YNA Newsletter Parshat Naso-Shavuot 1 of 9

In This Issue Parshat Naso May 29, 2014 Life Events,Visitors

Sephardic Alumni Shabbaton

Let Me Tell You A Story-The Story of Harav Due to Shavuot next week there will Ben Zion Freiman zt"l "A LIFE OF LEARNING TORAH be no newsletter - PART IV" Chag Sameyach!! HaRav Nebenzahl on Parshat Naso "Is Nezirut Good Or Bad? It All Dedications Depends" Rav Bina's Thursday Night Ohr HaChaim Shiur on 22 Iyar was Tehillim List sponsored by Shimon and Judi Kaltasky for the refuah shleima of Uri ben Rina Links

yna.edu

YNA Kollel.com Rav Korn In Queens For Shabbat Parshat Naso (May 31, THIS SHABBAT) Ask Rav Nebenzahl

Suggestion Box Rav Yitzchak Korn will be spending Shabbat Parshat Naso (May 31) in Queens. What a great opportunity to Alumni Update Form prepare for Matan Torah!

Contact Us He will be at Landers on Friday night. For a place to stay or to reserve a Rabbanit Malke Bina's spot at the meal please contact Yosef Dauber at 1-224-612-1565 or Glimpse on the Parsha [email protected].

RavBeinishGinsburg.com Shabbat Day at Beis Medrash Zichron Shalom, 72-36 147 St, Flushing, NY.

Shacharit is at 8:45 AM followed by Kiddush and Chaburah at around 10:45 AM.

Mincha will be at 6:30 PM followed by a Shiur and Seudat Shllishit at 72-36 147 St Flushing, NY. Hillel Golberstein Needs a Kidney Contact Danny Turkel at [email protected] for details. (son of Yosef Chaim Golberstein 5760-61) ~~~~ Shavuot At The Yeshiva

Join Our List Alumni who are planning to spend Shavuot at the Yeshiva should please inform Elisha as soon as possible so that we can make appropriate YNA Newsletter Parshat Naso-Shavuot 2 of 9

Pic Of The Week arrangements.

Davening Schedule

Yom Tov Night Candlelighting (40 minutes before sunset) 7:05 PM Mincha in Beit Midrash 7:25 PM Followed by sicha by HaRav Bina A Yeshiva maintenance Maariv worker on break Please join us for all-night learning. There viewing a Rav will be shiurim throughout the night. Nebenzahl lecture. Yom Tov Day Brachot, Megillat Ruth, Shacharit 4:30 AM Videos Mincha 7:25 PM Yom Tov Sheni Maariv 8:30 PM Shacharit 5:00 AM Mincha 7:25 PM

Shavuot Learning Schedule First Night (Subject to change) Rav Yoel Pre-Shavuot Shiur to Alumni VIEW 11:00 PM Rav Amos Luban 12:30 AM Rabbi Dr Johnny Krug 1:30 AM Snack 1:45 AM Rav Michael Fodor 2:30 AM Michael Brodsky 3:30 AM Rav Yitzchak Korn

Children of Sderot Thank You Video to Rav Bina VIEW

Shabbat Davening Times

Parshat Naso "Out" Shabbat With Rav Beinish Ginsburg and family Friday Night Candlelighting 7:00 PM Mincha - Kabbalat Shabbat on the porch 7:20 PM Shabbat Day Vatikin in the home of the Rosh HaYeshiva 5:00 AM Second Shacharit 8:30 AM Mincha 6:45 PM YNA Newsletter Parshat Naso-Shavuot 3 of 9

Parshat Beha'alotcha "In" Shabbat Friday Night Early Shabbat - Candlelighting not before 6:14 PM Mincha - Kabbalat Shabbat on the roof 6:00 PM Shabbat Day Vatikin 5:00 AM Mincha 6:45 AM

Visitors, Life Events

Visitors The following people visited/learned in the Yeshiva:

Josh Karon (5772-73) Ilan Swartz-Brownstein (5773-74) Alex Silber (5771) Zvi Simpson (5766-67) Josh Lew (5771-72)

Mazal Tov Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh would like to wish a mazal tov to:

Mordechai Gilbert (5769-70) on his marriage to Malki Rosen. Sason Gabay (5769-70) on his marriage to Aliza Batya Bram. Michael (Mikey, 5766) Cahane on his engagement to Alexandra Vaccaro.

