1. religion and spirituality
2. judaism

July 31 - Aug. 1 2015
‫שבת פרשת ואתחנן‬
‫בס"ד‬
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"E PLURIBUS UNUM " LATIN FOR "OUT OF MANY, ONE "ACHDUS"
ovid Malin
y Rabbi D
Pirchei b bbi Yossi Fried
:20pm
and Ra
n 3:00 - 4
ernoo
abbos Aft
0 pm
Every Sh
arts at 4:0
ames!
Tehillim st
osh & G
Tehillim
Stories -
N
SHUL SCHEDULE
SHABBOS ZMANIM
Candle lighting
Plag Early Mincha
Youth Minyan
Mincha
Shkiya
Mincha
Shachris Vasikin,
Shachris
Youth Minyan
Shachris
Pirchei
Mincha Followed
Pirkei Avos
Mincha
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Maariv
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WEEKDAY MINYANIM
EARLY MINCHA ON
Friday AFTERNOON
at 1:40pm
7:56pm
6:35pm 20 Forshay
7:00pm 20 Forshay
7:30pm in the tent
8:14pm
8:15pm Ohr Chaims “Bais Chabad
5:15am FOLLOWED BY A DAF YOMI SHIUR
9:15am Followed by Kiddush
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3-4 & 4-5pm BNOS 3:00pm at 22 Forshay Rd
By Daf Yomi 6:00pm
7:15pm
1:45pm - 7:55pm
8:13pm
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SUNDAY
Daf
7:00am & 9:00am
Shachris Vasikin 5:25am
Shacharis 8:00am - 9:00am & 10:00am
Minchah - Maariv 1:40pm - 6:30pm & 8:00pm
Maariv 9:00pm 9:45pm 10:30pm 11:00pm
MON-FRI
Daf
6:00am & 9:00am
Shachris Vasikin 5:25am
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Minchah - Maariv 1:40pm - 6:30pm & 8:00pm
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Girls: ages 6- 8
Shabbos Afternoon
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SPECIAL THANKS TO BRAD & MEILICH FOR DONATING THE PRIZES FOR AVOS U’BANIM
Dear Kehilla,
The past 3 parshiot the haftarah consisted
of warnings on the upcoming destruction of
the Bais Hamikdash. Then came the actual
destruction. Now we enter a period of 7
weeks of consolation. Its called the Shiva Denechamta beginning the
Shabbat after the 9th of Av and ending before Rosh Hashana.
The opening statement starts with the words Nachamu Nachamu Ami.
The double language indicates that there are two opportunities for
Nechama. Option #1 is if we merit it, the redemption will come even
before its time. Option #2 is even if we don't deserve the redemption
it has a date that it will come regardless.
The haftarah continues, "Speak to the heart of Jerusalem and
proclaim to her that her time of exile has been fulfilled, that her
iniquity has been conciliated,for she has received from the hand of
Hashem double for all her sins,"
What does this verse mean-the heart of Jerusalem? Does the stones
of Jerusalem feel pain ? Is it the millions of men, women and children
displaced, starving and dying in foreign lands that need consolation?
Hashem should speak to the heart of the people and not to Jerusalem.
How does Jerusalem pay double for its sins? And if it does, is that
justice? Further more, if "her time is fulfilled", why are we not back
in Yerushalayim? Why is Jerusalem responsible for anything, it's just
a land in which to live?
What is obvious is that Jerusalem is not an ordinary place but it is
dynamic and alive and has a direct effect on the Jewish nation. When
I was a teenager living in Brooklyn, New York quite often I would see
Harav Avigdor Miller taking a walk down Kings Highway. I was shy
but i wanted to ask the gadol a question. I summoned the guts and
approached him one day. I asked what is the meaning of the word
or the name Yerushalayim. We all know that the name of something
defines its essence, my question actually was, what is the essence of
Yerushalayim?
Rabbi Miller stopped his walk and gave me all the time in the world.
He explained that Yerushalayim is a combination of two words. Yeru is
a city, Shalem is peace or complete; it is the city of perfection. That is
the land's responsibility and that is what's expected from it.
I recall driving up the hills of Jerusalem with my grandfather and
he would marvel at the mountains. I asked him what is so amazing,
we have seen it a thousand times before? He quoted King David "
Jerusalem mountains surround you just like Hashem surrounds his
nation." My grandfather explained that every bird builds a nest to
protect its young, Jerusalem is Hashem's nest and we are his young.
A bird every year returns to its nest to bring forth more children,
Jerusalem is our nest where Hashem will return and rest upon us
again.
Hashem empowered Yerushalayim to help our nation reach its
spiritual potential in every aspect. It is also our nest to protect us
physically. When Yerushalayim does not provide us with this spiritual
enhancement and physical protection, it is also liable. Jerusalem
therefore was destroyed and was subsequently ashamed and
embarrassed .
Many of the stanzas in the song Lecha Dodi from Rav Shlomo Elkabetz
reflect on the building of Jerusalem and returning it to its former
glory. One stanza refers to this embarrassment due Yerushalayim
not fulfilling its mission. "Be not ashamed, nor confounded, Why are
you downcast,why astounded? In you,refuge for My people will be
found,The city will be rebuilt on its former Mound".
I would suggest that the first level of Nechema in the seven week
of consolation, is that the destruction is not entirely our fault .
Jerusalem shares some of the responsibility. May we all be zoche to
the Nechmas Tzion and the building of Yerushalayim. Amen.
Pictures from Tisha B'Av Lectures
Rabbi YY Jacobson
and
Rabbi Mordechai Becher
BY SHALOM BER MUNITZ
LIGHT MY FIRE!
20th of Av Yortzeit of Hagaon Hamekubal
Reb Levi Yitzchok Schneerson, the Rebbes' father
The travels of the Baal Shem Tov
when he first revealed himself were
for three purposes: Redemption
of captives, strengthen Torah and
piety, and revealing the Pnimious
Hatorah (Chassidus).
The Mitteler Rebbe[1] would
explain: The Revealed Torah is
called water; one goes to water.
