Balak Newsletter

t was known bani a long time favorite of his Stories of throughout with the question to the Ben BS”D Baghdad Ish Chai’s home. When he Sephardic that every reached the stairs leading up to Motzai Shab- the Chachams room the study THE Gedolim bat the holy door opened and the Ben Ish “Ben Ish Chai” Chai emerged. He then called (Rabbenu Yosef Chaim of Bagh- out from the top of the stair- dad) closets himself in his attic case “what are you doing here NEWSLETTER and no visitors were Yehoshua, go back to PARASHAT BALAK י”ז תמוז תשע”ה allowed into the Cha- the yeshiva and tell chams home. It was your friends that the July 4 2015 Candlelighting 8:12 rumored that at this answer to their ques- ur Parasha not have it! They time he would meet tion is as follows…” begins with used their powers and speak with Eliya- Yehoshua returned to the story of Divrei Torah which are through hu Hanavi. One day the Yeshiva and told Balak the king of on cursing and destruc- the students in the over the Ruach hako- Moab who hires the Parashat Hashavua tion. But we use our Yeshiva decided the desh of their great prophet Bilaam to power which is time has come to leader. But nonethe- curse and ultimately destroy the blessings and goodness. Jewish people. Bilaam had already verify if this rumor Ben Ish Chai less there were others We read further in the Parasha how proven his powers before when he Bilaam was actually coming to curse was really true. They got who testied hearing other helped the king of Emori, Sichon; win Bnei Yisrael and cause their destruc- together one Motzai Shabat voices coming from his room the battle against Moab as a result of a tion. On the way while riding his and prepared a good question when no one else was in there. terrible curse he had placed on Moab. donkey a heavenly angel swinging a on the sugya they were learn- May his merit protect us, Now Balak was getting Bilaam on his ery sword suddenly appeared in ing and sent Yehoshua Shara- Amen. side to curse his enemies. The Chafetz their path to block the way. The Chaim points out how dier- donkey upon seeing the he makam for this week Parshat Balak ent we are from the goyim. angel tried to sidestep and When we have a problem, get around him. But there The Makam is Makam “Mahur”. The name for this we go to our leaders the was a stone wall on both makam originates holy tzaddikim and seek a sides and Bilams foot got from Syria and actually blessing for ourselves. crushed against the wall as a of the Week However, the prophets of the result. The Targum Yonatan means in Arabic “quickly” goyim instead attempt to or “energetically” (perhaps referring to a certain points out that this stone solve their problems through wall was actually built by our energetic tone in this particular makam). cursing and destroying their forefather Yaakov Avinu Mahur is really “related” to a dierent more adversaries. A telling dier- while parting from his general makam called “Rast”. It is mostly ence indeed! But the Ohr father-in-law Lavan. Yaakov Hachaim Hakadosh explains just the higher musical notes of built a mound of stones and this even deeper. We the Jewish made a treaty that we will both not that makam which follows mostly lower tones people are the epitome of good and pass this spot to harm one another. So but on the same tune. bring blessing to the world. We when Bilaam who descended from In many kehilot the makams of Rast and actually possess the power of bless- Lavan was now breaking the treaty ings. Not so the Goyim who in general Hashem punished him with that same Mahur are used every week at Mincha of are the epitome of bad and only bring mound of stones. This is another Shabbat. destruction to the world. Balak and lesson of truth and honesty that we Bilaam he says could not use the possess over the goyim. W� �� B”H �� S�� S�� M�� P�� P��. method of blessing because they did L�� S�� . F�� , �� A project of Sephardic Torah Center of Marine Park 1950 Kimball Street 718-490-0043 �� .