Beha'aloscha

My wife got a call from her boss the other day, who was clearly in an emotional state.  He told her that as he was leaving the Kotel after davening, a young boy, maybe bar-mitzvah, was crying and asked him to daven for his brother (Elkana ben Ruchama), who has been held in Gaza since Simchas Torah.  He said to my wife, that for many (at least in the center of the country), life has continued.  Yet, we still need to remember that there are many that are still left and suffering in captivity, and never let them out of our thoughts.

I couldn't help but notice the maturity of the boy.  Thousands are taking to the streets to protest the government (as they have for the past several years), demanding new elections (as they have for the past several years) and to give into all of Hamas's demands, in the hope that the rest of the hostages will come home.

I personally would love to see new elections and believe that this government has done a terrible job on many levels (not the army, the government).   Ironically, these same people demonize Netanyahu, and praise Biden, who everybody agrees has caused a lot of problems with the war effort.  Yet, many in the country have no doubt that these protests are only hurting the chances of getting the hostages back and are causing needless strife.

And to be honest, who will this country elect?  Who else has the support of the people?  Each politician is as political and incompetent as the next.  I'm not even sure if it's even possible for the country to do any hishtadlus in the political arena.  And here you have a 13-year-old boy who seems to get it more than so many others.  Instead of wasting time and energy on stupidity, hatred, and, quite frankly, damaging the country by splitting it even more, he goes straight to the Source of all Solutions.

I'm not sure if I'm correct or not, since I don't follow things so closely, but I believe that those that have been released, and their families, who, while in captivity, focused some energy on Hashem, don't take part in these things.  I know of several families/hostages that during and after the ordeal took some mitzvos upon themselves and quietly retired to the side, while those who are … less in touch with their spiritual side, well, in the words of one of the leaders, "I will burn this country down."  Again, I could be wrong, but it's something that I noticed.

My Rosh Yeshiva would often call Hashem, "The Puppet Master."  And those who we think are in charge are merely puppets.  This is true regarding politicians and this is true regarding those on the streets.  It will be interesting to see what will be.  But in the meantime, we must continuously remind ourselves Who controls everything, and in times like these, we need to "go with the flow," strengthen ourselves, and let Hashem take care of things, since clearly we cannot.

Okay, on to more important things.

The original plan was that the first-born would play the role of the Leviim; working in the Beis HaMikdash and helping the Kohanim.  However, after the whole "Golden Calf Scandal," they lost that privilege and the entire tribe of Levi stood up and earned it.  In this week's parsha, when Hashem is telling the nation how He is taking the tribe of Levi "as his," He mentions "Bnei Yisroel" five times in one pasuk.  Rashi brings a Medresh and explains that each mentioning corresponds to one book of the Torah.  The reasoning?  To tell Bnei Yisroel, that even though He is elevating the tribe of Levi, He is NOT demoting the rest of the nation, and that they are still just as dear to Him as they always were.

Here we see that an event occurred, mistakes were made, repercussions were permanent, and yet, Hashem is saying, "Don't worry!  You are still dear to Me!"  Even when we make big mistakes, we are still important, no matter what the consequences were.  This is obviously no different than that of the relationship between parents and children.  Sometimes the child does something which requires, or naturally results in, a major punishment/consequence.  And yet, no matter how disappointed the parents are, they still have a special place in their hearts for their child.

I hope we can all internalize this regarding any mistakes we might have and/or eventually will make.  No matter what we did, we're still dear to Hashem.

With that, I wish you all a quiet and relaxing Shabbos.

This Dvar Torah WAS ready on time... but getting ready for Shabbos was a tad hectic.  So... better late than never.

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My wife works for a small company in Yerushaliyim and had to go in for a 'breakfast meeting' early in the week..  The owner, a chassid with no official higher education, runs the company, and built himself up from zero to … well, very well off.  He's an amazing person who is always taking care of his clients and his workers.  When working on testimonials, she was amazed to hear how he single-handedly saved people from losing hundreds of thousands of shekels, when he could have simply kept his mouth shut and let things ride, making life easier for him.  He told everybody that that night he is heading off to Europe for a "quick day trip" to the graves of two tzaddikim who passed away that day.  If anybody has anything to daven for, they could write it down, and he would bring them with him.  My wife asked him to daven for something a friend of ours is going through, without going into detail, and when he came back he left her a message, "I left a few tears for them there."  This is a wonderful example of what a mentch looks like.  There's a sensitivity here that we can all learn from.

"The people would go about and gather it, grind it between millstones or pound it in a mortar, boil it in a pot, and make it into cakes. It tasted like rich cream" (Bamidbar 11: 8).

