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THE THE Elul 5762 • September 2002 JJewishewish U.S.A. $3.50/Foreign $4.50 • VOL XXXV/NO. 7 OOBSERBSERVERVER vh,ukkeuvh,ukkeu vbavba vkf,vkf, vh,ufrcuvh,ufrcu vbavba kj,kj, In this issue REMEMBERING RABBI NACHMAN BULMAN k’’mz Rabbi Mendel Weinbach • Rabbi Hillel Goldberg Rabbi Leonard Oppenheimer • Rabbi Zev Kahn Also The Torah Map of America – Revisited Rabbi Chaim Dov Keller Yamim Noraim Reflections THEJJewishewish Elul 5762 • September 2002 OOBSERBSERVERVER U.S.A.$3.50/Foreign $4.50 • VOL XXXV/NO. 7 THE JEWISH OBSERVER (ISSN) 0021-6615 is published monthly except This is the full Table of Contents of the print edition of the July and August by the Agudath Israel of America, 42 Broadway, New York, Jewish Observer.The web edition contains only a selection of NY10004. Periodicals postage paid in New articles (indicated in color). Click on the title to go to the Yo r k, NY.Subscription $24.00 per year; beginning of that article. Click on the box at the end of each two years, $44.00; three years, $60.00. article to come back to this page. Or navigate using your Outside of the United States (US funds drawn on a US bank only) $12.00 sur- browser’s menu and other options. charge per year. Single copy $3.50; for- 8 10 3535 eign $4.50. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Jewish Observer, 42 Broadway, NY., NY. 10004. Tel: 212-797-9000, 8 Yahrzeit: September 11 / 23 Elul, Nisson Wolpin Fax: 646-254-1600.Printed in the U.S.A. RABBI NACHMAN BULMAN l”xz RABBI NISSON WOLPIN, EDITOR 10 Biographical Notes EDITORIAL BOARD 11 Rabbi Nachman Bulman l”xz – An Appreciation, RABBI JOSEPH ELIAS Chairman Rabbi Mendel Weinbach RABBI ABBA BRUDNY 15 Unfinished Symphony, Rabbi Hillel Goldberg JOSEPH FRIEDENSON RABBI YISROEL MEIR KIRZNER 17 A Vestige of Earlier Times, Rabbi Leonard Oppenheimer RABBI NOSSON SCHERMAN PROF. AARON TWERSKI 19 A Talmid Remembers, Rabbi Zev Kahn DR. ERNST L. BODENHEIMER Z”L READER’S FORUM: RABBI MOSHE SHERER Z”L Founders 23 “Redrawing the Torah Map of America,” Rabbi Chaim Dov Keller MANAGEMENT BOARD AVI FISHOF, NAFTOLI HIRSCH ISAAC KIRZNER, RABBI SHLOMO LESIN YAMIM NORAIM REFLECTIONS NACHUM STEIN 28 The Secret of the Truah Gedola, Rabbi Fyvel Shuster RABBI YOSEF C. GOLDING Managing Editor 31 Bein Adam L’chaveiro …At All Times, Rabbi Dov Berish Ganz Published by Agudath Israel of America 35 “All Vows,” Dr. Aaron Twerski U.S. TRADE DISTRIBUTOR ISRAELI REPRESENTATIVE Feldheim Publishers Intnl. Media Placement 200 Airport Executive Park POB 7195 / 5 Even Israel 39 Rethinking “Kosher” Videos and Computer Games, Nanuet, NY 10954 Jerusalem, ISRAEL Rabbi Leib Kelemen BRITISH REPRESENTATIVE BELGIAN REPRESENTATIVE M.T. Bibelman Mr. E. Apter 40 Digressing on the Internet, Dr. Bernard Fryshman Grosvenor Works Lange Kievitstr. 29 Mount Pleasant Hill 2018 Antwerp VOICES FROM ERETZ YISROEL London E5 9NE, ENGLAND BELGIUM FRENCH REPRESENTATIVE SOUTH AFRICAN 43 When Grown-Ups Are Helpless, Sarah Shapiro Rabbi Bamberger REPRESENTATIVE 21 Boulevard Paixhans Mr. V. Taback 45 A Few Thoughts on a Motza’ei Shabbos, Debbie Shapiro 57000 Metz PO Box 51552, FRANCE Raedene, Johannesburg 2124 SOUTH AFRICA SWISS REPRESENTATIVE 47 “Yaakov Avinu Lo Meis – Our Father Jacob Did Mr. S. Feldinger Leimanstrasse 36 Not Die,” Rabbi Benzion Twerski 4051 Basel, SWITZERLAND 49 In Search of the Ehrliche Yid, a review essay of Chafetz THE JEWISH OBSERVER does not Chaim: Lessons in Truth, by Rabbi Moshe Eisemann assume responsibility for the Kashrus of any product, publication, or service 52 The Bostoner Rebbetzin, Raichel Horowitz h”i, advertised in its pages Rabbi Hillel Goldberg © Copyright 2002 54 Letters to the Editor September 2002 56 Way Beyond Us, a poem by Bracha Goetz VOLUME XXXV/NO. 7 SUBSCRIBE TO THE JEWISH OBSERVER. CLICK HERE. YAHRZEITYAHRZEIT September 11 / 23 Elul nniversaries are ripe with mean- their loss once again, and draw lessons, ing and charged with emotion- and find inspiration and instruction, Aal resonance – with joy or sorrow, from each person’s contributions and with hope or sense of loss, depending achievements. Even as the wounds are on the event they mark. A prime exam- open afresh, there is a concomitant heal- ple is September 11, the day that in a n event of such ing and a growth of sorts, as well. matter of ninety minutes the Twin Tow- In the case of the World Trade Cen- ers, icon of America’s financial preem- Amagnitude that ter, we cringe in horror at the brutality inence, and a section of the Pentagon of those who perpetrated the atrocity. Building, the nerve-center of America’s took place on the At the same time, we become