Torah Teasers

A Korban For Chava "And when the days of her purification are fulfilled, for a son, or for a daughter, she shall bring a lamb of the first year for an Olah, and a young dove, or a turtle-dove, for a Chatos." Why does a woman who gave birth have to bring a Korbon Chatos - a sin offering? What sin has she committed to require her to bring such a Korbon? Some Meforshim explain, "Since during her labor pains, she might have made an oath to never have another baby, she therefore brings a Korbon to atone for that oath and nullify it." Kli Yakar offers a different explanation. He says, "The atonement is not for this woman, but rather for Chavah - the first woman. Since pain from pregnancy and labor is a punishment for Chavah's sin, eating from the Aitz HaDaas, this woman brings a Korban now to atone Chava's sin. After going through all the pain of her pregnancy and labor she wants to bring an end to this suffering and brings a Korbon for Chava's Avayra." When The Whole World Goes White The Gemara (Sanhedrin 97) says that Moshiach will come when every government in the world turns to Apikursus. Rava says, "We see it from the pasuk (Tazria 13:13) 'Kulo Hafach Lavan Tahor Hu;' when a nega spreads through a person's entire body he is tahor." What is the connection? Rav Shamshon Rephael Hirsch says that white is a distinguished color, the color of purity, righteousness, and innocence. It is the color of a special breed. When every country turns to Apikursus and cloak themselves in righteousness, only then will Moshiach come and spread true purity on the world. As Fate Hangs On A Single Word The halacha is that only a Kohen can declare a Nega to be Tamei. A Talmid Chochom who knows the halacha can give his opinion, but the tumah starts and ends with the declaration of the Kohen. Why? The Dubna Magid (Iturei ) explains that the reason we commit the terrible crime of speaking Lashon Hara is because we don't understand the severity of it. After all what damage can our spoken word do? If we understood the gashmiyus and ruchniyus ramifications of our mere utterances we'd never dare speak lashon hara. "Therefore," says the Dubno Magid, "we teach the Mitzora this lesson with the Kohen. His Nega and all the halachos do nothing to him. It is only with a single word from the Kohen's mouth that he is either spared the grave punishment of tzoraas and with a single word doomed to his bitter fate." The Worm And The Grass As part of the Kapara of a Mitzora he must tie together Eizov and an Eitz Erez with a Shni Tolaas. Rashi explains (Mitzora 14:4) that Tzoraas comes from haughtiness and he must lower himself like short grass and a worm. Why does the Mitzora need to symbols of humility? The Maskil L'Dovid answers that the Mishna in Pirkei Avos says, Mi'od Miod Hevei Shfal Ruach. One must be very very humble. The reason, says the Maskil L'Dovid that it says the word "Miod" twice is to teach us that we must be humble in spiritual matters like our wisdom, as well as physical matters like strength and wealth. For this lesson we need two symbols of humility. The Shni Tolaas whose red color reminds us of the lowly living worm represents humility in spiritual matters, while the grass growing on an inanimate wall represents humility in material and physical matters. The Sin Of Finding A Treasure "V'Nasati Nega B'veis Eretz Achuzaschem" (Mitzora 14:34). Rashi explains that during the forty year Bnei Yisroel were in the Midbar the Emorim knew they would eventually conquer Eretz Yisroel so they hid their fortune in the walls of their homes so that Bnei Yisroel would not find it. Hashem therefore gave Nega'im on the walls so that they would need to be broken and the treasure would be found. If the Nega was a gift from Hashem to a deserving nation then why would they need to bring the Eizov, Eitz Erez and Shni Tolaas as a kapara when the Nega goes away? These are symbolisms of haughtiness, and what have they done wrong, asks the Abarbanel. The Abarbanel answers that the pasuk tells us in Devarim (8:13) that too much good leads to haughtiness, which in turn leads to forgetting Hashem. Therefore, immediately after revealing to Bnei Yisroel these great riches that have been saved for us, Hashem needs to give us a lesson in modesty and humbleness. Before we are ready to resume our lives with our newfound wealth we must remember the Eizov and Shni Tolaas and we mustn't ever be haughty like the Erez. A Nega For The Know It All When a person sees Tzoraas on the wall of his house the pasuk says (Vayikra 14:35) he goes to the Kohen and says, “K’Nega Nirah Li Babayis”, something like a nega appeared to me in the house. Rashi explains that the reason he says “like a nega” is because even if he is great talmid chochom and knows with certainty that it in fact is a nega he should not pasken by himself, he must go to a Kohen. Rav Yehonoson Eibushitz adds that the most Negaim on homes come from haughtiness. The way to rectify this middah is to lower yourself. Someone who has a problem of needing to feel self important and is punished with a nega should be that last person to declare that he know for sure it is a nega. The first step is to see the nega and understand he has a problem. He therefore should talk in more modest tones and say he “thinks” it looks like a nega. He then defers to the Kohen and lets him make the final judgment. This is a first and very important step in his long road to recovery.

This Issue is dedicated to all of our neighborhood Pediatricians.

We thank you. Our children thank you. Especially you, Dr. Bennett.

Like (lîk) adjective 1. Possessing the same or almost the same characteristics; similar: on this and like occasions. 2.Alike: They are as like as two siblings. 3. Having equivalent value or quality. Ah, the good old days, when the word meant something. Today, the kids have found a new interpretation for the word. "So I was, like, hello?" "So I was on the checkout counter, and the girl in front of me had, like, some apples." I am wont to interject, "were they like apples? You mean, that actually they were not apples, but rather they were really oranges disguised by a shiny red coating?" But just as our parents learned to realize that the word cool was no longer a setting on an air-conditioner, or a description of current climate conditions, I decided to accept that like has also metamorphosed into just another expression. I guess it's, like, cool. But maybe there was more than etymological benefit to this exercise in social adaptation. I began to adjust my thought process and applying the fact that the word like has taken on new meaning. And I applied that thinking to this week's Torah reading. The parsha tells us this week that just as the concept of an irregular blemish can appear on one's body or hair, it can also appear on the walls of his home. And when a negah appears in his home, he goes to the kohen and declares, "like a negah appeared to me in my home." The afflicted sounds like a child of the new millennium. Why does he not say I may have a negah? Why use the words "like a negah." After all if it looks like a negah and acts like a negah than it must be a negah! Why then does he use the word like in describing it? Paysach Krohn loves to tell the beautifully haunting story of the woman who left Rusk Institute with her child who was in a wheelchair. It was a wintry day and the chill that pervaded the young boy’s fragile bones declared its chilling presence with the icy frosting it left on the exposed metal of his wheelchair. Waiting at the bus stop on the corner of 34th and 2nd Avenue, three large city buses whizzed by, all unable to accommodate the mother and the child and his special chair. It was only after a half-hour wait that the mother flagged down a bus and insisted to the driver that he allow them to board. As the poor woman struggled to lift the wheelchair into the narrowly impatient doors that waited to slam like the jaws of a tiger, the driver shouted at her, "Lady you'll have to wait for a bus with a lift! I gotta go!" Immediately a few passengers jumped to her defense! "It's freezing out there. We will wait!" Embarrassed into submission, the driver acquiesced. As the mother and child settled in their place on the bus, one said to her, "Your child is not handicapped. It only seems that way. In truth, it is the driver that has a handicapped mind!" The Torah is telling us an important foundation in negativity. When one seemingly has a blemish or sees a blemish in his own home, he has no right to declare it as such. He may have a problem but should never declare it until seeking spiritual confirmation. One may think it is a blemish, it may even appear as a blemish yet until confirmed by the compassionate kohen, it is only like a blemish. However, until confirmed with counsel, it is not. If one goes to the kohen and learns to utilize the impairing experience to grow, to become more patient, more understanding, and perhaps more sensitive to others, then the hindrances that he or she experience may be troublesome, they may even be disheartening, they may even be like a handicap -- but they are truly not. Because the handicap is only in the mind; and what is on the body is only like a blemish that can fade away like the whiz of a speeding bus on 34th Street. (by: Rav Mordechai Kamenetsky)