The Inner Torah is called fire; one
fears fire. Therefore, the mashpiya
must go to the recipient and say to
him, "Do not fear, for Hashem your
G-d is a consuming fire."[2]
====Hayom Yom, 16 Av
1-
The second Chabad Rebbe,
son and successor of the Baal
Hatanya Veshulchon Aruch
2-
The mashpiya says, in
effect, "do not fear the fire that you
see in Inner Torah; it is the fire of
G-dliness."
WeeklyQuote
RON OSTROFF
Do what you feel in your heart to be
right - for you'll be criticized anyway.
-Eleanor Roosevelt
When you love what you have, you
have everything you need.
Sometimes you find yourself in the
middle of nowhere, and sometimes
in the middle of nowhere, you find
yourself.
"Sometimes being a friend means
mastering the art of timing. There is
a time for silence. A time to let go
and allow people to hurl themselves
into their own destiny. And a time to
prepare to pick up the pieces when
it's all over." Octavia Butler
Snap Shot
Parsha
Rabbi Daniel Aron Coren
"YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR G-D" BUT
HOW? (PARSHAS VAESCHANAN)
If someone asked you what the most
important mitzvah in the Torah was, what
would you say? Perhaps it can be argued
based on the Chovos Halevavos and
others that the most important mitzvah is
TO LOVE HASHEM. In fact the Chovos
Halevavos writes that actually this is
the goal of all mitzvos, that this is what
it’s all about. Everything we do in life is
somehow supposed to lead us to this
state called the love of Hashem.
Sounds simple. Just love Hashem. But
as we all know very well this is a very
challenging undertaking to say the least.
The reason we have such difficulty is
twofold. First of all how can you obligate
someone how to feel? Secondly it isn’t
clear how we are supposed to define
‘love’ and when we lack definition of
something it is impossible to attain it. If
I invited you to join me at a simcha but
I didn’t tell you what the simcha was or
where it was taking place, you could
never get there.
So let’s get to work and figure this
mitzvah out.
It’s very interesting to note that the
Chafetz Chayim in his Mishna Berura in
the name of Sefer Charedim writes that
when one recites the verse ‫ואהבת את ה' אלוקיך‬
one should not continue with the reading
of the Shema until he has filled his heart
up with the love of Hashem. If we were
to follow this Mishna, many yeshivos
would have to bring their davening to a
complete halt.
So I would like to share with you based
on my understanding of Chazal and the
Rishonim what I believe is the formula
for loving God and what constitutes the
actual definition of ‘loving G-D.’
Chazal say that loving G-D comes
through the verse that follows the actually
command to love Hashem. First comes
the commandment
‘‫ 'ואהבת את ה‬and this is
followed by ‫והיו הדברים‬
‫ האלה אשר אנוכי‬and
these words should be on your heart.
Chazal explain that if you want to love
God first you must get to know him,
study his words, study who and what
He is all about. On a deeper level,
the Ramban says in the Hakdama
to Braishis that the entire Torah is
made up of different permutations of
Hashem’s names so when studying
Torah one is getting to know Hashem
"personally."
There is another dimension of getting
to know Hashem which the Rambam
describes in the beginning of Sefer
Hamitzvos. According to Rambam,
by looking and appreciating God’s
Creations one will come to love
Hashem and be in awe of him.
I remember my uncle telling me about
his father who was close to Rav
Yonassan Stief. When he met Rav
Stief right after settling in America
the Rav, to my great uncle’s surprise,
requested that he be taken to visit the
Bronx Zoo. The reason the Rav gave
was based on the above Rambam—
in order to come to love Hashem one
needs to go out of his normal routine
to appreciate the many beautiful
creations put in place by Him.
We discussed two seemingly different
approaches or tools that would
bring us to love God. In truth I think
that the two are really one and the
same. The common idea is simply
to realize Hashem. You can uncover
Him through his teachings and you
can find Him through his creations.
The point is to get to identify and
recognize Him.
Next we will try to define what and
how do you know that you have
reached this goal called the ‘love of
Hashem.’
THIS WEEK:
Donor: Shmuel Azaria ben Hadassah Hindel
Recipient: Hadassah Hindel bas Baila
The donor, Shmuel, is a father of 7 from Lakewood, NJ. He is the editor of several Seforim
and a Magid Shiur of halacha classes. With the full support of his wife, he enthusiastically
underwent all the testing in order to be able to donate his kidney to his mother, Harriet.
When asked why he wants to donate his kidney, he answered: "Until now I was always on
the taking side from my mother and now I have the opportunity to give back".
Harriet is a mother of three sons and grandmother of 24 grandchildren ke"h from Teaneck,
NJ. She is the beloved music teacher at Yeshiva of North Jersey. Her positive attitude is a
great source ofchizzuk for all who know her.
Harriet will now IY"H receive a second lease on life due to her son Shmuel's amazing
selfless act.
B"H, kidney transplants have a great success rate. However, there needs to be Siyata
Dishmaya that they be successful. Please take a moment to say tehillim for the success
of the transplant.
5904 13th Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11219 - www.renewal.org
e
on th
by Lazer Scheiner
V'ESCHANAN - PARSHAH & HAFTORAH IN A NUTSHELL
FROM CHABAD.ORG
PARSHA OVERVIEW
Moses tells the people of Israel how he implored
G‑d to allow him to enter the Land of Israel, but
G‑d refused, instructing him instead to ascend a
mountain and see the Promised Land. Continuing his
“review of the Torah,” Moses describes the Exodus
from Egypt and the Giving of the Torah, declaring
themunprecedented events in human history. “Has
there ever occurred this great thing, or has the likes
of it ever been heard? Did ever a people hear the
voice of G‑d speaking out of the midst of the fire . . .
and live? . . . You were shown, to know, that the L‑rd
is G‑d . . . there is none else beside Him.”
Moses predicts that in future generations the people
will turn away from G‑d, worship idols, and be exiled
from their land and scattered amongst the nations;
but from there they will seek G‑d, and return to obey
His commandments. Our Parshah also includes a
repetition of the Ten Commandments, and the verses
of the Shema, which declare the fundamentals of
the Jewish faith: theunity of G‑d (“Hear O Israel: the
L‑rd our G‑d, the L‑rd is one”); the mitzvot tolove G‑d,
to study His Torah, and to bind “these words” as
tefillin on our arms and heads, and inscribe them in
the mezuzot affixed on the doorposts of our homes.
