Rabbi's Blog

Does the word "diet" immediately make you think of an unpleasant weight-loss regimen? If it did, you are probably not alone. For example, consider the use of the term "diet" in marketing food products—it usually describes foods low in calories, such as diet soda.

But there is another meaning of this word. Diet can also refer to the food and drink a person consumes daily and the mental and physical circumstances connected to eating. Nutrition involves more than simply eating a “good” diet—it is about nourishment on every level. It involves relationships with family, friends, nature (the environment), our bodies, our community, and the world.

There is a cute but serious story of a horse and its owner. The owner had a great relationship with his horse; the horse was trustworthy, faithful, hard-working, dependable, strong, everything and anything an owner would want from their animal. In return, the owner provided three well balanced meals a day with plenty of snacks in between and as much to drink as it pleased. One day the owner thought to himself that the horse was eating very well, working hard but was costing him a fortune to feed his horse. He decided to experiment and cut the rations of the horse in half! Lo and behold the horse still produced. Seeing the horse still working hard he went ahead and cut his daily intake again by fifty-percent. Despite eating about a quarter of what he used to eat he still produced but not as much. The owner was encouraged as he was saving money and still getting the horse to work. This scenario repeated itself until the horse was eating next to nothing. One morning the horse is not outside roaming around but was found dead in the stable. To which the owner remarked “I can’t believe he died on me, I almost had him working for no food at all!

Revisiting the diet competitions of late, there are other diets that people go through but not necessarily related to food. In the definition I mentioned earlier, diet is about nourishment on every level including the spirit. Some people consume an incredible number of spiritual calories and are gaining a tremendous amount of ruchniyus through their davening, learning and performance of good deeds. Others maintain a very steady intake of spiritual calories not necessarily gaining or losing any spiritual weight. Unfortunately, there is another diet that people are trying and that is that of the horse’s owner, trying to figure out how little they can eat or spiritually do and still maintain their same level of religious observance. As people fool themselves into thinking they can cut corners and do as little as possible, the obvious result will be a dead horse that was once healthy, strong and vibrant. 

This week’s parshas Korach is overshadowed by the episode of Korach challenging Moshe. At the end of the Parsha we read about the Matnas Kehuna, the Priestly gifts. In Bamidbar 18:19 the Torah states: “Kol Trumos Haadashim Asher Yarimu B’Nei Yisrael La’Hashem, Nasati L’Cha Ul’Vanecha V’Livnosecha Itcha L’Chok Olam Bris Melach Olam Hee Lifnei Hashem, L’cha Ul’Zaracha Itach”. “I have thus given you, together with your sons and daughters, as an eternal portion, the elevated gifts from the sacred offerings that the Israelites present to God. For you and your descendants, this is a covenant that shall be preserved (with salt) forever before God”. *Rav Yisrael Eliyahu Yehoshua Trunk (1821-1893) explains the significance of salt being a part of a covenant. Salt is very strong that it burns through that which it is applied to. Even though it is used as a preservative and it will sustain something, nevertheless there is an investment and a partial loss to that which it burns through. The Hebrew phrase of ‘Yatzah Hefsedo Bischaro’ loosely understood as the loss is made up in the gain demonstrates the benefit outweighs its loss. Even though it loses some of its own property the entire value gains as it maintains a great more that otherwise would have been lost. ‘Teruma’, Pledges, and sanctifying things to holy and noble causes work the same way. Even though the giver is losing something as he gives it away, ultimately that giving will preserve all that remains. Now that he parts with his money he will secure the remaining wealth that he has. Chaza”l explained this in a similar verse in Bamidbar 5:10 “any man who gives to a Kohein, to him it will be”. Meaning if you give what you are supposed to give a Kohein, you will keep the rest that is yours, which will be a lot of money. The gemara in Kesuvos 66 states that salt and money both take away but in the end, preserve and increase that which you have.

Medrash Lekach Tov Bamidbar 18:10 on the words “Kodesh Yihyeh Lach” “it shall be holy to you” seems to be superfluous. The indication is that everything that is given to Hashem through the Kohein will be holy is obvious. The Medrash answers that you might think only things that are worthy of eating are holy? Comes along the Torah and instructs us that even items that are not fit for consumption such as the bones and sinews are holy and must be treated with respect and not discarded. Every part of the human being is holy, including mind, body and soul.

Today’s generation (millennial’s) governs itself on productivity and keeping busy. There’s a tendency to feel a ‘wasting of time’ by doing something that does not relate to them or has ability to impact them. The error in judgement is recognizing that it may be that which one feels they lack is THE investment that will come to protect what they have and improve for the future. Every component of davening, learning, performance of mitzvos is holy and is an integral part of the entire process. The investment of what might seem to be time ill invested in something may be the key to the rest of the situation. Time and patience is required in building our spiritual essence. Our spiritual DNA needs to be nourished with the full number of calories and not trying to shed some of it to the bare minimum.

The lesson of the twenty-four Priestly Gifts teaches us that every part of everything that is holy has a purpose and a need. Even those items that appear to be useless and superfluous has meaning and purpose. We think we can cut down on some of the spiritual things in our life and still maintain a complete and full working Jewish life. This is not the case, if we start to chip away and cut corners our neshamos begin a silent starvation diet. The antidote to the spiritual diet is to load up with the sweets and fats of the Torah and crave a closeness to God. 

*Born in Plotsk, he received most of his teaching from his father, who was niftar when the boy was just 11. As a teenager, he spent 3 months with the Kotzker Rebbe, who’s direction he followed for the remainder of his life. When he was twenty, Rav Yisrael Eliyahu Yehoshua founded a yeshivah and served as rav in Shrensk for seven years. Later in Vorka, his fame as a posek grew. In 1860, he moved to Kutna, which lies near Gustenin and Zichlin. The first record of Jews in Kutna is a document from 1513, in which King Zigmund of Poland grants a year’s moratorium to the gentile debtors of three Kutna Jews – Moshe, Shlomo and Liebke. Rav Yisrael Eliyahu Yehoshua published several sefarim, including Yeshuas Yisrael, on Choshen Mishpat, Yeshuos Malko, and Yavin Daas. His only son, Rav Moshe Pinchas, succeeded him as Rav in Kutno. The demise of the Kutna kehillah came when the Nazis finished liquidating its remaining Jews on March 26, 1942.

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

No two eyes are alike and no two people literally see eye to eye. There is a general understanding of concepts, philosophies, understanding of laws that by and large people agree upon, but not necessarily exactly the way I do. I think we can all agree that the way an adult views a situation will be very different than that of a child. This differentiation usually comes with greater clarity of focus as the child ages in years and matures in his thinking. But until that time comes, there will be many frustrating, exhausting and upsetting battles between parent and child, teacher and student, and for that matter, between the growing adolescent and anyone in an authoritative position. Looking back over time, I feel the teenage years were by far the worst as my kids’ brains developed their critical thinking skills, learning on-the-job skills of how to argue and rationalize through every minute detail of life.

Without going into all the details, I remember one such incident when one of my children was clearly in the puzzled wrong but fought me over an issue that my child emphatically saw differently. It was an issue of substance contrary to the many trivial things we had ‘lively discussions’ about. Due to the importance of the subject, I sought out guidance from my Rebbi.  I carefully laid out the two sides of the argument or dispute that my wife and I had with our teenage child. I was sure that my Rebbi, knowing we were in the right,  would give me some advice and clever strategy for dealing with the circumstances at hand. To our great surprise and initial disappointment, not only did he not give us any strategy or even basic advice,  in a unique way he sided with our child! My Rebbi’s words were clear: “We need to look at the situation through the child’s eyes,” using phrases such as “in his mind”; “from his perspective” and “where the child is coming from”. This was truly an eye-opener for my wife and me. Why do we, as parents, need to look at the story or situation from the kid’s perspective? At first my wife and I looked at each other bewildered. You know, like… aren’t the parents always right? And what about the notion that children should listen to what the parents say, regardless of where the child is coming from? Our puzzled look then gave way to a look of ‘uhuh’ maybe my Rebbi is right (he always is) and look at things from a different perspective, using a more objective manner, bringing our child’s input of the situation into the discussion.

We are all influenced by our peers, by our surroundings, and by the information we read and hear about. One of the most convincing of ideas and beliefs is seeing something, as the old saying goes: “seeing is believing”. The Jewish people historically have made decisions - both good and bad -  based upon circumstances that we thought were very clear. One instance which caused catastrophic damage was the image that the Satan drew for the people showing that Moshe Rabbeinu was dead after the Jews miscalculated the timing of his return down from Har Sinai. Yet, there is another ‘vision’ that appears in the Torah that helped the Jewish people in their traversing the dangers of the desert. Throughout my years of learning, I always thought the Jewish people traveled in the desert by following the Mishkan. When the Mishkan travelled, we walked, and when it stopped, we camped. The navigation system was the cloud of glory during the daytime;  I thought a great fire during the night would light up the path. Looking over the verses a lit bit closer reveals something different.