Halacha You Don’t Know Israeli Currency With Pasukim From Tanach - Can You Take It Into A Bathroom? In 1970 when a new Israeli paper currency was issued with pasukim from Tanach on it, Rav Menashe Klein was asked if it can be taken into the bathroom. He answers (Mishneh Halachos 5:157) that if it is not readable to most people without a magnifying glass it is permissible to take it into a bathroom and has no kedusha at all. The same would hold true he says for a miniature tanach printed so small you cannot read it without the benefit of a magnifying instrument. His opinion differs with the opinion of the Maharsham (3:359) who says that it is worthwhile to be machmir. How can one be machmir? Should you empty your pockets and leave all your money outside the public bathroom? The required covering for bringing Kisvei HaKodesh into the bathroom is a double cover; a bag within a bag. The Radvaz (3:513) says that there are different levels of kedusha for Kisvei Kodesh with Tefilin being on the highest level. For seforim not written in Ksav Ashuris the Halacha is more lenient. Therefore the Radvaz says it is enough to just keep it in your pocket. Certainly in this case where the pasukim are not readable and it is not even written but rather printed. If some words were readable then the Mishneh Halachos does agree that it is enough to keep it in your pocket like the opinion of the Radvaz. Israeli Politics Are Not Divrei Kedusha Rav Shternbuch was asked (2:536) about someone giving a speech in Shul on the political situation in Israel. Our Shuls today are built with the intention (Tnai) to be used for eating and drinking and therefore those activities are permissible. Should the same apply to a lecture? He answers with an unequivocal no. Since eating and drinking have a purpose in Shul a Tnai helps. For Politics no Tnai in the world would help. Even if the Shul was built with these kinds of lectures in mind this would not help. Politics are

"Divrei Chol" and they have no connection to religion. People think that anything that has to do with Eretz Yisroel is automatically Kodesh which is in fact a big delusion. It is also a Chillul Hashem since even the Goyim would not hold political discourses in their houses of worship. If the lecturer is a Michalel Shabbos the situation is even worse.

Such Pressure !!! This week's Parsha reads like a medical journal outlining all the gruesome details involved with diagnosing and remedying the malady called "tzaraas". Our sages teach us that the prime cause of this particular disease and its rugged cure was for the seemingly slight error of misusing the power of speech. We need to know why so much holy ink is spent on this subject which is parked right in the center of the centerpiece of the Holy Torah, an apparent interruption of contiguous topics. It's found sandwiched between the heights of the inauguration of the Tabernacle, which concludes with the death of the two sons of Aharon for going unlawfully into the Holy of Holies and those laws that invite the High Priest to enter the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur. Maybe we can explain with a simple story of a stone. It was buried way beneath the ground for centuries until dramatic circumstances brought it to the surface. Seeing the potential in this clump of earth a miner brought it to the big city. It sat cloistered in a sack with other rock clusters unappreciated for years and years. After that period of time, it was placed on a merchant's desk for examination. He looked at it and hammered it and tested its strength until it was passed on to the select desk of a master craftsman. With his refined skills and a few sharp instruments he began to cut and cleave the stone shedding its coarse exterior. Soon a new polished image began to emerge. Beautiful and symmetrical facets were made to shine one after the other until the former rock cluster, turned rock star, was now revealed as a beautiful diamond. The story does not end there. A powerful king decided he wanted this diamond to sit in the crown of his queen because of its dazzling beauty. The king called his top jewelers and asked them to examine the diamond, to shine a light through it, to be sure it was flawless and worthy as he had hoped it would be. Upon inspection a slight, slight bubble deep beneath the surface was detected and a cure recommended. The stone was to be put back down under the earth again. We can only imagine the existential anguish of that select stone having passed so many great tests and almost within the reach of royalty to be completely rejected like that. After a time, though, the diamond was retrieved. The pressure imposed on it by having been put in deep isolation ironed out the ever so slight wrinkle and made it worthy to sit proudly in the crown of her majesty, the queen. Having been lead out of Egypt to eventually create a holy residence for The Almighty is a drastic leap in stature that spells out "great expectations" as well. Along with the privilege of a "clergy parking sign" comes a long list of heavy responsibilities for the Rabbi of the community. The more exposure one has, the more intense and the deeper the inspection. When we accepted upon ourselves to become "a Kingdom of Priests and a Holy Nation" there was an understanding that the eyes of the universe would be studying us. One might be tempted to look with nostalgia at the "good old days" in Egypt when the price of being "center stage" was not so steep, but we've "been there and done that" already. The only choice, having traveled so far, then, is to accept our fate. The price of occupying a holy place in the world is the awful and constant pressure to improve.

