Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh Newsletter Parshat Tzav 1 of 11 In This Issue Parshat Tzav Shabbat Zachor Life Events Mar 13, 2014 Let Me T ell You A Story-The Story of Harav Ben Zion Freiman zt"l Part VII "Anything Is Fine" Thoughts On Purim by HaRav Yaakov Katz HaRav Nebenzahl on Parshat Tzav "Eraticating Dedications The Amelek Within Us" Staff Dvar Torah by Rav Eytan Coren "The Power Rav Shiloni's shiur on 11 Adar II were dedicated by Ilan of Giving on Purim" (5763-64) and Devorah Weinstein in honor of their son Aryeh's Afterthoughts: Know Your 6th birthday. Haftorah T ehillim List Rav Bina's Thursday night Ohr Hachaim Shiur and Thursday Night Snack on 12 Adar II were dedicated in memory of Rav Links Bina's mother Rachel Esther bat HaRav Yaakov a"h. yna.edu YNA Kollel.com A letter to our students from Eliezer Sheffer: Ask Rav Nebenzahl Thank you for your generosity and assistance and for the participation of the students of Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh in the candlelighting ceremony Suggestion Box in memory of Israel's fallen soldiers whose gravesite is unknown. Alumni Update Form Contact Us With Gratitude and Brachot Eliezer Sheffer RavBeinishGinsburg.com Union of Synagogues in Israel Join Our List Shabbat Davening Times at the Yeshiva "IN" Shabbat Friday Night Candlelighting 5:11 PM ~~~~ Mincha in the 5:30 PM Beit Midrash Kabbalat Shabbat on the porch overlooking the Kotel The annual alumni shabbaton in Woodmere will be March 28-29, the 27th of Adar II, Parshat Tazria Shabbat HaChodesh. Shabbat Day Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh Newsletter Parshat Tzav 2 of 11 Vatikin at the home of Rav 5:15 AM This year the Shabbaton's theme will be: Bina Second "Using Technology - Without Losing Yourself" 8:30 AM Shacharit Mincha in There will be a panel discussion on safeguarding one's self in 5:00 PM Porat Yosef school, in the workplace, and at home. There will also be words of advice and chizuk on how to get out of techno-addiction. PURIM SCHEDULE HaRav Bina, Rabbi Dr. Johnny Krug, Rav Yoel Rackovsky, Rav Amos Luban, Rav Chaim Eisenstein, Rav Ben Leybovich and Rav Chanan Motzei All-night Bina are looking forward to see you. Shabbat learning Sunday 5:35 AM PLEASE DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE TO REGISTER. Shachrit Mincha 5:20 PM Shushan Purim Maariv 6:10 followed by Megilla PM Messibat Purim 9:00 PM with the Lehava Band Shacharit & 8:30 AM Megilla Visiting 11:15 Hospitals AM If you are coming to the party Sunday night - please note that the Yeshiva is an SIGN UP HERE alcohol-free environment. ~~~~ Rabbi Dani Bader is in the New York area this week. He can be reached at 347-879-3628 or at [email protected]. Life Events Visitors The following people visited/learned in the Yeshiva: Jonny Del Monte (5768-69) Mazal Tov Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh would like to wish a mazal tov to: Adam Rosenfeld (5768-69) on his engagement. Baruch Dayan Emet Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh regrets to inform you of the loss of: Stewart Sheinfeld, the father of Yudy (5754) and Yaakov (5760-61) Sheinfeld. Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh Newsletter Parshat Tzav 3 of 11 Let Me Tell You A Story The story of Harav Ben Zion Freiman zt"l Part VII Anything is Fine Rav Freiman had this uncanny ability to be able to feel comfortable wherever he went. The idea of 'wherever' has a few meanings. He often was in four or five different places on the same day and he felt at home everywhere, not only the physical home. He would sit next to a student learning Sukkah and a half hour later sit next to a student learning Baba Batra and then next to someone learning Kodshim. 'What are you learning, oh Zevachim 54a, fine let's learn'. He immediately shows the student what is difficulty, what Tosafot says and which of the Achronim discuss this issue, as if he were 'holding in the sugya'. Within a half a minute he was able to place himself anywhere in Shas. Thus 'wherever he was' meant he was able to adapt immediately to every situation. They need him in the Golan - that is where he goes, he is needed in Maale Adumim - he will go there. He needs to go to someone's house then he will find his way there. He was able to adapt to any situation spiritual and physical - whatever there was for breakfast he ate, whether it was food fit for a king or simply bread and salt. He was not young, not a soldier