awe-struck unrivaled military might, came crash- eve of Rosh once again at the fullest measure of ing down. With them came the loss of devotion expressed by New York City’s our country’s sense of invulnerability. Hashana surely fire-fighters, police and rescue person- A first Yahrzeit brings the initial year nel, as well as countless volunteers – to a close and ends a period of mourn- carries a compelling valiant Hatzolah members prominent ing – mourning for loss of innocent among them – who risked all… and, at lives, mourning for precious brothers message to us as times, gave all – to save others. and sisters who were caught in the infer- Jews. As we pause, we also experience a no and left behind bereaved families and profound appreciation for the kinship stricken communities, mourning the we feel with all of our fellow Americans loss of America’s imperviousness to – not just for a sense of shared victim- physical attack. And then there is the ization, but for all the blessings of liv- shock from the loss of a symbol that ing in a country that not only tolerates proclaimed for all the world that even our path of worship and avodas Hashem the sky is no limit to American growth with the essence of the departed. Their (service to G-d), but welcomes its and unchallenged superiority. neshamos are summoned for a review of flourishing. Indeed, we are all in this On a personal level, a Yahrzeit is an the Divine judgment. And the survivors together, and perhaps we can draw a encounter of sorts on a spiritual plane, experience a closeness, as they evaluate straight line between shared blessings 8 The Jewish Observer, September 2002 and shared suffering. As Jews, and as Yes, it is a time to build – in realms timeless hopes into thriving realities – Americans, we were – and are – targets of the spirit. After all, aren’t we Jews well- especially with the approach of the New of the destructive hatred of those who versed in finding paths through moun- Year – our People’s sacred mission? Isn’t do not see room on this planet for our tains of ashes, and building impressive this a most appropriate time to respond chosen ways of life. edifices on tragedy-scarred terrain? to this call? Isn’t translating prophetic visions and N.W. here are a number of lessons that we would do well to review and Treinforce on this Yahrzeit and con- Rav Bulman zt”l Had One tinue to reflect on even after it passes. If, indeed, in the wake of September 11, Last Dream… Americans in general and New Yorkers in particular have felt a need to devote more time and attention to the spiritu- al dimensions of their lives, how much more so should we Jews, the People of the Torah, do the same. Suffering a hum- bling blow in terms of physical might and material glory can in its way be an impetus for dedicated spiritual growth. Those who mark the passage of Rav Nachman Bulman zt"l gave all he had to the Jewish people. time by the civil calendar think in terms He gave his time. He gave his health. He gave himself. of “9/11.” We Jews live by the rhythms of the lunar year, and to us, 23 Elul is Even in his passing, he gave. He gave us the tremendous opportunity to the Yahrzeit of that cataclysm. An event complete his last masterpiece: Beis Midrash Nachliel the Rav’s center of such magnitude that took place for Torah and Prayer in Neve Ya’akov, Yerushalayim. during the days of Selichos, on the eve Beis Midrash Nachliel is in the midst of a building campaign to erect a of Rosh Hashana – and now is being permanent house of learning to study and spread the unique Torah revisited during the same season of wisdom that the Rav zt"l left behind. introspection – surely carries a com- pelling message to us as Jews. The call You, too, can have a portion in Rav Bulman’s legacy while creating a of the hour – and the year, for that mat- vibrant center for Torah and Prayer in Eretz Yisrael. ter – issued by political leaders was one To partake in this special project, or for information regarding of “Let us continue our lives as usual. dedication opportunities, please contact Rabbi Yehudah Bulman at We will show the enemy that we have 972-2-585-9686 or fax: 972-2-585-5778 not surrendered!” It is a call worth lis- tening to. Our teachers of Torah, how- ever, issued another call, as well, sum- moning us to respond to an alarm that echoes the shofar’s cry,“Wake up! Wake up from your slumbering!” On this Yahrzeit,we should review the words spoken by Gedolei Yisroel1 in the after- math of 23 Elul, and follow their direc- tives – their remarks, reflections, and rec- ommendations – as we prepare to continue to build on the deep impres- You Can Make It A Reality.