A Bracha On The Go… The Shulchan Oruch (O.C. 183:11) says that if someone is on the move, Mehalech, and has to eat, he doesn’t have to stop before saying the corresponding Brochos, for, since he is in a hurry he won’t be able to concentrate on what he is saying for fear of being late. He is, therefore, allowed to say his Brochos on to go, including Birkas HaMozon. The (O.C. 63:3) also says that someone who is driving a carriage or riding a horse has the din of a Mehalech. The question is, what about someone who’s driving a car? What about the passengers? The Piskei Tshuvos (183:20:83) says that, halachicly the driver is allowed to say all his Brochos, including Birkas HaMozon, while driving the car. If, however, he started to eat when the car was stationary, then there’s no din Mehalech and he would have to stop the car for saying Brochoh Acharonoh or Birkas HaMozon. Nevertheless, says the Piskei Teshuvos, if the eating session started while the car was moving, since both driving and benching require concentration, it would be a hidur to stop the car, if it’s at all possible, even though he is not halachicly required to do so. However if only the passengers will bench, there’s absolutely no requirement of stopping the car. K'zayis - Not The Minimum One must eat a minimum amount of food (generally a k'zayis) to be obligated in reciting a bracha achrona. If less than a k'zayis was eaten, no bracha achrona would be required. However, the Shulchan Aruch writes (210:1) that there are those who hold that if one eats an entire food item in its original form ("beryah") even if the food item is smaller than a k'zayis, a bracha achrona is required. Therefore, the Shulchan Aruch advises that one should refrain from eating a food item that is smaller than a k'zayis unless he intends to eat at least a k'zayis of it in the requisite time. Common examples include small grapes that are less than a k'zayis as well as beans and raisins. If any of these items are eaten, one should be careful to eat a k'zayis worth of them so as to not get into a safek brachos. This halacha applies even in instances in which a peel is removed prior to eating a fruit such as a manderine orange. If a person eats a peeled manderine orange that is less than a k'zayis he may be required to recite a bracha achrona being that he ate an entire beryah.

The Piskei Teshuvos writes (210:5) that one can remove himself from such a safek if he were to cut the food item into two prior to making the bracha rishona and then eat the cut pieces one after another and not at the same time.

Gedolim Remembered : HaRav Shmuel Halevi Wosner zt"l A few minutes after the beginning of the yom tov of Pesach, the Gaon HaRav Shmuel Halevi Wosner the author of the teshuvos Shevet Halevi, the rov of Zichron Meir in Bnei Brak and the founder and rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Chachmei Lublin in Bnei Brak was called to the yeshiva shel maaloh. HaRav Wosner spread Torah and halachic guidance in various capacities for more than eighty years and educated and trained thousands of talmidim. He was a hundred and one at the time of his passing. Many thousands accompanied him to his final rest, including the Rosh Yeshiva HaRav Aharon Leib Shteinman and HaRav . The Shevet Levi was born on 2 Elul 5673 (1913) in Vienna. His father was HaRav Yosef Tzvi Halevi Wosner and his mother was Rochel nee Schiff. The family was descended from HaRav Yonoson Eibeschutz and the Ponim Meiros. When his mother was young she was known to have an exceptional singing voice. Word of her talent reached the director of one of the major European choirs and he made her an enticing offer to join the choir professionally. When she told her parents about the offer they immediately turned it down, and she in turn told the director that she would not accept his offer. The incident was reported in many newspapers of the time and made a big kiddush Hashem. Some time after this, the Admor of Kopischnitz came to visit Vienna and her father went to see him. When he told the Admor his name, the Admor said that he had heard that a girl from the Schiff family made a big kiddush Hashem and he wondered if his guest was connected to that family. The father was visibly moved as he said that it was his daughter. She was at that moment standing in the doorway and she asked for a brochoh. The Admor said, "You will have a son whose fame will spread throughout the world." Later, the young mother would encourage her son by saying, "Learn well because I gave up a lot to raise you." From his early years the young Shmuel was known as an unusual masmid. He joined the Pirchei Agudas Yisroel of Vienna and even saw the Chofetz Chaim once when the latter came to participate in the Knessia Gedolah of Agudas Yisroel in Vienna. The religious community of Vienna flourished after World War I when many admorim, rabbonim and amcho came from Poland and Galicia to Vienna. During this period the young Shmuel met the geonim HaRav Meir Arik and HaRav Yosef Engel in his home town. When he grew old enough his parents sent him to Tirnau to the yeshiva headed by HaRav Shmuel Dovid Ungar, who later became the rov of Nitra. He was completely immersed in learning Torah and hardly left the beis medrash. After a few years he went to the yeshiva in Tze'elim headed by HaRav Yosef Elimelech Kahana who was later the rov of Ungvar. From HaRav Kahana he received the full measure of the traditions of the Chasam Sofer which he used to review and pass on throughout his long life. He also absorbed the learning methods of the Chasam Sofer including summarizing and clarifying the various approaches to each sugya. In 5689 (1929) there was a second Knessia Gedolah in Vienna. His rebbe HaRav Kahana, who was not a member of Agudas Yisroel, nonetheless went to Vienna for the opportunity to meet so many of the gedolei hador. He took the young Shmuel along with him for the experience. It was at that event that the young Shmuel met for the first time his later rebbe, HaRav Yehuda Meir Shapira the rov of Lublin. The rov of Lublin noticed the young talmid and made a mental note to try to get him for the yeshiva he was planning to found in Lublin. At the time, HaRav , the rosh yeshiva of Slobodka and Chevron, was staying in Vienna. It was just after the Arab riots in Chevron when dozens of Chevron yeshiva students lost their lives and HaRav Epstein was so overcome with the pain that he remained in Vienna to recuperate. The young Shmuel was extremely impressed with the kovod HaTorah that he saw, as the rov of the Viennese community, HaRav Yeshaya Furst, gave his place and position in the Beis Medrash HaHashemol of Vienna to HaRav Epstein. Decades later HaRav Wosner described the evident kovod haTorah as the Lithuanian Rosh Yeshiva called out the instructions for blowing shofar in the center of the Great Beis