Baruch Dayan Emet Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh regrets to inform you of the loss of:

Jay Stepelman, father of Rabbi Chaim Stepelman (5755-57). He will be sitting shiva in Israel through Friday, at 29/4 Nachal Refaim, and leaving immediately after Shabbos to continue shiva at 3333 Henry Hudson Pkwy, Apt. 3W, Riverdale NY. Wednesday and Thursday, Mincha/Maariv 7:20 PM, Thursday and Friday Shacharit 7:15 AM

WHEN: June 27th - 28th (through Havdala) WHERE: Great Neck, NY Tefilot to be held in: Shaare Zion of Great Neck 225 Middle Neck Rd, Great Neck, NY 11021 YNA Newsletter Parshat Naso-Shavuot 4 of 9

All Minyanim and meals will be held in Shaare Zion of Great Neck, hosted by the Kamel family. Price: $52

We are looking forward to a Shabbat of learning, singing and reconnecting under the spiritual leadership of Rav Darmoni, Director of the Sephardic Program of Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh. We will join together for Shabbat Tefilot, and an especially festive Friday night dinner and oneg with drashot from the Rabbi and Alumni. There will be an optional Netz Minyan with Rav Darmoni, and Seudat Shabbat. This all followed by an afternoon of Shiurim chizuk with the Rabbi. Please make sure to RSVP immediately for this truly remarkable event!

ALL alumni are invited (Sephardic and Ashkenazi), and all meals are open!

Please make sure to reserve this date and contact us soon. We are making every effort to accommodate as many alumni as we can. Please keep in mind the this is the first Shabbaton in Great Neck, so early registration will allow us to plan appropriately.

Married Alumni are very welcome. Please make sure to inform us if your wife and/or children will be coming and of any special needs.

We look forward to seeing everyone in Great Neck and the best Shabbaton yet!

For more information contact Jonathan Zar at [email protected] or 1-516-637-3339 Uri Dallal at [email protected] or 1-917-513-7000

Let Me Tell You A Story

The story of Harav Ben Zion Freiman zt"l Part XVIII

A LIFE OF LEARNING TORAH - PART IV

The well-known Mashgiach Harav Dan Segal Shlit"a relates that on one occasion on his way to YNA Newsletter Parshat Naso-Shavuot 5 of 9

Yerushalayim, Rav Freiman hurt his leg and was in great pain. However, this did not stop him from going to the shul to learn. While learning he paid no attention to his wounded leg because he was so immersed in his learning.

If I am not mistaken, Rav Freiman himself told me that when he finished learning, Rav Freiman noticed a puddle of blood underneath him.

Another story of his immersion in learning:

HaRav Yeshayahu Steinberger Shlit"a relates that he once had the opportunity to sit with HaRav Freiman at a Bar Mitzvah and they spent the entire time discussing divrei Torah. In his usual manner Rav Freiman paid no attention to anything else. Suddenly he turned to Rav Steinberger and said: "you'll have to excuse me, I am in a big rush." I inquired as to where he was headed, to which he responded: "to the Bar Mitzvah of so-and-so." We are speaking of the Bar Mitzvah we were currently present at.

HaRav Nebenzahl on Parshat Naso

HaRav Nebenzahl asks that his Divrei Torah are not read during Tefillah or the Rabbi's sermon.

IS NEZIRUT GOOD OR BAD? IT ALL DEPENDS

This week's parsha contains the section involving the nazir - one who has taken upon himself a vow not to drink wine, come in contact with a corpse, or cut his hair. The Nazir who successfully completes his Nezirut is required to bring a Korban Chatat (see Bamdibar 6:13-14). Why should someone who meticulously carried out all the demands placed upon him be required to bring a sin-offering? Did he not abstain from drinking wine, cutting his hair, and becoming "tamei" as the Torah requires? Why then must he bring a Korban reserved for one who has sinned?

In the view of one opinion in the Gemara: "'He shall offer atonement for having sinned concerning the soul' (Bamidbar 6:11), and concerning which soul has this Nazir sinned? Rather he has distressed himself from wine" (Taanit 11a). (The pasuk quoted by the Gemara refers to one who has become tamei in the midst of his Nezirut, yet the same reasoning applies to one who has completed his term of purity as well. Although one view in the Gemara reserves the term "sinner" for the Nazir who violated the terms of his nezirut by becoming tamei, there is an opinion that a nazir who remains tahor is also deemed a sinner. Whether he is referred to as a sinner or not, the fact remains that a nazir who remains tahor throughout the term of his nezirut must bring a sin-offering. According to the view stated here, it would appear that becoming a nazir is in and of itself sinful.

