 111ust use them without pride, arrogance was nothing to say. instead of!ife, you may naturally be disap or conceit. But you are just a n1essenger of In the longest of walks that took the pointed. You may even blame yourself for Hashen1, a wheel in His Majesty's n1iU. shortest of time, they reached their desti what did and did not happen. You might go "For it wilJ not have been you who suc nation - the O.R. It was time to part. so far as to reeval uatc your skills as a doctor ceeded, but rather rl1e will of the Creator The Operating Theatre was, as it always and even doubtthe value of this procedure. that has spoken. I hope that you under- is- a peculiar batter of sterility and mor As a result of your questions, you n1ay be stand." bidity. It is here that life speaks for itself. reluctant to perform this surgery on others, Dr. M. nodded slowly. It was a moment \ It is here that tomorrow waits for those who may, in fact, greatly benefit from this that he would never forget. who cannot. It is here that fate governs type of operation. Reb Yoseif gave him a soft smile. and judgn1ent is forever rendered. "Know that life is in the exclusive And then he dosed his eyes. l)octors, nurses, attendants and aides hands of tl1e Ribbono she! Olam. It is He, all milled about, busying themselves and He only, Who determines tbe fate with Iast-1ninute technicalities, while the of we who are but flesh and blood. No I patient, aln1ost a curious afterthought, matter what happens here today, you I just waited and peered. So many people, must continue your vital work. You have so many machines, so much bright light, been given extraordinary talents and so 1nuch focus- all in concert, all directed you n1ust use then1 without hesitation, I in a unified effort to bring life and health re1norse, or vacillation. For it will not have to one individual. been you that failed, but rather the will of I What goes through the minds of the Creator that has spoken. I hope you Nefesh International patients just before critical surgery is as understand:' 11"' Annual Conference rnysterious as it is diverse. But in this case, It was a short but penetrating speech. with this man, at this acute n1oment in his And in it, lay a gift of eternal dimension. On life, we need not \vonder ... we need not Dr. M. had performed hundreds of similar specttlate. Because from the very mouths surgeries before, but had never met anyone, Orthodox of our greatest teachers, we can catch a in those trying circumstances, who had had glimpse of inspirations so profound that the presence, the clarity, the pure belief, Judaism and they becon1e pennanently chiseled into and the simple kindness of the man who our hearts and our souls. lay before him at that moment. Menta.I Health ie final preparations were nearly "Yes;' replied Dr. M. "I understand. I completed. Dr. M. spoke to Reb agree. And I am very grateful:' TYoseif and dutifully introduced the It was a life lesson of complete and "From Denial team that would soon embrace the august unfailing conviction, which possessed the To Awareness task of trying to save his life. He then went unique and supre1ne po\ver that could have through a brief sun1111a1)' of the undertak come only from someone who was actually To Effective ing before him and what Reb Yoseif might sitting at the crossroads of life. expect after he awoke. Neither man articu Dr. M. collected himself and turned Treatment" lated the dreaded alternative. once 1nore to the anesthesiologist and "Good luck;' said Di: M. as he instructed beckoned him to proceed. But Reb Yoscif, the anesthesiologist to prepare the insertion it seen1s, \Vas not quite finished. December 20•23, of the sleeping aid. "And ... er ... one 1nore thing- and this 2007 But before he could procced,Reb Yoseif's is really the purpose of my words to you hand suddenly read1ed out from the sheet at this ti111c. Should I awake) n1any hours Sheraton and clutched the left arm of Dr. M. fro1n now, in a recovery roo1n so1neV1rhere, "ff I may;' said the gentle sage to the I trust that you will be by my side. Together, Stamford Hotel Stamford, Connecticut good doctor. '"fhere is son1cthing I 1nust \Ve will celebrate an accon1plish1nent of tell you before you begin. enormous proportion. "Weeks ago, you advised nle of the "But know, good doctor, that life is in Register today at risks involved in having this procedure. the exclusive hands of Hashem. It is He www.nefesh.org They were difficult to hear and even and He only Who determines the fate of Ldcr-to weigh. You told me what I had we who are but flesh and blood. No n1atter r= ----;-;~;;-:--~-,~=--.