Parshat Balak Tammuz 16, 5781 June 26, 2021 Issue 200

Your Son Will Live By Rabbi Bentzion Yaacov Orimland The story I want to tell begins on September This was not the end of the story, however. I went through 17th, 1963, when I was three and a half a year and a half of intensive therapy. Although, after all years old. At the time, we were living in that, I was speaking and eating and even feeding myself, McKee City, in Southern New Jersey, where my legs were barely moving. I could stand up only with the my father had a poultry farm and where he aid of two metal braces, and I could not walk at all.

served as the rabbi of the local Orthodox Rabbi Bentzion Yaacov Orimland synagogue. And that’s when my father took me to the Rebbe. He My father was stunned. As he carried me into the Rebbe’s office, and left me there, at the Incidentally, my father, Rabbi Gimpel would later say, “This statement Rebbe’s request. I have no recollection of what happened Orimland, had been educated in Bnei Brak, lifted my spirits. But I couldn’t stop there, but I do know that after twenty minutes I walked out Israel, where the famed Rabbi Chaim wondering: how could a person just declare of that office on my own. Kanievsky was his Torah study partner, and like that: ‘The decree in heaven is over.’ How where his teachers were the Chazon Ish and did he know?” As someone raised in After that, I continued to limp, and I was also weak on the the Steipler Gaon. In other words, he had a Lithuanian yeshivahs, he couldn’t fathom that right side. But the worst of it was that I had trouble Lithuanian yeshivah background, which is as a chassidic Rebbe had this knowledge and learning. When I was six, my father took me to see the far away from Chassidism as you can get. power. Rebbe, who asked me questions about the Torah portion, And this makes this entire story all the more and to each question I was forced to answer, “I don’t remarkable. Then the Rebbe asked him to do three things: know.” So the Rebbe then asked me, “Why don’t you First to donate $1,800 to charity – to any cause know?” and I responded, “It must be because of the That particular day I had been with my or organization other than Chabad-Lubavitch. accident … I have brain damage.” At that the Rebbe smiled grandmother and step-grandfather and was It could not be Chabad-Lubavitch, the Rebbe and took out a prayer book and said, “Pray from this siddur being driven back home. It was raining hard, was very specific about that. This was a lot of – especially the bedtime Shema – and you won’t have visibility was poor, and we were in a car money in 1963, and my father had to borrow it, anything to worry about.” accident. It was a multiple car collision, as but he did as the Rebbe instructed. The second the Atlantic City Press reported later, and I thing was to add “Bentzion” to my name – It worked. went flying out of the windshield together again the Rebbe was very specific about that. with my grandmother. I landed with my face (This turned out to be the name of my great- I saw the Rebbe again on the occasion of my fourteenth submerged in a puddle of water and I was grandfather who had no one named after him.) birthday. At that time, I asked him for many blessings for drowning. My step-grandfather was killed And the third thing: the Rebbe wanted the different areas of my life, but especially for the healing of instantly, but my grandmother managed to doctor to call him. the right side of my body – I asked to have more strength in crawl over and pull my face out of the water. my right hand. After much begging, my father got the doctor I was rushed to the hospital, where they to call the Rebbe. And when he did, the Rebbe The Rebbe responded to all my requests except for that last found that my brain was hemorrhaging, and told him to administer a particular injection one. And when I asked again, he changed the subject and they couldn’t stop it. When my father into the exact location of the bleeding in my started talking about my Torah studies, so then I knew that arrived, he found me unable to see or hear, brain to prevent further deterioration. The this is the way it would be. My right side was not going to and unfortunately, the doctors offered little doctor was shocked that the Rebbe knew about get any better. hope for my survival. In fact, they thought I this injection – this was something brand new wouldn’t last much longer, and one of them on the market – and he didn’t want to do it, But this hasn’t stopped me from leading a full life. And is actually told my father to hold off because this injection was known to sometimes anyone surprised that I became a chassid of the Rebbe? scheduling my step-grandfather’s funeral as cause instant death. Even my father became a chassid! he would likely be burying both of us at the same time. In the end the doctor gave the shot, and I And today, as a rabbi, I do everything in my power to survived. But my recovery was not a simple spread the message of as the Rebbe wants me to. You can just imagine the shock that my matter. I was still in a coma for many months. When people ask me why I do what I do, I simply tell them parents were in at that moment. Fortunately, I was like a vegetable. During this time, my that G‑d gave me a second chance at life through the the president of my father’s synagogue, a father came to a couple of the Rebbe’s Rebbe’s blessing, and I want to do the same for others.