In this week’s Parshas B’Haaloscha in Bamidbar 9:15 the Torah states: “U’V’Yom Hakim Es HaMishkan Kisa He’Anan Es HaMishkan L’Ohel HaEidus, UBa’Erev Yihiyeh Al HaMishkan K’Marei Aish Ad HaBoker”: “On the day that the Tabernacle was erected, the cloud covered the Tabernacle, the Tent of Testimony. Then, in the evening, there was something that appeared to be like fire on the Tabernacle, remaining there until morning”. The narration continues in 9:16 “From then on it remained that way. There was a cloud covering it [by day], and a fire-like partition by night”. The Targum Yehonasan Ben Uziel remarks that it is possible that the cloud remained and was also there at night.  The Midrash Rabbah asks rhetorically, ”What does ‘looks like fire’ mean?” The wording teaches us that if the cloud was whitish, then the people knew that the sun was rising. When the cloud was reddish, they knew the sun was setting.

The Malbim explains that the cloud which led the Jews out during Yetzias Mitzrayim had one pillar of cloud and one of actual fire. One was used to lead them during the day and the other to continue leading them at night. Here in the desert there was only one cloud that served both during  the day and through the night, similar to what the Midrash said. This cloud in the Midbar was there leading the Jews at night, but it appeared as fire. There was a perception among the people that this nighttime pillar  was a fire, but in reality it was just the same cloud. The appearance of the cloud at night was a fire, as viewed at the end of Sefer Shmos: “The cloud of Hashem was over the Mishkan during the day, and fire in it at night, referring to the cloud itself. The cloud is the true essence of where God was found; it was  never really seen in a pillar of fire. Therefore, from this point onward it was always a cloud over the Mishkan 24/7.

Be that as it may, what was the benefit for the Jews to perceive the cloud as a fire instead of the same cloud from the daytime? The Shach (Sifsei Kohein) -  the appearance of the cloud as fire - remained even when the Israelites camped and were stationary. Initially, we thought the fire was necessary at night to light up the road when they travelled. That is not the case, as the fire (the cloud that looked like a fire) was seen even at night because nighttime is filled with fear and worry. At night, a person thinks of his sins and is nervous. The vision of seeing a fire was a protection for the Jews at night to do Teshuva as the fire would remind them of the fires of Gehinom. A preventive measure from sinning is when one thinks of the fires of Gehinom. The fire will ward off evil spirits and any bad thoughts of sin that might come to mind during the night. 

The mind is a powerful tool that perceives things that are there or may not be there. When it comes to business and secular things in life, a person will be open to hearing and listening to another’s perspective and see that person’s perception of the situation. In spiritual matters when a person is already in a position of seeing himself in a certain way, he should not leave things to his or her own perception but rather get guidance from an objective viewpoint. Let’s grow up and not act like the child who can only see it his way. Let’s rather be open to ask what the proper way of seeing and doing something is. When it comes to children, take into account their perception and empower them, but ultimately use that perception and emopowerment to lead them to the correct and true conclusions.

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

As the counting of the Omer winds up, there has been another counting of sorts, but this one counting down. An energized young Rabbi in our community put out a ‘Skinny by Shavuos contest’ that has motivated a group of men to lose as much unnecessary weight as possible. (I think there is a women’s version of this contest as well). At the beginning of the contest, everyone needed to weigh in and take a picture and send it in, and presumably will repeat the weighing-in and picture-taking on the last day of the contest. Many strategies and plans were in full force, complete with encouragement and impediments being a source of friendly banter between foes. One area that I struggle with is how often to check my weight progress – or lack thereof - on the scale. The daily method can offer happiness or disappointment.

Most of us tend to manipulate the scale - and our weight - by standing differently on the scale, weighing at alternate times, and, most effective for getting the greatest positive result, adjust the time for the weigh-in according to how much and what we ate that day. At times these gimmicks give us a sense of success, but we must realize that everything balances out at the end and may lead to frustration. All in all, it is very important to be healthy and maintain a proper body weight. Sometimes I feel that in order to live a better and longer life I have to kill myself now in order to reach that goal.

I recently discovered another instance of manipulation connected to exercise, losing weight and overall better health. I’m not sure if this could help me in a lawsuit, but the health aid ‘Fitbit’ that I wear on my wrist to measure my steps taken, calories lost, etc. has a major fallacy. A natural component of praying is the swaying motion that many of us do particularly during the silent Amida. I, as the Rabbi, try to maintain a certain speed and pace of the davening, thereby allotting a certain amount of time for the Amida. Therefore, I check the time at the start of the Amida and check the time I finish, either slowing down or speeding up accordingly. As a matter of habit, whenever I check the time on my Fitbit, I check how many steps I’ve taken so far that day. Lo and behold one morning not only did I check the time at the start and finish of the Amida, but I checked the number of steps taken as well. I was astonished to learn that I took over three hundred steps during the Amida with my feet together side by side, not having moved my feet or the rest of my body for the past five minutes! I realized that as I ‘shuckeled’ - swayed - back and forth, my hands swayed along with me, my ‘Fitbit’ faithfully tracking the motion of my arms… even though my legs never budged. I’m even tempted to say that even if you walk, the ‘Fitbit’ may not register any steps taken if you immobilize your arms from moving.

There are ways of tricking a scale or a measuring device, but ultimately we are only fooling ourselves. Knowing how to weigh and measure gives us the ability to carry the load of our weight and manage to balance who we are. This idea of carrying a load is alluded to in this week’s Parsha. At the very end of the Parsha, the Torah describes the work, service, and duties the Levites performed: Kehos in Bamidbar and Gershon and Merari in next week’s reading of Nasso. In Bamidbar 4:19/20 the Torah states: “V’Zos Asu Lahem V’Chayu V’Lo Yamusu B’Gishtam Es odesh Ha’Kodashim, Aharon UBanav Yavou V’Samu Osam Ish Ish Al Avadaso V’El Masao”. “V’lo Yavou Lir’os Kvala Es HaKodesh Vameisu”. “This is what you must do so that they survive and not die when they come into the Holy of Holies. Aharon and his sons shall first come and arrange each thing so that every Kehothite can perform his service, carrying his load. The Kehothites will then not come and see the sacred furniture being packed, and they will not die”.

The Chasam Sofer explains these verses through an exposition of a gemara in Tamid 32a. Alexander of Macedon inquired of the Elders of the South regarding ten matters. Question seven was: “What should a man do to live?” The Elders replied, ”He should kill himself.” A man should toil away at a job even if he finds it unpleasant in order to earn his sustenance. He should not think this job is beneath him and therefore risk not working at all. He should not indulge himself excessively in physical pleasures, and he should trouble himself to study Torah. Since if he learns Torah he will live in this world and the world to come. The eighth question was: “What should a man do to die?” The Elders replied, ”He should enliven himself.” A man should do the exact opposite of what was said before. Chasam Sofer explains if a person wants to live for the next world (Olam Haba), he needs to kill himself in this world in his service to God. With this strength, it gives a person life and purpose in this world and eternal life in the next. The opposite (Heaven forbid) works the same way but in the opposite direction. If man fills his life with worldly pleasures and delights for this world, then he is killing himself for the next world.

In reality a person doesn’t need to kill himself or work so hard in this world to receive a portion in the next world, since a person is obligated to perform and do every single mitzva in its proper time. On the contrary, if a person afflicts himself with undue hardship in doing a mitzva, he might be in violation of ‘Moe’il B’Hekdesh’ - abusing sanctity when not called upon. With this framework, we can now look at the verse from a different angle. When the passuk said, ‘This is what you must do……and you will live and do not die,’ meaning there is no need to kill oneself in all areas of this world, rather ‘when they come into the Holy of Holies…..and Aharon will place and assign each man his job and his load’. Each person can only be obligated to do that which his ability allows him to do. ‘So that it won’t be seen as being swallowed up in their service and drowning in their Avodas Hashem to the extreme that they can’t make it. The Torah isn’t looking for a person to be so overwhelmed and overtaken by his Torah responsibilities in serving God that it will kill him. The Torah prefers a balance to a person’s Avodas to Hashem by creating circumstances that aren’t too challenging while still manageable for serving Hashem.*** No one should kill himself to serve Hashem, rather ‘V’Chayu’ - live - and serve God for better times well into the future.

To be healthy, a person doesn’t need to kill himself on a crazy diet. Instead, one should practice good daily protocol to live a healthy physical, good life that allows us to serve Hashem properly, ultimately giving us the means to serve Hashem in the spiritual world through the physical.

Let us all approach the days of Kabbolas Hatorah in counting down the calories and the number on the scale so that we can count the spiritual pursuit to serve Hakadosh Baruch Hu in both body and soul.

*** A person must be intellectually and emotionally honest with himself to come to the equation of how much to push, when to lay low and step back, and when to push for more when ready to grow to the next level and do more.

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

Rabbi Bogopulsky’s new book “Developing A Torah Personality” is available for purchase directly from him or Amazon

Transitioning from old school to new school is easier said than done. As people grow older, the ability to adapt to constantly-evolving technological developments in our fast-paced world becomes increasingly more difficult. creating  I am no exception to this situation.  As I get older and technology advances, I find myself slipping behind, losing awareness  of new apps and electronic conveniences that life offers. I only use about eighty percent of what my smart phone is capable of. Either I have lost interest in pursuing more and more into the cloud, or I am just getting older and losing the mental capacity for learning new technology. I am comfortable with certain advances that I adapted to but am now beginning to become reluctant to learning how to make use of newer changes.

Many of the advances in technology have eroded the personal touch and human-to-human interaction. We barely need to see anyone face to face anymore because we can communicate instantaneously at any time, any place in the world, by pushing or stroking a few keys. There ae fewer toll road collectors thanks to ez-pass and electronic toll roads that track every vehicle, allowing users to pay on line. Then there is on-line banking. While I do a limited amount of banking on line,  I’m now old enough to still prefer walking into the bank and speaking with a teller or my personal banker. Certainly, on-line banking saves considerable physical time, but unfortunately, we lose out on the emotional time.

Speaking of banking, another lost procedure in banking is the counting of money. Today, whether it’s a deposit or a withdrawal of money, a machine counts all the bills. No longer does the teller count out the money in front of you when you withdraw money. In fact, I am so old school I ask the teller to count out the money, even though it came out of the automated machine and afterwards went through the counter. There is something definitive about counting out bills one by one. An impression is made as the money adds up (it is interesting to observe the different methods tellers have in counting out the money) to the sum. We see the value of counting from the fact the fourth book of the Torah is called Sefer HaPekudim, the book of Numbers, where Hashem displays His love for his children through conducting a census.

In a two-way relationship, there is a giver and a receiver. Sometimes the giver gets more from his giving;  at times the receiver gets more than the giver.  With respect to Hashem counting and numbering His favored nation, we sometimes ask ourselves, “who benefits more, the person counting or the one being counted?” God doesn’t really need to count us for His sake; He counts us for ours, making us feel special for being so singled out.  So too, when it comes to Mitzvos that seemingly are performed for the benefit of someone Most often the Mitzvos are given not only tous but for us. An example of this is found in this week’s Torah portion Parshas Emor Vayikra 21:15 which states: “Usfartem Lachem MiMacharas HaShabbos MiYom HaViachem Es Omer HaTenufa, Sheva Shabbasos Temimos TiHiyena” - “And you shall count for yourselves from the day after that Sabbath, from the day of your bringing the wave offering of the Omer; it shall be seven complete Sabbaths”.

 Before explaining the significance of counting, the Maharal explains that there is a remez (hint) as to why we count forty-nine days from the offering of the Omer until the day of Kabbalas HaTorah, which is on Shavuos. The Omer, which is brought from barley, can be made into flour and ultimately into bread. In Pirkei Avos 3:21 the Mishna teaches ‘Im Ein Kemach Ein Torah’ - ’If there is no flour (bread) there is no Torah’.

The Ksav Sofer explains why the word ‘Lachem’ - for yourselves -  is not superfluous. The word ‘Lachem’ is used to teach that the counting of the seven weeks is not only about the number of days counted. Rather, the primary intent of counting is to recognize the quality of a person’s behavior and conduct. Each and every part of every single action a person does makes a difference. A person improves and becomes a better Jew when his actions are qualitative in nature, which clearly benefits him. This understanding of ‘Lachem’ is similar to the interpretation of when Hashem spoke to Avraham saying to him: “Lech L’cha Mei’Artzecha”. Rashi explains the L’cha - to you - as for your good;  for your benefit. Every time the word L’Cha is used it is for the individual’s gain. The counting of the Omer is no different. Counting the Omer is a benefit for the soul of man, assisting in sanctifying and purifying the individual.

With each passing day we count  toward the perfection needed to receive the Torah that was given on Har Sinai. Counting creates accountability;  the person thinks and sees what is different today from yesterday. Every new day should begin by trying to build upon the accomplishments of the day before. As every bill is counted by the teller, it adds up to the total sum. Each dollar is independent and at the same time compounded to the previous bill. Not only do I have single bills, but I have a much greater amount altogether that I can do much more with. So too every day of the Sefira that a person counts he should try to purify and sanctify himself a little more than the previous day and to build upon it. In the process of these seven weeks, we should try to decrease and remove desires that drag us down, preventing us from growing spiritually. It goes without saying (but I must say it) the improvement that we need to work on is not only in the spiritual sense - between me and Hashem - but also in the middos between man and man.

The counting of the Omer and the mourning period for the students of Rabbi Akiva coincide. I suggest that this is  no coincidence. Life is precious;  we know how every minute counts. If every minute of life builds upon the previous minute, one will live a very full life. One must remember this applies to both the physical and spiritual worlds between Hashem and my neighbor. Let us manually count the cash and the deeds. Let us appreciate the count and our value will appreciate as well.

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

Rabbi Bogopulsky’s new book “Developing A Torah Personality” is available for purchase directly from him or Amazon

ontent.

Over the past few months my life has been turned upside down. Any time someone loses a close relative the reality is that life is no longer the same as it was. How much more could one say about losing a parent. The mother who brought me into this world in whom I was physically connected to in utero and who I shared the most time in this world with is now detached once again from me. At birth, we separated from each other but were physically together in this world. Now we split again as she goes back to the spiritual world in which she was a partner in bringing me from.

The last few weeks have been filled with travel, arrangements in the wake of my mother’s passing and picking up some broken pieces. Everyone in life goes through periods of time when things are upside down and we tend to do things backwards or at least in a different order we normally do them. In general, everyone has their idiosyncrasies when it comes to doing things, but I’ve found this to particularly be true when it comes to food; how it is prepared and eaten.

There are a few common practices that people do differently, but one thing observant Jews do differently is preparing instant coffee on Shabbos. Generally, when making instant coffee the coffee goes in first followed by the boiling water, then cream and sugar if you like. But on Shabbos (for Halachic reasons to avoid cooking) we pour the water first and then add the coffee and other ingredients if we like. Proven from other areas of Jewish law the coffee would mix better the way we do it during the week and not on Shabbos. Therefore, if it wasn’t for Shabbos we would choose to do it one way and not the other. But there are other areas that some people do one way while others do it another. For example; do you pour ketchup on the side and dip French fries into the ketchup or do you pour the ketchup on top of the fries? When cooking hard boiled eggs do you boil the water and then put the eggs in or do you put the eggs in the water and boil it up together? A third scenario outside of food is the procedure of putting on shoes and socks. Do you put on both socks and then shoes or do you put on one sock then the shoe, and afterwards the second sock and second shoe?  I believe there are consequential differences in these examples and can the better way can be proven with good reasoning. Are there similar cases to these that the Torah could illuminate the proper sequence or proper procedure?

In last week’s parsha Vayikra (like I said earlier I myself don’t have everything straight yet) the Torah states in Vayikra 2:13 “V’chal orban Minchascha BaMelach Timlach, V’Lo Tashbis Melach Bris Elokecha Mei’Al Minchasecha, Al Kal Korbancha Takriv Melach”. “Moreover, you must salt every meal offering. Do not leave out the salt of your God’s covenant from your meal offerings. Furthermore, you must also offer salt with your animal sacrifices”. The Talmud in Menachos 21a explains that the sacrifices were salted before being paced on the altar. The practice of using salt when eating bread is traced back to this verse. In our day and age we don’t have the Beis HaMikdash and can no longer offer sacrifices. The Rama, Rav Moshe Isserles in Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 167:5 writes “the symbol of the Temple today is our home and the table represents the Alter. The food eaten at the table is symbolic of the sacrifices that were offered on the alter”. The primary component of our diet is bread and it was therefore charged with being the replacement of the meat that we offered daily.  This resulted in the bread being like the sacrificial meat requiring the need to use salt. Here again we face a dilemma; do we dip the bread in the salt or do we sprinkle the salt on the bread?

The Mishna Brurah Siman 1678 S’’K 33 writes that the Kabbalists require dipping the bread into the salt three times. One of the many connections bread and salt have are the Hebrew letters are the same when rearranged Lechem and mellach. The Gemara Brachos 5 explains the Bris/covenant that is mentioned here and by the Tochachah the public rebuke of the Jewish people in Devarim 28:69. The Bris mentioned here sweetens and perfects the meat of the sacrifice. So too the Bris mentioned by the rebuke contains Yisurin afflictions that soften a person and cleanses him from his sins. In short, the salt prepares the meat and the Bris of the hardship fixes the human flesh to be better.

Apparently, there are different customs as to dipping the bread into the salt or sprinkling the salt on the bread. The Rama just mentions bringing salt to the table to protect the people from tragedy. It was the Kabbalists who said it is insufficient just to bring salt to the table and not enough just to dip one time but rather need to dip the bread in salt three times. The bread represents the character of mercy while salt represents judgement. In a sefer called Derech Seudah it is written that bread should be dipped so that the Midda of mercy overcomes the Midda of judgement. The bread on top forced its way into the salt beneath it and overcomes the din.   

Yet in a few days we will all recline at the Pesach Seder and eat Matzah. Some authorities say that Matzah is pure it does not require salt whatsoever. Most others do require salt. The challenge of salt and Matzah is that if I dip the Matzah into salt it doesn’t cling to it and even if I sprinkle salt on the matzah id doesn’t absorb and usually spills right off. So, what do we do at the Seder, dip or sprinkle? (some hold that due to the statement in Mah Nishtana of dipping twice, the salt is not even one of those two times indicates we don’t dip for Matzah) Rav Yosef Karo says to dip like we do all year round. The Rama holds that at the Seder we do not dip Matza into salt at all as it is not necessary being ‘clean bread’. Nevertheless, we use salt even on Matza but on Pesach one Chasidic custom was specifically to sprinkle the salt onto the Matza and not dip. The reason not to dip was fear the Matza crumbs would remain in the salt dish and get wet due to the salt and potentially creating a fermentation and causing the crumbs to become Chometz. Therefore, sprinkling on top for Pesach was the proper procedure.

There are so many customs and practices that contribute to the make-up and beauty of the Jewish world. The customs we observe is the icing on the cake of the actual Mitzvos. Whether the icing is chocolate or vanilla is irrelevant, the important part is that we do the Mitzva and each group of Jews through our diversity picks the custom. If we focus on the primary and let the individual groups tweek it accordingly so be it. 

Ah Gut Shabbos and Ah Gut Yom Tov

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

I would be remiss not mentioning something about the land of Israel, having had the privilege of being here for almost two weeks. Going to Eretz Yisrael on a Mission is mutually beneficial for Israel and for us, the visitors. Despite being a small group at the outset, we joined forces with another tour for the second half, meeting new people and going to places for the very first time. I, as a repeat visitor to many places I had previously seen, experienced many new insights, new discoveries, and new exhibits, in addition to viewing the many improvements throughout Israel.

Israel has dramatically changed over the course of its sixty-nine years of modern existence. Personally, I have  witnessed many changes over the last thirty-five years since the first time I arrived in Israel to learn. Everyone who comes witnesses incredible growth, constant building, and learns first-hand of the amazing contributions Israel gives to the world. I would like to share an observation that continues to occur in Israel. In my humble opinion (many, I’m sure, will disagree with me on this), Eretz Yisrael continues to thrive despite the vast cultural, economic, religious and social differences which exist amongst its people. Instead of pointing out or even highlighting the major differences that exist among the Jews of Eretz Yisrael, I will point out the central core and reason why all the diversity works. The answer is simple: it is Eretz Yisrael. It is Eretz Yisrael that draws all walks of life, fulfilling  the variety of purposes for why they came here - whether for religious or Zionistic or for political or personal freedom - Jews come here and establish an ultimate, common goal. The struggle is how each group feels its way, seeking  the truth and the correct path. In my point of view, it is refreshing to see the religious and non-religious, or non-observant, Jews get along with and appreciate each other just a little more than they did before. The relationship among the Jews of all backgrounds in Israel is far better than the relationship of their counterparts in the United States. One disclaimer: my observation includes mainstream groups. There are, of course, the fringe groups, the extremes to the far right and the far left,  that will never see eye to eye. Within those extreme groups, I don’t believe it’s likely that they even get along amongst themselves. It is not just any land that brings Jews together;  it’s the Holy land of Eretz Yisrael. It is ‘Kedusha’ that attracts all of us to each other, regardless of the difference in perspectives. In addition to ‘Kedusha’ – Sanctification – there was another unifying piece to the Jewish puzzle:  the Mishkan – the Tabernacle – the portable earthly dwelling place of God.

In this week’s Parsha Teruma we read about the making of the utensils and articles of the Mishkan. The one thing that created the ability for these holy items to perform their ’magic’ in the Mishkan was the collection of money to fund it all. The Torah states in Shemos 25:2 “Dabair El B’Ne Israel V’Yikchu Li Terumah, Mei’eis Kal Ish Asher Yidvenu Libo Tikchu Es Terumasi”. “Speak unto the children of Israel, that they take for Me an offering; of every man whose heart maketh him willing ye shall take My offering”. There are two parts to this verse: the first to give money to the building of the Mishkan and the second the manner in which the person gave the money.

The Netzi”v, Rav Naftali Tzvi  Yehuda Berlin, in his commentary Haamek Davar, explains an aspect of the donation process to the Mishkan. The Tosefta in chapter two of Gemara Megilla teaches us that any Keli/utensil that was first made for ordinary things can no longer be donated to Hekdesh. This is derived from the passuk “V’Asu Li Mikdash” - and you shall make for Me a sanctuary. The word ’Me” indicates exclusively made for Hashem and nothing else first. With regard to how the donations were made - either voluntarily or against their will - is derived from a Kal Vachomer. A Tosefta in the first perek of Bava Basra states that the Jews of a community were forced to contribute money to build a Shul in their city. This is derived from the biblical and positive commandment to build the Mishkan. The principle of Kal Vachomer applies here: If one must contribute to a Shul, having been assessed by the local Vaad, how much more so must one contribute to the collection of funds for the Mishkan, which was taken by the Gabbaim (collectors) against the will of the givers. Each person and family was assessed a fee according to their means.

Additionally, the Torah mentions ‘if the heart of the person wants to give’ which seems contradictory. The Netzi”v answers it was only the ‘Adanim’ or sockets that follows this that were specifically warned that the rich could not give more and the poor could not give less. However, anything additional was voluntary in nature, so much so that if a person found it within his heart to give more than the stipulated amount, it would be accepted. An additional point on the word ‘Tikchu’ -  it was taken - seems to indicate forcibly. In this case, someone who pledged and separated the donation out would be forced to give the money, even against his will. The reason is that once it is separated it no longer belongs to him; it belongs to God.

To include my own variation of the Netzi”v’s pshat is the act of forcing people to give the proper amount which they are obligated to give. This is only enforced if the individual has not  come forward, giving  it willingly. Everyone is given an opportunity to give the determined share of his own free will. But if a person does not live up to his shared responsibility which was determined by the Temple treasurers, then it was collected  by force against the will of the individual.

Every Jew has a certain obligation of giving that should be collected or given by the heart’s desire to give. If, however, the individual should renege this obligation, force may be needed. There are a few areas in every Jew’s life which require his contribution. I will only mention a few here. All of us are obligated to give to Eretz Yisrael, to the Shul we attend, and to the poor of our town. We must join our brethren who maintain and continue to develop Eretz Yisrael because they realize how important and holy it is. Our own sanctuaries, the Shuls of our communities, are like the Mishkan. Lastly, every human being is a small sanctuary within which God resides, and we must contribute to the well-being of that Holy receptacle.

We do not have the ability to force people to donate, to  give what they really should be giving. Nevertheless, every one of us should feel the pressure that I MUST give. People are not allowed to think they are giving because ‘They want to’.  It is mandatory to give;  there is no choice. If a person has given his full assessment and now wants to give an extra amount, that will be accepted as well. One should never feel he is doing a favor by giving tzedakah to the organization in Israel or to his Shul. Sorry, but it is an obligation to give!

Giving of ourselves, willingly meeting up to the obligation of giving our due assessment, is required of every Jew. Let us learn to appreciate the inner fulfillment of giving freely as expected and to give more - even when it is not expected.

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

Preventive medicine is always better than deferred maintenance, but nevertheless, some people feel that since they’re healthy, why bother going for regular check-ups. Others are afraid to go to the doctor for fear that they may find out something is wrong. Baruch Hashem, I feel healthy and therefore have no problem going to the doctor at least twice a year. In preparation for my physical examination, I have blood drawn to give the physician some internal information prior to the exam date. For the best and most accurate results, blood should be drawn while fasting, except for water. I choose to have the blood test taken as early as possible, but as a result I have to skip my morning cup of coffee – the “fix” that gets me going for the day. Upon my return from the doctor’s office, I make a bee line for the coffee machine and enjoy that cup with an overwhelming sense of satisfaction usually accompanied by an “Ahhhh,” an expression of relief and pure delight.

There are a few natural, guttural responses to taste, smell, and touch, but for now I will focus on the various responses there are to certain drinks. When I take a sip of my first cup of coffee in the morning, I let out a sigh of A”hhhh,” but a hot cup of tea that follows a heavy dinner is “Uhhhhh”. At the Shul Kiddush I hear reactions of “Ooooh” when someone drinks a new scotch or bourbon they have never tasted before. If someone eats something delicious, the typical reaction is ”Mmmmm”. Even the different sizes of the blue prize boxes at parent-child learning receives a different level of “ooohs” and “ahhhs”. When we worry about something, it’s either an ”oy vey” or “iy ya yih”.

There are also a few facial expressions that convey very clear emotions, communicating without any sound easily understood visual responses. . This kind of expression is magnified in our times due to the emoji’s and emoticons people use while messaging and writing communications via their computers and hand-held devices. Sound or facial expressions are often made at the beginning of something such as the start or at the end of a communiqué. Surely every individual decides where and when to use an expression, the question I ask is where is its use most effective?

Similarly, I ask myself; which is greater - starting or finishing something? As one proceeds through life, everyone begins many things but they don’t necessarily complete them. And everyone knows if you never begin you never come to be able to finish, so maybe it’s better not to start. I believe both starting and finishing are equally important, providing a sense of accomplishment when finished, and also meet up to the drive to start something despite the risk of not being able to finish it. Ultimately, when a person finishes either a cycle of something or begins something completely new, the end or the beginning should motivate a person to strive for greater heights.

Last week I completed my Sabbatical year of writing a weekly Dvar Torah; this Shabbos Parshas Yisro will begin the eighth cycle. I’ve noticed that as human beings we all have different reactions, some physical and some emotional. In addition, we each react differently at the start or end of an event. Let me explain. The taste and impact that a ‘sweet’ has on a person’s stomach varies based upon whether it is eaten at the beginning of a meal on an empty stomach or at the end of the meal for dessert on a full stomach. The reaction and response towards a situation varies as to when it occurs and the feeling is manifested through his surroundings. This idea is found in the amazing description of giving of the Torah.

In this week’s Parshas Yisro the Torah states in Shmos 20:15 “V’Chal Ha’Am Ro’im Es HaKolos V’Es HaLapidim V’Eis Kol HaShofar V’Es Hahar Ashein, Vayar Ha’Am Vayanu’u Vayamdu Meirachok”. “All the people saw the sounds, the flames, the blast of the ram’s horn, and the mountain smoking. The people trembled when they saw it, keeping their distance”. The Eben Ezra explains that when it says “They saw the sounds” it means hearing. In a similar vein in Bereishis 42 the Torah writes that Yakov saw that there was food in Mitzrayim. Obviously, Yakov did not actually ‘see’ but rather Yakov actually ‘heard’ there was food down in Egypt. The five senses that are joined together in one place above the forehead, meaning that while the sense of sight would typically refer to vision, the ability to see, to mentally process what the eyes “see” or to mentally process the sounds the ear is “hearing”. But these senses – seeing hearing, tasting, touching, smelling - all have more than one meaning.Rambam in Moreh Nevuchim (Guide to the Perplexed) writes the definition of ‘seeing’ means feeling and reaching an understanding. Another example of this is in Breishis 27 “V’Chein Ra’ah Reiach B’ni” Yitzchok smelled the fragrance of his garments, and blessed him. Yitzchok didn’t literally ‘see’ the smell of his son but understood the smell. Whenever it mentions the concept of seeing something it implies a level of understanding, of inner perception.

The Rosh, Rabbeinu Asher writes ‘seeing the voices and sounds at Har Sinai’ in actuality means he benefited from the sounds. There are other references in the Torah that infer that the term ‘saw’ is defined as receiving some type of benefit from what they saw. Rabbeinu Bachya explains from Tehilim 29:7 “Kol Hashem Chotzeiv LaHavos Aish” “The voice of Hashem hews out flames of fire”. They would literally see the fire at the giving of the Torah and then it says they saw the voices and the sounds.

There are many ways to communicate information, news, and feelings that we want to share with one another. At times we must be careful of the little gestures we make, both consciously or subconsciously. Subliminal messages can be very powerful. We need to realize that it doesn’t take more than a little sigh of some kind to let everyone around me know how and what I am feeling. People will ‘see’ you through ‘hearing’ some of the things that just come out intentionally or not. Let the noise and the sounds people hear be of satisfaction and appreciation for all what we are experiencing.

Ah Gut Shabbos Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

Abraham Ibn Ezra was born in Tudela, in the present-day Spanish province of Navrre, when the town was under the Mslim rule of the emirs of Zaragoza, later he lived in Cordoba. In Granada, it is said, he met his future friend (and perhaps his father-in-law) Yehuda Halevi. He left Spain before 1140 to escape persecution of the Jews by the new fanatical regime of the Almohads. He led a life of restless wandering, which took him to North Africa, Egypt, (in 1109, maybe in the company of Yehuda Halevi), and back again to Narbonne in 1161, until his death on January 23 or 28, 1164, the exact location unknown.

An essential trait for any ‘living’ language is that expressions, usage of terminology, and definitions of words evolve over time. Dictionaries and thesauruses give multiple explanations and substitutions for words, phrases, idioms and jargons that are used to express context and situations. Sometimes the use of words acquires different meanings as we progress through our lives. For example, when, as a teenager I heard or shouted word ‘homerun’, for me it literally meant just that - someone had rounded all four bases during a game. But in the colloquial sense of the word, when someone says ‘he or she hit a homerun’ it might mean he did a great, fantastic job that just cleaned up the entire situation..

I recently encountered one of those words that I enjoyed when I was in grade school and have come to despise that very same word in my adult life. I recently purchased a new piece of exercise equipment through Amazon, complete with free delivery. Not fully appreciating the value of it coming assembled, I thought that I would be able to easily put it together. Unfortunately, my memory did not serve me well. The last time I bought a new barbecue grill, I bought the floor model that was ready to go because at that time I did remember the previous experience of buying a grill out of the box – which required assembly. I was too cheap at the time of ordering this piece of equipment to spend the extra twenty-five dollars for assembly, and besides the advertisement on the box stated, ‘assembles in minutes’. Little did I know that it took me two hundred forty minutes to get the thing assembled. Therefore, when I had the opportunity to buy it pre-assembled, I grabbed it. Now let’s fast-forward to the new machine. Thanks to my memory lapse and my enthusiastically naive attitude that I could put together the elliptical, I never thought of paying extra to have it assembled. After one week of having a huge box in our kitchen, I gave up on the thought of assembling it myself and called Amazon to take it back. The company offered to send someone to assemble it at about half the cost of the machine itself. Amazon itself offers a home service that will come to assemble your purchase through them at about a fifth of the purchase price. Ultimately, I hired a local person for the same Amazon price to assemble it for me.

I now cringe when I hear the word ‘assemble’, but this was not always the case. In my youth I got all excited when I heard the word ‘assembly’ because that meant more time outside the classroom. I’m not sure if the word ‘assembly’ is used today in elementary or high school, but back in the day I looked forward to any time there would be an assembly, preferably during a secular class. As a little boy I didn’t fully appreciate the experience of the ‘assembly’, only that we got out of class and attended a gathering where we could sit back, and didn’t have to take notes. Naturally, we also didn’t really need to pay attention, and ultimately were not held responsible or accountable for the purpose of the gathering. My euphoria of having an assembly was the typical reaction – and immaturity - of a little kid.

Neither my peers nor I appreciated the purpose and benefit to the statement of ‘assembly’ and its implications. The fact that the entire school, from the youngest kindergarteners to the really big eighth graders all attended the same event was a statement all to its own. The unity and purpose as a solid body coming together was the unsung victory of the cause under which we came to unify. The rows of students our age and reality of being part of a greater whole was an incredible silent message felt by the participants of the assembly. Unfortunately, in our society, including our Jewish society and community, is, in my opinion lacking of this powerful message. I don’t believe people understand or even minutely appreciate the value of an assembly. The secret of the Jewish people’s success was the ‘assembly’ – the meeting of the whole - which we read in the story of leaving Mitzrayim.

In this week’s parshas Bo the Torah states in Shmos 10:9 “Vayomer Moshe Binareinu Uvizkeineinu Neilech, B’Vaneinu U’Vivnoseinu B’Tzoneinu U’Vivkareinu Neilech I Chag Hashem Lanu”. “Young and old alike will go”, replied Moses. “We will go with our sons and our daughters, with our sheep and our cattle. It is a festival to God for ALL of us.” In the previous verse Pharoah, after being menaced by the plagues and second-guessed by his advisors, gives in slightly by almost allowing the Jews to leave Egypt, but catches himself. Instead of allowing the Jews to completely leave he asks Moshe and Aharon “Mi VaMi HaHolchim” “But exactly who will be going?” Pharoah is reluctant to send ALL the Jews away while Moshe and Aharon recognize the importance of EVERYONE leaving together!

Reb Moshe Elyokim Hopsztajn (1757 – 1828) the second Kozhnitzer Rebbe, the son of the Avodas Yisroel explains the concept of the young and old in the passuk. He learns the word not ‘with our young’ but rather ‘like in our youth’ ‘in our old age we will go’. The measure a person reaches in behavior and activity during youth will determine and be a foreteller for the same enthusiasm in later years. The Jewish people will always “go” with zest and zeal, always climbing higher and higher. There is a great advantage that old age brings a step up to society; they carry within them the blessings from life’s experiences. Keep in mind that the later years are connected and pull from the younger years - like the flame of a candle. Life is compared to wine; wine will be better with age only if the wine in its youth was good. If the wine was bad to begin with, as it ages it will turn into bitter vinegar.

A community that abandons its young is compared to an old age home, and a community that forces its seniors into the corners of the room turns those corners, those rooms, into an orphanage! Fortunate are the young whose wisdom of its elders are like a candle at their feet, and fortunate are the elders that the flame of the young strengthens them.

I see and witness a great deal of enthusiasm amongst the children of our Shul and community. Unfortunately, at times the parents of those children (who themselves were once enthusiastic about Judaism) feel a sense of slavery to the rigors of a religious Orthodox lifestyle. Their wine was at one point very fine which, if not properly stored and guarded, will quickly sour. We, the older generation, parents and, yes, even grandparents, must remain vigilant in our attitude towards an exciting feel of Torah and Yiddishkeit. Devoid of this vigilance there will no longer be our younger generation from whom our future will thrive and grow. .

I typically don’t quote non-Jewish sources, but I feel the words of Harry Chapin’s “And the cat's in the cradle” speak mightily to this issue. If I can take the liberty to modify the refrain to be "When are you going to do the things you sent me to school for dad?" "I don't know when, But I'll get together then, You know we'll do it then.” But as we all should know that “then” will never come back again, Dad. You know it will never come back then. We need everyone on this journey of life to live and flourish through the day-to-day, week-to-week challenges of a full, rigorous, religious, observant Jewish life. We need the commitment of both the young and the older in order for us, the Jewish people, to go forward just as we did when we left Mitzrayim. If you don’t want to listen to me at least listen to Moshe Rabbeinu in his response to Pharaoh,”Let My People (with the young and the old) Go!”

Ah Gut Shabbos Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

Rabbi Bogopulsky’s new book “Developing A Torah Personality” is available for purchase directly from him or Amazon

There is nothing in life which doesn’t require ‘Siyata Dishmaya’ - Heavenly assistance. Every waking minute, from the time we open our eyes in the morning until we rest our heads on our pillows at night God helps us with everything. But as the old saying goes, “God helps those who help themselves”. For me - in both my personal and my professional life - I try to manage things on my own with direct assistance from the One above. Nevertheless, there are emergency situations that none of us, me included, can manage alone and require the assistance of others. One such emergency is when then local eruv goes down at a point in the week which is past the ordinary time that we would be able to fix it. Due to the late hour, our eruv maintenance company can’t schedule the job to fix it in time for Shabbos. HELP! I need Siyata Dishmaya, but I need the help from others. Baruch Hashem I have some great people around to help, think, and brainstorm for a solution. As you are most likely aware, it sure has been storming in Southern California lately, and I have been racking my brains to keep the eruv as operational as possible, at least for Shabbos.

What is the definition and history behind the word ‘brainstorming’? Alex Faickney Osborn (1888–1966) was an advertising executive and the author of the creativity technique named “brainstorming”. Osborn began developing methods for creative problem-solving in 1939. He was frustrated by his employees’ inability to develop creative ideas individually for ad campaigns. In response, he began hosting group-thinking sessions and discovered a significant improvement in the quality and quantity of ideas produced by employees. Osborn outlined his method in the 1948 book Your Creative Power.

Osborn claimed that two principles contribute to "ideative efficacy", these being: deferring judgment, and reaching for quantity. Following these two principles were his general rules of brainstorming, established with intention to:

• reduce social inhibitions among group members.
• stimulate idea generation.
• Increase overall creativity of the group.

1. Go for quantity: This rule is a means of enhancing divergent production, aiming to facilitate problem-solving through the maxim quantity breeds quality. The assumption is that the greater the number of ideas generated, the bigger the chance of producing a radical and effective solution.
2. Withhold criticism: In brainstorming, criticism of ideas generated should be put 'on hold'. Instead, participants should focus on extending or adding to ideas, reserving criticism for a later 'critical stage' of the process. By suspending judgment, participants will feel free to generate unusual ideas.
3. Welcome wild ideas: To get a good, long list of suggestions, wild ideas are encouraged. They can be generated by looking from new perspectives and suspending assumptions. These new ways of thinking might give you better solutions.
4. Combine and improve ideas: As suggested by the slogan "1+1=3",it is believed to stimulate the building of ideas by a process of association.

Osborn notes that brainstorming should address a specific question; he held that sessions addressing multiple questions were inefficient. Osborn envisioned groups of around 12 participants, including both experts and novices. Participants are encouraged to provide wild and unexpected answers. Ideas receive no criticism or discussion. The group simply provides ideas that might lead to a solution and apply no analytical judgment as to the feasibility. The judgments are reserved for a later date. Ultimately working together makes people learn, grow, and offer solutions to challenging situations which they would unlikely be able to resolve on their own.

So now back to our very stormy weather and the eruv situation. After much brainstorming with some of the best and brightest minds of our generation, we were on our way. It took a good number of hours during the week to come up with a plan of action that is far from perfect but hopefully will be a stop gap measure to temporarily keep the eruv up in that section. I’m not sure that I alone would have resolved the issue; this was a collective effort that met success. As there is nothing new under the sun, where in the Torah do we find the strategy of brainstorming?

1. will take literary license to point out a very subtle scene that is overlooked by most of the commentaries regarding Moshe brainstorming the plan to take the Jews out of Egypt. In this week’s parsha Shemos the Torah states in 4:28: “Vayagaid Moshe L’Aharon Eis Kal Divrei HaShem Asher Sh’lacho, V’Eis Kal Ha’Osos Asher Tzivahu” - “Moshe described to Aaron everything that God has told him about his mission”. 4:29 “Vayeilech Moshe V’Aharon, VaYa’asfu Es Kal Ziknei B’Nei Yisrael” - “Moshe and Aharon went to Egypt, and they gathered all the elders of Israel”. At first Moshe tells Aharon, his brother, all that Hashem had told him. Then both Moshe and Aharon gathered the elders of the Jewish people. Why was all this necessary? The Ramban is one of the few commentaries to perhaps shed some light on this situation. Ramban explains which words Moshe told over to Aharon, which in turn were told to the elders. Moshe told Aharon all the words that were spoken between Him and God and all about how he resisted the mission! Moreover He, Moshe, had been sent against his will. This is the meaning of the word Kal/All. Moshe told Aharon not only what he had been instructed to do and say in Egypt, but all the words – even those surrounding Hashem’s choice of him (Moshe) to be His emissary. Perhaps Moshe was still unsure of his ability to lead the Jews out of Mitzrayim. Perhaps he wanted to discuss the situation with his older brother and with the elders, those whom he, Moshe, looked up to as well. Presumably Moshe went to inform and discuss the plan of Hashem that Moshe was the man tapped for this job, but he was either still looking for a way out or a way to get confirmation through the discussions that took place. I believe this is true, as it signals Moshe’s humility in another and continuing fashion as he did throughout his life.

13031. method of ‘brainstorming’ is a tool that not only could be used in business but it is an incredible instrument for family building, classroom and student unity, and overall team development. Once again, we detect Moshe Rabbeinu teaching Am Yisrael through being the role model and going through the experience of brainstorming and not solely relying on himself. This, in it of itself, is a sign of Anivus - humility something we can all learn to take a dose of once in a while.                                              Ah Gut Shabbos                                                   Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

Rabbi Bogopulsky’s new book “Developing A Torah Personality” is available for purchase directly from him or Amazon

Back to the air we go on another travel experience that I never look forward to  but always look back at when returning. An obvious rule in life is "a person has more options the sooner he makes a decision". Today, more than ever, if you snooze you lose. We need to  make decisions in a timely fashion so that we’ll be able to have the most and, hopefully, the best choices to confront. A person who waits until the last minute will have slim pickings available at best.

For many reasons that I will not share here, I took a last-minute (not literally last minute but within a week) trip to Israel. Aisle and window seats are usually selected first, leaving the middle seats to the last-minute traveler. As passengers settle into their assigned seats, the great mind battle begins as to who has the rights of the armrest. If the window or aisle passenger takes the arm rest, then the middle passenger is left with no arm rests whatsoever. When I am sitting in either the aisle or window seat, I try to leave the arm rest for the middle passenger seat, reasoning that I at least have the window/wall to lean against or the aisle to stretch out. I would hope to receive that same courtesy if I am stuck in the middle, but that isn’t always the case. Early on as the seating and boarding is going on, a quick, decisive, and bold move must be taken to conquer the space or else it is going to be a long  - and even more uncomfortable - flight. 

Many shoppers are aware that when there is a limited number of items going on sale it’s necessary to be quick to purchase. There are many good deals that are posted on websites for limited times and quantities. Certain areas of purchase have changed over time. For instance, a daily merchandise stores such as fruit stores had the best fruits and vegetables out in the morning, but by evening only the scraps remain. Today, stores are adequately supplied, allowing replenishing and restocking of shelves and bins throughout the day. In other categories, however, the saying 'first come first serve' is still in effect. A different side of this is the notion that ‘haste makes waste’;  sometimes a person should not act so quickly.  Nevertheless, there are two approaches  that  need to be addressed: on the one hand speed and the other hand not delaying. A person may not see the difference between the two, depending upon the situation.  At the end of the day how do we reconcile these important ideas of speed, not delaying yet using care and thought before doing something? Perhaps the answer lies in the famous incident of Yosef revealing himself to his brothers and instructing them what to do right now.

In this week’s Parsha Vayigash the Torah states in 45:9 “Maharu Va’Alu El Auvi Va’Amartem Eilav Ko Amar Bincha Yosef, Samani Elohim L’Adon L’Chol Mitzrayim R’Da Eiliey Al Ta’Amod”. Yosef said: “Quickly go up to my father (Yakov) and say to him, this is what your son Yosef said, God placed me as a Lord to all of Egypt, come down to me and do not stay there”. Only a few verses later Yosef says to his brothers in Bereishis 45:24: “VaYishalach Es Echav Vayeileichu, Vayomer Aleihem, Al Tirgzu BaDerech”. “And he (Yosef) sent his brothers and they went, and he said to them ‘do not tarry or quarrel on the way home”. Look at the difference in the instructions Yosef gives to his brothers. First he says ‘go quickly’ and later says ‘do not delay or do not quarrel which would ultimately lead to a slowing down’. Yosef’s selection of instructions depended upon the purpose or upon whom he was talking about. First, he tells them to go quickly.  Sforno explains the reason Yosef tells his brothers to ‘go quickly’ was to minimize the anguish of Yakov. Once he addressed his concerns for his father, he turned his attention to his brothers.  Daas Mikrah explains the word Tirgezu/quarrel in two ways. The first is to be understood as Yosef telling his brothers  not to be angry with one another, not to fight over the decision of having sold him as explained by Rashi. These words are similar to what the Navi Chavakuk said 3:2 ‘B’Rogez Racheim Tizkor’ Amid rage – remember to be merciful. Even though it is natural for you to be angry with each other, be merciful.  Take it easy on each other because it was all meant to be.  The second interpretation of Yosef’s words are ‘do not be afraid, do not be  in awe of the road which has robbers and highway men’. The fear of my ruler, of my power,is over them as well, and therefore they will not touch you. This is similar what we say in Az Yashir everyday ‘Sham’oo Amim Yirgazoon’ the nations will hear and be afraid’.

Yosef addresses his brothers and tells them to be quick and inform our father to come down to Mitzrayim. Their hesitation was the difficult, hard decision to leave Eretz Yisrael. Therefore, Yosef tells them the decision has already been made by God, that this is the plan.  They are to bring the family down to Mitzrayim. The ticket to travel is bought already, now don’t argue about anything in delaying that will make the trip feel longer, such as infighting. Pick your seats immediately;  don’t get stuck with something you don’t like.

No major decision in life should be made quickly without proper consideration and a thorough examination of its consequences. But as soon as a decision is made after everything is taken into consideration, then quick, decisive action must be taken. For example: Once a decision is made to purchase something of major importance and significance, then the purchase should be made ASAP in order not to lose out on it. This concept is consistent with Chazal’s statement of ‘Zrizim Makdimin L’Mitzvos’. Zerizus is difficult to translate, but most often it is described as diligence, industriousness, or zeal. This is a pre-requisite for doing Mitzvos. A person needs to be ready to do the Mitzva even though it may not be the time for it. Once that time comes, however, one needs to act immediately.

The lesson to be learned is once you know you are flying, buy your ticket immediately and choose your seat. If you get stuck with a middle seat, then board quickly and take possession of the arm rests, otherwise it’s going to be a long flight………………        take my word for it.

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

We often reckon the passage of time by generations, but just how long is a generation? As a matter of common knowledge, we know that a generation averages about 25 years—from the birth of a parent to the birth of a child—although it varies case by case. We also generally accept that the length of a generation was closer to 20 years in earlier times when humans mated younger and life expectancies were shorter.

My tenure in San Diego and at Beth Jacob is within the range of seeing the transition from one generation to the next. This community, just like all other communities, witnesses people and families come and go. Some move to other cities or other countries while others move up to a different world. In any case, there are many interesting people and characters who make up the flavor and personality of the community. Some people are quiet, reserved and keep to themselves while others are boisterous, overt in their opinions and feelings, and always visible. One such colorful man who lived in the Beth Jacob apartments for many years was Mr. Solowitz z”l. For those who knew him, there is no need to describe him. This is not the place (nor do I have the space) to elucidate to those who did not know him even a small vignette of the uniqueness and special qualities of who he was.  Nevertheless, there is one detail that I will share, which is one thing that he and I had in common - the New York Yankees baseball team.

Mr. Solowitz had a very sharp and insightful mind. The Yankess had won the World Series four out of the last five years at the end of the century and then went cold. He shared a great insight with me as to why the current Yankees team (at that time) would not win again. He said the players lost their hunger, their drive, their enthusiasm and even their adrenalin to win again. There was very little left for such a dominant team to prove their prowess any longer, and without the inner motivation to do so they could not win. Other teams who had the drive and need  to prove their prowess and also had young players who were hungry for recognition and success would assume the top and win a World Series. The lesson of being ‘hungry’ for something, whether it is in sports, education, Torah or relationships is the key to success and winning.  Momentum is a critical part of continued growth; once that begins to slow down it is only a matter of time before we start to lose, giving  back some of that which we gained.

One of the keys to success in life in general and religion in particular is the ability to continue and maintain momentum, to create a snowball effect to build on past successes. In my career I have seen the continued upward growth of individuals and families in spirituality and overall service to Hashem. Unfortunately, I have also witnessed the unravelling of hard work and self-sacrifice of other individuals and families. The reason for  growth - or negative decline -  is determined by how determined each person is to maintain that desire and hunger for more, as opposed to giving in to  a feeling of complacency encompassed by the inner gnawing of the refrain, “Come on.  How much more do you want me to do? What do you want from me?” This latter phenomena can be found both in baalei teshuva and in families who were observant their entire lives. The common denominator is that people are tired and just want to get a break and take it easy. Many of the good, religious habits that they once prided themselves on are now just memories. The mitzvos, learning, davening, chesed, etc. that were part and parcel of their identity  have gathered dust and cobwebs. Religious observance could almost be viewed as a passing fad that came and is now gone - a ‘been there done that’ phenomenon. This notion is counter to the philosophy of the Torah where we actively apply the rule ‘there’s no rest for the weary’. Interestingly,  it appears  in the opening verse of this week’s parsha. {Parsjas Vayeishev, 37:1 which states:   “Vayeishev Yaakov B’Eretz M’Gurei Aviv B’Eretz Canaan”. “Meanwhile, Yaakov settled in the area (Chevron) where his father had lived in the land of Canaan.” The most common traditional interpretation of “Vayeishev Yaakov” is the opinion of Rashi. Yaakov wanted to dwell in peace, but there sprang upon him the troubles of Yosaif. Hashem said: “Is it not sufficient for the righteous that which is prepared for them in the world to come, but they seek to dwell in peace in this world also!” It sounds as though Yaakov had lost his drive, his sense of wanting more -  and this is the absolute truth. Yaakov does indeed want to dwell in peace, but not the peace I  described earlier  - that he wanted to have it easier, to take a break from Torah and Mitzvos. To the contrary, Yaakov  saw the opportunity to sit in the beis medrash all day and not have to go to work.

The passuk comes to teach us that as long as Yakov was in Chutz La’Aretz/ outside of Israel and on the road travelling, he continually sought to acquire more physical things of this world and to increase his estate of cattle and sheep. Yaakov was a workaholic outside of Israel. This is supported by the statement  in Bereishis 31:40: “By day I was consumed by the scorching heat, and at night by the frost”. But upon entering the land of Canaan, Yaakov immediately declared a religious asylum. Yaacov no longer felt the need to physically work, for when he came to his father’s house in Eretz Canaan he was ready to serve Hashem from two sides. On one side was the place where his father Yitzchak and grandfather Avraham had lived. On the other side was the greatness of the land itself - our Holy land, the sanctified land that God chose for him and his descendants.  Yaakov no longer had a desire to amass physical wealth and items of this world. Rather, he felt the only reason he worked so hard when he was outside of Israel was  so that he could retire from the physical and focus solely on the spiritual, just as his predecessors Avraham and Yitzchok had done. He no longer wanted to go out to shepherd his flock as he had done  before he left Israel. Avraham and Yitzchok in their old age separated from the money and acquisitions in order to devote themselves completely to Hashem and prepare to receive prophesy, living fully under the influence of God. Yaakov wanted to do the same thing as Avraham and Yitzchok: to sit in peace and tranquility, to learn Torah, to do as his fathers had done.   

Yakov wanted to sit back in peace and tranquility from the life of Gashmiyus/physicality and put his efforts into Ruchniyus/spirituality. The hunger and drive was just revving up again in pursuit of loftiness. I feel there is an unspoken regression today, much more so than a generation or two ago. Perhaps, as life grows easier and less demanding, we take our Yiddishkeit (Judaism) for granted which may lead to this deterioration.  Or perhaps even the opposite may be true: as we grow older we face more stresses, more pressures either from within our families or from without from our personal disappointments.  Regardless of the causes for this potential deepening malaise, everyone reading this needs to think back to a time when they were doing more, when they were actively, enthusiastically growing spiritually. This is not the time to only focus on olam hazeh, forgetting or neglecting all the Torah and Judaism we fought and struggled for. There is room for both. Make some time to get back to the greater heights of our past and bring them back into the present.

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

There a very few things in life which stress me out, but that doesn’t mean that things don’t concern me or that I don’t care about dire situations. There are challenges and difficulties which require patience and guidance for any number of given situations. Each of us deals with the challenges we must confront differently. For some, these trials may appear easy while for others, such situations are very difficult. Regardless of how each of us face challenge, we all should strive to make them less stressful whenever possible.

Too often we use or misuse the term stress in a way to express a situation. We need to narrow down the areas of life which cause us to use the term ‘stress’. Stress is the pressure or tension exerted on a material object. Stress is also more and more frequently used in a medical or biological context. Stresses can be externally induced either from the environment, psychological, or social situations, from illness, or from a medical procedure. For me the most appropriate definition of stress is the first definition:  pressure exerted on material objects.

When I go shopping, I go to buy something that I need, while others I know just go shopping whether they need something or not! For me, shopping for basic things - such as food and small articles -  is a relatively soothing and therapeutic activity because doesn’t require a lot of brain power. On the other hand, when I must buy something - let’s take a suit, for example - and it may very well cost well over one hundred and fifty dollars (I’m frugal!), I begin to go into stress mode. Depending upon the item, necessity and cost will determine the stress level that I experience. The most severe and highest level of stress that I endure is the process of buying a car. Over the years my wife bought vehicles when I was out of town which made it relatively stress-free for me. Last May we needed to get rid of our beloved mini-van and purchase something else. Last week, during a routine maintenance checkup of my car, a major problem was discovered that would require a new engine. The first difficult decision I needed to face was to either put the money into the old car or put it towards something new. As I stressed over this decision for about a week, I finally listened to the advice I had sought out to part with my car, not an easy thing for me to do as I get attached to ‘things’.  My old care was sentimental to me. It had been my mechanical pal, my trustworthy means of transportation, and I was about to reject it for a newer, better object.