Hamedrash of Vienna that was filled to capacity with thousands of Germanic Jews from the Chasam Sofer tradition. Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin In 1931 when Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin opened, the young Viennese bochur was eager to attend the yeshiva as he knew the rosh yeshiva and was impressed by him. He traveled to Lublin and stood before the admission committee. When they realized that he was younger than the average student at the yeshiva they recommended that he go home and apply again in a few years. Very disappointed, he went to the beis medrash and sat down to learn with the hasmodoh that was his style from youth. The Rosh Yeshiva came in and saw him learning with such application, even though he knew that he had not been accepted to the yeshiva. He asked him why he came in to learn since he was not accepted. The youth answered, "In two and a half hours the train will come to take me back to Vienna. I thought to myself, What can I do in the remaining time? I decided that I would use the time to learn in the beis medrash rather than hang around the train station with all kinds of sights I have no interest in seeing." When HaRav Meir Shapira heard his answer, he said, "Come with me. You can come to the yeshiva for a trial of three months..." The three months became five years. For a year and a half he did not leave the yeshiva building, as he once said, "I did not see the outside of the yeshiva." He used to get up at 2 am every morning, and go to sleep at 10 p.m. for four hours. He once said that Maharm Shapira used to turn on the heat in the yeshiva every morning at 5 am so that the early rising masmidim would not have to suffer the cold, but for him it was not early enough. His whole life he used to get up very early to learn through the last hours of the night. At one point he got a severe case of pneumonia from the early morning cold. Although he recovered bechasdei Shomayim, eighty years later the doctors said that it was that very bug that was dormant in his body for so long that was the cause of his final illness. One time his rebbe HaRav Meir Shapira saw him learning by moonlight. He blessed him that he not be sick and that his eyesight remain strong throughout his life. In fact his sight remained good throughout his long life and he never needed glasses. Many times he told his children and talmidim that he could show them the tree under which "many nights I used to pray and cry before HaKodosh Boruch Hu that I should be completely Torah and become a Hashemol beTorah." He remained attached to his rebbe his entire life and he used to speak about him at the siyumim of the Daf Yomi cycle. He also used to mark his rebbe's yahrtzeit on 7 Cheshvan by saying Kaddish and giving a special shiur. In Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin he also had a special relationship with HaRav Avrohom Shimon Horowitz Hy"d who was the mashgiach of the yeshiva. HaRav Horowitz was also a great gaon who used to review 18 chapters of mishnayos every day as he walked around the beis hamedrash. After reviewing the mishnayos he used to review the conclusions of the gemoras that discussed those mishnayos in the Bavli and Yerushalmi. One day his rebbe took him into his confidence and reviewed with him 19 chapters of maseches Keilim with the Tosefta. One time many years later HaRav Wosner told those close to him that he also finishes several chapters of mishnayos daily. One time HaRav Aharon of Kozhnitz came to the yeshiva and all the bochurim approached him for a brochoh. R' Shmuel said, "I was quiet and a bayshan and I stood a little apart. The Holy Rov of Kozhnitz called out to me and said, `Bochur'l! Don't be embarrassed. You will grow and become a Hashemol beTorah.' " Once he was asked about the sedorim of the yeshiva on Purim. "There was no official seder of the yeshiva. But we sat and studied Torah all day until the afternoon. Then we went to the seudah." Once he was asked if there was anything special in the yeshiva on Lag B'Omer. He said, "My rebbe HaRav Shimoli Zelichover got together a few bochurim and turned to one and said, `Quickly, tell us five things in Shas that HaRav Shimon [bar Yochai] said.' Then he turned to another, "Now you tell us ten things in Shas that Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai said.' Each bochur answered in turn. That was Lag B'Omer in Lublin." One time when he was asked about what particularly pleased his rebbe Maharam Shapira he said, "The Rov was very creative. One time on his birthday on 7 Adar the bochurim wanted to do something special for him to bring him some simchah. He was not comfortable with the notion, but he came up with the idea to split up Shas between the talmidim, so that very day collectively they made a siyum on Shas. They made a mesibas siyum in his honor. This was his real simchah." Already in Lublin he learned halochoh. Once he had a she'ela and did not know what to do. As a tikkun he undertook to learn the hilchos of Shabbos 40 times. HaRav Benzion Apter zt"l, who was close to Maharam Shapira, said that when his rebbe had to leave the yeshiva he used to say that all sheilos that arise in his absence should be referred to the bochur Shmuel Viener. One time his rebbe HaRav Meir Shapira told him, "I would like to take stones from here and take them to Eretz Yisroel and establish a yeshiva." HaRav Wosner took this as a personal charge and in 5707 he established Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin in Bnei Brak. After completing his studies in Lublin he returned to Vienna. He learned from many rabbonim there including HaRav Yosef Baumgarten zt"l and HaRav Yeshaya Furst zt"l. In the winter of 5697 he married the daughter of HaRav Mordechai Gelber who was the Rosh Hakohol of Pressburg and served as a mohel and worked as a wine merchant. He undertook to support his son-in-law so that he could dedicate himself to learning. Upon arriving in Pressburg, the rosh yeshiva HaRav Akiva Sofer author of the Daas Sofer appointed him to be in charge of encouraging chidushei Torah in the yeshiva in the framework of a Chevra Charifus. In Pressburg he began to make a name for himself as a , learning with HaRav Dovid Wessely zt"l who gave him over the darchei horo'oh he had received from his rabbonim who were talmidim of the Chasam Sofer. In 5698 his oldest son ylct"a HaRav Chaim Meir was born. He was named after his rebbe HaRav Meir Shapira and the

Admor of Munkacz who was the rebbe of his father-in-law. That same year his father passed away. Seeing the clouds gathering over Europe, the following year he decided to go to Eretz Yisroel. His father-in-law tried to talk him out of it, saying that he is able to learn and serve and he has talmidim and a nice apartment in Pressburg, and he had no certificate to enter Eretz Yisroel. But the rov would not be dissuaded even though many thought his plans made no sense. His father-in-law said that no enemies would come to Pressburg because of the sanctity of the grave of the Chasam Sofer he retorted that the enemy would not ask the Chasam Sofer for advice. He and his wife boarded a cargo vessel, leaving their one year old infant Chaim with his grandparents. He was later save, bechasdei Hashem, through very complicated efforts. The boat full of immigrants was not allowed to dock in Eretz Yisroel and it had to let them off some distance from the shore of Netanya. They had to walk through water that reached their necks, carrying only one bag. On the second night of Chanukah 5699 (1938) they first walked the shores of the Holy Land. All his days HaRav Wosner remembered the destruction of European Jewry and he wrote a special kinah for Tisha B'Av. (by: M. Berger)

