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| Friday, July 03, 2009 / 11 Tamuz 5769 |
The Sword of Mercy
By: Michael Winner
I heard a recording of an interesting talk from Rav Shlomo Brevda the other day. In it, he quotes a Gemara (sorry, don’t have the source here), which speaks of a story that took place right before the destruction of Jerusalem.
The story is of a woman whose neighbor’s son died of starvation. Right after the burial, this woman gave over her last loaf of bread to her neighbor and her family as part of the mitzvah of providing for the needs of the bereaved family. Eventually, this woman and her family passed away as well from starvation. At this point, Hashem said to the angel He placed in charge of Jerusalem’s destruction, and told him to “withhold his fury”. The Gemara, says Rav Brevda, doesn’t say stories for fun. If such a story is told, it is because it represented something about that generation.
The chesed that this woman did was not a single event, but was a mere example of other acts of kindness that people were doing at that moment. And it was because of this selfless act and others that the destruction of Jerusalem was not as bad as it could have been, had Hashem not exercised His own compassion. And as we read in Eicha every year, the destruction was horrific. Can you imagine it being any worse? But because people, even when they were in dire straits, helped others, Hashem brought down compassion even in the midst of destruction.
Which brings me to an idea that I had.
As we all know, the economy is in the drain. While I don’t the details of what it’s like in the US, I know what it’s like here. Recently, to help bring in more money (probably to pay for all the investigators they need to investigate government officials), they have raised the VAT to 16.5%. That means anything bought in a store has an additional 16.5% tacked on to the already high price.
Plus, because of the lack of rain we’ve had over the last several years, water prices have quadrupled, if you use over X amount of water. And just to add to that, the extra money is not going to help with water reclamation… it’s going into government coffers.
Yeshivas are closing down everywhere and are behind in payments, due to the lack of finances. And of course, jobs are hard to find, and even if you find one, a lot of that income goes … that’s right… to high taxes.
There are a few people I know who have been hit hard by this. They’re real bnei Torah who do not waste their day in the coffee room. They and their wives have given up a great deal and work hard to keep afloat. And to answer the question, “What does their learning do for me?” Well, the Gemara in Sanhedrin (99b) asks the same question. Rashi explains that those who ask this don’t understand that it is BECAUSE OF THESE PEOPLE, that the world continues to exist as it says (Yermiyahu 33:25): “If My covenant with the night and with the day would not be; had I not set up the laws of heaven and earth, so too would I reject the seed of Yaakov…” The Torah (the laws of heaven and earth) is directly connected with the existence of Yaakov (the Jewish people).
So I thought that I would raise the idea with everybody here to see if anybody is interested in helping those in need here. Again, these are people whom I know personally and are certainly “worth” the investment. They do not get outside help, and if any, it’s very little and not consistent.
I was wondering if people would be interesting in donating a minimum of $50/month for one year, to such a cause. The only overhead would go to PayPal, if you would want to donate through there. Other than that, the money would go directly to those in need. I know two cases where people are taking at least a $300/month hit. To support Torah in Eretz Yisroel, specifically people who would use it properly, would be a great chesed.
Mmmm… Maybe if we can get enough together, I can “hire” such a person to write a weekly column for Frum.org on a specific topic, so everybody would see gains from it… just an idea floating in my head.
Either way, I know given the climate that this would be a long shot, but a person needs to do his part and try to help out, so I put myself out on a limb.
If you have an interest in helping out or have any questions about it, please feel free to email me within the next few days. If we have enough people, I’ll be more than happy to put it together. And of course, at anytime, if anybody wishes to send money to such a cause, please tell me and we can arrange that as well.
If we want Hashem to increase His mercy on us, we too should increase mercy on others, even in times of hardship. One of those ways is to help support those, who, in reality, are really supporting us.
Okay. On to Torah!
"And the Almighty was angry that (Bilaam) went, and an angel of the Almighty stood in the way for an adversary against him" (Bamidbar 22:22)
Rashi explains that this angel stood in Bilaam's way in order to protect Bilaam from bringing harm to himself. We see from here that Hashem was being merciful. However, a few lines later, we see that this same angel had a drawn sword in his hand... not exactly the most merciful thing to be holding.