~-~~------=-i 1 RABBI ~HLOMO LORINCZ"------"- - " ------··------! I PREPARED FOR PUBLICATION BY YONOSON ROSENBLUM ! I I I Rabbi Lorincz represented Agudath Israel in the Israeli serve as the basis of this series of articles on his relationship [ I Knesset from 1951-1984, during which time he was an with Harav Hagaon, Rabbi Elazar Menachem Man Shach , I intimate of a number of Torah luminaries of the past half 7"011 who served as the Ponovezher Rosh Hayeshiva from century.Theextensivenotesthathekeptonthosemeetings 1951 until his petira (passing) in 2001/5762. I I I I Rabbi Elazar I Menachem Man I I I TORAH STUDY: THE VITAL CORE OF HIS IDENTITY I. TOTAL IMMERSION tion is delving into Torah study with do with a difficult question that was IN TORAH even more intensity than before. bothering him. When he succeeded in · • · · · · · · · · · · · · • · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · "I have to hug the sefer." finding a solution, he rejoiced. Rabbi abbi Shach took responsibility Rabbi Shach loved Torah as a Sha ch himself once commented, "I for the welfare of countless father loves an only child, and then cannot eat or sleep - I cannot even Rindividuals and for Kial Yisroel some. daven - when I am bothered by a dif- as a whole. Yet, Torah study remained When his vision deteriorated to the ficult question. My life is not life." his primary focus. He frequently extent that he could no longer read In his eulogy for Rabbi Shach, declared, "We have to devote all of from sefarim, Harav Hagaon Rabbi Rabbi Chaim Berman recounted how our energy to Torah study." Ameilus Moshe Feinstein , .. ,, offered to send he once saw the Rosh Yeshiva trudging (effort) in Torah study is the most him a device upon which he could up the steps to Ponevezh with diffi- important thing in life, he used to place a sefer, and the words would culty, his face pale. Rabbi Shach had say, and the greatest sin is to be an be displayed on a screen in enlarged spent the previous day rushing from am ha'aretz. letters. Rabbi Shach refused the offer, one meeting to the next, and he had Rabbi Shach once told me that explaining, "I cannot learn that way. not slept at all during the night. When he left home for yeshiva prior to his When I learn, I have to be able to he walked into the beis midrash hold- bar mitzvah, and never thought of hug the sefer." Anyone who saw the ing a volume of Teshuvos Rabbi Akiva returning home to celebrate with joy and delight with which Rabbi Eiger, Rabbi Berman approached him his family. His entire bar mitzvah Sha ch held a sefer as he learned from and respectfully suggested that he take celebration consisted of an aliya on it understood what he meant. a little rest. He refused. Rabbi Berman his birthday. Since the significance of The Rebbetzin used to say that she repeated his request several times, becoming a bar mitzvah is that one is did not remember a single night that until Rabbi Shach finally answered, "If now required to fulfill all the mitzvos, Rabbi Shach slept peacefully. Every so ! lie down to rest and the time comes I he explained, the most fitting celebra- often, he would jump out of bed to for me to pass from this world, I will , RAse1 RoseNeLuM, wtto uv1os IN JERUSALEM. look up a Rambam or Rashba. go empty-handed. But ifl am learning \ " A coNTRmunNo w1ToR rn TH1 1Ew1rn When Rabbi Shach looked deject- a Rabbi Akiva Eiger, I will die with the I I 1 1 °"""v'~------~~his w1~ knew~ invariably~ad to -~ough~of R~b: ~kiv~Eiger.'~_J 42 r-===-======----=}~~=c~:-~~~=~~~~~~~-~======------===-~ I I THE BRISKER RAv's with anyone prior to presenting them to with joy from hearing his novel chiddu- I I APPROBATION RabbiShach.Afterall,weren'tthosewho shim that l want to dance. I am usually I learned with the Brisker Rav regularly tooembarrassedbythepassershytoactu- I I when the second volume of also great talmidei chachamim? ai1ydance,buttoday,noonewasaround, I II his sefer, Avi Ezri went to The Brisker Rav replied, "There is so I felt free to express my joy." I print, Rabbi Shach received not another who rejoices with all 248 Once, after a Torah discussion with I a glowing letter of approbation from limbs when he hears my chiddushim the Brisker Rav, Rabbi Shach remarked ' the Brisker Rav. The Brisker Rav rarely like Rabbi Shach. His joy also gives me that he did not understand why people I wrote approbations, and he certainly much pleasure. Therefore, I prefer to felt drawn to worldly pleasures. "I can- I I' never wrote one nearly as complimenta- wait for him to be the first to hear my not think of anything more pleasurable ry as the one