who goes to sleep wherever they tell him to. He was an older man with no demands whatsoever. This was how we knew him - with incredible simplicity and the ability to bond with anyone and anything. We do not see this so often with someone of his stature, often people on a high spiritual level are in need of a certain environment in order to properly concentrate he had no needs - wherever he was that was his home. Thoughts On Purim by HaRav Yaakov Katz THOUGHTS ON PURIM Megillat Esther describes Haman's convincing Achasverosh to destroy the entire Jewish nation, young and old, all on one day - the thirteenth day of Adar. This decree included the entire kingdom of Achashverosh which Chazal teach us was very vast. We then read that Mordechai walked the streets with ash and sackcloth and sits by the entrance to the king's palace. Esther's maidservants spotted this and reports to Esther. Esther and Mordehcai send messages back and forth, finally Mordechai asks Hatach to tell Esther that she must go to the king and pray on behalf of the Jewish people. Esther responds that whoever enters the king's palace without being called, if the king does not extend his gold serpent, will be killed. Her chances of coming out of there alive are slim - this is a life and death situation. Mordechai responds that she must sacrifice herself for this - 'do not imagine in your soul that you will be able to escape in the king's palace any more than the rest of the Jewish. For if you persist in keeping silent at a time like this, relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another place, while you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether it was just for such a time as this that you attained the royal position.' (Esther 4:13-14). Mordechai understood that Hashem would not permit the entire nation to be destroyed, but a large part of it perhaps yes. Why does Mordechai emphasize to Esther that she and her father's house would perish? Because Hashem made her queen in order to help klal Yisrael - 'it was just for such a time as this that you attained the royal position.' Esther responds: 'go, assemble all the Jews that are to be found in Shushan, and fast for me; do not Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh Newsletter Parshat Tzav 4 of 11 eat or drink for three days, night or day, and I, with my maids will fast also. Thus I will come to the king though it is unlawful, and if I perish, I perish' (ibid. 15-16). Three days of fasting is not easy, and for her and the maids to fast as well and on top of that 'thus I will come to the king', shows something about Esther. She will not eat first or freshen herself up before appearing to the king, a person does not look his best after three days of fasting, however as Ibn Ezra says this emphasizes Esther's great faith in Hashem. Mordechai does not promise she will come out alive, but this is what she must do. We then read: vayaavor Mordechai and he did exactly as Esther had commanded him' (ibid. 17). Mordechai agreed to the fast, but what is the meaning of 'vayaavor Mordechai'. Chazal, in the midrash, tell us that one of the three days of fasting was the first day of Pesach, for the Megillah says that the letters were sent out on the 13th of Nisan. Fasting for three days would mean no Seder for that year. What is so urgent - the decree to destroy the Jewish people was to take place eleven months later (if that year was a leap year as some say, then twelve months later) - can't this fast at least wait until after Pesach. Rashi explains that vayavor means - vayavor al hadat, he violated the dictates of his religion by fasting on Pesach. The Targum translates this to mean that he gathered the people and violated the joy of Pesach by declaring a fast day as Esther had commanded him. The midrash states that Esther asked him why he cannot wait, and that he responded: 'you are right'. What is going on here, what does the midrash mean? Why indeed was Mordechai willing to violate the Yom Tov of Pesach, what was so urgent? If he did not think he should wait until the end of Pesach, let the fast at least start on Chol Hamoed after the Seder. They still had to burn their chametz, bake their matzahs if they had not already done so - there was work to be done for the Yom Tov yet they had to be in a state of fasting. Another question - the Gemara states that a person should become intoxicated on Purim until he cannot distinguish between arur Haman and baruch Mordechai.