בס"ד • A PROJECT OF THE COMMUNITY KOLLEL • CINCYKOLLEL.ORG תורה מסינסי Cincinnati Torah Vol. VI, No. XXIII Sh’mini

A LESSON FROM THE PARASHA RABBI MOSHE TZVI CRYSTAL THE RABBI WAS ASKED ADAPTED BY RABBI DOVID TZVI MEISSNER Affection—With Direction FROM ME’AH SHE’ARIM BY RABBI YITZCHOK ZILBERSTEIN

A challenge many parents with young tion keeps parents on their toes. Indeed, the A young girl saw an ad for a job oppor- children face is the unbridled love children display of love has to be tempered by what tunity in a factory, and it interested her. may have for newborn siblings. Although it is appropriate for an infant. She sent her resume to the owner and is wonderful to see an older child doting on a In this week’s Torah portion, Nadav and told him that she had experience in that younger one, smothering the baby with hugs Avihu, the older sons of Aharon, devise their field. The owner sent her to a senior and feeding the baby cookies might not be own offering to Hashem. From their experi- employee to be tested. the safest manifestations of love. Such affec- ence, we learn a parallel lesson pertaining to When she arrived, she met the asses- our service of Hashem. sor, and whispered to her, “I really do Their offering came at a momentous time not have experience in the field. How- TIDBITS OF for our people. The Mishkan (Tabernacle) ever, please note that my parents are CINCINNATI had just been completed. The nation now divorced, I move around from place to JEWISH HISTORY had a “home” for Hashem to dwell in—a place, I have no home, money, or food. RABBI MOSHE TZVI CRYSTAL special place for us to connect with Hashem. Seized with a thirst to grow ever closer L55 CONTINUES ON NEXT PAGE p On 25 Kislev, 5623 (1862), General to Hashem at this special time, Nadav and Ulysses S. issued General Or- Avihu brought their offering, with a tragic Kollel Women’s Learning der No. 11, which expelled “Jews as consequence: Their souls were consumed a class” from the territory under his by a fire from Heaven. command at that point during the Civil Before relating their punishment, the S�abbos Afternoon War. Grant’s intention was to curb illegal Torah tells us, about their offering: trading with the South, which was then alternating weeks all summer, 5–6 pm quite rampant. Although it is known …They brought, before Hashem, Series that Grant blamed illegal trading on the a foreign fire that [Hashem] had not Jews, historians speculate as to what commanded them [to bring]. (10:1) Shabbos, April 14: Mrs. Penina Gilbert prompted Grant to issue the order just Hashem gave us the Torah as a guide then. One possibility is that his father, for how to serve Him. We do not forge our S'firas haOmer: Jesse Root Grant, and the Mack broth- own path in deciding how to bring ourselves ers, prominent members of Cincinnati’s closer to Him. A person must channel the The Relationship Between Jewish community, had requested that desire for closeness within the parameters Torah & Ahavas Yisrael use his authority to that the Torah sets for us. at the Heinemann issue them licenses to trade with the residence, Just as a child must learn the proper way 6645 Farm Acres Drive South. General Ulysses was already in a to show affection, we are taught the proper strained relationship with his father, and way to show our love for Hashem—by ob- he was further infuriated by his father’s serving the commandments He gave us, and for women only • babysitting will be provided attempt to capitalize on his son’s military fulfilling them correctly. rank. He may have taken out his anger on his father’s Jewish partners, by ban- A PARASHA Q 4 U ishing all Jews from his territory. RABBI DOVID SPETNER SOURCE: SARNA, JONATHAN D., WHEN GENERAL GRANT EXPELLED THE JEWS. Where is the Korban haTamid (the daily offering) mentioned in our Torah portion? NEW YORK: SHOCKEN BOOKS, 2012. Bring this question to the Shabbos table and see who knows the answer!

