בס”ד

PROJECT OF THE WEEKLY OF HOUSTON TORAH CENTER PUBLICATION

Shavuos ה סיון תש’’פ May 28, 2020

Bloodstained Gemaras gemaras, dissecting a daf of That is why we can now Gemara stand proudly and humbly Rabbi Moshe Friedman He was known to have his anticipating another Close your eyes and gemara open by the butcher Shavuos and Kabbalas envision a blood-stained block, learning from it Hatorah. We clutch onto gemara. Venture deeper during any free moment. The the same ancient gemara and try to stitch the story blood and meat stains still that was passed down from behind it. Most of us are mark that set of shas. Those previous generations. And, probably connecting it stains don’t testify to a although your personal with true mesiras nefesh dark moment in our history. gemara may not have the for Torah. Perhaps a Rav They don’t tell the story of same markings and stains that was killed during a holy soul killed al Kiddush as your Zaidy’s, never forget poring Hashem while clutching his that they both tell the same over his gemara. Possibly Bava Kamma, But they do story. an innocent tell the story of a man who bachur murdered during lost his expectant wife and a pogrom toiling over a four children, continuing to Desert Life large volume. live a Kiddush Hashem. Rabbi Johnny Ouzzan When I envision a Our survival as Yidden has bloodstained gemara, I Shavuot is here, and we always depended on the think of a set of gemaras have (hopefully) counted Torah and our steadfast that has found its home in the Omer these last few protection of it. Every my uncle’s house. A set of weeks. It is interesting to generation is moser nefesh shas that belonged to my note that Parshat Bamidbar for Torah, with every grandfather and namesake, (“In The Desert”) always individual in their own R’ Moshe Hoffman z”l of falls out next to this holiday. unique way. , . After What is the significance of surviving the Holocaust, It may be the lawyer or the desert as it relates to my grandfather opened a accountant who rushes off the Jewish story and the butcher shop that supplied to the Bais Medrash after a receiving of the Torah? the first glatt kosher meat brief stop at home. Or the One answer is that it’s clear to the small Cleveland yungerman who is making to all that normal existence community, including the do with less so that he can is practically impossible . have more time to study in the conditions of the b’hasmada. It may be the R’ Moshe wasn’t just an desert. There’s no water, no wife who holds down the ordinary butcher. Aside vegetation, and the weather fort as her husband runs from being a tremendous is subject to extreme heat off to learn. Or the mother yarei shamayim, he was in the day and cold at night. who sends her son off to a an exemplary talmid There’s not a lot of wildlife, far-off yeshiva. And lest we chacham and masmid. and no economy. Yet not forget the rebbi and the The highlight of his week only did the Jewish people morah who give their all to was a Monday night survive in the desert, they their precious students. where survivors gathered thrived in it! We as a people at the Shomrei Shabbos We all have our own stories grew to great heights and shul hovering over their of mesiras nefesh for Torah. worked our way up to the

KOLLEL OF HOUSTON TORAH CENTER 7823 LUDINGTON DR, HOUSTON, TX 77071 • 713.330.6424 • KOLLELHOUSTON.ORG point where we were ready to finally cross into the land of . The first offering that was brought to G-d upon entering the land was the Omer barley offering, which is brought on Shavuot. Its significance cannot be understated. The giving of barley was an important symbol that the were expressing: Even though we are now “masters” of our own fate, and no longer living the miraculous existence of the desert, we are nevertheless acknowledging G-d’s role in sustaining the world, and that is no less miraculous! It is ironic that over the last few weeks we have also been living in a “desert”. We’ve been confined to our homes and haven’t had our natural means of conducting regular life. Have we thrived in our desert as our ancestors did in theirs? Have we used this time to connect with ourselves? With our families? With each other? The Omer reminds us to never forget who is really running the show. G-d intended us to experience this desert. And our hope is that, like our ancestors, the exit from this desert will lead us back to the Land of Israel!

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KOLLEL OF HOUSTON TORAH CENTER 7823 LUDINGTON DR, HOUSTON, TX 77071 • 713.330.6424 • KOLLELHOUSTON.ORG