On the other hand, the Torah refers to the Nazir as a kadosh - a holy man. The Gemara even says that if one who abstained from wine is considered holy then certainly one who has abstained from food entirely. How can the nazir be called a sinner? Were Shimshon's parents not told by the angel that he was to become a nazir? Would the angel have assigned him a sinful role? The prophet states: "I established some of your sons as prophets and some of your young men as nazirites" (Amos 2:11). This would indicate that Nezirut is very close to the level of prophecy which is associated with Ruach HaKodesh. I cannot say whether or not the Nazir has the prophet's ability to see into the future, yet what is clear is that the Nazir's level of holiness is not far below that of the prophet.

It was because Shimshon was on such a level that he had the strength to single-handedly battle the YNA Newsletter Parshat Naso-Shavuot 6 of 9

Plishtim. Other judges were in need of assistance - Barak required the aid of ten thousand men (see Shoftim 4:10), Gideon three hundred (see Shoftim 7:7), etc. Shimshon, however was able to fight the Plishtim on his own - "in the merit of the only child, who thrashed the oppressors, sanctified from the womb as a Nazir ... may You save now and bring salvation now, for You are our Father" (Hoshanot for Hoshana Rabba). Using the jawbone of a donkey Shimshon was able to smite one thousand people (see Shoftim 15:15), and at a later stage he was able to kill thousands of Plishtim by causing the building to collapse upon them. Not only did the people of Israel not come to his aid, but they handed him over to the Plishtim (see Shoftim 15:9-13)! Shimshon may have agreed to be imprisoned by the Plishtim, but the fact remains that his own people were the ones who betrayed him.

Where did Shimshon acquire such strength? From the holiness of his Nezirut. Obviously Hashem can choose to give this power to those who are not Nezirim as well, yet Hashem chose the Nezirut as the source of Shimshon's strength. Hashem sent an angel to Shimshon's mother warning her not to partake of wine and certain other foods, in order that she give birth to a son who "will begin to save Israel from the hand of the Plishtim" (Shoftim 13:5). The fact that the moment he allowed the Plishtim to cut his hair he lost his strength, is indication of the incredible strength associated with Nezirut.

Immediately following his haircut, the prophet tells us: "the hair of his head began to sprout after he had shaven" (Shoftim 16:22). Do we not know that after a person shaves his hair it begins to grow back? The prophet seems to be saying that it was the regrowth of his hair that provided him with the strength needed to knock the house down. It was because he once again kept to the dictates of his Nezirut (even though it was once violated against his when Delilah cut his hair without his knowledge), that he had the strength to once again defeat the Plishtim.

Chazal tell us regarding Shimshon: "Shimshon judged ('Dan') Israel like their Father in Heaven, as it is stated: 'Dan will judge his people, like one' (Bereishit 49:16)" (Sotah 10a). Rashi tells us that "like one" refers to "like the Unique One in the world, with a righteous judgment". Although the Gemara lists Shimshon among the insignificant leaders of the world (see Rosh Hashana 25b), that is only when comparing him to Moshe, Aharon, and Shmuel. In his own right, however, he was one of the greatest leaders of all time. Can we refer to one "who judged the people of Israel like their father in heaven" as insignificant?

There is an opinion in the Gemara that Shmuel himself was a Nazir (see Nazir 66a), and in fact this is the ruling of the Rambam (Hilchot Nezirut 3:16 - there is a practical halachic application regarding whether or not Shmuel was a Nazir, for according to the Rambam one who declares: "I will become like Shmuel the Rammati", has taken upon himself to become a Nazir Olam). Shmuel himself was never commanded to become a Nazir, it was his mother Chana who prayed to Hashem and said: "if You take note of the suffering of Your maidservant, and You remember me, and do not forget Your maidservant and give Your maidservant male offspring, then I shall give him to Hashem all the days of his life, and a razor shall not come upon his head" (Shmuel I 1:11, see commentaries of Rada"k and Metzudot).