Dealing with the Big Scream It's all a matter of leverage -- manipulation. "What can I do to get my way?" From the moment a child is born, he begins to learn that crying will get him whatever he needs. The distress of hunger, thirst, a soiled diaper or just feeling discarded, can be relieved by opening up your mouth and crying as loudly as you can. At the earliest years, crying is the only means a child has to communicate his feelings. It is like the alarm bell in the elevator and the call button on your airplane seat -- it brings help! But, as every airline hostess knows, that call button can be misused. There is much discussion over the problem as to how long parents should let their baby cry if they feel there is no specific cause for the crying. However, this article is not directed specifically to that point -- though perhaps roots of the problem being addressed here might lie in that discussion. Mrs. Karing is shopping with her son, Eli, in the local supermarket. Suddenly he spots a tempting bar of chocolate on the shelf. "Mommy, can I have that bar of chocolate?" asks Eli. "No, dear. We are going home to eat lunch soon and it will spoil your appetite. We have plenty of chocolate at home. After you eat all of your lunch, I will give you some," replies Mrs. Karing. "But I want it now!" responds Eli. "I told you! It will spoil your appetite," Mrs. Karing answers back. "It won't!" insists little Eli. "I want it now!" Eli's voice begins to rise. Resolutely, Mrs. Karing wheels her shopping cart on, past the sweets shelves. Eli begins to scream. "I want chocolate! Give me chocolate! I won't lose my appetite! I want some now! I want it!" Eli is now on the floor, crying, screaming franctically and kicking. Everyone in the supermarket is looking towards the source of the commotion. Mrs. Karing is now praying for the floor to open up and swallow her into the bowels of the earth. Eli is making a fool of his mother. Mrs. Karing waits for a few moments and when the floor does not swallow her up and he persists, dying of shame she returns to the shelves, picks up the bar of chocolate and stuffs it into Eli's hand. Eli is now happy and they continue shopping peacefully -- until something else catches Eli's eye. Eli is compulsive, demands instant gratification, exhibits contrary behavior syndrome (is naughty) and is a constant source of embarrassment for his parents at home, in front of guests and in public. The story really begins way back, when Eli was a little child. Then Eli learned how to blackmail his parents. Eli learned that when his parents refused his demands, if he made enough fuss, they would back down and give in to him. The Karings had to go away for a few weeks and they asked Mr. and Mrs. Shimon to look after Eli. They agreed. On the fateful day, Eli arrived at the Shimon home and the whole family tried to make him feel welcome and at home. At first, Eli reveled in all the attention he was getting. Then he saw something he wanted. "Please, can I have that cookie," he asked Mrs. Shimon. "No, Eli. It's for Shabbos. You can have one on Shabbos." "But I want it now!" Eli turned on his siren and started to howl. But the Shimons were prepared. Very calmly, Mr. Shimon spoke to Eli. "Listen, Eli. In this house, screaming is not an option. You can ask for something and if we say no, it is no. If you want to scream, you can go outside on the porch and scream to the cats." Eli continued to scream. Mr. Shimon took Eli by the hand, led him onto the porch and closed the door behind him. Eli continued screaming for a while, but he soon saw that the Shimons were determined in their resolution. And he saw that even though probably the whole area could hear his screams, they were not worried that he was embarrassing them in front of the neighbors. After a few minutes, Eli realized that he was not achieving anything by his screaming. He became quiet. Mr. Shimon then came to the porch and explained to Eli again that in the Shimon house, screaming is not an option. If ever he starts to scream again, not only will he be put outside, but under no circumstances will he ever get what he demanded. Mr. Shimon then allowed Eli to come back inside the house. Eli walked into the kitchen and saw the cookie again. "Please can I have a cookie?" Mrs. Shimon again replied, "No, Eli. It's for Shabbos. You can have one on Shabbos." "But I want it now!" Eli responded. "Eli!" Mrs. Shimon replied sternly, "if you ask once again, you will not even get one on Shabbos when the rest of the family gets them." Eli got the message and for the rest of his stay by the Shimons, he never turned on his siren. When Mrs. Karing came to pick up Eli, Mrs. Shimon explained to her how they had dealt with Eli's tantrums. Mrs. Karing understood what the Shimons had done and she was pleasantly surprised to hear that Eli had behaved so well at their home. But Eli is too strong for Mrs. Karing. She gives in before he does and so he continues to turn on his tantrums to manipulate his mother to get whatever he wants from her. You will see them and hear them at the supermarket or at the restaurant -- until the Elis get what they want -- and then they are such sweet little boys. Until the next time... Response to possible letters of protest from parents of little horrors who claim that Contrary Behavior Syndrome is sanctioned by psychologists as a genuine dysfunction for which neither the child nor the parents can be blamed: The story of Eli is based on an actual occurrence. Eli had been receiving therapy for a long time. Mrs. and Mrs. Shimon's attitude to Eli is backed by many books on how to deal with this type of aberrant behavior without medication or long-term therapy. In the story, no mention is made of Mr. Karing. Perhaps there isn't one. Perhaps he is dysfunctional. Perhaps Mrs. Karing just does not have the strength to both run her family and to battle with Eli. Perhaps responsible members of the kehilla need to step in and help Mrs. Karing. There is not enough information in the story to lay the blame at anyone's feet. The main point, though, is that our generation is not the first to have naughty children. But it is becoming the first to give that naughty behavior the status of an illness, thereby relieving parents and teachers of their responsibility. Much of the misbehavioral problems could be prevented if the parents began instilling guidelines of discipline into children from the earliest ages. (by R' Zvi Zobin)

Paid political advertising paid for and approved by Marlen Martell for North Miami Beach Seat 7. Who is Councilwoman Marlen Martell? She is a mom, wife, professor and your Councilwoman. She was elected in 2011 and made 8 pledges of which she kept them all. She spearheaded a number of important policies that will ensure the positive growth in the City of North Miami Beach. She was instrumental in reviving Marina Palms that will bring 1.5 million per tower per year in property taxes. These two towers will become a constant tax revenue base for the City of North Miami Beach providing much needed additional services, policing and possible reduction in millage rate. The revenue can also assist in the reduction of debt and pension cost. She is passionate about providing premier education for our community. She established an education committee to secure funding and improvements to our public schools through bond dollars approved by our constituents. She is concerned about the safety of our neighbor and voted to allow the Police Department to purchase a security camera infrastructure that will allow the Police Department to retrieve data from surrounding security systems, for example red light cameras, public/private schools can grant the Police Department the ability to compile surveillance from their existing security systems. She has consistently held meetings on Sunday at City Hall to accommodate those of the Jewish faith. These meetings are held to address the needs in the community. She does not represent one set of individuals, but all residents of the City of North Miami Beach and today she is asking for your support. Early voting will take place on Thursday, April 30 and Friday, May 1 at City Hall between 10 AM and 6 PM or on Sunday, May 3rd from 2 PM to 6 PM and your last chance to support Marlen Martell will be on May 5, Re-elect Marlen Martell, punch #76. Let’s Keep Our City Moving Forward. If you would like to read more about Councilwoman Martell and her pledge, please go to www.marlen4nmb.com or contact her at (305) 336-7953.

Rabbi Beryl Wein tells the story of when he had Rabbi Mendel Kaplan as a high school rebbe in Chicago, just after Rav Mendel came to America from Europe. Rav Mendel did not know how to speak English very well. But he had an amazing knack in being able to interest and motivate his students, even though they were red- blooded young American boys, and he was European. He would often utilize unconventional methods in his teaching. One day, he had the following brainstorm idea. He told his boys that he really needs to learn how to speak English better, and he wanted the boys to teach him. Here was the deal. Every day, Rav Mendel would bring in the newspaper. The boys would read him the paper; they would teach him how to read English, and in return, he would teach them how to read the

news! He explained that one has to know how to understand world events, what lessons should be take from them. It's not enough to simply read the facts and get a general understanding for what's going on in the world. One must read the news in depth, analyzing and internalizing the true lessons of human behavior and outlook that should be gleaned. With this in mind, we come to a most tragic news story which shocked America in April 2007. As we all know, a 23 year old student turned gunman, originally from South Korea, Cho Seung-Hui, randomly and indiscriminately shot and killed 32 Virginia Tech college students and teachers, before killing himself. Let us read some of the comments from those who knew him before he went on his killing spree, and see if we can derive some personal lessons, trying to emulate Rav Mendel Kaplan's approach to reading news. News reports said that he may have been taking medication for depression and that he was becoming increasingly violent and erratic. "He was a loner", school spokesman Larry Hincker said. A student who attended Virginia Tech last fall provided violence-laced screenplays that he said Cho wrote as part of a playwriting class they both took. "He was very quiet, always by himself," neighbor Abdul Shash said, "Cho would not respond if someone greeted him." Classmates painted a similar picture. Some said that on the first day of a British literature class last year, the 30 or so students went around and introduced themselves. When it was Cho's turn, he didn't speak. On the sign-in sheet where everyone else had written their names, Cho had written a question mark. "Is your name, `Question mark?'" classmate Julie Poole recalled the professor asking. The young man offered little response. Cho spent much of that class sitting in the back of the room, wearing a hat and seldom participating. In a small department, Cho distinguished himself for being anonymous. "He didn't reach out to anyone. He never talked," Poole said, "We just really knew him as the question mark kid." Everyone who knew Cho, said they never saw him smile and the most he would ever say would be one word answers to questions. We clearly see that what contributed to this person becoming a madman was his total and extreme lack of social contact. He never smiled and he barely talked. Though some people tried to make small-talk and act friendly, he refused to participate and respond in kind. He never found that one person he could connect with; he never found a friend. We are reminded from this story how vital friends are to a human being's lifeline. We blatantly see how important it is to be sociable with people, to say hello to them, to give them a warm greeting. Even if they resist our overtures, we must continually try to get through their self-inflicted social blockade. And for ourselves, we are taught from this tragedy how significant it is to smile, for our own mental health and well being. The following poem, whose author is unknown, brings this point out so well: A Smile: It costs nothing, but creates much. It enriches those who receive, without impoverishing those who give. It happens in a flash, and the memory of it sometimes lasts forever. None are so rich they can get along without it, and none so poor that aren't richer for its benefits. It creates happiness in the home, fosters good will in business, and is the countersign of friends. As our Sages tell us, a smile and a kind word cultivate an undernourished self-image: "Better to whiten your teeth (smile) at your friend than to give him milk (even if he's very thirsty)" ( Kesubos 111a). The saying goes that "It takes 37 muscles to frown. And 22 muscles to smile. So Smile. It conserves energy." Whether this is scientifically true has yet to be proven but human experience teaches us that smiling definitely gives one more energy to live and to love. This is true even if one forces himself to smile. As Barbara Mikkelson writes: "In a 2002 study performed in Sweden, researchers confirmed what we already knew: that people respond in kind to the facial expressions they encounter. Test subjects were shown photos of faces - some smiling and some frowning - and required to respond with their own smiles, frowns, and non-expressions as directed by those conducting the experiment. Researchers noted that while folks had an easy time frowning at what appeared to be frowning at them and smiling in reply to the photographed smiles, those being tested encountered difficulties when prompted to respond in an opposite manner to the expressions displayed in the images - they instinctively wanted to reflect what they'd been exposed to, answering smile for smile and frown for frown, and could not easily overcome this urge even when they were quite consciously trying to. Facial expressions do not merely signal what one feels but actually contribute to that feeling. If we smile even when we don't feel like it, our mood will elevate despite ourselves. Likewise, faking a frown brings on a sense of not liking the world that day." The Virginia Tech tragedy will always be remembered as one of the worst events in the annals of U.S. history. And one of the very important lessons for us to walk away with from this event is to remember what everyone said about the killer: 'He never smiled.'

Mr. Matan B’Sasar It wasn't the most exciting or terrifying tale of the war years I had ever heard, or the saddest or the most shocking. But somehow it was the most moving one. The man who recounted it had spent the war years, his teenage years, in the chilling vastness of the Siberian taiga. He and his Polish yeshiva colleagues were guests of the Soviet authorities for their reluctance to assume Russian citizenship after they fled their country at the start of the Nazi onslaught. He had already spoken of unimaginable, surreal episodes, fleeing his Polish shtetl with the German advance in 1939, of watching as his uncle was caught trying to escape a roundup of Jews and shot on the spot, of being packed with his

Jewish townsfolk into a shul which was then set afire, of their miraculous deliverance, of the long treks, of the wandering refugees' dedication to the Torah's commandments. And then he told the story. We were loaded onto rail cattle-wagons, nine of us, taken to Novosibirsk, and from there transported by barge to Parabek, where we were assigned to a kolchoz, or collective farm. I remember that our first winter was our hardest, as we did not have the proper clothing for the severe climate. Most of us had to fell trees in the forest. I was the youngest and was assigned to a farm a few miles from our kolchoz. The nights were terribly cold, the temperature often dropping to forty degrees below zero, through I had a small stove by which I kept a little warm. The chief of the kolchoz would make surprise checks on me to see if I had fallen asleep, and I would recite Psalms to stay awake. One night I couldn't shake the chills and I realized that I had a high fever. I managed to hitch my horse and sled together and set off for the kolchoz. Not far from the farm, though, I fell from the sled into the deep snow and the horse continued on without me. I tried to shout to the animal to stop, to no avail. I remember crying and saying Psalms for I knew that remaining where I was, or trying to walk to the kolchoz, would mean certain death from exposure. I forced myself to get up and, with what little strength I had left, began running after the horse and sled. Suddenly, the horse halted. I ran even faster, reached the sled and collapsed on it. Looking up at the starry sky, I prayed with all my diminishing might to G-d to enable me to reach the relative safety of the kolchoz. He answered me and I reached my Siberian home, though I was shaking uncontrollably from my fever; no number of blankets could warm me. The next day, in a daze, I was transported to Parabek, where there was a hospital. My first two days in the hospital are a blur, but on the third my fever broke and I started to feel a little better. Then suddenly, as I lay in my bed, I saw a fellow yeshiva boy from the kolchoz, Herschel Tishivitzer, before me, half frozen and staring, incredulous, at me. His feet were wrapped in layers and layers of rags - the best one could manage to try to cope with the Arctic cold, without proper boots. I couldn't believe my eyes - Herschel had actually walked the frigid miles from the kolchoz! "Herschel," I cried, "what are you doing here?" I'll never forget his answer. "Yesterday," he said, "someone came from Parabek, and told us 'Simcha niftar,' that Simcha had died. And so I volunteered to bury you." The narrator paused to collect himself, and the reflected on his memory: The dedication to another Jew, the dedication... Had the rumor been true there was no way he could have helped me. He had immediately made the perilous journey - just to see to my funeral! The dedication to another Jew ...such an example! As a shiver subsided and the story sank in, I wondered: Would I have even considered such a journey, felt such a responsibility to a fellow Jew? In such a place, at such a time? Or would I have justified inaction with the ample justification available? Would I have been able to maintain even my humanity in the face of so doubtful a future, not to mention my faith in G-d, my very Jewishness...? A wholly unremarkable story in a way, I realize. None of the violence, the tragedy, the horrors, the evil of so many tales of the war years. Just a short conversation, really. Yet I found so valuable a lesson in the story of Herschel Tishivitzer's selfness, unhesitating concern for little Simcha Ruzhaner, as the narrator had been called in those days: what it means to be part of a holy people. The narrator concluded his story, describing how Hershel Tishivitzer, thank G-d, had eventually made his way to America and settled in New York under his family name, Nudel. And how he, the narrator himself, had ended up in Baltimore, where he married the virtuous daughter of a respected Jewish scholar, Rabbi Noach Kahn. And how he himself had became a rabbi (changing many lives for the better, I know, though he didn't say so) and how he and his rebbetzin had raised their children in their Jewish religious heritage, children who were continuing to frustrate the enemies of the Jewish people by raising strong Jewish families of their own. And I wondered - actually, I still do - if the slice of Simcha Ruzhaner's life had so affected me only because of its radiant, blindingly beautiful message - or if perhaps some part was played by the fact that he too, had taken on a shortened form of his family name, Shafranowitz, and had named his second child Avrohom Yitzchok, although everyone just calls me Avi. (by: Rabbi Avi Shafran)

The Young Woman who Saved an Airplane How far would you go to stand up for what you thought was right? Could you withstand yelling, threats and hostility? Would you be able to shrug off mockery and ridicule – or even disobey direct orders – and keep insisting that you were right? That was the challenge facing Mussie Weinfeld on a recent flight from Tel Aviv to New York, as she prepared to return home after spending a special Passover in Israel. As the 22-year old teacher from Crown Heights, Brooklyn, settled in her window seat on a TransAero flight scheduled to leave Israel’s Ben Gurion airport late Saturday night, April 11, 2015, and fly to New York via Moscow, she thought something seemed amiss. “There was a very loud and strange noise on my side of the plane. I probably was extra scared because of what’s going

on recently with (crashes of) airplanes and I felt really uncomfortable with it,” Mussie recalls. She also thought something didn’t look right with the plane’s wing. Concerned, Mussie shared her observations with passengers sitting near her, but they “laughed it off and said it was just noises from the engines,” Mussie’s father, Rabbi Kalman Weinfeld, recalled after speaking with his daughter. At that point, the plane started taxiing towards the runway. “When the plane actually started moving I got even more scared,” Mussie recalls, “and I said I have to do something.” She unbuckled her seatbelt and stood up. As her father reported, “The flight attendants, who themselves were already seated and buckled in, instructed her to return to her seat. When she told them her concerns about the plane they too laughed at her. She insisted that she will not fly on the plane if they didn’t check it out.” The flight attendants threatened the young woman, yelling at her to return to her seat, but Mussie refused. “I said, ‘I don’t want to sit down – I want you to go do something about it.’ Then when I got back to my seat everyone took off their seat belts. Nobody wanted to take off now.” The airplane returned to the gate, for – airline officials announced – a 45-minute safety check. Nearly two hours later, however, it became clear the plane was unsafe to fly, and passengers were asked to return to the airport the following day to fly home on a different aircraft. Turns out Mussie was right; there was indeed a problem with the aircraft’s wing. The synchronism slats on the wings’ edges which allow for proper movement of airplane wings were broken. TransAero later insisted that they were in fact in the process of detecting the problem right before takeoff. Realizing that the young teacher in their midst had saved them all from a potential tragedy, many of the travelers, who just hours before had mocked and yelled at Mussie, came over “and profusely thanked her for saving their lives,” her father explained. Mussie herself was modest about her role. “Everyone was thankful at least that we didn’t take off with that plane,” she said simply. How many of us would have been able to stand up to such enormous social pressure and ridicule? By insisting that her concerns be checked out, Mussie Weinfeld embodied Hillel's maxim: “In a place where there are no leaders, strive to be a leader” (Ethics of the Fathers, 2:6). We all have the responsibility to take a stand and do what’s right, to go against the grain and make our voices heard, even in the face of mockery and ridicule. Whether or not TransAero was aware of the damage, as they claim, there is no question that Mussie Weinfeld demonstrated remarkable tenacity in refusing to go back to her seat, disobeying the flight attendants' orders and not trusting those who should seemingly know better than her. (by: Yvette Alt Miller)

Mezuzah….Did You Know In practice today, the custom is to put a mezuzah on most doors that people use. Therefore, a Jewish home typically has mezuzos on the front and side doors, porch, bedrooms, living room, playroom, garage (if used for storage and not just cars), laundry room, etc. A bathroom does not get a mezuzah. Closets and other small spaces that are not large enough to be used for normal living do not need a mezuzah. (though some authorities require it.) In Israel, all public buildings ― restaurants, government offices, hotels, etc. ― have a mezuzah on every door (except for bathrooms). When a Jew and non-Jew share a house, each having his own designated room or area, then a mezuzah is not posted on the common doorway. (Rama Y.D. 286:1 with Pischei Teshuva 3) When moving into a new home, a mezuzah should be put up immediately. If you're only renting, and the house or apartment is located in the diaspora, then the mezuzah can be put up within 30 days. When moving out of a home ― and the next occupant is also Jewish ― it is considered disrespectful to remove the mezuzos. But since there is a significant expense involved (since one house could have many mezuzos), it is appropriate for the new occupants to pay for the mezuzos, or alternatively to offer to put up their own. Perfect Placement 1. When placing the mezuzah in the case or on the wall, be sure that the Hebrew word "Sha-kkai," which is written on the back of the parchment, is facing outward (i.e. toward the entrance once it is affixed). Also, make sure the mezuzah is not upside down! 2. The mezuzah should be placed on the right-hand doorpost ― i.e. on the right side of the door as you enter the room. The Talmud learns this from the word "your house" (beit'echa), which can be rendered "as you enter" (bi'atcha). 3. How far up on the doorpost? The mezuzah should be placed on the lower part of the upper-third of the doorpost ― approximately shoulder height. (The Talmud compares this to Tefillin, which is placed on the upper arm.) 4. At which angle? The Ashkenazi custom is to position the mezuzah at a slight angle, with the top half pointing toward the room you are about to enter. The Sephardi custom is to place the mezuzah straight up vertically. (If the doorpost is too narrow to allow for a slant, Ashkenazim also place it vertically.) 5. If the doorway is deep, the mezuzah should be placed on the doorpost within 3 inches of the entrance. If the

