Today, more than 3,000 seriously ill children and their families are assisted through our wide array of programs and services. An internationally renawned health organiza­ We have, indeed, come a long way in the last tion with regional offices throughout twelve years. But we haven't done it the United States, Israel and alone. From the very beginning, Europe, Chai Lifeline today Chai Lifeline has enjoyed maintains a large network the support and encourage­ offree health support ment of compassionate services that provides individuals - people invaluable practical, like you - who share psychological and emo­ our commitment to tional assistance to helping children strick­ more than 3,000 seri­ en with cancer or other ously ill Jewish children life-threatening illnesse! and their families. Our have as normal and outstanding professional happy a childhood as staff has earned the acclaim possible. With their of doctors, hospitals and ongoing assistance, we can health organizations, and the look forward to continued services of our dedicated volunteer growth, enabling us to help more corps are in demand in major medical children and more families in even institutions throughout the world. more comprehensive ways. Fighting Illness With Love. International Office: 151 West 30th Street, New York, NY 10001 NEW OFFICE (212) 465-1300 • (877) CHAI-LIFE • Fax (212) 465-0949 NEW PHONE e-mail:[email protected] • www.chailifeline.org New York Regional Office Midwest, USA Soutbeast, USA New Jersey Michigan London Israel - Kav Lacllaylm 151 West 30th Street 3856 Oakton 16585 NW 2nd Avenue 108 2nd Street 21370 Constitution 19 Ambrose Avenue 248 Kanfei Nesharim New Yori<, NY 10001 Skokie, IL 60076 N.Miami Beach Fl 33169 Lakewood, NJ 08701 Southfield, M! 48076 London, NW11 9AP Giv'at Shaul, Jerusalem 91340 (212) 6990060 (84 7) 763-1818 (305) 956-9990 (732) 886-1070 (248) 355-9551 (81) 731-6788 (02) 651-0335 (888) 2-CHAl-LIFE (888) 763-1819 (888) 355-8153 (800) 882-07 45 ilft ruK IKUIH: THEWAYSOHHE TiiFIOOK OF OUR HERITAGE JHEWAVOl'C.lt Volumes 1·3 TZADDIKIM' R>bbiMoshe abbi Tiiy!hu De!!let Rabbi ll~ahu Kitov Translated [>y Rabbi Chain!llllallo Now as you travel Shraga Siii<tsooin rnl~ revised -eaiiiOn :m !dressing a variety through the day, you i:pirltual concetns, Newl}r' re'.searched ilrid this, daSSk· wofk can also travel annotated, this classic pi'O\lid'es readifrs with Rabbi Dessler has throughout the Jewish written a series-of Work of Jewlsh 'ethics an-essential oVervlew- year with this beauti- . Ofihe,p°-rpose and ~loquent essra to tu!, newly-revised discusses .personal min and growth and character ~fling of man, of 1rich the edition of this dassic ea.rt of ahy 'reader. traits in a systematic; Torah,andofG-d's wwk. easy-to-follow manner. plan· tor, Creation. CHESHBON HANEl'ESH' mE PATH orlllE Jusr JHEGATESOF Rabbi Moshe FAITH ANO TROST' Rabbi Menacbem Mendel REPENTANCf Chaimllllallo of Satanov R>bbi Shnuid ll-01ltiline.r Rabbeinu Yonah of Gerona for centuries, this text Here_iS,_a i:idi';liicf. This ptactkal teXt ihis classic work sys· has _sefVed as ,the clas­ insj:Hring:tol,t~ort_pf helps readers keep sic Jewish ·guidebdok track of spiritual tematically guides read· quotes and aoe-OOote_s. ptogi:ess With a unique ers through the various for ·seJf·improvement Orr t~»topit' Pf.~trust ,111 fa.cets and phases of and self·dMIOJ>'. G-drcunett tto:m: step·by-sre~ ment. .. and it approach to character the process of "teshu· stilt Talfnudic; Mfdrasllit;_ vah" or repentance, OCciipfes that eXdlted and Rabbinic .sources. development. posiHOnl IE CONCISE BOOK JEWISRSYMBOUSM TljEJE\VJSll YEAR OF MITZVOJlf Rabbi S.-R. Hirsch Rabbi Salll!Oa R. Hi001 Chafelz The Chayim This profound ~niina- take ,ati -1~-splrlng This collection of brlef1 tion of the power of exttitsitm around the contemporary classic insigtltfut essays examines ief!y describes all the Jewish ~botrsm sheds J~sh_ )$r:the$Says: The Book ·of Proverbs illuminahng lig!lt on such vos applicable in our arid deliYers potent, mitzvos as m1lah, tiitiis, iri:~;~ Vofumes •1 togethet,with-com· meaningfo! lessons tefillin, and the ~dd fascii1ilting insight tary and explanation. that relate to Jewish life -M\shka1t ;, an,d ·ondetstandirtg.:to "he text afs·o indudes !Oday. ever)'_:Jewlsh month-: ~ mitzvos that pertain fes(wal; •rid last day. to Eretz Yisrocl, :- ~Ki?.!!1.:~.~-P llit Jl()Ok of Dritwing upon the , YEL1 !FZl<FL teachings of Rabbi S. R. Hlrs_ch, ~av _Breuer interprets the words of Yirmeyahu to derive P9tent lessons, applic­ able to our times. Viiwef1zed Hhfel:t w'rlh E~ish , tran>lalioo and «mimeiwy, MAIBIM ON RUTH Tfanda!ed by Rabbi Shmuel Kurtz fhe Malbim's dassic commentaty .to the iok of Ruth provides teaders with unique and briUiant insight into this prophetic work. AHAVATH CHESED The Cha!l!z°"fim In this timely text, the Chafetz Chayim dis· cusses the meaning and laws relating to _acts of loving kindness within the context of human obligations and relationships. SPARKS OF MUSSAR Rabbi Chaim !. 