Rav Zalman Sorotzkin noted that we see that even an angel of mercy needs to take an aggressive stand to accomplish its means.
A parent, for example, who shows no discipline to his or her child, will in the end suffer with a child who has no control over themselves. It's disciple that helps the child understand the rules and norms of society and allows them to grow into a mature adult.
Many times, Hashem gives us different events in our lives to help us become better people. Sometimes, they are easy and smooth, sometimes they are hard and difficult. However, all the time, they are coming from a position of mercy. It's hard to see it, but it's our job to see it, understand it, and try to learn why He sent us this message or test, and ultimately grow from it.
Have a great Shabbos!
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| Monday, June 29, 2009 / 7 Tamuz 5769 |
Shabbos Davening
By: Dr. Chaim Levsky
While on the topic of additions to Bentching, let’s have a brief discussion regarding Shabbos Davening.
On Shabbos, the usual Shemoneh Esrey (18/19 silent blessings comprising the central part of prayer) is replaced with a briefer seven-blessing version. This is done to avoid burdening the public with a lengthy tefilla/prayer. If one davens the weekday prayer on Shabbos he must go back and daven again properly. If some sort of mention of Shabbos is made in davening, even if the general weekday nusach/liturgy was used, the person has fulfilled his basic requirement.
If one remembers it is Shabbos while he is in the process of saying the middle part of the weekday Shemoneh Esrey, he should finish the blessing that he has started and then continue to the normal Shabbos nusach. This is because fundamentally one could say the weekday Shemone Esrey with an added mention of Shabbos, therefore a started bracha should be completed.
Interestingly, both the Shabbos Ma’ariv/night and Shabbos Mincha/afternoon prayers’ middle portion begins with the same word as the usual weekday service (“ata”). So, if one says the word “ata,” even with the intent to say the normal weekday nusach, one may continue directly into the appropriate Shabbos Ma’ariv or Mincha service. In the case of Shabbos Shacharis/morning, if one said “ata” to begin the weekday nusach, he should complete that blessing and afterward proceed to the appropriate Shabbos davening.
The halacha is different if one is davening Mussaf/the additional prayer, during which the usual requests found in the weekday service are inappropriate. One who realizes that he is saying the weekday davening should stop immediately (in the middle of the bracha) and proceed with the correct Mussaf nusach.
One should daven the weekday Mincha/afternoon service for Friday before accepting Shabbos. One who has accepted Shabbos, either by lighting candles or otherwise (discussed before), would have to say a second, compensatory Ma’ariv/evening Shemoneh Esrey prayer. The law for a woman depends on her general custom of davening; Rabbinic advice should be sought.
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| Friday, June 26, 2009 / 4 Tamuz 5769 |
Make Yourself a Rav
By: Michael Winner
Once in a while you sort of forget where you are living. Then, out of nowhere, in the middle of davening, you hear heavy machine-gun fire from nearby.
“Oh right”, you think to yourself, “You’re surrounded by people who want to kill you”.
Then you go back to davening… this time with a little bit more concentration.
Okay, on to Torah!
When Korach presented his argument against Moshe, his basic principle was "we're all equal before Hashem".
Korach believed that there was no need to have a Moshe Rabbeinu. What need is there for Moshe when everyone is equal? Right?
Well... we all know what G-d thought of Korach's belief system.
The mishnah in Pirkei Avos states, "Make for yourself a Rav". Everybody needs a rav to go to and to consult. This rav needs to be somebody who is on a higher spiritual level than he is, and he himself needs to have a rav who's bigger than him. A person who refuses to have a LIVING rav, is espousing the same beliefs as Korach: "Nobody is better than I"
My Rosh Yeshiva was once speaking with somebody and asked him who his rav was, "The Klosenberger Rebbe Zt'l".
"Um.... he's not alive..."
"Yeah, but there's nobody out there who can fill his shoes"
The Gemara in Brachos (can’t quote the page since I don't have it in front of me, sorry), states that the leader of every generation should be viewed as if he were Moshe himself. Hashem puts leaders in every generation. Different leaders on different levels for different people. When you think nobody is "good enough", that's the Korach inside of you.
