July 31 - Aug. 1 2015 שבת פרשת ואתחנן בס"ד PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE www.18forshay.com For All Shul Info: Zmanim - Shiurim - Pics & Videos Bet Journal Archives etc "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 Shkiya & Fast begins Maariv Managed by our great gabbai Ephraim Yurowitz 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 9:15 am at 20 Forshay Rd 10:00am Ohr Chaims “Bais Chabad 3-4 & 4-5pm BNOS 3:00pm at 22 Forshay Rd By Daf Yomi 6:00pm 7:15pm 1:45pm - 7:55pm 8:13pm 8:53 & 8:58pm 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 Shacharis 6:25am 7:00am 8:00am 9 & 10am Minchah - Maariv 1:40pm - 6:30pm & 8:00pm Maariv 9:00pm 9:45pm 10:30pm 11:00pm PIRKE AVOT Rabbi Lankry - 7:15 Bnos for Girls Girls: ages 6- 8 Shabbos Afternoon 3:00 - 4:00pm at 22 Forshay Led by: Ayelet Esther Coren & Tzivi Rosenblum 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 [email protected] 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 We welcome your feedback! Email our editor at [email protected]
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