1.aikhel This inspiring An experienced teacher Rabbi Naftoli Hoffner iinthology provides culls inslghtful words Carefully organized raders with a treasury of wisdom from the accordingto subject, of words arid deeds Sages and from rorah this helpful text guides reffecting upon the literature to provide readers through a lives of the Mussar brides-to-be and coorse especially newlyweds with help­ designed to fadHtate '© great« ful, practkal advke. 'character development. L ENT COMMERCIAL QUALITY • INSTITUTIONAL & RESIDENT/AL • Equipment meets or exceeds all ASTM and CPSC safety guidelines • Site planning and design services with state-of-the-art Auto CAD KIRYAS JOEL HOUSING AUTHORITY - Monroe, NY • Stainless steel fabrication for TWIN OAKS VILLAGE - Fallsburg, NY ultimate rust resistance HILL HOUSE - Bronx, NY BETESH RECREATION - Deal, NY YELED WALDA HEADSTART - Kensington, NY BNOS ESTHER PUPA - Monsey, NY better 5302 New Utrecht Avenue• Brooklyn, NY 11219 health Phone: 718-436-480 l Sivan 5759 • May 1999 U.S,A.$3.50/Foreign $4.50 ·VOL XXXII/NO, 5 THE JEWISH OBSERVER (ISSN) 0021-6615 is published monthly except July and August by the Agudath Israel of America, 84 William Street, New York, N.Y. 10038. Periodicals postage paid in New York, N.Y. Subscription $24.00 per year·, two years, $44.00; three years. $60.00. Outside of the United States (US funds drawn on a US bank only) $12.00 surcharge per year. Single copy $3.50; foreign $4.50. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Jewish Obse1Ver, 84 William Street, N.Y, N.Y 10038, Tel: 212-797-9000, Fax: 212-269-2843, Developing Middos: Learned or Experienced? Printed in the U.S.A. Bentzron Sorotzkin RABBI NISSON WOLPIN, EDITOR 12 "Spare the Rod - Please!", EDITORIAL BOARD DR. ERNST L. BODENHEIMER Robbi Mordechoi Finkelman Chairman RABBI ABBA BRUONY 14 The State of the State at Fifty-Plus, RABBI JOSEPH ELIAS Robbr Sh/omo Aschkenazy JOSEPH FRIEDENSON RABBI YISROEL MEIR KIAZNER RABBI NOSSON SCHERMAN 18 An Appreciation of the Mashgiach PROF. AARON TWERSKI RabbiYechezkel Levenstein 7";m*, MANAGEMENT BOARD AVIFISHOF Robbi Chaim Ginsburg and Robbr Yitzchok Kasnett NAFTOLI HIRSCH ISAAC KIRZNER SECOND LOOKS: Postcards From the Edge, RABBI SHLOMO LESIN 28 NACHUM STEIN Eyton Ehrboch RABBI YOSEF C. GOLDING Business Manager Titanic Lessons, Yoakov Astor Published by Agudath Israel of America ll The Poverty of the Rich, US. ·IR·\DE D!S"IR!B\HOH L'iRAEL! D!SlRIBlJlTJR Feh1hcm1 Puhli,hern :-Jcd1cnua Ro,enherg: Pnuel Perr 2(X) Airport Exern1ive Park K1ry;~ Tdslle S1orl<:, l08A S1mn·~ V :tllcy. N.Y I 0977 ON. Hrnu Yduh l')RAf-1. 34 SECOND LOOKS: Book Shopping and Passport Control El iROl'EA1'.' R~J~~ES!:'Nf!illVE Al STIV\LIAN Dl'>IR!BUTOR MT Bihelman Gokf' Hool & Gif1 Co Growenor \Vorh "'6 \V1lliarn Snee! SECOND LOOKS: Mount P\m.,ant Hill 13.'llai.:lava 318}. Vic .. lS Preparing for Rosh Hashana? loli11E"i'J.'.E!Nl.AND 1\lSlW\H\ 316 Letters to the Editor THE JEWISH OBSERVER does not assume responsibility for the Kashrus of any product, publication, or service advertised in its pages ©Copyright 1999 MAY 1999 VOLUME XXXl!/NO. 5 The results of the Israeli election on May 17 signal the possibility of radical changes ahead. The next issue will n""X feature comment on these trends. The graphic -0n page 24 of the Aprll '99 Jewish Observer has _pa Bentzion Sorotzkin Developing Middos: Learned or Experienced? When the Talmudic sage Hillel was asked HOW AREMIDDOSTAUGHT? "Four," he answered. to summarize the Torah in one sentence, he "What is your specific need for disci­ proclaimed: "Di'lach sani, lechavrach lo learly, the importance of middos plining him?" I asked. savid - What is hateful to you, do not do has to be stressed as part of for­ "I need to teach him to say 'please' and to your neighbor; the rest is commentary1 ." Cmal instruction both at home 'thank you;" he explained. This is the minimum level ofchessed (lov­ and at school. The deleterious effect of "Then it is a matter of instilling mid­ ing-kindness): do not harm others. A high­ living in surroundings where "every­ dos, rather than disciplining," I answered. er level is expounded by Rabbi Akiva in his thing goes;' and a culture that fails to 'J\nd in that case, I would ask: Do you say famous statement: '"Ve'ahavta lere'acha uphold even minimal standards of 'please' and 'thank you' to your son?" karnocha - Love your neighbor as your­ moral behavior, can be observed in con­ He was taken aback by this question, but self'; this is the great principle ofthe Torah 2.'' temporary Western society.