Why did Chana take upon herself the vow that her son would become a Nazir? Chana came to Shilo on the day that Eli HaKohen was appointed as judge (see Rashi Shmuel I 1:9). This appointment came on the heels of Shimshon's having fallen to the hands of the Plishtim, or perhaps after his death. Although Shimshon had begun to save the Jewish people from the Plishtim, he was unable to complete his task. Chana took upon herself the vow that her son would become a Nazir in order that he continues the work that Shimshon had begun. This is exactly what took place - Shmuel pursued and successfully smote the Plishtim and from that point on our relationship with the Plishtim was a quiet one. The same high level of Kedusha that began with Shimshon continued with Shmuel (though as we have just quoted in the name of the Rambam, Shmuel was a Nazir Olam and not a Nazir Shimshon). YNA Newsletter Parshat Naso-Shavuot 7 of 9

It all depends on a person's motivation for becoming a nazir. The Gemara relates the story of a nazir who was getting ready to cut his hair. Shimon Hatzaddik asked him, you have such beautiful hair why would you wish to cut it? The nazir answered that he became a nazir in order to rise in holiness, he fears he is taking too much pride in his hair. Shimon Hatzaddik proceeded to kiss him and praised him as a great man.

One who takes upon himself the nezirut in order to come closer to Hashem is a holy person. Not every nazir was a tzaddik who saved the Jewish nation. Avshalom too was a Nazir (see Nazir 4b) and he was responsible for the tragic Civil War in which tens of thousands of Jewish people were killed, and he himself sinned as well. He rebelled against his father and met his end by being hanged by his hair. The Nezirut only gives one the potential for great spiritual elevation. Prophets too have free choice and may sin: "Chananya ben Azor was a true prophet and reverted to being a false prophet" (Sifri to Parshat Re-eh Siman 84). Although a prophet also has free choice whether or not to sin, this does not detract from the fact that prophecy is a very high level. The same may be said of Nezirut - although we have seen that even a Nazir can sin, this does not contradict the fact that Nezirut is a spiritual level not far removed from prophecy.

In conclusion we see that a nazir is deemed holy or a nazir depending on the motivation behind his nezirut. Similarly, in the haftarah for the morning of Yom Kippur we find the Jewish nation asking Hashem: "Why did we fast and You did not see, why did we afflict our souls and You did not know?" (Yeshayahu 58:3). Hashem answers them: 'Behold on your fast day you seek out personal gain and you extort all your debts, because you fast for grievance and strife to strike each other with a wicked fist, you do not fast as befits this day, to make your voice heard above. Can such be the fast I choose, a day when man merely afflicts himself? Can it be merely bowing one's head like a bulrush and spreading a mattress of sackcloth and ashes? Do you call this a fast and a day of favor to Hashem?"

Hashem's response states that a fast on its own is of no value, it must be accompanied by observance of mitzvoth. In the psukim we just cited, the focus is on bein adam lachavero, at the conclusion of the haftarah we read: 'if you restrain your foot because it is the Shabbat, refrain from accomplishing your own needs on My holy day, if you proclaim the Shabbat a delight and the holy day of Hashem honored, and you hnnor it by not engaging in your own affairs, from seeking your own needs or discussing the forbidden. This means that they must be meticulous in bein adam laMakom such as proper observance of Shabbat as well. Hashem will only accept a fast accompanied by proper behavior.

In the haftarah for pubic fast days we find something similar: 'Thus said Hashem, observe justice and perform righteousness, for My salvation is soon to come and my righteous to be revealed, praiseworthy is the man who does this and the person who grasps it tightly who guards the Shabbat against desecrating it and guards his hand against doing any evil (Yeshayahu 56:1). One must act in a righteous manner such as keeping Shabbat, a fast has no meaning without it.

Fasting is certainly not sinful after all Mordechai and Esther instructed the Jewish people in Shushan to fast for three days as a means of repentance and being able to defeat the evil Haman. It certainly is a mitzvah however only when we are good to one another and when we observe Shabbat and other mitzvoth. Otherwise Hashem will not accept the fast.

A person blessed with a beautiful voice who wishes to use it to be a chazzan to sing beautiful praises to Hashem is certainly praiseworthy, but if it brings him pride and he displays his great voice for all to hear, this is not the praise Hashem wants. Hashem is not interested in the voice as much as in the heart.