Mr. Gellman, had a brilliant idea, to contact farbrengens. At the most memorable one, the Reprinted from an email of Good Shabbos Everyone the Lubavitcher Rebbe for a blessing. At first Rebbe urged my father, “Now is an et ratzon my father demurred – it went against his [an auspicious time on high] and you can ask grain to ask a chassidic rabbi for help – but anything you want, so I don’t understand why he was desperate and he had nowhere else to you’re not asking!” turn. Upon hearing this declaration from the Rebbe, Later, my father would tell the story of what my father did ask – obviously, he asked for my Shabbat Times – Parshat Balak happened next with a great deal of drama. recovery, which eventually was granted. Candle Motzei Motzei He said he would never forget it. It was four Lighting Shabbat Shabbat ר"ת o’clock in the morning when he placed the One day, my mother was sitting by my call to 770 and was instructed to call back in bedside, when a new nurse who was unfamiliar Jerusalem 7:13 8:31 9:06 an hour. It was the longest hour of my with my condition came over and asked me, father’s life, but then he got to speak with “What would you like to drink tonight sweetie, Tel Aviv 7:28 8:34 the Rebbe who said to him: “The decree in milk or soda?” And I mumbled, “Soda.” My 7:21 8:35 heaven is over. Your son will live.” mother fainted on the spot. Haifa Be’er Sheva 7:29 8:32 Please guard the sanctity of this publication This wasTHE JEWISH not W theEEKLY ,end 43 Hakeren of the Hakayemet story, however.L’Israel Street, IJerusalem, 9246518 To subscribe to THE JEWISHwent WEEKLY through or to dedicate a year a single-and issue,-a- halfplease of contact intensive us by email: [email protected] or www.thejweekly.org

My father was stunned. As he would later therapy. Although, after all that, I was