I was once at a wedding with a rav of mine who was the mesader kedushin (i.e. he was given the big honour of running the chuppah). Afterwards, he seemed upset. I asked him why and he replied, "Because I'm not supposed to be the mesader kedushin. By this time in his life, he's supposed to have somebody bigger than I and he doesn't. He's supposed to be further on in his life”. For every level you're on, there is a rav for you.
Find yourself a rav who you can follow and learn from. Understand that while it's true that you have immense potential, there are others who are further ahead than you are and should be learned from and followed.
Have a great Shabbos! |
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| Wednesday, June 24, 2009 / 2 Tamuz 5769 |
Shabbos Bentching
By: Dr. Chaim Levsky
Before we move along to the post-meal, Rabbi Posen makes an important note. Behavior at the Shabbos table should be commensurate with the holiness of the day. It is a beautiful practice to discuss the Parsha/weekly Torah portion and lengthen the meal appropriately. Just as the wife often prepares the food for the meal, the husband should prepare words of Torah to relate at the meal. The length of the meal, however, should not cause excess temptation or opportunity for inappropriate topics of discussion (eg, weekday/work plans, gossip, mindless idle chatter). We will elaborate later on types of discussion forbidden due to Shabbos law.
In Bentching/saying grace after the meal one must insert the additional paragraph regarding Shabbos ("Retzei") before "Uvenei Yerushalaim" (the end of the third bracha/blessing of Bentching). If one forgot to say the paragraph and has started the “Uvenei” part of third bracha the law depends on how much of this blessing was said. If he has not yet said G-d’s name he may go back immediately to Retzei. If he has said G-d’s name but no further he should complete the blessing with the words “lamdeyni chukecha” (so the blessing reads – blessed are You who teaches me Your laws). Then he goes back to Retzei and continues into Uvenei. If he has actually said the word “boney” (after G-d’s name) he should complete this third bracha properly and add a separate, make-up bracha regarding Shabbos before starting the fourth bracha (the text of which is found in many bentchers and siddurim/prayer books).
If, however, one has completed the third bracha and already said the first word (“Boruch”) of the fourth bracha then he should go back to the very beginning of the entire Bentching. Some opinions hold that one must only go back once one has said the word “haKel” and if he has not reached this point he can continue into the special make-up Shabbos bracha, as above.
One should familiarize himself with these complex halachos or at least be careful to use a Bentcher that lists the rules.
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| Monday, June 22, 2009 / 30 Sivan 5769 |
Challah Cover
By: Dr. Chaim Levsky
There is a custom to cover the challah during kiddush. The custom is another allusion to the man/mannah, which was delivered to the Jews in the desert between two layers of dew. As such, the challah should be covered and it should be placed on a cover. Although the tablecloth itself may serve as the bottom cover, many people place the challah on a challah cutting board or plate. The cutting board should preferably be covered.
During hamotzie/the blessing over bread one places the loaves one on top of the other. On Friday night, the bottom challah is cut and at all other times (like Shabbos day, the third Shabbos meal and yomim tovim/holidays) the top challah is cut. (A specific procedure is followed for making hamotzie and eating matza at the Pesach Seder with the 3 matzos.)
Before making the blessing one makes a knife mark in the challah at the location where it will be cut. Since we are careful to use whole loaves (last e-mail), the loaf should not be cut significantly.
Some have the custom to place the challah that is to be cut a bit closer to the person cutting it than the second challah that is not to be cut. This will avoid needlessly "passing over" the mitzva of hamotzie that he could do on the closer loaf in favor of the one further away.
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| Thursday, June 18, 2009 / 26 Sivan 5769 |
Kiddusha Rabba
By: Dr. Chaim Levsky
As we mentioned before, Kiddush is also recited during the day before eating the Shabbos meal. The day Kiddush is a lower level requirement (Rabbinic) as compared to the night Kiddush (Torah law). The day kiddush's nickname ("kiddusha rabba"/the great kiddush) is actually a euphemism.
Even so, the laws of the cup, amount to drink, and requirement to have a juxtaposed meal are the same as at night. One is also not allowed to eat or drink before the morning Kiddush.
The requirement to make Kiddush only starts after davening because one usually eats only after davening and the kiddush should come at the beginning of the meal. Therefore, the prohibition of eating before kiddush only starts after the conclusion of davening.
If eating before davening is prohibited anyway (even during the weekdays) why does this matter? First, one is generally allowed to drink some liquids (like water) before davening. Second, there are leniencies regarding eating before davening for those that are ill or infirm. Someone that needs to eat before davening may be required to make kiddush first. A Rav should be consulted in any case when one needs to eat before davening.
According to many, women have lesser requirements to daven than men, although they usually say a short morning prayer of some sort before eating. When does their requirement to say kiddush commence? According to Dayan Posen, if a women wants to drink something before kiddush she should do so before her short prayer. If she has already said her short prayer but will daven additional tefilos/prayers before she hears kiddush from her husband she may still drink without kiddush. If she will not daven more before kiddush, she should make kiddush and then eat (and she should be sure to fulfill the requirement of a juxtaposed meal -- last e-mail).
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Mere Distractions
By: Michael Winner
I found out what "Yiddishe Nachas" is last week.
On our way home from preschool last Erev Shabbos, Rochel Leah and I were talking about what we were going to do to get ready for Shabbos. At some point I mentioned that Hashem is our special guest on Shabbos and that's why we clean up, dress up, and have special meals.
From that point on, I was hit with questions all sorts of questions, "Where's Hashem's house? Will he go to the neighbors? How does he get to our apartment? etc, etc..."
Fine. I go into trans-dimensional and spiritual physics to explain everything so her 3 1/2 year old brain could understand. Which, of course, she does.
Great.
Then comes Shabbos night, right after I make HaMotzi, after I hand her a piece of Challah. She takes half of it and hands me the other half. "Why don't you eat the whole piece?" I ask. "I want to give that piece to Hashem", she responds.
Ah. Happiness!
Okay, on to Torah!
In this week's parsha, we had the episode of the spies which resulted in the forty year delay of entering Eretz Yisroel.
When the spies entered the land, they noticed funerals wherever they went. Every city they visited, death seemed to have preceded them.
When they reported back to Moshe, they explained what they saw. "The land kills its inhabitants", they complained. Chazal explain that Hashem caused so many funerals to take place, not because it's a land that kills its inhabitants", but rather as a distraction, so the spies would not be noticed.
I heard in the following in the name of Rav Moshe Carlebach and later in the week, by Rav Shlomo Brevda.
When Jewish immigration into the United States took a sharp increase in the early 1900s, another important thing was taking root and growing in the US: sports.
The reason for sports in America says Rav Carlbach and Rav Brevda, was to keep "the inhabitants" distracted while the Jews were able to come in and make a home for themselves.
That's all sports are, a distraction for some who might spend their time causing harm to the Jews. They concluded with the fact that it's sad to see when Jews get caught up in sports. Instead of focusing on Torah and Mitzvos, they focus on a mere distraction that Hashem made for other nations.
When I first heard this, I thought it was great. After all, I don't really follow sports, so therefore I can condemn others while not doing any major changes in my life. Perfect!!
However, the fact is, sports is not the only distraction that Hashem has created on this world. Look around you and I'm sure you can find several more examples of such things and their impact in your personal life.
Perhaps we should take out a little time this Shabbos to see what those distractions are and try to lessen them as much as we can, so we can focus on the important things in life.
Have a great Shabbos! |
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Lechem Mishne
By: Dr. Chaim Levsky
A double portion of man/mannah fell on Fridays so that there would be food for that day and Shabbos (during which the man could not be gathered). As a remembrance we use two loaves of bread (lechem mishne) for hamotzie/the bread blessing at Shabbos meals.
The practice of lechem mishne applies to men and women alike. It applies for each of the three Shabbos meals (although we noted before that one is not strictly required to make hamotzie at all for seuda shlishis/the third meal). In fact, if one opts to have more than 3 bread meals, lechem mishne should be used at all meals.
One can fulfill the requirements of lechem mishne by hearing hamotzie made by another person as long as the reciter and listener have intent and the listener hears every word of the bracha/blessing. Merely eating part of the lechem mishne previously used by another person would not qualify.
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