Everything we do should be lishma, however if not lishman there is some gain from that as well. YNA Newsletter Parshat Naso-Shavuot 8 of 9

Regarding Talmud Torah it should also rather be lishma, but it is better to be a talmid chacham shelo lishma than an am haaretz lishma. Thus even if the lishma is intermingled with some shelo lishma such as a desire for honor, it is still far better than nothing.

The bottom line is Rachamana liba bai - Hashem desires what is in the heart - He does not need our lips or our money, He wants our heart if the heart is good then our fasts will be accepted.

When Yonah told the people of Ninvei that their city was going to be destroyed, they took upon themselves to fast, however they also refused to give the cows to eat and said to Yonah, you don't care about us then we will not care about the cows. This is not the Jewish way, on the contrary I read a story about a Jew who when taken away to Auschwitz told his non-Jewish neighbor, please do not forget to feed the cows.

One who has compassion comes closer to Hashem. There is the well-known Mishnah that Hashem wished to give merit to the Jewish nation he therefore wished to gave them Torah and mitzvoth. There are many ways to understand this Mishnah, the Rambam understands it as follows: one who does a mitzvah lishman goes to olam haba, given that it is very difficult to do a mitzvah lishma Hashem gave us many mitzvoth in order that there is a greater chance that at least one will be lishma.

The pasuk says ki gadol ad shamayim chasdecha - until the heavens, while another pasuk says - me-al shamayim - above the heavens. What is the difference, the Gemrar says that one is speaking about doing mitzvoth lishmna - that is above the heavens, and one about shelo lishma which is only until the heavens. This can be compared to two people who take a boat to America, they both show their papers to the person at the border, one's papers are in order so he is allowed entry while one's are not in order so he reached only until America but was not allowed in. , this is the difference between 'until the heavens'and 'above the heavens' which means going inside. Thus the msihnah is teaching us that Hashem wished to give us extra torah and mitzvoth in order to give us the opportunity to do at least one lishma to merit olam haba, above the heavens.

The Gemara relates the story of Rav Chananiah ben Tradion who went to visit Rav Yose bar Kisma, while there he asked him whether he would have a share in the Next World. Rav Yossi ben Kisma asked what mitzvah he did, to which Rav Chananiah ben Tradion related how he once gave money set aside for a Purim seudah to a poor person. Rav Yossi ben Kisman said you now merit a high portion in olam haba. The question is why Rav Yose bar Kisma need to ask what mitzvah he did, after all, he gave his life to learn Torah was even burned at the stake by the Romans for it, he was one of the ten martyrs, why should he have to show that he did some special mitzvah?

The answer is that learning torah can possibly be intertwined with shelo lishma, while giving to the poor is something pure. This is an example of Hashem wished to merit us - learning Torah may have had some aspect of rebelling against the Romans and not purely for the sake of learning Torah - it may not have all been lishma. When it is not lishma then it does not merit him a place in the Next World. However, this act of giving is purely lishma and will merit him life in the Next World. Hashem wished to provide merit for the Jewish nation and therefore gave them many Torah and mitzvoth.

Tehillim List

The following members of our extended YNA family need our tefilot: Yechiel Zalman ben Chana Nomi Esther bat Tzipporah David Yehuda ben Necha Daniel ben Tziporah Alta Miriam Bracha bat Sara Devorah bat Sarah Leah YNA Newsletter Parshat Naso-Shavuot 9 of 9

Yaacov ben Baila Nechama Mindle bat Liba Chana Bat Rachel Chaim ben Miriam Kayla Rus bat Chaya Rochel Yisrael ben Chaya Gittel Shalom ben Shoshana Chanah Alter Yosef ben Chaya Sarah Uri ben Rina Haziine bat Sarah Ilana Raizel Bat Simone Yaakov Kopel Ben Rivka Mordechai Noach Nissin ben Bracha Rochel Shai ben Meital Yaakov Kopel Ben Rivka Ilana Raizel Bat Simone Daniel ben Tziporah Chana Tova bat Esther Shoshana

And of course we are always davening for the release of Jonathan Pollard (Yehonatan ben Malka Pollard)

Submit Names to the tehillim list.

Send Us Your Announcements Please, if you have any smachot or chas v'shalom, less happy occasions, let our office know so we can keep everybody updated.

Are you visiting Israel?- Let us know! We'd love to host you for a Shabbat meal, davening, a shiur and would love for you to stop by.

Shabbat Shalom, Rav Bina, Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh