Teachers



Art: Jacob Taanmann

Yarzheit: 11 Teves - In memory of two great teachers: Ze'ev Yosef ben Sholom a"h and Rochel bas Mordechai a"h  who tragically left this world on December 20, 2007 - we miss you and think of you every day.

Tzadikim never die, their light continues to shine forever.

"Teach them thoroughly to your children" [Devarim 6:7] - "your children" refers to your students. [Sifrei]

"Whoever teaches another man's son Torah is considered as if he had borne him." [Sanhedrin 19b]

A talmid once approached R' Chaim Shmulevitz to relate a chiddush (original Torah thought). R' Chaim listened to the student in amazed silence. The "chiddush" was, in fact, an idea which R' Chaim himself had offered in a shiur (lecture) which this student had attended.

R' Chaim was certain that the student was not trying to deceive him. There could only be one explanation. The student had absorbed R' Chaim's lecture well, but after a period of time, had forgotten having attended it. Later, when reviewing the relevant material, the student had thought of R' Chaim's chiddush, thinking that it was his own.

R' Chaim later remarked: "I then realized that here was a real talmid, assimilating my chiddushim in his thoughts as if they were his very own! It was the happiest day of my life!"

Ever Mindful

When still active as Rosh Yeshivah of Mesivta Torah Vodaath, R' Yaakov Kamenetzky once visited the home of his son R' Shmuel. Late at night, R' Shmuel heard his father leave his second-floor bedroom and go downstairs.

Concerned, R' Shmuel made his way downstairs, only to find his father jotting something down in a pocket notebook. R' Yaakov explained: "A certain bochur in yeshivah has been having some problems. I just thought of a way to help him. I jotted it down in my appointment book to make sure that I won't forget."

How Can I Leave?

The weddings of his talmidim were of particular importance to R' Moshe Feinstein. One Friday morning, someone met him in New York's Port Authority bus terminal, waiting to board a bus to the annual convention of Agudath Israel.

It seemed hard to believe that a car had not been provided to take R' Moshe to the convention. R' Moshe's companion explained: "Certainly a car was provided. The Rosh Yeshivah was to be driven to the convention last night, following the chuppah at a talmid's wedding. The car was waiting after the ceremony ended, but the Rosh Yeshivah said: "How can I leave without first dancing with the chassan?" He insisted that the car, which was to pick up other Roshei Yeshivah, not wait for him, and he would not trouble anyone to come for him a second time."

For a Student's Honour

R' Eliyahu Moshe Shisgal (late son-in-law of R' Moshe Feinstein) was a revered and beloved Rosh Yeshivah. Once, during a lecture, a student disputed a point that R' Shisgal had made. The student's remarks seemed so ludicrous that the rest of the class burst into laughter.

R' Shisgal chastised his students. "Why do you laugh? Is this the proper way? Besides, how can one be sure that what he suggested is wrong? Perhaps it is we who are in error?"

Having spoken, R' Shisgal excused himself and left the room, returning a few minutes later with a gemara that he had climbed two flights of stairs to get. He read aloud a passage from the commentary of Rashi and concluded "It is apparent from Rashi that our explanation is correct." The student who had posed the question no longer felt chagrined.

Source: Rabbi Shimon Finkelman "For Love of Torah"

Confronting the Truth

Parshas VaYigash: Rav Moshe Shternbuch -

The Medrash says that when Judgement day comes, we will not be able to stand up to the "Tochacha" - the rebuke from Hashem. We learn this from the Shvatim who couldn't bear the embarrassment of learning that Yosef was alive. 

Rav Moshe Shternbuch says that we see from here that the most painful rebuke is not a good screaming at, but rather being forced to confront the truth. Yosef did not scream or threaten, rather he softly told them that he is their brother whom they tried to destroy. 

Upon seeing how wrong they were, they experienced the worst embarrassment of their lives.

Similarly says Rav Shterbuch in the name of the Baal Shem Tov HaKadosh,the pasuk in Tehilim says, "Kel Nekamos Hashem". At the end of time Hashem will avenge those who have sinned against him. How? 

The pasuk continues "Kel Nekamos Hofia". Hashem's revenge is simply to appear! 