Rashi comments that the mun did not fall into the pots or other cooking utensils.  Rather, they gathered it, ground it, and baked/cooked it, and that's what changed its taste.

I always had a question: we know (and I apologize, I don't have the source here) that the mun tasted like whatever the person wanted it to taste like, yet the pasuk explicitly says what it tasted like.  It sounds a bit contradictory.  However, from this Rashi, perhaps we can understand that the natural taste of the mun was like "rich cream," yet after they cooked or baked it, the taste changed to whatever they wanted.

Rav Shimshon Pincus also notes a very interesting point to learn from this Rashi on life.  The taste of the mun only came from the grinding, baking and cooking; from the working of the mun.  And this is no different then any other undertaking a person makes, spiritual or physical.  A person only gets a taste" of success if he works for it.

Somebody might want to learn an entire mesechta of Gemara, but has a hard time with it.  So, he will come up with a prize and he will only get that prize at the end.  After months of hard work, he finishes the mesechta and he receives his prize.  So, now he has two forms of simcha: one, he knows that he worked hard and accomplished his goal.  Second, because he worked so hard for it, the simcha he receives from the prize is much more than the simcha he would have received from the prize without the work.

This works with dieting as well.  The ice cream sundae a person eats when he is not on a diet, does not taste the same as after the one he gets for losing 15 pounds.  There's an extra "taste" in that ice cream that doesn't exist in other ice creams.

The true joy (for a mature human being, not so much for children) that we get in life is after working hard for something.  A person who receives a prize for doing something easy or finding cheats to win … in general they don't feel as if they earned it.  Yes, they got a prize, but it's without the inner satisfaction that he truly worked for it.

This gives us an important piece of insight into human behavior and also gives us a nice tool to motivate us to succeed in difficult projects.

I hope you HAD a wonderful Shabbos!

How exciting!  My oldest daughter received her first draft notice for the army!

The morning after receiving it, I went to a rav here to ask him about it.  When I told him what we received, he started telling me what I need to do so she can get an exemption.  I stopped him in the middle and said, "I'm not asking about that; I'm asking about the fight that we're in.  She wants to join the regular army and I want her to join the air force."  He looked at me for a moment, smiled, and replied, "For sure the air force!  That's not a question."

Thankfully, we live in a sexist society where men and women are treated differently.  For a religious woman, she needs to get a letter from a religious court that states that she's religious, and she'll receive a life-long exemption.  Boys on the other hand, must report to the army, I believe, twice a year, to confirm their status as yeshiva students in order to push off the draft, until they are too old and useless.  Where are the feminists now?

I have yet to receive an exemption or draft notice. However, I'm thinking about volunteering.  The idea of sleeping more than I am now, a vacation from my children, the ability to shoot and blow things up, get regular exercise, eat regularly, and not have to pay a shekel?  I don't know, it sounds pretty darn tempting.

This week's parsha contains one of my favourite topics: Pesach Sheini.  It's something that happens to be special regarding offerings, and stands out with many lessons to be learned.

When Moshe commanded the nation to bring their Pesach Offering, there were some who were unable to because they were ritually impure at the time.  So, officially, they had an exemption from the mitzvah.   However, we see that they were not satisfied with this and asked, "Why should we lose out from the mitzvah?"  In turn, Moshe turned to Hashem for guidance in this case, and Hashem informed him that there is something called Pesach Sheini, a "second Pesach," for those who were impure or out of the country on Pesach.  A second chance, if you will.

My Rosh Yeshivah, as I've mentioned here before, would use this to learn about the potential of a person.  Rav Shimshon Pincus took a similar, yet different approach.

Many times, a person will say to himself, "I would love to learn on this level, do mitzvos on that level, daven with concentration, etc., however, I'm older now, it's harder, I have too many things in life, let's be real, I can't reach such levels."

Pesach Sheini teaches us the opposite.  "Why should we lose out?"

Does a person who grew up non-religious and became religious later in life, believe that Hashem put him in that situation to simply grow a little and then give up?  Does Hashem think so little of such a person?

Or a person who grew up religious, yet for whatever reason (and there are many), didn't not grow in a way that he could have.  Does Hashem think so little of such a person that he cannot pick himself up?

Pesach Sheini, says Rav Pincus, teaches us that "it's never too late."  Life is not like some video game that if you rescue the princess at the end you win, and if you don't, you lose.  Life is about constant growth. And if a person did not do that earlier, he has no less of an obligation to do it later.

In fact, if anything, we can see it's deeper than simply an obligation.  They complained, "Why should we lose out?" It's not about obligation, it's about losing out.  A person who refuses to grow, loses out himself, whether in this world, the next, or both.  Forget obligations to Hashem!  What about our obligations to ourselves?

With this, may we never fall into the trap of giving up on ourselves, no matter what stage in life we are at.

Have a wonderful Shabbos!  

"When the Ark was to set out, Moshe would say: Advance, O Lord! May Your enemies be scattered, And may Your foes flee before You!" (Bamidbar 10: 35) 

My wife's friend had a meeting with one of Israel's top defense officials (don't ask, she has a cool job, which requires a doctorate).  In this meeting he described the current state of the Israeli army, which in his opinion, was extremely poor (he is in the perfect position to know … though as a note, there are those she met with who disagree).  He explained to her that if/when Hezbollah decides to open up in the north, it will basically make the recent clashes in Gaza look like child's play.  He went into detail on what will most likely happen (several hundred rockets/missiles a day) and how exactly the army will be unable to cope nor evacuate its citizens from the danger.  He explained that unfortunately, they have not updated their doctrine enough and commanders are too busy covering up their own failures instead of learning from them.  In her words to my wife, "We're dead." 

I was recently in contact with a friend of mine living in the center of the country.  He moved here several years before me, joined the army, got married, built a family, etc. He once told me that "the best way one can divest themselves of being a Zionist is to join the army."  Believe it or not, I've heard that from several former die-hard Zionists.  In our communications, he was telling me how sick he has become with the current government and doesn't trust anybody to run this country anymore.  I believe that's probably the general feeling right now throughout the nation.

The recent "victory" over Hamas this past week proved that Israel is simply unable to roundly defeat their enemies who have publicly sworn to destroy the Jews time and time again.

This is not necessarily a fault with the government.  As we see, the government of Israel, frankly, does not control Israel.  The United States controls Israel.  The United Nations controls Israel.  Hamas controls Israel.  Hezbollah controls Israel.  University campuses control Israel.  The Israeli government and army commanders THINK they control themselves, but we see over and over, that Israel, in the end, is not allowed to take control of its own destiny.

Which basically buries Theodore Herzl's dream.

I'm not saying that the army should just lay down it's arms, of course.  When a person comes and attacks you, you have an obligation to defend yourself.

However, we see a worldwide rise in anti-Semitism.  Not only in the streets, but also in the US Congress and within the governments of other nations.  And it's acceptable, normal, and growing.  The news media, well, we know where they stand.

We’re living in a no-win situation.

It's a clear reminder, that no matter where we live, we are still in exile and still under the control of the other nations.

No matter how loud we chant "Never Again!," no matter how much money we pour into Holocaust education, or the Israeli army, or how many other ways we try to take control over our destiny, in the end, history can, and I fear will, repeat itself.  Hitler killed 6 million Jews.  Up until a few years ago, and maybe even today, people think that such a thing cannot happen again.  But, we're seeing more and more, that it could.  And not only that, we can see exactly how such a thing can easily happen.

So, we can continue to proudly bang on our chests and show our defiance to the world, and put our faith in the Iron Dome, the army, humanity, or what not.  Or, we can start to realize that really only Hashem Himself can end this exile once and for all.

Each person must find what they can do spiritually to help the situation.  Usually, this involves improving davening, since only our tefillos (and mitzvos) have true control over what happens in this world.  And in the end, any improvement in our davening, ultimately improves ourselves as well.

What can we do about this practically speaking?  Good question.

We put a program on the computer that sounded an alert and told us where sirens were going off in real-time.  So, every time it went off, everybody was "forced" to stop what they were doing, knowing that thousands of Jews were currently under attack.  Sometimes we said Tehillim or simply asked Hashem to watch over them.  I admit, it resulted in my youngest having some sleeping problems, but, it drove home the point on what people are experiencing and to where we must turn our energies.

Last year the government started a pilot program to direct funds through the schools so they can hire help for students who need a little extra help, instead of parents having to find it outside the school system.  One of my kids was eligible and my wife jumped through all the hoops she needed (which were many) and we were given the "okay."

In September, we saw that the school wasn’t doing anything regarding this, and contacted them to find out what was going on.  Now the school has some good teachers, but the administrative side of the school and the system it belongs to is…to put it nicely…lacking.  I won’t go into all the details, but between incompetence, laziness, and the complete lack of organization and responsibility, on practically every level, we were, for months, being thrown around in circles with one excuse after another.  It turns out that the school/system never asked for, and thereby never received the money from the proper government offices to hire the help.

Finally, at the end of December they told us that all was set and fine.  However, it took us two months to realize that everything was NOT all set and fine.  We were about to go into the fire once more, until Corona struck, which actually made us happy, since we couldn’t do anything about it anymore.

Well, after things started to return to "normal," we got back on the case.  This time however, we found somebody sympathetic to our cause, who said that they will try to help us, on condition that nobody knows about it, since they have access to certain people in certain offices, and if others learned that this person was going behind their backs…well…they didn’t need that headache.

Within the next three weeks, this person made a few calls, told us who to call, who to write to, how to write the letters, etc., and in the end, everything is organized and the money is ready to be transferred.  We accomplished in three weeks what the administration didn’t do in nine months.

Then this person told us, “Listen, you’ll be getting a call from the school in the next few days telling you that everything is organized and ready to begin.  It is important to thank them very much for all the hard work they did on your behalf.”

We were in shock!  They didn’t accomplish a thing!  Yes, they probably made a few calls at first and then dropped the ball, but from what we saw, they spent more time covering themselves than actually attempting to solve the problem.  We had another list of words we would prefer to use when they called, but this person explained the reasoning behind it, and unfortunately, they were correct.

So, when they called, my wife calmed herself down and put on a good show.  To which they took the thanks and then informed us that now that they organized getting the finances through, WE are responsible for finding the actual help (which is their job, but we’re certainly not going to let them do it given their record).

We were very upset.  Here we are, taking time from our work to do their work without their knowing, THEN we had to thank them for all the hard work they did to make things happen. 

I mean, I know Israeli bureaucracy is bad, but THIS?!  It’s been hard to swallow.

But, then I got thinking.

Doesn’t Hashem do the same thing for us all the time?  He gives us income, which we attribute to our own hard work, then when we give tzedakkah, we expect "thanks" for it, in the form of more good in this world.  We’re given good health, but take credit for ourselves, through our diets, exercise, or our natural metabolism.  Yet, do we acknowledge the One who gave this gift to us?  We are given families, we are given comforts, we are given many good things, and we refuse to look a little closer and acknowledge the good that we have received is something we have RECEIVED.  Yeah, we did a "few phone calls," but really, when you look at things carefully, in many cases, you can see the Hand of Hashem involved.

Just a little thought the crossed my mind.

Have a wonderful Shabbos!

I was speaking to one of the members in the kollel and I asked him where the person who he learns with is.  It’s been a few days since I saw him.  He said that he wasn’t so sure himself, but he knew he had a lot of things to take care of.  So I said, “So, he’s like Batman…you just never know where he is and what he’s doing.”  He gave me this look, and I said, “You do know who Batman is, don’t you?”  “I've heard about him, but I don’t know who he is."

So, we discussed this a bit, being that THE ENTIRE WORLD knows who Batman is, except for the Ultra-Orthodox Israelis (my kids included).  He finished off with, “I do remember as a kid, seeing something about the ‘Zavei Ninja.’”  I took me a second to get through with that translation: “Ninja Turtles.”  I said, “You probably thought it was some weird, crazy, American thing, right?” “Oh, yeah….”

This week’s parsha opens up with the mitzvah of the lighting of the Menorah every morning in the Beis HaMikdash.

The Gemara (Shabbos 23b) says that a person who regularly lights the candles will merit that his children will become Torah scholars.  The Gemara continues to explain that these candles are the candles of Shabbos, Chanukah, and the Beis HaMikdash (or today, the synagogue).

He explains that there are several ways one can do this.  One is to help pay for the electric bill of the synagogue.  By doing so, he is enabling people to daven and learn Torah.  Also, by being the first in shul in the morning, by turning on the lights, you are also "enabling" people to daven and learn.

He cites a Midrash that states that Shaul was given the kingship in the merit of his grandfather who used to light torches in the streets so the public had lit streets to walk through at night.  Rav Pincus suggested (and this is really only applicable in Israel), that in residential buildings where there are no lights at night in the stairwell, many people put up lights for the building and connect it to their personal electric network.  So, while they are paying a bit extra, every other family in the building benefits.

I want to add my own non-novelty.  The Gemara, further down the page, writes that the main reason for Shabbos candles is Shalom Bayis (Peace in the Home).  By having a lit home, people will simply not bump into each other!  Things can be accomplished!  If the house is dark, nobody will be happy.

So, I suggest, and obviously it’s nothing new under the sun, but if Shabbos Candles = Shalom Bayis, then Shabbos Candles = Shalom Bayis => Children who are Torah Scholars.

Of course, it’s not a sure thing.  There are plenty of couples who have good Shalom Bayis, but whose children have not turned out the way they wanted. But I have noticed in life that many people who have turned out to be Torah scholars, tend to credit both parents and a warm home to their success.

The Torah world is not a big fan of, what we called in high-school, PDA (Public Displays of Affection).  Married couples in the Torah world should not, and do not, display affection for each other in public or even within the home in front of the children.  However, we were always taught that it was important that SOME levels are shown to the children, that show some subtle hints that there is a bond between the husband and wife, which they alone share.  Simple things like when sitting on the couch, sitting together and not opposite ends.  Things like pats on the back, taps on the shoulders (or in my case, putting a plastic cockroach on her shoulder).  True, they don’t seem like anything “romantic,” but when children see these acts, subconsciously, they see that there is a special connection between their parents.

Of course, true Shalom Bayis goes far, far deeper than that, and requires far, far more work (especially for the woman who has to put up with the man), but the important part is that having this Shalom Bayis and the children's KNOWING that there is true Shalom Bayis, will certainly help you raise children who are Bnei Torah.

Have a great Shabbos!

Michael Winner

I’m a big fan of Jews for Jesus.

Sometimes, when the music isn’t keeping me awake, I like to listen to a little Jews for Jesus while I work.  Usually, it’s followed up by Jews for Judaism and their response.  I don’t have to listen too deeply, and at the same time, it keeps me awake.

I always thought that Jews for Jesus was basing themselves off of misinterpretations, misunderstandings, and a simple lack of Jewish education.  But, there are some very intelligent leaders out there, with all sorts of degrees that fit the field of religion.  However, the more I hear, the more I understand that it’s based off of complete falsehood.

For example, one of the big J for J guys in Israel claims that he comes from a “very Orthodox family in Bnei Brak” and his father was so big, that he was a “member of the Sanhedrin”.  He was raised in California (around 45 years ago), when his father took a position there.  And there in California (around 45 years ago), he learned in a “very Orthodox” school, as a child, for 12 hours a day, learning “the Talmud and Zohar”…. As a child… in a “very Orthodox” school…in California… around 45 years ago…

Now, anybody with a half a Jewish brain, will already be able to pick holes in his “testimony”, but the Evangelical Christians lap it up and send him more money.

I’m simply in the wrong field.

How are they so successful in what they do?  They prey on the uneducated and they use falsehood to do it.  Complete and udder falsehood.  All one needs to do, is take a few of their claims, RESEARCH IT, and then realize that they made up half of the story.  Not misunderstood, but literally, made it up.

Did you know, for example, that the rabbis forbid certain chapters for us to learn, such as Psalm 2 or Isaiah 53?  They are known as the “Forbidden chapters”.  The rabbis forbade us from learning them, because they prove that J is the real Messiach.  I didn’t know they were forbidden.  Did you?

There are plenty of other examples that with only a few minutes of research one can see how things are made up and peddled to the uneducated.  Such as their list of “Orthodox Rabbis” that believed in J.  Some are not Orthodox, some are not Rabbis.  Some have stories that are made up. Some don’t even have last names, lest you come to identify them.  But what does truth matter?

In this week’s parsha, Yehoshua Ben Nun complains to Moshe about Eldad and Medad, who were having prophesy.  He wanted them to stop, and Moshe replied, “I only wish that all of G-d’s people would have the gift of prophecy!”

Judaism’s belief is that truth wins out in the end.  We want all our children to receive the best Jewish education possible.  We believe in asking questions and heavy research.  J for J runs off of falsehood, because they simply have no truth.   That’s why this “Messianic Rabbi”, had to make up a whole story about his father, the “Member of the Sanhedrin”, and how he learned Talmud and the Zohar as a young child being trained in the arts of a Sanhedrin Rabbi (his story reminded me of the Stonecutters… two points for those who understand that)

In Israel, there is a lot of outreach going on.  The evil Ultra-Orthodox are working overtime!  But what is the goal of the outreach professionals?  Simple.  Get people to come to the shul or the kollel to sit and learn.  That’s it.  When a person sits and learns Torah, he begins to ask questions and receive answers.  I know of many people here who grew up non-religious and became religious simply by learning.  Not by attractive outings and retreats, but by simple sitting down and learning.

The more educated a person is, the less likely he is to fall into the traps of these groups, whether they be Messianic Judaism, Open-Orthodoxy, Reform or whatever.  The problem is when people are “half-baked” (they know some, but not a lot, but think that they know enough) or not even “baked”.  Those a prime targets for these groups.  If a person can make himself “fully-baked”, he can easily withstand these groups and properly teach his children as well.

Have a great Shabbos!

One of the joys of having a boy who’s about to turn two, is having a boy who’s about to turn two.

My son was . . . "bothering" me the other day.  “Abba!” “Abba!” “Abba!” just following me around, showing me things, as if he liked me or something.  I couldn’t even walk into the washroom, without his following.  So, I bent down, and told him to go kiss mommy (who was lying on the couch, attempting to relax for ten minutes), a big hug and kiss.  His eyes went wide open, followed by a big smile.  My wife was awake, but her eyes were closed, so she never saw what was coming.  It seems he decided to pull a chair up next to the couch, climb on, and in “WWF-style,” he launched himself off and belly-flopped on my wife.  All I heard was the loud “OOOOOOFFF!” emanating from my wife.

Boys are REALLY fun sometimes.

In this week’s parsha, the Jewish nation complains to Moshe regarding the mun that they ate.  They compared it to the “cucumbers, onions, and garlic” that they enjoyed in Egypt.  In response, Hashem sent a flock of quail to the camp.  They ate and ate, until they started to die.  Why was Hashem’s response so harsh compared to their complaints?

The Chizkuni writes that “cucumbers” refers to the side dishes that they ate.  “Onions” refers to the extra spices they used.  And “garlic” refers to the dips that they used.  The mun . . . it was fine . . . but it was missing the "extras"!

Before Adam sinned, he had no desire for physical luxuries.  Only after he listened to the snake, and his spiritual falling, did he start to have such cravings.  The Shelah HaKodesh writes that the bondage of Egypt was supposed to remove this desire for luxuries.  It was supposed to purge them of this, so they would be better prepared to serve Hashem.  When the Jewish nation started to complain of such things, it was a sign that the bondage did not truly do its job.

Therefore, Hashem gave them such an enormous amount of "luxuries" that they got sick of it and started to desire a more basic lifestyle.

This of course, raises the famous question.  The Gemara states that a person will be punished for not enjoying the world that Hashem gives him.  If so, how does this work with the above lesson?

The answer is quite simple.  What is a person’s direction?  If he wants to use this world to satisfy his desires, he has a problem.  If he wants to use this world in his desire to serve Hashem, all is good.

I saw that Rav Shimshon Pincus was once in the home of Rav Soleveitchik (I forgot which one).  The rav followed a certain stringency regarding fruit, fruit juices, and Trumah (tithes) here in Eretz Yisroel.  Therefore, he never once had one of those fruit-tasting sweets that one sucks on.  One day, Rav Pincus was in his home, and he pulled out one of those candies from his pocket.  He explained he had just found it and confirmed that it was from outside of Eretz Yisroel and therefore caused no problems for him.  He also mentioned the above Gemara about enjoying Hashem’s world.  He then closed his eyes, made a brachah, and put it in his mouth.  After a few moments, he replied (something along the lines of), “Nu, nu . . . it wasn’t really worth the wait.”

It wasn’t so much he didn’t enjoy it, but the point of the story was that he specifically had it in order to enjoy this world.

So, enjoyment of this world is fine.  But HOW and WHY you enjoy this world, is the real question.

Have a wonderful Shabbos!

Michael Winner

In Shema, we read, “Teach them thoroughly to your children and speak of them while you sit in your home, while you walk on the way . . .”

Being that we don’t own a car, I do a lot of “walking on the way.” This “semester” in the kollel we’ve been learning the halachos of mezuzah, in depth. It’s actually a very interesting subject (which surprised me . . . Israeli submarines need them, by the way, and it’s a big question whether the gates of the Old City of Yerushaliyim should have them). Now, wherever I walk, I see different types of doors, gates, and other things that are questionable. So, I find myself stopping, looking and thinking about each thing and whether there is an obligation or not, and if so, where. One of the joys of learning practical halacha in-depth.

“The rabble that was among them cultivated a craving, and the Children of Israel also turned, and they wept and said, ‘Who will feed us meat? We remember the fish that we would eat in Egypt free of charge . . . .” (Bamidbar 11:4-5)

The above pasuk is not translated correctly. It is how it is commonly translated, but it is not entirely correct. Really, the ending should read, “We remember the fish that we WILL eat . . .”

I once heard a talk from Rav Yaakov Leonard, who quoted somebody (whose name I don’t know) from Los Angeles, who explains the pasuk as follows:

“We remember, when we were in Egypt, how we thought we were going to eat fish for free.”