HAFTORAH OVERVIEW
Isaiah 40:1–26
This week’s haftorah is the first of a series of seven
“haftarot of Consolation.” These seven haftarot
commence on the Shabbat following Tisha B’Av and
continue until Rosh Hashanah.
This section of Isaiah begins with G‑d’s exhortation
to the prophets: “Console, O console My people . . .
Announce to Jerusalem that her period of exile has
been fulfilled and that her sins have been forgiven.”
Isaiah’s prophecy describes some of the miraculous
events that will unfold with the onset of the messianic
era, such as the return of the exiles to Jerusalem,
the revelation of G‑d’s glory, and the rewards and
retribution that will then be meted out. The prophet
then goes on to comfort the people, describing G‑d’s
power and might, and reassuring them of His care
for His people.
‫וכן כתב הגר״א על הגמרא ב״ב י‪ :‬אשרי מי שבא לכאן‬
‫ותלמודו בידו ע״כ והיינו לכאן עולה בגימטריה מאה‬
‫ואחד ‪.‬‬
‫וכן ידועים מה שאומרים בשבת צ‪ :‬ציפור כרמלית‬
‫לוקחים דמה וזה מועיל לזיכרון עייש וזה שציפור‬
‫כרמלית אומרת בפרק שירה ״ אשא עיני אל ההרים‬
‫מאין יבא עזרי״ והיינו שמתפללת ״ שמאין ״ העולה‬
‫בגימטריה למאה ואחד ‪ ,‬אז יבא עזרי שלא יהרגו‬
‫אותה למען הזיכרון ‪.‬‬
‫פרשת דברים‬
‫בענין שכחת וזכרון התורה‬
‫השמר לך ושמר נפשך מאוד וכו‬
‫וכ׳ הכלי יקר זיע״א פירוש נפלא על פי דרך הרמז למה שדרשו חז״ל‬
‫״ושבתם וראיתם בין צדיק לרשע ובין עובד אלוקים לאשר לא עבדו ״‬
‫שאינו דומה השונה פרקו מאה פעמים למאה ואחד ‪ ,‬ועל זה כתב שזה‬
‫מרומז בפסוק ״ לא עבדו ״ ר״ת מאה ‪ ,‬שהגם ששונה מאה עדיין זה‬
‫נקרא לא עבדו ‪ ,‬אולם ר״ת ״עובד אלוקים לאשר״ ר״ת ‪ , 101‬כי השונה‬
‫פרקו מאה ואחד נקרא עובד אלוקים ‪.‬‬
‫ורמז מהפסוק ״השמר ושמר נפשך מאוד״ ר״ת עולה למאה ואחד ‪ ,‬ור״ת‬
‫של תיבת ״לך״ היינו למ״ד וכאלו אמר תלמד מאה ואחד פן תשכח את‬
‫התורה ‪.‬‬
‫והנה ידועים לשון הרמב״ן בבא מציאה כט‪ :‬שכתב ד״ה השואל ס״ת‬
‫וזל‪ :‬אבל עכשיו שנהגו לכתוב התלמוד אם השאילו מסכתא אינו כן‬
‫שכל אדם שוין בו והשונה פרקו מאה פעמים וכו עכ״ל והיינו שיש כזה‬
‫מציאות ששנו פרקם מאה ואחד פעמים ‪.‬‬
‫ויסוד הענין הוא שיש שני מלאכים אחד הממונה‬
‫אשכחה ושמו שכח ואחד הממונה על הזכרון ושמו‬
‫זכר ‪ ,‬ומילה זכר עולה ל ‪ 227‬ומילה שכח עולה ל ‪328‬‬
‫והחילוק ביניהם זה ‪ , 101‬וממילא השונה פרקו ‪101‬‬
‫מבטל הך קליפת השכחה וזוכר תורתו ‪.‬‬
‫והענין של ידיעת התורה ולא לשכוח הוא שיותר תורה‬
‫שיש לו לאדם יותר חיים הוא שיש לו וכלשון המשנה‬
‫מרבה תורה מרבה חיים ‪ ,‬והיינו שיש לו קירבה להשם‬
‫יותר ויותר על ידי שיש לו יותר תורה ‪ ,‬והפוך רח״ל‬
‫בזה שהוא ח״ו שוכח תורתו מתרחק מהחיות האמיתי ‪,‬‬
‫והפשט שחייב מיתה שהוא כביכול מת מעצמו על ידי‬
‫שמסלק ממנו מקור החיות ‪.‬‬
‫שבת שלום‬
‫דוד יהודה פיירסטון‬
‫‪The Maggid’s Corner‬‬
‫‪Rabbi Benzion Sneh‬‬
‫לעצור ולבחון שוב את הדבר‪ .‬נמצאים אנו‬
‫לאחר תשעה‪-‬באב ומעניין שדווקא בפרשתנו‬
‫קוראים את הקריאה של תשעה באב ומיד‬
‫לאחריה עשרת הדיברות‪ .‬ולא בכדי‪ ,‬מסבירים‬
‫חז"ל‪ :‬שדווקא לאחר שהתאבלנו על חורבן‬
‫בית‪-‬המקדש יש לנו כעת את הזמן להתפנות‬
‫מעיסוקנו ואבלנו ולקבל את התורה מחדש‪ .‬ומה‬
‫החשיבות והנחיצות הזו כעת? התשובה היא‪:‬‬
‫על מנת שלא נטעה שוב ובשנה הבאה נדרש‬
‫להתאבל שוב על בניין ביהמ"ק‪ ...‬שהרי דור שלא‬
‫נבנה בימיו כאילו נחרב בימיו‪ .‬על החשיבות של‬
‫עצירה ובחינה מחדש של דברים‪ ,‬נביא סיפור‬
‫יפה הממחיש זאת היטב‪:‬‬
‫בלילה אחד בשדה התעופה‪ .‬אחד‪ ,‬שנותרו‬
‫לו מספר שעות עד לטיסה‪ ,‬החליט לנצל את‬
‫הזמן האבוד לפיכך הלך וקנה שקית עוגיות‬
‫מאחת החנויות בשדה התעופה‪ ,‬מצא מקום‬
‫להתיישב בבית הנתיבות ושקע בספר שהביא‬
‫עימו מהבית‪ .‬לפתע הבחין בזווית העין באיש‬
‫היושב לידו‪ .‬בחוצפה שאין כדוגמתה‪ ,‬לוקח‬
‫האיש עוגייה או שתיים מהשקית שביניהם‪.‬‬
‫הוא בתחילה ניסה להתעלם ממנו ולא לעשות‬
‫סיפור מהעניין‪ .‬הוא המשיך לכרסם את העוגיות‬
‫והסתכל בשעון‪ .‬גנב העוגיות עז המצח המשיך‬
‫לחסל את העוגיות שלו‪ ,‬והוא חש שעצבנותו‬
‫הולכת וגוברת ככל שהדקות עוברות‪ .‬הוא חשב‪,‬‬
‫"אם לא הייתי כל כך נחמד‪ ,‬הייתי סותר לו על‬
‫פרצופו"‪ ...‬הוא לא נתן שיכלו את ממונו ועוד‬
‫מול עיניו ועל כל עוגייה שהגנב‬
‫לקח‪ ,‬לקח גם הוא אחת‪ .‬כשנותרה‬
‫רק עוגייה אחת‪ ,‬הוא תהה מה יעשה‬
‫עכשיו הגנב החצוף‪ .‬לתדהמתו שלו‬
‫בחיוך על פניו‪ ,‬לקח הגנב את העוגייה‬
‫האחרונה ושבר אותה לשתיים‪ .‬הוא הציע לו בשיא‬
‫החוצפה חצי מהעוגייה בעודו אוכל את החצי האחר‪,‬‬
‫הוא לא יכול היה להתאפק וחטף אותה ממנו תוך‬
‫שהוא מסנן לעצמו‪ ...‬ואוווו‪ ...‬לבחור הזה יש חוצפה‪!...‬‬
‫הוא כל כך גס רוח‪ ,‬גזלן של ממש! אפילו תודה לא‬
‫אמר! מעולם לא היה הוא כל כך עצבני‪.‬‬
‫הוא נאנח בהקלה כשנקרא לטיסה שלו‪ .‬הוא‬
‫אסף את חפציו והלך לשער‪ ,‬כשהוא מסרב להעיף‬
‫אפילו מבט בכיוונו של הגנב כפוי הטובה והחצוף‪.‬‬
‫הוא עלה למטוס ושקע במושבו המרופד‪ .‬אז חזר‬
