Torah Educational Software, Inc. 750 Chestnut Ridge Rd. Spring Valley, N.Y. 10977 Phone: 914-356-1485 Fax: 914-356-1343 Israel Israel Israel Windows Windows Windows Screen Saver Screen Saver Screen Saver $20 VALUE $20 VALUE $20 VALUE - - ________ .__ --- -------- - - -- - -- - -- -- ----------------__------ & __ _ --- ---- ------- , -- --------------·-·-- - - -_--:.., -_-_ -. -_ -_ -_ -_ -_ -_::_- -~-----·------ ~-----------~-------------- - -------- -,. - -------- - -- -----·- .....-.... Everything you need to study TANACH! World's Largest Judaic Library ArtScrol\'s Stone Chumash! Includes Hypertext UnearTranslation ... Accurate texts essential for all scholars & Over 200 English Anthologized Concordance Maps Search even Prints! students Search & Print Finest search engine Commentators includes Rashi & Onkelos. Hypertex Rashi Option $39 IBM CD-ROM Library"A" $200 Maps Charts Bibliographies and much more IBM Mac $239 IBM Mac $139 FREE... Israel Israel Israel Windows Windows Windows !!!!!!!"!'!!!;!':?I Screen Saver Screen Saver Screen Saver $20 VALUE $20 VALUE $20 VALUE JS~- -- J!i5~- - - - - ~~ - - --- --- ---=--- -- _________ .. - -------•-&--- -----------__ _-- ------------------- --- ------·-------- -------------- --------------- -------------- -- ------------------- - ------ .. - - ----- ·- - -------------- - ------ - A must for anyone learning to read Hebrew Break the Hebrew Word Barrier! SAVE HUNDREDS OF HOURS of tedious typing ... letters and words. Teaches Letters Builds confidence. •. Listen to the Works with Oagesh & Word.=· A Typist's Dream! Pronunciation and Vocabulary! FUN & Musical correct Hebrew Pronunciation. Play against Belongs in every office and schooll IBM Mac CD-ROM $79 the computer as you build your vocabulary. IBM $89 IBM $69 Call Toll Free 9-5 EST Mon - Thurs 30 day money baclc guarantee PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT Commercial Quality • INSTITUTIONAL & RESIDENTIAL • SALES • INSTALLATION • SERVICE Design and Layout •WOOD • STEEL • PLASTIC • SWINGS • SLIDES • SCHOOL & CAMP EQUIPMENT • PICNIC TABLES • BASKETBALL SYSTEMS • RUBBER FLOORING • ETC. PLAY STRUCTURES DESIGNED AND INSTALLED ATERET TORAH CENTER WOMEN'S LEAGUE COMMUNITY HOME BETH JACOB OF BORO PARK BAIS ESTHER KLAUSENBERG BNOS BAIS YAAKOV OF FAR ROCKAWAY P.S. 51, QUEENS YESHIVA V'YOEL MOSHE D'SATMAR P.S. 4, N.Y.C. CAMP HATIKVAH, PUTNAM VALLEY BOULEVARD GARDENS UTA HEADSTART SOLOMON SCHECHTER SCHOOL BNOS WIZNllZ TORAH V'YIRAH BAIS BINYOMIN EARLY CHILDHOOD HOMELESS SITE #14 MISHKON FACILITY BETH RIVKA SCHOOL OHOLEI TORAH INSTITUTIONS ADATH YEREIM SCHOOL YESHIVA DARCHEI TORAH YESHIVA CHAIM BERLIN WE DELIVER TO THE CATSKILLS! better 5302 New Utrecht Avenue - Brooklyn, NY 11219 health Phone: 718-436-4801 The Chofetz Chaim Heritaqe Foundation is thrilled to announce the publkalion of ''HE HRNT LIFE!'' The new children's millos boOk - a pictorial quide to the laMs of loshon hora acconlinq to the Chofetz Chaim. Every boy and girl (and adults too!) will love "WE WANT LIFE!" written by Yisroel Greenwald, Illustrated by Getzel. Published by Feldheim Its impact will be felt from day one, and every day thereafter. Because loshon hora is preventable - especially if it's stopped before it starts. ORDIR BY PHONE: :•' 1-800-867-2482 IZ: (718) 871-6700 Ordering direclly from us helps support our Hordbound cover, lorge format BY,"~ lr, 232 p~ villll educotioool progromif ------------------------------------------------------PKl< UP YOUR OWll COPY Of "HE Hllllf llFErAT lHE IOU.OWING LOCATIONS: Iyar 5756 •May 1996 U.S.A.$3.50/Foreign $4.50 •VOL XXIX/No. 4 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. Second class postage paid in New York, N.Y. Subscliption $24.00 per year; two years, $44.00; three years, $60.00. Outside of the Untted 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 6 to: The Jewish Observer, 84 Wdliarn Stroot, The Jewish Family-In Its Glory and in Crisis N.Y., N.Y. 10038. Tel: 212-797-9000, Fax: Robbi Avrohom Pam N"V'':>\il, prepared for publication by Robbi Tzvi Baruch Hollander 212-269-2843. Printed in the U.S.A. 11 RABBI NISSON WOLPIN, EDITOR An Ounce of Prevention (For Potential Teenage Dropouts) Robbi Yokov Horowitz EDITORIAL BOARD DR. ERNST L. BODENHEIMER Chairman 14 RABBI JOSEPH ELIAS Rolling the Waves With Avi, Anonymous JOSEPH FRIEDENSON RABBI NOSSON SCHERMAN 19 He Lived To Give-Sheldon K. Beren n"ll, Robbi Hillel Goldberg MANAGEMENT BOARD AVIFISHOF NAFTOLI HIRSCH 2 9 SECOND LOOKS AT THE JEWISH SCENE ISAAC KIRZNER RABBI SHLOMO LESIN "We are Not Longer One", Levi Reisman NACHUM STEIN Posr-PESACH MUSINGS RABBI YOSEF C. GOLDING BWJlness Manager 3 2 Pesach 5756:The Fifth Son Comes Home, Hovivo R. Gershbein Published by Agudath Israel of America 3 3 A Chol Hamoed Outing, Menochem Koimen RABBI MOSHE SHERER PRESIDENT 34 What Counts During Sefira?, Eliyohu Mayer U.S. TRADE DISTRIBUTOR ISRAEU DISTRIBUTOR Feldheim Publishers Nechemla Rosenberg 3 6 "... " {WITH AND WITHOUT COMMENT) 200 Airport Executive Park 1(1ryat Telstie Stone, 108A Spring Valley, N.Y. 