After all of history when Hashem finally reveals Himself openly to the entire world, everyone will be be mortally embarrassed when they grasp the lowliness for each and every one of their sins.

Source: Revach

Moon and Venus - Wow

Photo: Pete Lawrence

Photo: Pete Lawrence

70 Nations Gathering Against Israel

HT: Dov Bar Leib

As we know, Gog u Magog represents the ''70 nations'' of the world against Israel.  On January 15th 70 Nations Will Gather In Paris To Discuss The Creation Of A Palestinian State.

And then there's this:  UN Follows Up Settlement Vote with ''Blacklist'' Plan for Israeli Companies.

So they will meet in Paris..... and coincidentally I am halfway through Sarah's Key..... the story of a young Jewish girl caught up in the Vel' d'Hiv Roundup -  a Nazi directed raid and mass arrest of Jews in Paris by the French police, code named Opération Vent printanier ["Operation Spring Breeze"] on 16 and 17 July 1942.  The French already have a lot of atoning to do.

Just as the UN vote occurred on Chanukah, to hint that we are going to be victorious and experience miracles, so too the venue for the ''Gathering Against Israel'' contains hints to the Moshiach.

The Hebrew for France is צָרְפַת which has a gematria of 770:  770 is gematria PARATZA, as in “and you shall burst forth - PARATZTA - westward, eastward, northward and southward” [Genesis 28:14]. PARATZTA [770] is Mashiach, as in “the one who breaks forth has gone up before them” [Micha 2:13]. Rashi: “This is their savior”.  See: Vision of Geulah

Anticipating Redemption

Artist Unknown

By Rabbi Chanan Morrison: From the writings of Rabbi Abraham Isaac haKohen Kook

There are six measures, the Sages taught, by which we are judged:

“When brought for heavenly judgment, one is questioned: ‘Were your business dealings honest? Did you set fixed hours for Torah study? Did you engage in procreation? Did you anticipate redemption? Did you discuss wisdom? Did you discern new insights?'” [Shabbat 31a] Most of these questions indeed are the cornerstones of a life well-lived. But the fourth one - “Did you anticipate redemption?” - why is that so important? Don’t we all hope for the best? What does this trait reveal about how one has lived one’s life?

Part of the Nation

It is important to understand that this anticipation is not simply hoping that our personal difficulties will quickly be resolved. Rather, it means that we should anticipate the redemption of Israel and all of humanity. As Rashi explains, one should look forward to the fulfillment of the visions of the prophets.

This demand is not a trivial one. As individuals we are easily caught up with our own personal problems and issues. In truth, we should feel that we are like a limb of a great organism. We should recognize that we are part of a nation, which, in turn, is part of all humanity. The betterment of each individual contributes to the life of the larger community, thus advancing the redemption of the nation and the universe.

The question “Tzapita leyeshu'ah?” is an important measure of one’s life. It is the yardstick that determines whether our lives have acquired a selfless, universal quality. By anticipating the redemption of the greater community, we demonstrate that we were able to raise ourselves above the narrow concerns of our private lives. We strive not just for personal ambitions, but also for the ultimate elevation of the nation and the entire world. We are part of the nation; its joys are our joys and its redemption is our redemption.

The Sentry

It is instructive to note that the heavenly tribunal does not ask about our hopes (tikvah) for redemption, but rather our anticipation (tzipiyah) of redemption. The word tzipiyah indicates a constant watchfulness, like a soldier posted to the lookout (tatzpit), serving at his observation post for days and even years. The sentry may not abandon his watch, even though he observes no changes.

We, too, are on the lookout. We should examine every incident that occurs in the world. With each new development, we should consider whether this is perhaps something that will advance the redemption of Israel and the entire world.

However, tzipiyah leyeshu'ah is not merely passive observation. Woe to the army whose sentries perceive a threat but fail to take action. The moment there is some development in the field, the soldiers must respond swiftly, to defend or retreat. Our tzipiyah also includes the readiness to act promptly. While these two traits - constant watchfulness and rapid response - may appear contradictory, they are both included in the obligation of tzipiyah leyeshu'ah.