Being that they were not remembering the fish they ATE, nor is it possible to remember the fish that they were GOING to eat, but they remember how in Egypt that THOUGHT that they WILL be eating fish for free, and that THOUGHT is what they remember. They thought that they were going to be “living it up,” not realizing that freedom from Egypt will be replaced with Torah and mitzvos.

What do we learn from here? One lesson for two groups of people.

The first lesson goes to those in Jewish outreach, who teach the non-religious or those who are on the weaker-end. A person cannot make promises that do not exist in the Torah. One cannot promise somebody, “Yeah, if you become religious, your life will be like X, Y & Z.” Sometimes, promises of “Your life will be wonderful and smooth and you’ll have no worries,” are, in reality, tricking a person. A person should be keeping the Torah because it is truth and it WILL lead you to greater heights. However, it does not necessarily mean that it’s an easy, smooth ride. Years down the road, the same person might turn around and say, “Hey! I remember those promises on what life was going to be like, and it’s not!” It’s one of the biggest pitfalls that an outreach worker can fall into.

This lesson can be and should be applied to us on an individual level as well. When we work hard to improve ourselves in whatever aspects, we must remain cognizant that the results might not look as "romantic" as we thought they would be. One shouldn’t think, once I work on this, then certain issues in my life will go away, because if they don’t, depression can easily follow. Our job is to work hard on whatever issues we have, but we should never be discouraged if the results are not what we expected. Sometimes it’s the battle that we wage that is what is important to Hashem, not necessarily the outcome.

We should always move forward, davening for success, but at the same time knowing that even if that success is not as sweet as we thought it would be, we must continue to move forward.

Have a wonderful Shabbos!

Had an interesting shock this morning.

A friend of mine got his license just over a year ago and wanted to rent a car for the first time to take his family to his parents’ for Shabbos. Given that he just received his first credit card, he was worried that there wouldn’t be enough credit for the deposit. Therefore, he asked if I can come along, and if needed, use my card. Fine. No problem. As he was going through the processes of getting the card, the lady says to him, “Your license is only a year old and the company policy [like all rental companies] is not to rent cars until a person has two years’ experience.” The manager, who was sitting right next to her said, “No, it’s okay. He’s chareidi (ultra-Orthodox). For them the company allows just a year.”

I was taken more than a bit by surprise on that one. I explained that in the States, something like that is completely illegal and will have a company thrown in court. But here? No problem! And the workers at the rental company were completely secular and seemed to have no issues either.

I’ve heard that chareidim also have an easier time getting mortgages from banks. But I understand that. I once read an interview with a CEO of one of the major Israeli banks. He explained that the chareidim in general have, statistically, shown that paying off their mortgage on time to be a priority and rarely default on their loans, compared to the other sectors in society.

I assume that the reason this company has exceptions for chareidim is because, on average, most chareidim get their licenses when they are already in the mid-twenties.

Either way, I found the whole thing to be quite amusing.
In this week’s parsha, the Jewish nation complained about the mun that fell every morning, which they used for their daily food. They Chikzuni explains that when they “remembered the cucumbers” that they ate in Egypt, that is referring to the side dishes, the “onions” refers to the extra spices, and the “garlic” refers to the dips. They were complaining that in the desert they had only the basics and were missing the “luxuries” that they had in Egypt. In the end, Hashem sent a devastating response, but gave them more than an abundance of food so that many filled themselves to death.

What was the cause of such a harsh punishment? The Shelah explains that the reason we were sent to Egypt was to sever our desires for luxuries and be satisfied with the basics in life. When people started complaining, it became clear that that lesson was not settled yet in the Jewish heart. Therefore, Hashem sent them such a surplus that they ended up desiring the basics.

Rav Aryeh Brueckheimer asks a famous question: If Hashem gives us such a beautiful world to enjoy, why should we limit ourselves in it? Shouldn’t we “try everything out”? In fact, the Gemara itself says that a person will be held accountable for everything that he saw and didn’t eat, when it was permissible to eat”!

He answers very simply: It depends on one’s motivations. If he’s motivated by luxuries and fulfilling his physical desires, then that’s a problem. However, if a person can control himself and use these luxuries for mitzvos (such as Shabbos and Yom Tov) then we can enjoy them.

So, during the week, a person should do his best to limit himself to the basics. But for mitzvos, it’s always best to put in something extra.

Have a great Shabbos!