Parshat

Balak

After the butcher’s tragic death, the shochet started There are six Parshiot which have the names of people. Summoned by a Soul experiencing disturbing dreams in which the They are Noach, Chayei Sara, Yitro, Korach, Balak and By Hillel Baron butcher would come to him and tell him that he Pinchas. Four of these individuals were truly outstanding was summoning him to a Din Torah (court case) in people: Noach, Sara, Yitro and Pinchas. A strong, healthy and successful butcher lived in the heaven. The dream happened once, twice, and then city of Kozhnitz. He owned and ran a successful a third time, and the shochet feared he may soon One can also understand the choice of Korach to be a title shop, until, out of the blue, his luck began to fail. pass on so he could face the butcher before the for a Parsha. Thanks to this Parsha, throughout all ages More than half of the animals he bought and had Heavenly Court. Worried, he went to consult with we remember the dangers of machloket; what slaughtered were deemed non-kosher, and he started the Kozhnitzer Maggid. divisiveness within communities and within our nation to incur substantial losses. can cause. The Maggid told him: “Next time he comes to you To try to offset them, he worked harder and longer, in a dream, tell him that according to Jewish law, a But what can be said about Balak, the title of this week’s an outright, evil individual who ,רשע often remaining at work late at night, doing tasks he plaintiff must appear before the court in the Parsha? Balak was a would have once paid others to do. Eventually, the location of the defendant, and your case must sought to destroy the Jewish people, so why did he merit stress affected his health, and he died prematurely, therefore be heard here in Kozhnitz. After this having a Parsha named after him? broken-hearted and physically exhausted. happens, come to me and we will arrange the court date.” Our sages differentiate between Bilam and Balak. With His widow and children were left burdened by debt. regard to Bilam we read how when visitors came to him At first, the creditors were polite, but before long It was not long before the shochet had another such he presented himself to them as a worthy, outstanding, they began to pressure the widow to pay up. The dream, and he passed on the Maggid’s message. upright, dignified, G-d-fearing individual. But when you odd jobs she managed to find were barely enough to read the text with closer scrutiny, when you see what he feed her children, leaving nothing with which to pay And so a court date was set. said and what he did, you will quickly conclude that the her late husband’s debts. Sad and bitter, she went to real Bilam actually was a very different person. his grave and begged him to plead with G d for When the day arrived, a partition was set up in the help. study hall. One side was empty, and on the other Not so Balak. With regard to Balak, what you saw was side sat the Kozhnitzer Maggid, the shochet, and what you got. He was a bad person and he didn’t hide Soon, she was summoned to the town rabbi, Rabbi the Kozhnitzer Maggid’s assistant. that from others. Yisrael Hopsztajn, known as the Kozhnitzer Maggid. The Maggid handed his walking stick to his In the laws of kashrut, the archetypal food which we assistant, and instructed him: “Go to the cemetery, associate with non-kosher is swine. And that’s actually She feared that her husband’s creditors had knock three times with my stick on the gravestone very interesting, because according to Torah law, there summoned her to a court case before the rabbi, but of the butcher, and tell him that he’s being called are two requirements for an animal to be kosher: it needs the rabbi simply took out a sizeable sum of money for the Din Torah held by the Kozhnitzer Maggid to have cloven hooves and it needs to chew the cud. and said, “This is for you. Take it and use it. You in the town study hall.” will receive more each week.” He told her that The pig actually ticks one of these two boxes. It scores whenever a creditor asked for money, she should A short while after the assistant returned, human fifty percent because it does have cloven hooves. And refer them to him, and he would pay off the debts. wailing was heard from behind the partition. then there are animals who tick neither of the boxes, so why is the pig, more than any other animal, associated The woman could not understand how the rabbi, The Kozhnitzer Maggid turned to the source of the with that which is not kosher? who was not known to be wealthy, had the money noise and said: “Tell me, what is your claim to help her, but she did not ponder the matter too against the shochet?” Our sages explain, the pig lies on its back, it dangles its deeply. feet, it pronounces to the world ‘look I’ve got cloven The butcher explained the chain of events which hooves, I am kosher!’ But internally, there’s a very It was only after the shochet (ritual slaughterer) of had led to his mountainous debts, and eventually, different story there. That is the type of person Bilam the town passed away that she found out where the his untimely death. “When I arrived on high,” he was; he deceived people, he was totally insincere. money had come from. continued, “I found out that when the shochet was pronouncing my cows non-kosher, he Balak however was different; his saving grace was the was being overly stringent. Many of my fact that at least he was a sincere person. You know, even cows were, in fact, kosher, according to a broken clock tells the right time twice a day. With all of a straightforward reading of the law. But Balak’s evil, nonetheless we can identify one because he chose to needlessly declare characteristic of his which was good, and that was his the animals unfit, my business was sincerity. And that is why our Parsha carries his name. destroyed and I left this world with a miserable trail of debt. Since it was his On a side note, Moshiach comes from King David and wrongful judgment that brought about Ruth who are direct descendants of Balak. my family’s sorry state, I demand that the shochet pay off my debts and So let us learn from Balak of this week’s Parsha, support my wife.” remember how important it is for us to always be genuine and sincere, and let’s pray for the soldiers, police and “And what do you have to say?” the medical professionals protecting us and for those who Maggid asked the shochet. The shochet, need healing, shidduchim, children or parnassah and may being a G-d-fearing Jew, readily agreed we be blessed to have the most awesome, gorgeous, to pay the butcher’s debts and support beautiful, peaceful, healthy, amazing, relaxed, spiritual, his widow and orphans. sweet and happy Shabbat.

In order to protect the dignity of the shochet, who had meant no harm, the story was kept quiet for the remainder of

his life. NUMBER OF MITZVOT: 0

Are we sometimes overly zealous at the NUMBER OF PESUKIM: 104 expense of others? Have we caused NUMBER OF WORDS: 1455 NUMBER OF LETTERS: 5357 financial distress to another? If the answer is in the affirmative, let us HAFTORA: Micah 5:6 - 6:8

ensure we work to correct this. Sunday, June 27, is Shiva Asar B'Tammuz, 17 Tammuz, a Public

Reprinted from an email of Chabad.Org Magazine. Fast Day, the beginning of the Three Weeks.