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© 2018 CCK 2017–2018 SEASON SPONSORS THE RABBI WAS ASKED CONTINUED At the Kollel DAILY WEEKLY MORE This is the last place that I’m attempting to apply for a job, and if I’m not accept- Twice a Week ed here, I will kill myself.” Basar b’Chalav Chabura Megilla Daf-a-Week Vol. VI, No. XXIII Sh’mini The interviewer took her story to heart, Rabbi Moshe Dovid Zeffren...... Rabbi Chaim Heinemann...... and she responded, “I need to ask a Sunday and Monday, 8–9 pm Sunday and Wednesday, 9–9:45 pm rabbi what to do.” Plus… The interviewer spoke to a rabbi, told him the story, and said, “I was able to Kollel Women’s Learning see potential in her, and it’s clear to me • Wednesday nights at the Kollel (alternating weeks, speakers vary) that if I teach her the trade, within a few • Shabbos afternoon classes (speakers and locations vary) months she will be proficient in all the Yarchei Kallahs and Seasonal Y’mei Iyyun goings on of the plant.” featuring guest speakers and our famous five-star brunch Q “May I tell my boss that she’s pro- à ficient in the work, and teach her the Saturday Night Learning (SNL) and light Melave Malka ������������������������������������ monthly in the winter (locations vary) trade in the meantime? Or would that be deceiving him? While she’s learning à Sunday Brunch-n-Learn Boys’ Learning Club the ropes, she will be getting paid for Rabbi Chaim Heinemann ������������������������������� Sundays, 9:45 am or 8:15 pm doing nothing, and I will have to take twice a month (locations vary) some time from my work to teach her Homemade refreshments served the trade.” KEY: Beginners Intermediate Advanced à for men and women A It is possible that telling the owner that the girl knows the trade would be Chavrusos are available for private and group learning— permitted, and it would not be consid- speak to Rabbi Chaim Heinemann! weekdays noon–1 pm • Sun.–Thurs. 8–9:45 pm ered a falsehood—since this is her last option, she will learn the trade with davening times can be found at cincykollel.org/minyan-schedule/ much eagerness, and she will certainly be successful. (See Talmud, Kesubos 63a GREAT ACTS “As I grew older, I questioned, ‘How do I and Tosafos’ commentary, regarding the OF ORDINARY PEOPLE know that this is how to worship Hashem? I exchange between Rabbi Akiva and his have never seen another Jewish family prac- wealthy father-in-law.) Therefore, the After the fall of the Soviet Union, a young tice Judaism; maybe they do it differently.’ interviewer can already say that the girl family made its way to Jerusalem and cel- “So my father sent me to spend a Shab- has proficiency in that area. ebrated the bar mitzvah of its oldest son. To bos with another practicing family in St. However, the money issue is more com- the astonishment of all assembled, the bar Petersburg. plicated. Although the senior employee mitzvah boy stood up and made a siyum on “When I saw my hosts bring in Shabbos is performing a mitzvah by teaching the (that is, he celebrated the fact that he had just as my parents did, I had no further new hire, and the owner has his own finished learning) all the Mishnayos of Shas! doubts. obligation to give charity, one may not Many people asked the boy’s father how “But then, on Shabbos day, I saw some- actually take money from him against it was possible to teach his child all the Mish- thing strange. There was no one home other his will. Therefore, the money must be nayos of Shas behind the Iron Curtain. The than the father. He explained that the KGB returned somehow to the owner, or father’s answer was just as amazing: was looking for Shabbos observers, so under the two women must work overtime “My own father clandestinely raised me the threat of exile in Siberia everyone had to make up for any money received as an observant Jew in Moscow. gone to work. undeservedly. “I was suddenly very scared. “When I returned home, I asked my fa- ther if we would be sent to Siberia. “His response changed my life. He told me, ‘I don’t know what will happen tomor- row, but I know that today we are here, so today I can teach you more Torah.’ “It is with that attitude that I began to teach my son as well. And that is how we Yeshivas were able to accomplish so much under the Bein haZ’manim grip of the Iron Curtain.”

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