[Silver from the Land of Israel. Adapted from Olat Re’iyah vol. I, pp. 279-280; Ein Eyah vol. III on Shabbat 31a (2:164)]

Count Your Blessings

Words by Rabbi David Hanania Pinto

It is incredible how the nature of a person is to search for segulot and seek to receive blessings from great people for success in their livelihood. What are all the segulot and blessings worth if chas v’shalom he is accustomed to sinning in lashon hara and gossip? 

This causes one to suffer the curse explicitly written in the Torah “Accursed is one who strikes his fellow stealthily,” which is referring to lashon hara, as Rashi explains. 

Chazal say [Shevuot 36a] “Arur [a curse] may imply excommunication, curse, or oath.” 

These words were not declared only by a single individual, but through the consent of all of Yisrael, together with the Kohanim and Leviim. 

Thus, through lashon hara he cancels the benefits of the blessings.

Two interesting articles you may enjoy:

Nibirur: Why More Light, More Illness

I Am Unapologetically A Covered Woman

The Three Levels of Forgiving

Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much. [Oscar Wilde]

The people criticized G-d and Moshe: "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There's no bread and no water, and we're sick of this unwholesome (manna) bread." G-d sent venomous snakes upon the people, and they bit the people. Many people of Israel died. The people came to Moshe and said "We have sinned! For we have spoken against G-d and against you! Pray to G-d that He should remove the snakes from us!" Moshe prayed on behalf of the people. [Chukas 21:5-7]

Even after the people criticized Moshe heavily, resulting in a punishment of venomous snakes, we nevertheless find that Moshe did not bear a grudge and prayed for the people to be saved. "From here we learn" writes Rashi, "that if a person asks you for forgiveness you should not be cruel and refrain from forgiving."

This principle is recorded by Rambam in his legal Code, the Mishneh Torah, in three places and there are a number of variations which need to be explained.

1) In Laws of Personal Injury, Rambam describes the method and process of forgiveness. "Once the attacker has asked forgiveness once, and then a second time, and we know that he has repented for his sin and he has abandoned the evil that he has done, then one must forgive him". However in Laws of Teshuvah these details are omitted. Instead, we are told that "When the sinner asks him for forgiveness, he should forgive him with a full heart and a willing spirit." Similarly, in Laws of Moral Conduct: "If the person returns and aks him for forgiveness, then he should forgive."

2) The person who forgives is given a different name in each of the three laws. In Laws of Moral Conduct he is called the "forgiver"; in Laws of Teshuvah a "person", and in Laws of Personal Injury he is called the "injured party".

3) One further detail is that in Laws of Teshuvah a person is told not to be "difficult to appease". Why does Rambam use this phrase, and why only in Laws of Teshuvah?

The Explanation

Forgiveness can be carried out on three levels:

1) When one person sins against another, he becomes liable to be punished for the sin that he committed. In order to be relieved of this punishment he needs to appease both G-d and the person that he sinned against. Therefore, through forgiving a person for his sin, one alleviates him from a Heavenly punishment.

2) A higher level of forgiveness is to forgive not just the act of sin but the sinner himself. i.e. even though one person may forgive another for a particular bad act (thus relieving him from being punished) there still may remain a trace of dislike for the person in general. Thus, a higher level of forgiveness is to forgive the entire person completely for his wrong, so that there remains no trace of bad feeling between them.

3) The highest level of forgiveness is an emotion that is so strong and positive that it actually uproots the sins of the past, making it as if they never occurred at all. After such a forgiveness, the sinner will be loved by the offended party to the very same degree that he was loved before the sin.

It is these three types of forgiveness which Rambam refers to in his three different laws:

1) In Laws of Personal Injury, Rambam discusses the laws of compensation for specific damages that one person causes another. Thus, when he speaks there of forgiveness for a sin, he is speaking of the forgiveness that is required to relieve the sinner from the punishment of that specific sin. Therefore, Rambam spells out the precise method of forgiveness that is required to achieve atonement ("when the attacker has asked forgiveness once, and then a second time, and we know that he has repented for his sin etc. then one must forgive him"), because only by following this precise method can we be sure that the sinner will be acquitted of this punishment.