To subscribe to THE JEWISH WEEKLY or to dedicate a month, please contact us by email: [email protected] or www.thejweekly.org This week we study Chapter 6 of Pirkei Avot

בס"ד

Laws & Customs: 17th of Tammuz & Three Weeks According to Nittei Gavriel, Mishna Berurah and Shulchan Aruch Harav All times listed are for Jerusalem only as per www.myzmanim.com Based on Rabbi Shmuel Lesches's Halachah Sheets Compiled by Yossi Fraenkel in memory of his grandparents ר' ראובן בן הרב משה אליעזר הלוי ע"ה וחיה ברכה בת ר' נפתלי משה ע"ה רבינוביץ

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 THREE WEEKS about the Beit Hamikdash (e.g. regard, so as not to harm the chapters 40-48 of Yechezkel, tractates wellbeing of mother and baby.] The ill The laws of the three weeks begin on Middot and Tamid, and Hilchat Beit or elderly should consult a Rav. Motzei Shabbat, at sunset (8:31pm). Habechira in the Rambam). A woman, within 30 days of giving During the Three Weeks, the following It is appropriate to give increased birth does not fast. activities are forbidden: amounts of Tzedakah, especially • Haircuts – even an Opshernish. Anyone below Bar/Bat Mitzvah need towards the upkeep of a Mikdash (Other practices associated with an not fast. From the age of nine Me’at (e.g. a Shul or Beit Midrash). Opshernish – such as training the upwards, the custom is to train child to wear Tzitzit and recite During each Shabbat of the Three children to fast for several hours, as Brachot and Shmah – should not be Weeks, care is taken not to display any per the child’s abilities. deferred.) signs of mourning. In fact, one should An individual exempt from fasting • Weddings. be even more joyous than usual. Even should eat in private only, and avoid so, the prohibitions of the Three • Eating new fruit, unless for health delicacies or excessive intake.

Weeks apply even on Shabbat. purposes. This prohibition applies Similarly, children who are old enough even on Shabbat.  SHIVAH ASSAR B’TAMMUZ to understand the concept of a fast • Wearing new clothing, or buying day should avoid delicacies. Brachot new clothing that can be Five tragedies occurred on this day: are made as normal, at beginning and purchased later at the same price. • The first set of the Luchot were ending of eating. (These restrictions do not apply to broken. undergarments or socks.) • The daily Avodah was  EATING PRIOR TO THE FAST • discontinued three weeks before the Listening to live music. One may eat and drink the entire destruction of the Beit • Listening to recorded music for evening until dawn (4:08am), provided Hamikdash. enjoyment or festive purposes. that either of these conditions are • The walls of Jerusalem were During the Three Weeks, the following met: breached three weeks before the activities should be avoided: • One didn’t go to sleep for the night. second Beit Hamikdash was • Travelling for leisure. If travelling is [Dozing off is not regarded as destroyed. necessary, it is appropriate to at such.] • The Roman general Apostomus least begin one’s preparations burned the Torah. • One stipulated (preferably (such as beginning to pack) • A graven image was placed in the verbally) before going to sleep that beforehand. Beit Hamikdash. he would eat upon awakening. In • Non-urgent medical procedures. this case, one washes their hands • Siyum Sefer Torah.  WHO MUST FAST? and recites the morning Brachot

before eating. The following activities are permitted: All must fast, including a Chattan and • Engagement parties (without Kallah during the week of Sheva  LAWS OF FASTING music or dancing). Brachot, and Baalei Habrit (i.e. the Mohel, the Sendek, and the father of One shouldn’t brush one’s teeth or • Cutting nails. the baby). rinse one’s mouth. [If this will cause • A man may trim his moustache if it great aggravation, there is room to be interferes with eating. Similarly, a If one mistakenly ate during the fast, lenient, provided that one leans woman may groom or wax her he must immediately resume fasting. forward to prevent any liquid from eyebrows etc. Mothers who are pregnant or nursing, flowing down one’s throat; that one uses substances unfit for consumption During these days, it is appropriate to or have difficulty fasting while tending (e.g. Listerine); and that one rinses increase one’s Torah studies, with to their young children, should consult with less than 86 ml.] special focus on the Halachot of the with a Rav. [One shouldn’t be unduly Three Weeks, as well as learning strict in this One may take non-chewable pills for medical purposes, without water. A