doorway has little depth, i.e. it is not possible to place the mezuzah on the doorpost within the doorway itself, then the mezuzah is placed on the outer part of the doorpost, within 3 inches of the doorway. 6. The mezuzah should be permanently affixed, with glue, nails or screws. Tape that would easily fall off if bumped into is regarded as too temporary to be considered "affixed." Similarly, velcro and magnets may not be used. 7. The mezuzah must be affixed both on the top and bottom. When using double-sided foam tape, either use one long piece which reaches the top and bottom of the mezuzah case, or put two pieces ― one on top and one on the bottom. 8. A strong glue or double-sided foam tape is acceptable only if the case opens from the top or bottom. If the case opens from the back, then by using glue or foam tape, only the removable back of the cover will be "affixed to the doorpost," while the hollow section containing the mezuzah will not. Therefore, a case which opens from the back should be affixed with nails or screws. [If that option does not exist, one may use tape to seal the back of the case to the body of the case, and then post it as such.] If we want our internal world to reflect Hashemly ideals, we have to protect it against the outside world at the point of interface: the doorway. This means monitoring the contents of books, games and video that we expose our children and ourselves to. As well, having a mezuzah in each room means that whenever we move from one domain, one sphere of activity, to another, we must renew our consciousness of Hashem's presence and act in a way that sanctifies His Name. Picture of the Week Each year, hundreds of thousands of prayer notes are stuffed into the Western Wall — ’s holiest site — by visitors, tourists, and foreign dignitaries. The Western Wall's Rabbi, Shmuel Rabinowitz, and his helpers remove thousands of handwritten notes placed between the ancient stones of the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest site, in the Old City of Jerusalem. The operation is carried out twice each year: before the Passover festival which begins next week and at the Jewish New Year in the fall. After removal, the thousands of notes are buried on the nearby Mount of Olives. The once-stuffed cracks in the millennia-old, limestone wall are exposed, awaiting fresh wishes, hopes, and prayers. The tradition of placing notes in the Kosel dates back to the early 18th century.

Ben Ish L’Ishto There are three comments that the great Tannah Rebbe Akiva makes throughout the gemara regarding marriage. Let us present them all together and gain a beautiful understanding of marital harmony. 1- Sotah 17a: Rebbe Akiva says that if a man and woman work together, they bring Hashem’s Shechina into their homes. This is a magnificent goal, how does one accomplish this? 2- Nedarim 50a: We find that Rebbe Akiva promises to buy his wife jewelry! 3- Also, we find (there) that Rebbe Akiva tells his students that all that he has accomplished and all of their learning is all to the credit of his dear wife. The answer is that he appreciated her and gave her acknowledgment for all that she did for him! May we all merit to live by this!

.This Week in History…. 4 Eyor - 1229: As the Christians fought the Moors, Ferdinand III of Castile re-conquered Caceres. During this period the city had an important Jewish quarter: By the start of 15th century 140 Jewish families lived in city that had a population of 2000 people. As with everything in Sephard the story of the Jews of Caceres ends the same way with the expulsion by Queen Isabella and Ferdinand of Aragon in 1492. 5 Eyor - 1615: Louis XIII decreed that all Jews must leave the country within one month on pain of death. This decree became the basis for the infamous Code Noir the Black Code which forbade Jews to live in French colonies in the New World including in 1724 the colony of Louisiana. This may explain why there are no Jewish Creoles in New Orleans society. 6 Eyor – 1791: Birthdate of James Buchanan, 15th President of the United States. In 1857, President Buchanan received a committee of Jews led by Isaac Meyer Wise. They were there to seek his support in over-turning a treaty with the Swiss Cantons that resulted in American Jews being subjected to the anti-Semitic laws of Switzerland. Buchanan said he would work to correct the situation. But Buchanan was no more effective in helping American Jews than he would be in preserving the Union when Secession came. 7 Eyor - 1860: In “The Extortions of Slavery” published today, Dr. George B. Cheever delivered an anti-slavery speech last night at The Church of the Puritans in which he compared slaveholders to the anti-Semitic King John of England who “who, to extort money from a Jew, pulled a tooth every day from out the Hebrew's head until he complied with his demands.” 8 Eyor - 1898: Spain declared war on the United States, the first half of the official act to officially start the Spanish- American War in which 5,000 Jewish volunteers would serve. 9 Eyor - 1938 Jews in Vienna, Austria, were rounded up on the Sabbath by Nazis and forced to eat grass at the Prater, a local amusement park. Many of the victimized Jews suffered heart attacks and a few died.

Distributed by the Chevra Marbitz Torah D’NMB – To Have Copy emailed to you - [email protected]

Dear Zaidei….I am vonting to becoming a news anchor on radio but I still cannot get rid of my yiddishe accent. Vot should I do? Shmeel Duvid Dear SD…I think they can use a guy like you on Al Jazeera Radio. Leave the accent – it makes you original. Like this story: A Jew converts and becomes a priest. He gives his first mass in front of a number of high ranking priests who came for the occasion. At the end of the new priest's sermon a cardinal goes to congratulate him. "Pastor Lewis," he said, "That was very well done, you were just perfect. But next time please don't start your sermon with, "Fellow goyim..."

Just this week…  Maickel Melamed who suffers from MS was the last person to finish the Boston Marathon.  PM Natanyahu was given until May 7 to establish

a new government.  Secret Servi ce agents arrested an intruder who climbed over the White House fence.  Jimmy Carter is denied a request to meet with PM Natanyahu and Pres. Rivlin.  Terrorists threw Molotov cocktails near Silwan neighborhood of Yerushalayim.  Egypt’s former president Mohamed Morsi is sentenced to 20 years in prison.  Police arrest a Brittish couple and their 4 children for trying to join ISIS.  Terrorist who rammed his car into pedestriants last week in Yerushalayim said he just wanted to Israel by way of North Miami Beach. Can we kill jews.  ISIS leader Abu Bakr was seriously wounded in at least stop at Jerusalem Pizza ? coalition airstrike.