‫לספר‪ ,‬שכמעט סיים‪ .‬כשהושיט יד לתיק‪ ,‬נחרד עד‬
‫עמקי נשמתו‪ .‬בתיק הייתה מונחת שקית העוגיות‬
‫שלו‪ ,‬מונחת ממש מול עיניו‪ .‬האיש הזר קנה שקית‬
‫זהה לשלו מאותה חנות שבשדה התעופה‪ !...‬אם‬
‫העוגיות שלי כאן‪ ,‬נאנח בייאוש‪ ,‬זה אומר שההן היו‬
‫שלו! והאיש שהן שלו ניסה להתחלק איתי! כמובן‬
‫שכבר היה מאוחר מדי בשביל להתנצל – המטוס‬
‫המריא‪ .‬ואז הבין מיודעינו בעצב‪ ,‬כי הוא זה שהיה גס‬
‫הרוח‪ ,‬כפוי הטובה ולמעשה הוא בעצמו – הגנב‪ ...‬כמה‬
‫פעמים בחיינו אנחנו משוכנעים שמשהו נכון ואנחנו‬
‫צודקים‪ ,‬ולא יודעים עד כמה אנו טועים‪ ...‬זהו אם כן‬
‫הזמן לעצור ולהתבונן מה עלינו לשפר על מנת שלא‬
‫נגיע לשנה הבאה ויתברר ששוב טעינו‪...‬‬
‫‪An Ex-Loner's Guide to Authentic Friendship‬‬
‫‪their act together, my advice is to put one‬‬
‫‪hand over your wallet and the other hand‬‬
‫‪around your spouse, and move to the exit as‬‬
‫‪soon as possible. You are in the presence‬‬
‫‪of a con artist.‬‬
‫‪As rascals we have lost one thing that we‬‬
‫‪will never recover: whatever right we thought‬‬
‫‪we had to throw rocks at other people.‬‬
‫‪The law of imperfection: We are all rascals.‬‬
‫‪We are all broken people. If there is someone you‬‬
‫‪think is flawless, you do not know them. If you‬‬
‫‪became more intimately associated with them, you‬‬
‫‪would see their impurities and imperfections - their‬‬
‫‪clay feet. We are all rascals. It is what makes us‬‬
‫‪human.‬‬
‫‪If someone tries to convince you that they have‬‬
‫‪Berach’sRCorner‬‬
‫‪abbi Steinfeld‬‬
‫‪Q Two questions. 1) When is it appropriate‬‬
‫‪to make a full meal on Erev Shabbos right before‬‬
‫‪shkiya? 2) Is it permissible for a Chessed volunteer‬‬
‫‪to make Kiddush for sick people despite the fact‬‬
‫‪that the patient finished his meal and the Kiddush‬‬
‫‪won’t be “bimkom seudah” (in the place where one‬‬
‫?)‪eats the meal‬‬
‫‪A‬‬
‫‪When Purim falls out on Erev Shabbos‬‬
‫‪we deal with eating a seudah in the afternoon‬‬
‫‪when we usually would stay away from eating too‬‬
‫‪much on an Erev Shabbos. The Magen Avraham‬‬
‫‪in siman taf resh tzadik heh, seif koton tes quotes‬‬
‫‪the Mordechai saying that in a case like the above‬‬
‫‪one should daven before shkiya, eat the seudah,‬‬
‫‪and make Kiddush . During bentching one should‬‬
‫‪say Al Hanissim. The Sfardim in Yerushalayim‬‬
‫‪follow this minhag.‬‬
‫‪In regard to the volunteer making Kiddush after his‬‬
‫‪own seuda, the Gemara in Pesachim daf kuf amud‬‬
‫‪aleph brings a machlokes between Reb Yehuda‬‬
‫‪and Reb Yosi. Does someone who is eating a‬‬
‫‪meal on Erev Shabbos need to stop the meal‬‬
‫‪when Shabbos comes in or not? Reb Yosi says‬‬
‫‪that one does not need to interrupt the meal. He‬‬
‫‪says that the meal should continue and when it‬‬
‫‪concludes, Kiddush for Friday not should then‬‬
‫‪be made. Reb Yehuda argues. Tosfos asks the‬‬
‫‪following question; how can Reb Yosi pasken this‬‬
‫‪way; that Kiddush is said after he finishes his‬‬
‫?!‪meal? It is therefore not in the place of a seudah‬‬
‫‪Tosfos answers that since the Kiddush is right after‬‬
‫”‪the meal, it is considered “bimkom seudah.‬‬
‫‪The Shulchan Aruch in Orach Chaim siman resh‬‬
‫‪ayin aleph, seif vov paskens like Reb Yosi. The‬‬
‫‪Shulchan Aruch says if one finished his meal that‬‬
‫‪carried over from Erev Shabbos into Shabbos he‬‬
‫‪should take two cups of wine. The person should‬‬
‫‪say Birkas Hamazon on the first one and Kiddush‬‬
‫‪on the second. The Mishna Berurah in seif koton‬‬
‫‪lamed bais explains that since he ate a meal right‬‬
‫‪before the Kiddush, it is considered in the place of‬‬
‫‪the meal. It would seem from this that the volunteers‬‬
‫‪would be able to make Kiddush in the hospital.‬‬
‫‪There is just one problem. If the meal eaten was‬‬
‫‪a weekday meal, (meaning the patient was not‬‬
‫‪mekabel Shabbos), then the Kiddush would not‬‬
‫‪be in the place of the meal. The advice for such‬‬
‫‪a scenario would be that the patient should be‬‬
‫‪mekabel Shabbos early so that the food eaten will‬‬
‫‪be a Shabbos meal thereby rendering the Kiddush‬‬
‫”‪made after the meal a Kiddush “bimkom seudah.‬‬
‫‪In conclusion, Shabbos is holy. Enjoy the holiness,‬‬
‫‪and enjoy your Kiddush. We are to be able to take‬‬
‫‪that holiness and even bring it in earlier on Friday.‬‬
‫‪Readers’ comments are encouraged. Send your‬‬
‫‪message to berachsteinfeldscorner@gmail.com‬‬
‫‪Next Week’s Question: Some people want to have‬‬
‫‪warm Challos at their Friday night meal so they‬‬