To stress the point further, Rambam speaks in terms of an "injured party" and the "forgiving" of the injury, as we are speaking here of a specific sin and its atonement.

2) In Laws of Moral Conduct, the focus is not on the actual sin and its atonement, but rather, the character of the forgiver. And, if a person is to be of fine character, it is insufficient to forgive a person just so that he will be freed from punishment. Rather, one should forgive another person completely (i.e. the second level above). Therefore, in Laws of Moral Conduct, Rambam stresses that "When one person sins against another, he should not hide the matter and remain silent" for it would be a bad character trait to harbor resentment, keeping one's ill feelings to oneself. Therefore "it is a mitzvah for him to bring the matter into the open".

Thus, we can understand why Rambam omits here details of the process of forgiveness, for the main emphasis here is not the atonement of the sinner, but the required character traits of the victim.

To stress the point further, the person is termed here not as the "injured party" but as the "forgiver".

3) In Laws of Teshuvah, Rambam is speaking of the highest level of forgiveness which is required for a person to achieve a total "return to G-d". For this to occur, the forgiveness must be done in a manner that is so deep that one uproots the sin totally; as if it had never occurred at all. This is because total forgiveness is a crucial factor in the sinner's overall return to G-d, as Rambam writes: "Sins between man and his fellow man... are not forgiven until... the person has been asked for forgiveness..."

Thus, Rambam stresses here that "A person should be easily placated and difficult to anger, and when the sinner asks him for forgiveness, he should forgive him with a full heart and a willing spirit" (despite the fact that these details are more appropriate to Laws of Moral Conduct), because the goodwill of the victim is a crucial part of the sinner's teshuvah. Only when the victim is completely forgiving - to the extent that the sin is uprooted, as if it never existed - can we be sure that the sinner has returned to be as close to G-d as he was prior to the sin.

To stress this point further, Rambam writes "It is forbidden for a person (not an "injured party" or "forgiver") to be cruel and difficult to appease" - i.e. here we are not talking merely of the minimum forgiveness that is required to relieve the sinner from his punishment. Rather, here we are talking of the victim as a "person". And one can hope that he will not merely "forgive" his fellow who hurt him, freeing him from punishment, but that he will allow himself to be "appeased" completely, thereby helping his fellow Jew to come to a complete Teshuvah.

Source: Based on Likutei Sichos Vol 28 Lubavitcher Rebbe

Australian PM and the Last Night of Chanukah

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull

The Central Synagogue in Sydney was privileged to host the Prime Minister and his wife Lucy this Friday evening just before Shabbat.

Here is a transcript of Rabbi Levi Wolff's introduction to the Prime Minister.

''Happy Chanukah! What a special moment! What a special guest to have with us on this last Shabbat of 2016! The Honorable Malcolm Turnbull Prime Minister of Australia together with his dear wife Lucy.

Earlier today I received a phone call from the Prime Minister, he related, that he was thinking lots about our community during this turbulent week for Israel and the Jewish people.

Ladies and gentleman, how truly heartwarming, this was a week where Israel found itself isolated by foes and allies alike. And yet there was one voice of morality and justice that refused to be silenced - it vibrated loud and clear across the world – and that was the voice of Australia, under the leadership of our Prime Minister The honorable Malcolm Turnbull and Foreign Minister Julia Bishop.

Mr Prime Minister, Israel and the Jewish community have a true friend in you, Israel and the Jewish world see you as a true leader who stands up for justice, for truth even when it’s not popular to do so! The miracle of Chanukah which commemorates the power of one little jug of oil, the victory of the few over the many. When our forefathers kindled the menorah and celebrated Chanukah 165 BCE they were not standing on occupied territory, and the people of Israel are not standing on occupied territory now!

Mr Prime Minister, today we say to you the words found in our ancient Bible. When G-d gave the promised land to the people of Israel, He said “Va’avorcha Mi’varchecha” and “I will bless those who bless you [Israel]” Mr Prime Minister, for what you do and for what you have done… May G-d bless you! May G-d bless your government! And May G-d bless your family!

May The Al-mighty bless this wonderful country of Australia and our Holy land of Israel! We are honored to ask the Prime Minister of Australia to share a few words with the congregation.''