that appears in Avi Ezri. chiddushim." than hearing the Torah thoughts of the "!Rabbi Shach] does not need any- Brisker Rav:' one's endorsement," wrote the Brisker "I COULD NOT SLEEP ALL Rav, "because he is a great man. His NIGHT" EVEN IN OLD AGE greatness in Torah stems from a combi- nation of his sharp intellect and breadth During an involved Torah discus- bbi Shach delivered a biweek of knowledge, with depth of reasoning sion between Rabbi Shach and y shiur at Yeshivas Grodna in in all areas of Torah, like one of the his students, a difficulty arose llishdod. He told me that during greatest Torah leaders of our genera- in the sugya they were studying. The a particular shiur, after he had raised tion. He does not need me, or anyone discussion ensued deep into the night, many difficulties in the Gemara, he like me, to testify on his behalf or about but no solution was forthcoming. The suddenly forgot the solution that he his chiddushim (novellae)." following morning, Rabbi Shach was had developed. He tried desperately to Anyone else would have rushed not in yeshiva for Shacharis. When he recall the solution, but his mind was straight to the printer to print this finally arrived several hours into the day, blank. "After a while, I decided that I approbation at the beginning of his sefer, he immediately approached the students would announce that I had forgotten but the Brisker Rav knew Rabbi Shach with whom he had been discussing the what I had prepared, and descend from well enough to realize that he would be difficulty the night before. the podium," he told me. "But just as too humble to print the approbation, so "Did you find a solution?" Rabbi I was about to do that, I thought to he sent his son to tell Rabbi Shach that Shach asked eagerly. myself, 'Perhaps I can come up with a he wanted him to print it. The students responded that they had different solution.' Bechasdei Hashem, I not succeeded in finding a solution. suddenly came up with a new approach WITH THE BRISKER RAV "So what did you do?" the Rosh to the sugya. Yeshiva inquired. "As soon as I finished the shiur abbi A.Z. Berlin once saw Rabbi "We went to sleep," they answered. and descended from the podium, the Shach enter the Brisker Rav's "l worked hard to find a solution, original solution came back to me. Rl1ouse. The Brisker Rav imme- and I did not sleep all night," said Rabbi I compared the approach that I had diately handed his visitor an original Shach. "I davened at daybreak, then worked so hard on at home to the one Torah thought he had written. Rabbi traveled to Jerusalem to ask the Brisker that I had put forward on the spur of the Shach, who was blessed with the abil- Rav our question. Listen to the brilliant 1no1nent, and I came to the conclusion ity to grasp difficult concepts quickly, solution the Rav proposed." that the new approach was better than scanned the pages rapidly and handed One cold, snowy day in Jerusalem, the old one:' them back to the Brisker Rav. Rabbi D. Finkel decided to visit the This story took place when Rabbi The Brisker Rav said, "! now have Brisker Rav. He assumed that he would Shach was ninety. approval on two factors. I know that my be able to spend plenty of time with the chiddush is correct, and I also know that Rav bcca use no one else would venture STUDYING THE ENTIRE l expressed my thoughts properly. Had out in the snow. When he reached the TRACTATE either one been faulty, Reb Leizer would Brisker Rav's street, he spotted a lone 'i not have returned it so quickly." figure dancing in the snow. As he drew Rabbi Shach strongly opposed When the Brisker Rav would sue- closer to the Rav's home, he saw that any changes to the methodol- I ceed, after much effort, in unraveling the person dancing was none other than ogy of Torah study that had I the secrets of a sugya and resolving his Rabbi Shach. been transmitted from one generation difficulties, he would always wait until Rabbi Finkel approached Rabbi Shach to the next. He would frequently say, he shared his conclusions with Rabbi and asked him why he was dancing. "I am just repeating what I have heard I I\ Shach. He was once asked why he would Rabbi Shach responded, "When I leave from the Torah giants of the previous L »•ra k<' ~ramm (ra•ol""""" "" ''"~' '''' ko~o I •o ~ hlk• . ''"'ra~o~ . . . . .J Rabbi Shach was outspoken in his that they were studying seems wasted demanded that students know Shas; on view that the slower pace of study that when they realize, at 24, that those the other hand, he made it clear that had become accepted in many yeshivos novel approaches were wrong. They get each 1nussarthought and each Mishnah was unacceptable, and said so in many depressed over the path that they have carries eternal itnportance. of his public addresses. He insisted that chosen, and it breaks their spirit.'' those who follow the common practice On one occasion, when he was argu of studying eight or nine dapim (folios) ing a difficult point in a Rashba with II. SPREADING TORAH intensely in the zen1an's 1norning ses his students, some students suggested sions and another thirty or forty dapim a solution that left much to be desired. in the afternoon would not turn out With his legendary smile, he explained, "I DEVOTED MYSELF TO to be talmidei chachamim. If a person ''I'll tell you why I'm not willing to HELPING You SUCCEED IN truly wishes to become a lamdan, he accept your approach. Until now, we LEARNING" said, he has to study the entire tractate were stuck on a difficult Rashba. Now and revie\v it several times so that he where are we? We arc stuck with a dif n a letter written in 5748 (1988), remembers it. ficult solution of some young students. Rabbi Shach testifies: "Those who Rabbi Shach cautioned students not You can understand that I would prefer I know me realize that all my life - to get stuck on a sugya for too long. to be stuck with a difficult Rashba, fron1 1ny younger years until this very day- I have devoted myself to inspiring my students and making them love the Torah." He echoed this thought in his tzava'a Rabbi Shach demanded a lot from his (ethical will): "I have devoted myself to students, but he also considered their helping you succeed in learning.'' Indeed, Rabbi Shach toiled for the small achievements important. When sake of his students even when he a student would ask him a question, reached an advanced age. He devel oped a special bond with his students, he would compliment him. He would respected them, and treated each one occasionally tell a questioner, "You are like an only child, following the direc tive of the Rambam in Hilchos Talmud right, and I am wrong." Torah (5:12): lust as students must respect their rebbi, the rebbi has to respect his stu dents and draw them to him. Our Sages Forge ahead, even when you are left which is definitely emmes, rather than taught, "Let the honor of your student with questions, he urged. When you be stuck with the difficult approach be dear to you as your own." One must review the tracta te, many difficulties of young students, which may not be take care with his students and love you had the first time around become en11nes." them, for they are the children who clear. Besides, not all questions must Rabbi Shach demanded a lot from provide true pleasure, both in this world be answered. his students, but he also considered and the next. I-le once told me, "Do you know their small achieven1ents i1nportant. how many avreichim go through a When a student would ask him a ques "I MAY RESPOND major crisis when they turn 24 or 25? tion, he would compliment him by INAPPROPRIATELY" For so1ne reason, at that age, many saying, "That's a good question.'' He of them exan1ine their lives and their would occasionally stop in the middle He would deliver the shiur klalli accomplishn1ents and wonder, 'VVhat of a shiurand tell a questioner, "You are on Tuesday. From Monday on, have I achieved?' They realize that they right, and I am wrong.'' When someone he locked himself in his study should have at least mastered the eight would ansv.ier a question that he raised, and would not accept visitors, so as not tractates studied in the yeshivas, if not he would walk around for several weeks to disturb the intense concentration that n1ore, and they don't even know those telling people, "So-and-so came up with he needed to prepare the shiur. [See tractates. They don't even remember a good answer to my question." articles on Rabbi Shach in the dedicated the eight or nine dapim of each tractate It was no surprise that he request- Feb. '02 issue. - Editor] I asked Rabbi that they studied intensely. The time ed in his will that people study one Shach what I should do if an important that they spent in their younger years Mishnah or one n1ussar thought in Knesset vote was imminent, or some his memory. On the one hand, he-- -othe~u1~ent~s1~1~e-~~tobedeci:'.J ~el~p1~ne~~p~ach~~,~~ugy~------=-i THE JEWISH OBSERVER ----·------·---·----"·------.. ·--··---"··------·------·------"--.. ··------.. -·---- during his weekly seclusion. A YESHIVA IN EVERY CITY their efforts to secularize the country by Rabbi Shach replied, "If you feel that building another Talmud Torah, another the issue absolutely cannot