‫‪put the challos into the oven on Erev Shabbos and‬‬
‫‪take it out later. May the challos stay in the oven‬‬
‫‪until after Kiddush or do they need to be on the‬‬
‫?‪table before Kiddush‬‬
Cash Torah
from Brother Shlomo !
From Jewish Outlook.com by Zivi Ritchie
C a s h T o r a h f r o m Y e s h i vat
S i m c h at S h l o m o
Were the Lubavitcher Rebbe and Reb Shlomo
Zealots?
Some 30 years ago, when Judy and I were
living in Montreal, we had the zchut to host
Reb Shlomo zt’l about four or five times a
year. Judy used to organize these visits. On
some occasions, he would do a concert in
a shul, or play for students on campus, and
once he also came to the high school I was
teaching at. And sometimes he would come
just for an evening of learning at our home.
Believe it or not, Judy would spend about
a month calling people to personally invite
them to his gatherings. Reb Shlomo was not a
young man at the time, and travelling was not
so easy for him. But he would always make
the effort to come at least four or five times
a year.
Judy would try very hard to get him booking
that would help cover his expenses and
provide him with a little parnassah (income).
Once Reb Shlomo even played in a kosher
restaurant at dinner time. I was there with
him and remember the mixed feelings I had
seeing people eating as Reb Shlomo poured
his heart out to them in songs and stories.
I was astounded that some of the guests
were simply treating Reb Shlomo as nice
background music. But I was even more
astonished by Reb Shlomo’s devotion to Am
Yisrael, every single yid, wherever they may
be – to be willing to share his highest songs as
mere background music.
On another occasion, he arrived in Montreal
at 8 PM one night. We rushed back from the
airport, quickly checked into the hotel, and
got to our home at around 8:45 – hardly
late. I couldn’t believe it. Judy had spent a
month on the phone inviting people, and all
together, including Reb Shlomo, Judy and
I, there were only ten people there. Reb
Shlomo had schlepped all the way from New
York, paid for his own ticket and hotel, and we
barely came up with a quarter or a third of his
expenses. It was embarrassing.
But Reb Shlomo sang and taught the nine of
us with just as much love and energy as he
would’ve given to a packed shul. What was
most, most amazing was that Reb Shlomo
never uttered the slightest complaint. We
were obviously full of apologies, but he kept
saying that there was no need to apologize
and it was a gevalt! The next time that Judy
invited him back to Montreal, he was as ready
and willing as ever to make the journey, as
soon as we had the dates.
Those of us who had the privilege to know
Reb Shlomo, zt’l, were aware that they were
in the presence of a royal, treasured, brilliant
and loving Rebbe who made them feel as if
they were in the presence of Hashem. We
owed him so much more honor than what we
gave him. But he never complained. HE would
go to the end of the world to do one yid a
favor, with love and joy. He wanted to meet
every single Yid; he wanted to meet and share
Hashem’s love with everyone in the world.
Once he came to us for Shabbos. Friday
afternoon, he told me that he had received
a message that a certain man, who had
been lonely and single, had passed away.
Reb Sholom was thinking to fly to New York
early Sunday morning to do the funeral and
come back to Montreal Sunday afternoon,
to be back for his scheduled concert at the
restaurant Sunday night. He asked me what I
thought of his plan.
I was concerned about Reb Shlomo’s
health and was afraid he’d be overworking
himself. After all, Reb Shlomo was
already doing a Shabbaton at our home
and was scheduled to give a concert on
Motzei Shabbos. I asked Reb Shlomo
if the person who was niftar had been
particularly close to Reb Shlomo. Reb
Shlomo admitted that they had not been
very close; they would meet in the street
from time to time and exchange a few
words. I then asked if someone else could
do the funeral in place of Reb Shlomo,
and Reb Shlomo admitted that surely
someone else could do the funeral. But
he wanted to honor this Yid who really
didn’t have any loved ones, and had lived
a really lonely life. Still, as I felt that it was
important to make sure Reb Sholom got
some much-needed rest during his trip, I
encouraged Reb Shlomo to find someone
else to do the funeral. And it seemed like
Reb Shlomo was agreeing.