10977 D_N, Harei Yehuda, ISRAEL The Eloquence of Selfless Dedication EUROPEAN REPRESENTATIVE AUSTRALIAN DISmlBUTOR 36 M.T. Blbelman Gold's Booll & Gift Co. Grosvenor Works 36 William Street Some Sweeping Changes, a poem by Barbaro Druss Goetz Mount Pleasant Hill Balaclava 3183, v·1c,, London ES 9NE, ENGLAND AUSTRALIA 3 7 POSTSCRIPT Bas Melech-A Great Lady, Past and Present, Naomi E. Grunfeld THE JEWISH OBSERVER does not assume responsibility for the Kashrus 3 8 BOOKS IN REVIEW of any product, publication, or service advertised in its pages WoRLDMASK, reviewed by Robbi Lobish Becker © Copyright 1996 BOOKS FORYOUTHS:TOWARDSA HAPPIERYou,THEVERY BEST Me, THE House ON KYVERDALE RoAD, THE POMEGRANATE PENDANT, reviewed by Lisa Herman MAY 1996 We WANT LIFE!, reviewed by Robbi Shimon Finkelman VOLUME XXIX/NO. 4 40 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR In Its Glory and in Crisis Based on a presentation by Rabbi Avraham Pam N"V''nl, Rosh Hayeshiva of Mesivta Torah Vodaath, and member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah (Council of Torah Sages) of Agudath Israel of America. Prepared for publication by Rabbi Tzvi Baruch Hollander. I. THE RISE OF GLORIOUS FAMILIES and according to the laws of nature, they And why were they made to suffer so? could not possibly have built families of "Because the Almighty loves the prayers their own. It was only through Divine of the righteous"! Why Our Forefathers Suffered intervention that they had children. Why If we could but fathom the power of was this so? "the prayers of the righteous;' we would uch attention is being focused The Gemora deals with this question. perhaps approach an understanding of on the Jewish family as a vital Rav Yitzchak says, "Our forefathers the profundity of Rav Yitzchak's teach­ M force in insuring our people's were barren because the Almighty ings. "The prayers of the righteous" are continued existence. To fully appreciate desires the prayers of the righteous" not like our ordinary prayers. Rather, the strength of the Jewish family, one ( Yevamos 64a). they flow from a disengagement from should begin with the founding Patri­ This is truly difficult to understand. physical existence, a removal of one's archs and Matriarchs of our people. It It would imply that the Almighty had focus from the daily world of Olam is noteworthy that the Avos and Ima­ deliberately caused these righteous indi­ Hazeh, a fostering of intense desire with­ hos-Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov; viduals to endure immense pain and in one's soul for spirituality, and a com­ Sarah, Rivka, Rachel, and Leah-devel­ sorrow-to the point that Rachel plete identification with the Creator.' oped their families in a most unique exclaimed, "If I cannot have children, From this perspective we can gain an fashion. These couples were barren then I am as if dead!" And Sarah was insight into the statement in the Gemo­ ---- .. -- --- willing to suffer the indignity of giving ra that the early Chassidim would Rabbi Pam delivered this address at the most recent national convention of Agudath Israel of America. her maidservant to her husband, Avra­ devote three hours to prayer: one hour Rabbi Hollander is director of Agudath Israel of Cal­ ham, in the hope that in merit of this iSee Rabbi Chaim Volozhiner's explanation of true ifornia. He is a frequent contributor to these pages. act she would have a child of her own. prayer in Nefesh Hachayim, Shaar 2. 6 The Jewish Observer, May 1996 before prayers, an hour in prayer, and the Almighty, it requires an appropriate must be Shalom Bayis, to create the cli­ an hour afterwards (Berachos 28a). We spiritual climate for its growth and mate for this prayer to come to fruition. can understand why these righteous development. And the proper climate for individuals would need an hour for such a holy soul to grow to be zera II. WHEN CRISES ARISE preparation-to rid themselves of inap­ kodesh, holy progeny, is a home full of propriate thoughts, and distance them­ holiness and pleasantness, a home that selves from worldly involvements--so as recognizes its responsibility in being the Cause For the Altar to Weep to focus their thoughts on the Almighty fertile ground for the zera kodesh, a alone, in keeping with the maxim: home of Shalom Bayis. 'th gratitude to the Almighty, "Know before Whom you stand"... to A home blessed with Shalom Bayis-­ we have built many wonder­ enter into another world in which one where there is only love and concern W:ful Jewish families in Ameri­ is only aware of the Creator of the Uni­ among husband, wife and the entire ca. And from these blessed families come verse. But why would they also need an family-is a home holy, pure children. hour after their prayer? where the priori­ I Indeed, we have When one has left this mundane ties are in order. homes that exem­ world for higher spiritual realms, it is The central focus home blessed with plify the ideal of G---O's will that we return, and it is no of the household being a "mikdash simple task to do so.