Michael Winner

One of the positive points of living within the Chareidi world in Israel, is the ability to minimize the damage that modern technology brings. While, of course, it’s impossible to get away from it completely, the community here has been able to shield itself from issues to a certain extent. For example, it has become an accepted practice to have kosher phones (i.e. non-smart phones which only make phone calls). Limited or non-existent internet in the home is more the norm than the exception. I, for example, are one of the minority of people from the kollel that has a computer in his home, especially one with internet (filtered, of course). My children know that we have one, but they also know that if they were to touch it, they would end up losing a hand or two to my wrath. It’s for work and not for play… especially their play.

Do these things work 100% for everybody? No, but it helps.

For example, just the other day my daughter told us about this new technology she saw somebody use… it’s called a “Hi Phone”…

Okay, on to Torah.
“’We are ritually unclean as result of contact with the dead,’ the men said to Moshe. ‘But why should we lose out and not be able to present G-d’s offering at the right time, along with the other Jews?’” (Bamidbar 9:7)

In this week’s parsha, the Torah gives over the laws of Pesach Sheni. If a person was too far away or was ritually unclean, then they were unable to bring the Korban Pesach (Pesach Offering) on Pesach itself. When this law was originally taught, several men came to Moshe and complained: “Why should we lose out because we are currently ritually unclean? We also want to participate in this mitzvah!” Moshe brought this argument to Hashem and Hashem said that they were correct. For those who were unable to bring the Korban because of a situation out of their control; one month after Pesach, will be Pesach Sheni, and they will have the opportunity to bring the korban as if they did so on Pesach itself.

The Lekutei Halachos learns a very important lesson from here. A Jew, who is steeped in all sorts of sins, can cry out to Hashem say, “My soul is impure with my evil actions, but why should I lose out in becoming close to you??”

Pesach night itself is a night without comparison. The amount of holiness that flows down on that night alone is not comparable to any other night of the year. The spiritual power that a person can receive on Pesach night is not possible to receive on any other night. However, there is one exception. On Pesach Sheni. If a person was unable to bring his korban and brought his korban a month later, he will receive the same “spiritual nourishment”.

So too with teshuvah. The “main” time for teshuvah is Yom Kippur, however, it can be used throughout the year. When we are wallowing in sin, no matter how deep it might be, we ALWAYS have the ability to cry out “Why should I lose out?!?!”, and through learning Torah and davening, Hashem will gladly pick us up and help us out. A person should never lose sight of that power that is in his hands.

Have a great Shabbos!

“According to the word of Hashem would the Children of Israel journey, and according to the word of Hashem would they encamp” (Bamidbar 9:18)

My Rosh Yeshiva would often use this pasuk in relationship with Hashem’s “hand” in this world. When we “set up camp” according to Hashem, we will always have his guidance. When we follow halacha and push ourselves to grow, Hashem protects us from any fallout.

Rav Zilberstein recalls a story of an eighth-grader who was secular, but was growing in his Judaism. His mother, who originally came from a religious home, was happy, but his father, who was anti-religious, was not. For a long time, the boy would sneak to the local kollel after school and had excuses ready for his father when he went to daven.

Finally, the father found out that his son was becoming religious and became furious. His main targets of his anger were the members of the kollel, who had the audacity to teach his son Torah and help him grow. The father, a prominent figure in the city, promised to use his power to shut down the kollel. The members of the kollel went to Rav Zilberstein for advice. After giving practical advice on how to handle the situation, he added, “You should not be afraid that the father will destroy your place of learning, because Hashem has already given us His promise, ‘and My words that I have placed in your mouth shall not be withdrawn from your mouth’ (Yeshayah 59:21)’”

As we know, there are two people who hold high government positions, looking to tear down Torah education. They hide their intentions with slogans such as “sharing the burden” (in reference to forcing the religious to join the army… of course, one of those politicians worked in the army newspaper for his ‘duty’… really ‘sharing the burden’ there…), and declaring that they are “only trying to help the religious get jobs” and stop them from burdening society. (Currently, a kollel member receives $200 a month as a stipend from the government. Rent can be approximately $650-$700 a month. And unlike university students and governmental employees, the kollel system has surprise visits from government officials who take attendance…. just to put things in perspective.) There is one thing that the religious Zionists/ ultra-Orthodox world agree on politically at this point in time: both of these politicians are out to tear down the Torah camp in Israel, despite their declarations to the contrary.

Despite all the tumalt that they cause, I have no doubt that as long as there is a high percentage of the Torah world working in Torah (“professionally” in kollel, or on their time off from work), people like this will only fall to the wayside as they have in the path. As long as we set up out camp according to Hashem’s word, “My words that I have placed in your mouth shall not be withdrawn”.

Have a great Shabbos!