be delayed, n his role as leader of the yeshiva yeshiva ketana or yeshiva gedola, and this send me a message that you are waiting world, Rabbi Sha ch was concerned will lead us to victory:' outside; l will allow you to come in. Ask I about every Torah institution equal "We have to grab all that we can;' me your question briefly, and l will try ly. He never - and I mean never- asked the Chazon !sh would say, "and build to respond briefly. Know, however, that me for any special favor for Yeshivas another Talmud Torah or yeshiva." I will be so focused on my shiur that I Ponevezh, or for the yeshiva of his probably will not hear your question son-in-Jaw, Rav Meir Tzvi Bergman. "I'LL SELL MY FROCK" properly. Even worse, my response may He viewed all yeshivas as one, and be inappropriate. You must take into considered himself responsible for all en Rabbi Shraga Grosbard, account when asking me a question dur of them. irector of Chinuch Atzmai, ing my preparation for shiur that I am The rav of Carmiel, Rabbi A.Z. W nformed the rabbinical I not giving the issue my full attention, Margalit, once asked Rabbi Shach how board that the Education Ministry was and make sure that 1ny response seems to succeed in a city considered a secu eliminating Chinuch Atzmai's trans sensible. If you feel that my response larist stronghold. Rabbi Shach encour portation budget, Rabbi Shach's face is inappropriate, do not consider my aged him to open a yeshiva. When began to change colors. He stood up decision final." Rabbi Margalit followed his advice, and announced, «We cannot eliminate Rabbi Shach told him, "I am jealous of transportation to the Torah institutions. THE SHIUR THAT SHOULD NOT you. You merited to save the city from HAVE TAKEN PLACE secularism." I "But the city is still as secular as it Gt#J (f>·W-~)' abbi Shach once fell ill on the was before I opened the yeshiva;' Rabbi day that he was scheduled to Margalit replied in surprise. llftlJWi~.&•111'. I Rdeliver a shiur. When his doc Rabbi Shach repeated, "When you -··~~haclcli~ tor arrived, Rabbi Shach asked him establish a yeshiva, you save the entire for all age groups , I to perform the examination quickly, city:' 347.702.9494 because he had to go to yeshiva to True to Rabbi Shach"s words, the city deliver his shiur. Upon completing of Carmiel has undergone a transforma I his cxa1ninationi however, the doctor tion since that yeshiva was established. KAlKA IN ElETZ YISlOEL ' informed Rabbi Shach that he was too Many other Torah institutions have Call Rabbi Gavriel Beer for information on ill to deliver his shiur. Rabbi Shach since opened in Carmiel, including a obtaining cemeteiy plots in Beth Shemesh told the doctor that he must deliver Chareidi school and a kollel. and other locations in Israel. the shiur, and if he was not allowed to Rabbi Shach often told us, "Let the 011-972-2-656-9427 walk, he would have his students carry irreligious do as they see fit. We will fight him to yeshiva in a chair. The doctor clarified his diagnosis: "You cannot Why did the Chafetz TO SAVE deliver a shiur in this condition, even Chaim & R'Chaim TALMIDEI I if you are carried in on a chair." Ozer Grodzinsky CHOCHOMIM Not one to be deterred, Rabbi Shach FROM THE PAIN AND ended up going to deliver the shiur, start Ezras Torah? SHAME OF POVERTY. with the good doctor following close In an idea! world, those who devote Jn Eretz Yisrocl today, Ezras Torah ii.fake a life of Torah devotion and behind him. With the doctor look- their lives to Torah would be provides Housing, Hnwrxency commitment an everlasting edifice ing on in wonder, Rabbi Shach pro recogni1..ed as the spiritual heroes 1lfedicaf Fund~, !FeddinR that will bring us the Rabbonim, that they are. Support Ezra.~ 'lb rah 's Assi,·tr1nce, Hnn Tov ,W1/;end1', Oayonim and Leaders of tomorrow~ ceeded to deliver an hour-long shiur Zedakah Programs and make that Sin1cbas and Special 1Veed's Grants in his inimitable style, characteristi ideal a reality. a11dLoans. STAND UP FOR TORAH! cally punctuated by loud arguments Help Ezras Torah's committed scholars and families stand strong! : l I with his students. When Rabbi Shach ' ' finally descended from the podium, VeS ''would !ike to help Ezras Torahl Enclosed is _,,1_,1E 11 • my tax-deductible contribution for: the doctor conceded, "What can I 11m1ffss say? The rules of medicine simply do oSl8o$36o$JOOoS250o$360oS500o$l,OOOo$ cnr STATE z1r l'l'1ethod of payment: OCheck DVisa DM/C ONE riio!\E not apply in this case. According to I 'I all n1edical texts, Rabbi Shach should Acc.