After Shabbos, I took Reb Shlomo to his
hotel, to refresh after the Shabbaton. Not
long after, he performed at a concert.
Late at night, I took him back to the hotel,
and we arranged that I would come back
at 10 AM the next morning.
To my surprise, when I got to the lobby
the next morning, there was a note from
Reb Shlomo tell me he’d gone to New
York and that I should pick him up at
the airport at 3 PM. After not getting to
sleep before 2 AM, he had already left
for the airport before 10 AM. Just to do a
simple, lonely Jew one last favor, one last
honor. And all at Reb Shlomo’s personal
expense. How awesome!
So the big question is, was Reb Shlomo
a zealot? Was the Lubavitcher Rebbe a
zealot? What inspired them to keep going
stronger and stronger, without taking
vacations, year after year?
Once the Rebbe became Rebbe he
didn’t take a single day off for over forty
years until he was physically unable to
continue! What drove him to care about
every single Jew and human being, and
to do any favor for them, no matter
how much cost and effort it took? What
inspired Reb Shlomo to travel to far-flung
communities, both small and large?
What inspired him to travel to the end of
the world to do someone a favor?
There are three levels to the mitzvah of
loving your fellow. There is one level of
love someone performs acts of loving
kindness when presented with the
opportunity and/or inspired by others.
For example, a person is approached for
charity and they give. Then there is the
higher level where a person seeks to give
charity every day. Finally, there is a level
whereby a person can’t rest knowing
that there is even a single person going
to sleep on a hungry stomach. This is the
level of love that in Herbew is called ‫קינאה‬
(jealous love). You love so much that you
cannot tolerate any suffering.
The Rebbe and Reb Shlomo loved every
Jew and all people so much that they
could not rest knowing that there was one
community – or even just one Jew who
felt alone – who didn’t feel connected
–who didn’t know that we have a I that
loves us and gave us His most precious
gift, the holy Torah.
That is “jealous love”. The Rebbe and Reb
Shlomo were true zealots!
WEEKLY SHIURIM
FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY
MEN & WOMEN
Rabbi
YY JACOBSON
NO SHIURIUM
WEEKLY SHIUR
FOR WOMEN
Rebbetzin
ESTI JACOBSON
TUESDAY MORNING
11:15 AM
7 FIELDCREST DRIVE MONSEY NY 10952
FOR HUNDREDS OF ARTICLES & LECTURES FROM
RYYJ PLEASE GO TO HIS WEBSITE "THEYESHIVA.NET"
WOMEN’S CORNER
Rebbitzen Mindy Lankry
Women’s corner-Shabbos
Nachamu-Parshas V’eschanan
A child cries. He is
inconsolable, that is, until
mommy comes. She puts
her arm around him and
kisses his boo-boo; his pain is
forgotten. His ache did not go
away, yet it does not concern
him any longer. This week
is Shabbos Nachamu, a time
where Hashem our Father
(and mother) consoles us. Yet,
how are we consoled when
we remain in this bitter galus?
What does this mean?
The words of Shema
are written in this week’s
parsha. It is the words we
recite twice a day, every day. It
is the words a mother chants
to her baby from the first day
of his life. It’s also the last
words a Jew will say or hear. It
is the motto of our lives. What
is so vital about the words of
Shema?
When Yaakov was
reuniting with Yosef after so
many years, he stopped and
recited the Shema. Could he
have not prayed earlier and
focus instead on the emotional
reunion after so many painful
years of separation?
Shema means; “listen
Yisroel,
Hashem-which
is
mercy and Elokainu-which is
judgement, Hashem echad- is
really one and the same, both
mercy” (Ramchal) We must
understand that both good and
what appears to be bad, stem
from Hashem, and it is all good.
This is difficult to see because
the good in the judgement is
not always evident. Yaakov
suffered tremendously when
his son Yosef was taken and he
believed that Yosef had died.
Then came the moment that
Yaakov saw Yosef and he was
second to king in Egypt. He
realized that what he thought
was a misfortune, really turned
out to be a benefit for his
family. He immediately said
Shema as he internalized the
oneness of Hashem’s din and
rachamim. Now Yaakov saw
the whole picture and said
those words with an absolute
clarity of its full meaning.
There are times when
we struggle with distresses and
later we see that it was really
good for us. Like the time we
got declined for a job, only to
get a much better one a week
later. We would have never
found it if we started working
in that first job. Or the time
that our precious princess
was rejected from the school
we desperately wanted her
to attend. We were forced to
send her to a different school.
Then we watch her flourish
while we listen to the unhappy
grumblings of our friend’s
children that did get into that
first school. Each day life brings
new challenges and each
day we say Shema to remind
ourselves that it is all part of
Hashem’s goodness. The pain
and troubles too, though we
might not see it at that very
moment.
Nechama-consolation
is the recognition that although
I cannot see it at this time, there
is purpose to our pain. One can
only be consoled when they
realize that their sufferings
will bring forth a greater good.
Right now, though we are still in
exile, beset with challenges and
pains, we spend this Shabbos in
the knowledge that it will all be
for a greater good. We will soon
see the rest of the prophecies
come true; days of miracles
and immense joy reunited with
Hashem’s Shechina. Hashem
so to speak ‘”kisses our booboo” and although the pain is
still present we know we will be
alright. Hashem loves us and it
is ultimately for our benefit. It
is this perspective that gives us
consolation until that joyous
day of redemption. Please
Hashem, may it be speedily in
our days.
BY TZVI FREEMAN
C H A B A D. O R G
B Y T Z V I F R E E M A N - C H A B A D. O R G
From the Wisdom &
Te a c h i n g s o f t h e
Lubavitcher Rebbe
Close & Dark
When does the moon have no
light for us? When it is closest
to the sun.
The closer it comes to
alignment between us and the
sun, the more it diminishes in
size. Until, at its closest point,
it altogether disappears. Then,
once again, it is renewed and
begins to shine.
At those points in life when we
peer into darkness, groping
to understand why this is
happening to us, where this
is taking us, why this must
happen to us . . .
—those are the points
closeness to the light,
those are the points of renewal.
Empty and Full
To fill yourself with wisdom,
you must proceed with wisdom.
To fill yourself with wisdom,
you must empty yourself of all
wise thoughts.
To receive blessings from
Above, you must do all those
things that draw blessings.
To receive anything from
Above, you must be still and
quiet
Can you solve these
RIDDLES?
By Itzik Weinberg
Question: where in the parsha is the concept of
‫? ״אם אין דעת יש הבדלה״‬
‫ היכן יש בפרשה את המושג ״אם אין דעת יש הבדלה״‬.‫חידה‬
Last weeks Answer
( Where in the parsha does Moshe answer a question
before it is asked?
‫)? היכן בפרשתנו משה רבנו נותן תשובה לפני ששאל את השאלה‬
Moshe answers
"‫לא אוכל לבדי שאת אתכם״‬
(‫ט‬:‫ )דברים א‬Afterwords in ‫ פסוק י״ב‬he asks, ‫״איכה אשא לבדי״‬
‫תשובה‬.
‫משה רבנו נותן תשובה (דברים א׳ט׳)״לא אוכל לבדי שאת אתכם״ ואחר כך‬
‫שואל את השאלה בפסוק יב׳ ״איכה אשא לבדי״‬.
Hmmm......
" Don't regret your experiences because
without them, who or where would you be
today. Life is an amazing gift to those who
have overcome great obstacles, and attitude is
everything!”
" Before we learn how to win, we have to learn
how to lose.We see seldom someone born a
winner. It is a habit, which is learned through
repetition and hard work. It's pretty much safe
0 4 4
of
to say nobody
wins them all,
so before we
can triumph and
overcome,
we
have to fail and
endure. If we
work hard, we
will ultimately be
a winner. Losing is
part of the game.
Keep your head
held up high!
911 -A Glimpse into the
"Chesed" life of Zvi Gluck
Rabbi
Nachum Scheiner Ohr Chaim Night Kollel
CLOSING REMARKS ON THE RULES OF
BEDIKAS TOLA’IM II:
I would like to share with you a few more
highlights from the fascinating shiur and
presentation that we had, in the Night
Kollel, from Rabbi Shalom Tendler,
Kosher Rabbinic Field Representative for
the Star-K.
Among other things he discussed his
extensive research that he does, and
his correspondence that he has, with
the major entomologists (those who
are experts in the branch of zoology
that deals with the study of insects). He
explained how it does not suffice to talk
to the agriculturists, who know the ins
and outs of growing produce; they do
not necessarily care about the levels of
infestation (as long as it does not affect
the quality or quantity of the produce
being grown and sold).
An important factor in infestation is how
things are stored. It is possible that a
particular product may not be prone
to infestation, but when it is not stored
properly, i.e. if it is kept in warm, moist
conditions, it is prone to infestation. The
reason is that many products, even if
clean, will have insect eggs, which will
hatch in warm, moist conditions. In
fact, some people like to buy products
from closeouts, but they do not realize
that some of these products may have
been sitting around for years! As the
yoshon season is approaching and many
people like to store certain products, to
have available through the winter, it is
imperative to know the proper method
for storage. One should keep the product
in the freezer for 4 days (thereby all
insect eggs will perish and wither away)
and then, if sealed properly can remain
“clean” for as long as needed.
He also gave us a brief overview of the
“orange juice crisis,” with a fascinating
“expedition” of the various plants
around the world and the different
methods used in processing orange
juice. In a nutshell, the problem is that
the peels of the oranges, that are used
to make juice, are infested with scales
and scale shells. The Star-K did extensive
research on all of the various brands
of juice and they were all found to be
of equal concern. The only reason why
some of the brand name juices have
been found to be more problematic,
he explained, is due to the pulp which
is first separated and then returned to
the juice to give it a thicker substance.
The pulp, due to its thickness, cannot be
filtered and that is where more of the
shells get stuck.
As far as the halachic status of the juice
is concerned, he mentioned why it may
be permitted. The concept of bitul is well
known, whereby the issur can be nullified
in the mixture. However, a berya, a
whole creature does not become bateil.
But, since in all likelihood, the rostrum
(the hair-like beak of the scale), which is
quite fragile, will come off, the concept
of bitul may be applicable. Although
there is sometimes a requirement to do
sinun (filtering), if we can assume that
there is no longer an issur min hatorah
involved and the filtering process
involves a great amount of tircha, we
can suggest that, in this situation, there
will be no such requirement.
COMMUNITY KOLLEL NEWS:
The Kollel Boker hosted a barbecue last
Thursday, which was a very enjoyable
event. Feelings of achdus and ambiance
permeated the evening and it was a
perfect opportunity for the wives of
the kollel members to get to know each
other.
The Kollel Boker had a siyum/farewell
party - on Friday morning at 8am - for
Dr. Adi Neuman and Shmuel Baldinger.
Feelings of achdus were felt by all,
which was especially appropriate in
these days, when we all try to upgrade
our ahavas yisroel. Dr. Neuman,
who made a siyum on Meseches
Pesachim, talked about the unique
level of kedushas eretz yisroel. Shmuel
Baldinger talked about the special
feelings he had in Kollel Ohr Chaim,
keeping up the unique atmosphere of
his yeshiva years. I talked about the
devotion of Dr. Neuman - as well as the
devotion of all of our kollel members who come every day to learn, early in
the morning.
The entire community kollel would
like to extend their warmest bracha to
Elchonon and Racheli Jacobowitz, on
the birth of a baby girl. We wish them
much nachas.
As we look back at the zman, I would
like to give a shevach v’hoda’a to
Hashem for the tremendous hatzlacha
that we had in the Night Kollel, learning
and becoming fluent in the difficult
topic of bedikas tola’im. The learning
was complemented with the various
and sundry shiurim on this intricate
topic, where we all - both the members
of the kollel, and the many outsiders
who joined - gained tremendous clarity
in the halchah l’ma’ase.
As always, CDs of the shiurim and
chaburos, as well as an MP3 of all of
the shiurim on the topic of bedikas
tola’im are available and we will also
have videos of the various shiurim,
which will be available shortly on the
shul’s website 18Forshay.com.
Wishing you a wonderful Shabbos,
Rabbi Nachum Scheiner
UMAN ROSH HASHANA
Story of
the Week:
Beyond the numbers,
changing individual lives:
Some weeks the words come easy.