��. For comments or to receive the newsletter please call 718-490-0043 or email [email protected] nnounc- Aruch does not disputes that require a Bet Din. He felt that Yom Azkarah (Yahrtzeit) his mission in life was mainly teaching ing the mention this students in the Yeshiva and not in Dayanut. Fast days Sephardic Halacha custom and of Sephardic Sages He would however answer other halachic and The Three Weeks indeed in all inquiries that only needed a Posek. In fact י”ז תמוז in shul: The The Fast of Shulchan the Sephardic he 19th of Tammuz marks the Yom much of his day in the yeshiva and at home Aruch writes a custom for the Shab- communities the Haftara is not read Azkarah of the legendary Rosh was spent answering questions in Halacha bat before a public fast day, that the on fast days. The Yalkut Yosef notes, Yeshivah of Porat Yosef, Chacham Ben from the many questioners that surrounded chazzan must announce in shul the that due to this dierence, people of Tzion Abba Shaul z.t.l. him wherever he went. Only towards the upcoming fast between the Torah Sephardic decent should try to avoid Chacham Ben Tzion was born in Yerushalay- end of his life did he nally accept the im on the 29th of Tammuz in the year 1924. position of Dayan in a Bet Din for Choshen reading and Musaf. They also add a being called up for the aliya of Yisrael Mishpat (monetary matters) led by the tella that we merit seeing that day at Mincha time (in an Ashkenazi shul) His parents were Harav Eliyahu and Banya. Harav Eliyahu originated from a village in Ashkenaz Rav of Yerushalayim Harav Betzalel turn into a happy day and a Yom Tov. as he will then need to read the Southern Iran but immigrated to Eretz Yisrael Zoltey z.t.l. It is simply amazing to read all the This is the custom of all the Sephar- Haftara with its’ berachot, which may as a child to settle there. Their household was stories of cases brought before him and how Once one has permeated with yirat shamayim. Their only quickly the truth was revealed! He soon .ברכה לבטלה dic communities. But the Ashkenaz- be a im follow the Rema who com- already been called wish was that their children grow up to be became known by all as a fearless Dayan that ments that in the countries that up for the aliya, he talmidei chachamim and keep the mitzvot sees through he lived they properly. any attempt of may make the deceit in the do not have berachot and read the At only ten years old Chacham Ben Tzion was quickest this custom. Haftara for the Kehal. already accepted to the famous Sephardic manner. The Three Weeks: Yeshiva Porat Yosef headed by the great :תפילת עננו Chacham Ezra Attieh z.t.l. Even at a young As with most Sephardic י”ז תמוז One of the The fast of things we say age, his Rebbi already predicted a destiny of marks the beginning greatness. He soon became attached to his Gedolim in the on a public fast of the saddest period past generation Rabbi Chaim Yosef David Azulai (Chida) friend Chacham Ovadia Yosef who despite day is the Rabbi Yosef Karo of the year referred by being a few years older than him took him as he was also well special tella all as “The Three a study partner. Together these two scholars versed in the All those Weeks”. In Halacha there are grew in the Yeshiva to become the leaders of secrets of .”עננו“ called all Sephardic Jewry in Eretz Yisrael. kabbalah. He fasting add this beautiful certain customs of mourning Chacham Ben Tzion Abba Shaul th learned mainly tella to the beracha of which we keep during this On the 9 of Sivan in 1949, at age 25, he got from Chacham Ephraim Cohen who headed period in time. However there married to his wife Hadassa the daughter of the Kabbalah group in the Yeshiva and also שמונה in the שומע תפילה -erences in R’ Yosef Chaim Sharabani. Their only son with his wife’s grandfather Chacham YehoshWe ask of Hashem to are a number of di .עשרה Eliyahu was born three years later. Chacham answer our prayers in the Chacham Yitzchak Yosef customs between Sepharadim ua Sharabani z.t.l. who was a beloved zechut of our fasting. How- and Ashkenazim. According to Ben Tzion attributed his son’s birth to student of the legendary master of kabbalah ever, there are dierences of opinion the Rema, during the entire three berachot he received from the late Belzer “The Ben Ish Chai” from Baghdad. But he Rebbe z.t.l. (Harav Aharon Rokeach) and the would always say that he felt his main regarding when to say this prayer. weeks one cannot make weddings Chazon Ish z.t.l. They had no other children According to Sephardic opinions or play any form of musical instru- purpose in life was teaching his students in but Rav Eliyahu grew to be a big Talmid Yeshiva not delving into kabbalah as much .both by ments.

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