# EXJl. Da~: lt,Z~S TOB¢,Hl7lwHumanwdeoflorahPhifantbropi I not have been able to make it ast his ~leaw contact me regarding estabhshmg an I ua~ lorah ~lake rwvnH nt~ to I zra, lorth I ,, P I Lndol\ment Fund for a DJ rt'r Loan fund DMed1cal ! um! 2:'Vi East Broad11,ai Nm iork NY !0001•212 2Z- 8960 JOI I fi h h j .1rstt oug t. L------~ L___------~ If we do, many students will stop attend a Torah school, they will not attend a students; ing Chinuch Atzmai schools, and they yeshiva ketana or yeshiva gedola, either. • Create an atmosphere that will will be robbed of the opportunity to We must raise the funds to cover the make the students want to learn receive a Torah education in elementary transportation." the material; school. If these students do not attend After describing the catastrophic • Punctuality (He would say that a effect the government's decision would teacher/rebbi must be careful to have, Rabbi Shach began to slip off his come exactly on time, not even one frock, declaring, ''I'll sell my frock, and minute late.); Hats • Shirts • Ties •Accessories go raise the funds." • Most importantly, a rebbi must Rabbi Shach's dramatic action left a serve as a living example of the Your # 1 .Stop deep impression on the American roshei lessons he is teaching. for yeshivas present at that meeting, and Rabbi Shach delivered the following Quality Hats they immediately accepted responsibil remarks to many audiences of rebbei1i111 ity to raise the funds necessary to cover and teachers: WEALSO DRYiCtEAN the transportation cost.;;. Your main focus as mechanchim & RESHAPEHATS (All wdikilone 11ll prem/$es) should be on treating students with INFLUENCING MECHANCHIM a positive attitude. The specific style 1368 Coney Island Avenue or pedagogic tool used to teach the ('718) 377-5050 abbi Shach never refused a request material is not nearly as significant Major credit cards accepted • We ship UPS to address teachers on the subject as the relationship between teacher Rof the proper approach in Torah and student. As a mechaneich, you Endorsed by RABBI education. He was prepared to spend as must try to find an approach and MOSHE MORDECHA! 1nuch time with groups of elementary manner of speech that the children and high school rebbei'im as he did with will find engaging, and gain the chulni'an mashgichim and rebbei'im in post-high trust of your students, so that you school institutions. He would address can become an influential figure these gatherings not as the gadol hador, in their lives. If you are loved by but as a fellow mechaneich (educator), your students, you will find that stressing that his approach was com your lessons will take root in their ing from his decades of experience as hearts, and stay with them for a 1nechaneich. years to come. No matter where He believed that success in chinuch is life takes your students, they will contingent on successful implementa never stray from the path that you tion of four fundamental principles: set for them. Develop a personal bond with the I am telling you this from personal experience. When I was young, I was lucky enough to stay with my uncle, Reb Isser Zalman Meltzer. Besides for being a giant in Torah, he was known for sterling character traits. All that I saw in the years I spent with him has remained inscribed on my heart and absorbed in my blood until this very day. When one of my sons began to deliver a shiurto students, I took him to Rabbi Shach to receive his blessing. Rabbi Shach told him, "You will suc ceed; your students will listen to you. just make sure not to become haughty, because if you do, your students will also be haughty. If you are impatient, your students will also be impatient. The character traits of a rebbi are transn1itted I L:______~ ------to-and mirrored-by his stude~ts~ •tt ts Chanu~ah, en you can give ? ',•,' -:'· ,:'::'..::~;; ~~J:z~~~~~~~~r::~1;~~~~s~ ~:!6~!f~f~Sa/$m~~" and the basis of all Torah study. "... ·· THIE RIENNIERT EDITION ---·--~·----.. -~.~~-----"·-- ,.,, JENC1Y7(C]L(Q)JPJEJD)][A OJF 1rA\JRJYA(Gr MUr1rZ\\1(Q)1rJ EACH MITZVAH INCLUDES: Ii The Basic Mitzvah 111 Blessings for the Mitzvah·' 11 Expanded Treatment rs Illuminations Of the Mitzvaff a A Broader Look at the laws a Stories & Parables from Chazcit 11 Situations in Halachah 11 The Count of the Mitzvah MORRIS & DEVORA SMITH VOLUME ONE> MITZVOTH 1•24 /WGl15HEOrnml THE SINGER FAMILY VOLUME ONE: ,";)-'~I HtBRE.W E01t10N MOTTY & MALKA KLEIN TKE TEN COMMANDMENTS I ENGllSH !OITION MORDECHAI & MIRREL EISSENBERG nro'm 1i'l1lll' I HEBREW EOlnON whose generosity and vision made the pubUcation of these volumes possible. 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