This isn't one of those weeks.
Sadly, there have been too many weeks this year that we
have lost a young, precious soul that was clearly lost and
in pain, but never before has a loss of this kind, in our
community, been a front page story, grabbing newspaper
headlines and focusing the media spotlight on the
difficulties that we face.
Like most of you, I never met Faigy Mayer. I never even
heard her name before, but yet, she is my sister, your sister.
She is one of us. I can't speculate on what compelled her to
take her own life, because obviously I don't know any of the
facts. But I do know this. She is no longer with us and as we
mourn the loss of the Bais Hamikdash this week, we mourn
the loss of another young life and future generations that
will never be born.
Media accounts have been buzzing with speculation
and are quick to point the finger of blame. How she was
rejected by her family and ostracized by her community.
How she felt stifled in her upbringing from the earliest days.
None of this is productive. Each of us walks our own path
in life and makes our own decisions, some good and some
bad. We may not approve of decisions made by others but
at no time do we ever have the right to judge anyone but
ourselves.
As the old adage goes, you can catch more flies with honey
than with vinegar. Sadly, the large majority of our troubled
youths find themselves met with scorn and ridicule when
we have seen time and time again that a warm smile and
a kind word is far more effective at touching the heart and
possibly opening up a door that will guide these lost souls
back onto the right path. We have an obligation to love
our fellow Jew, no matter how they dress, what they eat or
what kind of life they lead.
There are no words that will ever bring Faigy Mayer back,
but perhaps there are lessons to be learned from her death,
which are particularly applicable to us now that we are just
hours away from Tisha B'Av.
We need to love each other. We need to support each
other. We need to look out for one another and help those
that we see struggling in any way that we can. Those who
suffer from mental illness or were abused, either physically,
verbally or sexually, all need more of our time and caring,
not less. Those who are lost need support and compassion,
not criticism and derision.
I daven that Faigy Mayer's tragic and untimely death will be
the catalyst to better ourselves and that this new positive
direction should be a zechus for her neshama and be a
source of nechama to Faigy's family and friends.
MAY WE SHARE ONLY SIMCHOS
Na-Nach On The Road- Farmfest
Amazing Letter
Dear friends,
I'm sharing a post from facebook, made by a young
woman, Sarah Miller Gips. It's a letter from her father
written this Tisha B'av that she decided to share
publicly and with her father's permission. This is a
kind of awakening that could be taken away from
some tragedies..
-----My father sent me this letter today... I just wanted to
share it, I wish more people would do things like this.
I decided to post this publicly after I shared it with
some people who really needed to see this and it was
well received...
My dearest Suri,
As I fasted today, I sat and reflected on what our
fast is all about. Why was our beautiful home in
Yerushalayim destroyed? Why did the presence of
Hashem leave us? What did we do to drive ourselves
into this long bitter golus?
I always knew the answer, but I don't think I
understood it as well as I do right now. It was
destroyed because we were judgmental of those who
did not ACT the way we wanted them to act. We were
embarrassed of those who did not DRESS the way that
we wanted them to dress. We looked down at those
that did not TALK the way we wanted them to talk.
And our misplaced ego caused us to think that we are
better then they are. This is what caused us to destroy
ourselves completely. Without having a ayin tovah, a
favorable and understanding eye on those around us,
we are not deserving of having the divine presence of
Hashem live among us. We threw ourselves out with
our self-righteous mindset.
Which group of us caused the destruction? The ones
“on the derech” or the ones “off the derech”?
On this day I sit and cry... my eyes fill with tears... the
epiphany just hit me like a ton of bricks: It was not the
ones wearing the jeans (as an example) that caused
the destruction, rather, it was the ones not wearing
jeans who then looked down upon those who wore
the jeans! WE are the ones who destroyed the beis
Hamikdosh and we have not yet corrected our sin!
In fact, with Torah and mitzvos being so strong... we
have perhaps even strengthened our sin... we have
taken it to a higher level.
I look at myself... am I not part of the group who uses
our beautiful religion to look down at others? And
if so, am I not the one responsible for our current
exile? What good is my fasting and sitting on a
floor if I cannot face the truth that “I” am currently
Questions?
Comments?
responsible for this tragedy?!
I now fully realize that it is not you and your friends
who are preventing Moshiach from coming... it is
me and my friends!
I wrote my own kinniss: Woe is to me for I have
repeated and repeated the original sin that caused
the churban! Woe is to me for I have stabbed my
own flesh and blood! Woe is to me for I took the holy
Torah that is supposed to be sweet and peaceful
"dirachehuh darchei NOAM vichal nesivosehuh
SHALOM" and I used it to form a dagger which I
then used to stab you - and others - over and over
again!!
And so after a long day of fasting and contemplation,
I look back at the way that I treated you and for this
I now sit and cry. My dear sweet beloved Suri !! How
can I ever take back the pain that I caused you? How
can I ever repay you for the smiles and hugs that
you so deserved... but didn’t get from me because I
was too busy justifying to myself why it is OK for me
to look down at you… to judge you harshly… and to
actively destroy the Bais Hamikdosh? How can I give
you back the lost years?
My dear Suri, a long long long time ago, I looked
into the future and dreamed about the day that you
would grow up, mature, learn right from wrong,
wake up from your selfishness and finally come
ask me for forgiveness… but after alot of inner
searching... “I” grew up, and “I” matured, and “I”
learned right from wrong, and now “I” finally finally
woke up from MY selfish, haughty, egotistical,
judgmental attitude! And now on this painful day
I turn to you and I ask you – no, I BEG you - for
forgiveness!!
I accept upon myself to shower you with love and
affection, with hugs and kisses, and to do everything
in my power to always be there for you through thick
and thin! I pledge to work so so hard to make up for
all of the pain that I caused you. I pledge to never
look down at you, your friends, or on ANY JEW ever
again. I am DONE with the negative attitude! I am
DONE with being the judge and jury to another Yid!
I am DONE with thinking that I am BETTER than ANY
other Jew in Klal Yisrael. I am DONE being a part
of the problem... and I pledge that as of right this
moment... I will become a part of the SOLUTION!!
My Suri, please open your heart to me... please
open your arms to me... hug me, hold my hand and
let us build the beis Hamikdosh together…
What do you say?
Your loving Totty
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