~ 2 ~ Rav should be consulted regarding won’t be able to finish the fast) A non-fasting individual shouldn’t other medications. shouldn’t serve as Chazzan. serve as the Ba’al Koreh, unless there is no one else who can. One may shower, bathe and apply [In the unlikely event that the Chazzan ointments and creams. is not fasting, or less than three When the congregation recites the congregants are fasting: Instead of verses aloud, the Ba’al Koreh waits for When a Brit occurs on a fast, the reciting Aneinu between Goal Yisrael silence before resuming. The one Seudah takes place on the night and R’faeinu, the Chazzan includes receiving the Aliya begins reciting following the fast. Aneinu in the Brachah of Sh’mah these verses with the congregation One may touch food and engage in its Koleinu, and concludes the Brachah but concludes with the Ba’al Koreh. preparation. regularly; i.e. Shomea Tefillah.]  One may not taste food to determine A Chazan who forgot to recite Aneinu: whether it requires salt/spices. • if he remembered before reciting Mincha is longer than usual (due to However, when preparing food for a Hashem’s name at the end of the Kriat Hatorah and Haftorah); care Seudat Mitzvah scheduled for the Brachah of R’faeinu, he recites should be taken to conclude before night immediately following the fast, Aneinu immediately, and then sunset (7:53pm). one may taste the food, provided that repeats the Brachah of R’faeinu; Ideally, Kriat Hatorah should not begin all these conditions are met: • if he already concluded the prior to Mincha Gedolah (1:19pm). • One expels it without swallowing. Brachah of R’faeinu, he recites The may not begin before • One tastes only an absolute Aneinu in the Brachah of Sh’ma then. minimum. Koleinu, and concludes the Brachah with a double conclusion; After Haftorah, most communities • One does not taste more than 86 i.e. Ha’one B’eit Tzara V’shomea return the Torah to the Aron Kodesh ml in total throughout the day. Tefillah; and then say Kaddish. The Chabad custom is that the Chazzan slowly  CONDUCT ON A FAST DAY • if he already concluded the recites Kaddish while the Torah is Brachah of Sh’ma Koleinu, he One should learn Torah connected to returned to the Aron Kodesh, similar recites Aneinu as a separate the topic of the fast. to Mincha on Shabbat. Brachah immediately after the

The Lubavitcher Rebbe instructed that Brachah of Sim Shalom. If an individual forgot to recite Aneinu one learn the passages of Nevi’im in the Brachah of Sh’ma Koleinu, he  SELICHOT & AVINU MALKEINU which are associated with the fast of may recite it in the passage Elokai the 17th of Tammuz. These can be One who is not fasting must still recite N’tzor, before the second Yih’yu found in Melachim II 25:3-8, Yirmiyahu Selichot and Avinu Malkeinu. L’ratzon. If one didn’t remember until 39:2-7 and Zecharya 8:18-19. One who davens without a Minyan he concluded The Amidah, he does not One should give increased Tzedakah, omits the Yud-Gimel Middot- repeat it. [A non-fasting individual especially before davening. It is proper Harachamim. does not recite Aneinu.] to give the value of the forgone meals If Tachnun is not recited (e.g. when a The Chazzan recites Aneinu between – especially if one is exempt from Chattan or one of the Baalei Habrit are Goal Yisrael and R’faeinu, and also fasting. present), Selichot is still recited, recites Birchat Kohanim toward the

whereas Avinu Malkeinu is not recited. end of The Amidah. The purpose of fasting is to make a Cheshbon Hanefesh (reckoning of  TORAH READING The Lubavitcher Rebbe encouraged one’s deeds) and arouse one to do the custom of Rabbanim addressing The passage of Vayechal is read, Teshuvah. Idling away one’s time, or their congregation, after Mincha to provided that at least three partaking in joyous or entertaining arouse them with feeling of Teshuvah. congregants are fasting. activities, is not in the spirit of the fast. The fast concludes at 8:20pm. A non-fasting individual must still hear One should be especially careful not to Kriat Hatorah of Vayechal, but should become angered. not be called up for an Aliya. [If he is  CHAZZAN’S ANEINU the only Kohen or Levi, he should absent himself.] If he is called up, and During , only the Chazzan recites Aneinu. Therefore, one who is refusing the Aliya will cause him not fasting (or who anticipates that he embarrassment and minimize the honour of the Torah, he may accept the Aliya.