JMUANYE 85, , 22002200 || ENMAOSRO Congregation Beth Sholom TORAH W EEKLY Learning Initiative ז"ל A Project of the Linda Mitgang To sponsor, please click here Seeking Trust in the World ZMANIM Candle-lighting 8:04 pm BY RABBI KENNETH HAIN Mincha 7:00 pm/ 8:12 pm [email protected] Kriat Shema by 9:09 am Mincha 8:15 pm Dedicated with reverence and gratitude to the Shabbos Ends 9:14 pm Weekday Mincha/Maariv 8:15 pm ז''ל memory of Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm IN THIS ISSUE Living through this frightening period of Covid-19 1 Seeking Trust in the World, has undoubtedly shaken us all to the core. R. Hain Whether we have been stricken by the virus or 5 Remembering R. Lamm Z'L not, we are all reeling from a sense of loss and 6 The Window, Yael Saffra ongoing fear. 8 Unprecedented, R. Fogel 13 From the Desk of the Yoetzet, In an essay by John Roth, a professor at University Lisa Septimus 15 How Can the Same Be of Haifa in Holocaust studies, written over a half Different?, R. Wein century ago, he captures a state of mind that 18 Halacha Al HaDaf, struck me as timely. He wrote “the expectation of Chayim Maza help, indeed the certainty of help, is one of the 20 Wooden Beams, Iron Pipes, and fundamental experiences of human beings. This Week in America, R. Miller M A Y M1M5AA,MJMY UY2A A 1N0UY1Y52E 5G ,01 1, U5 ,2,|, 2S 02 2 0T2B002 02E202 0H0 |0 |2 A | | B0|R B AE E-|ANBMM MAEIIOOSICSDRDSROHBU B U|A||EA KR R PNO P|AOTAP GAPG.A EAIE4G| G 2E3 3E P2 2A G E 3 Losing the element of trust in the world – Upcoming Shiurim that others will respect my physical and metaphysical being – means a decent society has lost its fundamental essence.” In recent days our sense of “losing trust in the world” has been compounded by events surrounding the death, and now determined murder, of George Floyd by Detroit Police officers. Ensuing protests, chaos and violence have swept throughout the country, particularly in major cities. Unfortunately, despite the fact that the majority of Daf Yomi protestors are non-violent, many have 7:30am with R. Weberman committed criminal acts of violence and 8:30 am with Chayim Maza theft. Once again we sense that many are dismayed and feel we are “losing trust in the Tuesday world.” As Jews, our deeply held values of Talmud Shiur with R. Hain justice, as well as our commitment to “not stand by the blood of your fellow man,” Thursday compel us to confront the imbalances in our 9:15 pm, R. Weberman, Parsha society and safeguard the rights and dignity Shiur of all, regardless of race or religion (see OU statement). During this time of swirling unrest and TO PAY FUTURE SHUL uncertainty, I and so many in the Jewish CONTRIBUTIONS NOW, world were sadly confronted by the passing a rabbinic ,ע''ה ,PLEASE CLICK HERE of Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm giant of our time and former President of TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE Yeshiva University His extraordinary intellect, RABBI'S CHARITY FUND, his creative use of words – both written and PLEASE CLICK HERE spoken – and his courageous defense of the philosophy of YU, secured his place as the preeminent Modern Orthodox Rabbi of his time. Nancy and I had the good fortune of knowing Rabbi Lamm and his recently deceased M A Y 1M5A,JMY U2 AN10Y52E ,0 8 5 ,2|, 0 2 2B2000E22 H0|0 A |B|R AE-NBMAEIOCSDROHB U|A|K R POP |ATA GAGPEIAE| G3 2 EP A3 G E 2 We both learned .ע''ה ,rebbitzen Mindy from them and I had the privilege of working with him at Yeshiva. But my regard for Rabbi Lamm was also based on something intangible but critically significant. When I completed semicha at YU in 1972, I accepted an offer to be the rabbi of United Orthodox Synagogue in Houston Texas. As you can imagine, despite its name it wasn’t very united and certainly wasn’t it is a ב''ה ,very Orthodox. Today burgeoning shul under the wonderful leadership of Rabbi Barry Gelman – a former rabbinic intern with us in Beth Sholom. Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm Z'L After assuming the position, I quickly Rabbi Lamm’s visit to Houston was a tour realized that the rising success of de force of a true leader and thinker. His Orthodoxy had not yet reached deeply in public drashot and lectures allowed my the heart of Texas. Based on our numbers congregants to encounter a rabbi who was and level of enthusiasm, the perception personally sensitive, intellectually daring was that Orthodoxy was in decline and, in and religiously confident. He opened the the eyes of many, not the way of the eyes of many that in fact Orthodox future. (This was supported by among Judaism in our time would not only survive others, a widely read Look Magazine 1964 but thrive. cover story entitled “The Vanishing American Jew”). Thinking back on that pivotal visit, I recall a drasha included in Rabbi Lamm’s well It was then that I placed a phone call to known book of essays “The Royal Reach” Rabbi Lamm. I knew he could relate to my entitled, “The Quest for the Supernatural,“ challenge as he had served 20 years it is essentially an argument for Orthodox earlier in Springfield MA. and he optimism. He cities a comment from the generously offered to come to Houston “Seer of Lublin," Rav Yaakov Yitzchak and present multiple talks and lectures. Halevi Horowitz, who offers a classic His visit shortly thereafter had a powerful Chasidic interpretation of a word in Birkat impact on many, including me, and Cohanim from this week’s parsha Naso ultimately on the community. (Bamidbar 6:22-27). M A Y 1M5A,JMY U2 AN10Y52E ,0 8 5 ,2|, 0 2 2B2000E22 H0|0 A |B|R AE-NBMAEIOCSDROHB U|A|K R POP |ATA GAGPEIAE| G4 2 EP A3 G E 2 "The blessing begins with the words: “May The blessing of God’s presence, our the Lord bless you and keep you.” The last awareness of it, has been denied to clause is, in Hebrew, one word: Western man for many, many decades and ve’yishmerekha, from the word shamor, even centuries. But underneath this hard which means “to guard” or “to keep.” But shell of religious indifference and spiritual the Hasidic sage suggests that it is related insensitivity, there has always frothed the not to this word, but to the word fine ferment of faith, of emunah. shemarim, which means – “yeast.” The blessing lies in this, that the life of Torah The time must come – let us hope it is and mitzvot Is like yeast introduced into sooner than later - that this irrepressible our soul, which causes it to ferment faith, this unquenchable quest for the slowly, quietly, imperceptibly, but always Supernatural, will emerge from the developing, growing, rising, maturing, and mysterious recesses of man’s spiritual elevating. Almost unnoticed, as we add unconscious into full awareness, and insight to insight, mitzvah to mitzvah, begin to transform all of society." good deed to good deed, kindness to kindness, our very interiority begins to Rabbi Lamm’s message of optimism and expand, our yearning increases, and the hope should resonate with us especially curtain between the natural and the today. Orthodoxy has indeed grown and supernatural parts ever so slightly, “risen” to great heights. But during these affording us illuminating insight into the difficult days – trying to regain our realms beyond and within, giving us an bearings beyond this frightening awareness of the transcendent of the pandemic, as well as the serious Supernatural, and increasing our love for challenges of racism, anti-Semitism and God Himself. economic turmoil - should compel us to M A Y 1M5A,JMY U2 AN10Y52E ,0 8 5 ,2|, 0 2 2B2000E22 H0|0 A |B|R AE-NBMAEIOCSDROHB U|A|K R POP |ATA GAGPEIAE| G5 2 EP A3 G E 2 strive to be hopeful and optimistic. No 1976- 2013, succeeding Rabbi Dr. Samuel doubt it will take much time and effort for Belkin. our society to find some sense of equilibrium as we strive to regain “our Aside from his mentorship of generations trust in the world.” of rabbis, he is credited with saving Yeshiva from bankruptcy and for This message of a hopeful vision offered strengthening the academic standing of by Rabbi Lamm can serve us well during the University. He is also credited with these turbulent days. Let us take to heart facilitating the relationship between the closing words of his drasha: Artscroll/Mesorah Publications and the Schottenstein family, which ultimately led "Above all, with the renewed and to the publication of the Artscroll Shas, uninhibited quest of the Supernatural, we transforming the world of Jewish learning. will be heir to the greatest blessing of all: that of social harmony which results from Before his appointment as President, R. individual men and women who have been Lamm served as the rabbi of the Jewish restored to spiritual health – “and give Center in Manhattan from 1959 to 1976 thee peace." and was a professor of Jewish Philosophy at YU. Rabbi Lamm helped found Tradition, an academic journal of Modern Remembering Rabbi Orthodox thought, as well as the Torah U- Madda Journal. His book Torah Umada is Dr. Norman Lamm Z’l viewed as an intellectual mission BY RABBI AVI MILLER statement for Modern Orthodoxy, one that [email protected] outlines the synthesis of Torah and secular study.