The ultimate stress test for me is buying and negotiating the purchasing of a new vehicle. For those who have gone through this process, you know it is a cat and mouse game of who is going to give in first and by how much? Everyone knows that the initial price is way too high and negotiation is required.  At first, the salesman is extremely nice and courteous and expresses a few times that I shouldn’t feel any pressure today. After I choose the vehicle that I would like to buy, the initial intake of information begins. They basically ask what can we do to earn your business today. What can we do that you drive out with a new car today? It sounds like they are willing to accommodate and work with you at almost any cost. They ask what amount I have in mind to pay and then the tone of conversation changes. “Do you want us to lose money (yeh right, they’re losing money)?” The standoff begins and I personally spend an entire day just trying to position myself for the best price and not wanting to feel that I am getting ripped off.

While the “game” of purchasing a car leaves me in the void as to just who was actually the winner, we all  know that when it comes to a Tzadik, Hashem watches out for the righteous and will make sure the money they have and spend is to their benefit. This is apparent in the words we read this Shabbos.

In this week’s Parsha Vayeitzay, Yakov Avinu works for his future father- in- law, and after marrying Rachel and Leah continues to work for him. In Bereishis 29:15 the Torah states: Vayomer Lavan L’Yaakov Hachi Achi AtahVa’Avaditaqni Chinam? Hagida Li Mah Maskoortecha”. “Lavan said to Jacob, ‘Just because you are my close relative, does it mean that you must work for me for nothing? Tell me what you want to be paid.”.A few commentators mention the fact that Lavan referred to Yakov as his brother. Lavan is asking about the wages in a cynical manner loaded with diabolical intention. You, Yakov, are thinking that I am your brother and you are trying to win me over by thinking I will get free work out of you. You, Yakov, are trying to trick me into offering free, cheap labor only to lure me into a situation that I will end up paying you a fortune for your work. Lavan felt that anything that is given for free as a gift will end up costing him a lot later. Lavan says to Yakov, “You are flattering me that you are willing to work for free so that later you will ask for a great favor.  You are expecting to receive so much more than I can afford. Yakov answers, stating simply, “I only came to marry your daughters and I don’t want or need anything else.”

In Bereishis 31:7 the Torah states: Va’Avichen Heisel Bi V’Hechelif Es Maskurti Aseres Monim, V’Lo N’Sano mElokim L’Hora Imadi”. Yakov said to his wives: “Your father swindled me and changed his mind about my pay at least ten times, but God would not let him harm me.” Later in 31:41 Yakov again mentions in speaking to Lavan ‘you changed my wages ten times!” Hashem protected Yakov and through the miracle of breeding the speckled, ringed and spotted animals was able to become a very wealthy man despite Lavan’s attempts to keep it all for himself.  

I’m would be comfortable to say that Yakov’s experience with his father-in-law Lavan was a great challenge. Nevertheless, a person with Yakov’s character and trust in Hashem would lead one to believe that he got the best price for his situation. The more emunah/faith and bitachon/trust in Hashem we develop within ourselves, the more our stress levels regarding all difficult situations will be reduced.

Ah Gut Shabbos           Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

Despite  post-election confusion, fears and uncertainty, raging fires, Thanksgiving, and anti-Semitism, the city of Chevron is on the mind of Jews throughout the world. It will be remembered that this Shabbos corresponds with the reading of the Torah passages which relate to Avraham’s burial of Sorah at the Cave of Machpela, located in Chevron. Every year, on this Shabbos when these pesukim are read, Jews from around the country go to Chevron in commemoration of this event. Chevron will see thousands of visitors this Shabbos. Unfortunately, however, Chevron won’t be the only city with Jews flocking to it this year.

From time to time I write about Eretz Yisrael and its ongoing challenges with the Arabs and their incessant desire to destroy us. Every few years a new wave of terror and a new kind of terrorism attacks Israel. As we Jews in America are enjoying a long week-end vacation in excess of 80,000 Jews in Haifa alone continue to be evacuated from their homes as raging, fires – caused by a lethal combination of open admission of terrorist-inspired arson compounded by unfortunate strong winds -  continue to burn across Israel, coming too close to many communities while simultaneously scorching huge swaths of Israel.

The adage that ‘time heals all’ isn’t all that true. Rather, with the passing of time we tend to forget how bad things were. No matter what kind of uncertainty a person or nation faces with the passing of time, circumstance become clearer and fears - in most cases - are calmed. Here in America by and large post-election issues are hopefully becoming clearer in the minds of those who initially expressed fear. One major issue, however, in my opinion, is the opening of a new wave of anti-Semitism on a political level on both sides of the aisle. (I will address this in greater detail in a future message). The State and entire Land of Israel is once again fighting terrorism, and I am confident that with the help of the Almighty this too shall pass. Unfortunately, in life and even in wars that are won, many people are hurt and die. Such is true with the ongoing battle of terrorism; we will win but there will be a cost.

Very few people, in fact, very few nations, have the resilience of the Jews -  especially those of us who live in Eretz Yisrael.  It is really a wonder how, after thousands of years of being displaced and exiled from Israel (at least now in the spiritual sense),  we remain deeply attached to the Land. We have been divided as a people, spread out to the four corners of the earth, and yet there remains the indomitable spirit of our identity, our open contributions to all of humankind, our love for Eretz Yisroel in our hearts. This spirit gives us strength to be successful in every country to which we were exiled. In the natural way of life, any other nation would have blended into its new society and forgotten about where they came from, but not us. With all that has transpired over the centuries, we continue to be pulled and deeply connected to Eretz Yisrael. Where do we get this love, desire and national stamina to keep on going, to continue to hope and dream of returning to our homeland? I believe an answer to this question is buried in a passuk in the Torah.

In this week’s Parsha Chayei Sorah 24:6 the Torah states: “VaYomer Eilav Avraham, Hishamer L’Cha Pen Tasshiv Es B’ni Shama. Hashem Elokei HaShamayim Asher l’Kachani MiBeis Auvi U’MeiEretz Molad’ti Va’Asher Diber Li Va’Asher Nishba Li Laymore, L’Zaracha Eten Es HaAretz HaZos Hu Yishlach Malacho L’Fanecha V’Lakachta Isha Livni Misham”. Avraham speaks to Eliezer his servant with regard to finding a wife for Yitzchok. “Be most careful in this respect,” replied Avraham. “Do not bring my son back there! God, the Lord of heaven, took me away from my father’s house and the land of my birth. He spoke to me and made an oath. ‘To your off-spring I will give this land.’ He will send His angel before you, and you will indeed find a wife there for my son. If the girl does not want to come back with you, then you shall be absolved of my oath. But no matter what, do not bring my son back there.”  In examining the wording of these verses Don Isaac Abravanel asks, “Why does Avraham instruct Eliezer not to bring his son Yitzchok ‘back there’?” Yitzchok was never there in the first place! Rather, shouldn’t it  say, “Don’t bring my son there?” 

The Midrash Lekach Tov explains Avraham’s warning to Eliezer his servant in verse six on the word ‘L’cha’: Be careful in this respect of ‘going’ because Hashem told Avraham ‘Lech L’Cha Mei’Artzecha’…. Hashem commanded me to leave that very same place and come to the land of Canaan. Avraham did not did not want to allow Yitzchok to leave or to be taken out of Eretz Yisrael. Despite the fact Avraham knew his children will eventually be exiled, he nevertheless insisted that Yitzchok remain to establish and solidify the Jewish people to be connected to the land.  Yitzchok had been instilled with a great level of sanctity that would sustain and strengthen the people and their commitment to the Land of Israel for the future. The Zohar adds that Avraham wanted Yitzchok to remain with him and not the people there so as to learn from Avraham the ways of Hashem and Torah.

It was critical for Yitzchok to stay in Eretz Yisrael and through him the love and desire of the Eretz Yisrael would be transmitted to Klal Yisroel despite the fact future generations would be forced to leave Israel. This is indicated by the words ‘rak’/only two pesukim later in verse eight. The gemara learns out and derives a halachik principle, stating the word ‘rak’ is a MI ‘UT, meaning a limitation to what was previously learned. This implies that only Yitzchok would remain;  his son Yaakov would eventually run away, actually back to the old family in the exile.

Therefore, in the absence of Yitzchok going with Eliezer, Avraham promises him that Hashem will send an angel so as to assure that Yitzchok need not leave. There are many excuses and rationalizations (some good some bad) to leave Eretz Yisrael when the need arises. Nevertheless, Avraham’s trust in God that He will send an angel to help and allow Yitzchok to remain is the timeless pull we feel within ourselves. We hope and pray that HaKadosh Baruch Hu sends the angels again to protect Eretz Yisrael and our brethren now and in the future. I  suggest that through the mesiras nefesh the Jews are now enduring through this latest terror, God will send the angels  - just as He did for our forefather Isaac,  allowing him to remain in Israel - to all of us to remain as well. The Jewish people should only travel away from their homes on their terms to pray and be by the Meoras HaMachpeila,  not to be forced to flee  due to terror. May Hashem send a full and speedy resolve for Acheinu Kol B’nei Eretz Yisrael.

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

While driving through the streets and cities of America, it’s interesting to try to match the names of the cities to the religious and social orientation of the area. I am always amused when I see biblical names of towns and cities such as Bethlehem, Jericho, Dothan, Beth-El, Goshen, Hebron, Lebanon, and even Jerusalem. A Jew can almost feel as though he is  in Israel even when in the diaspora!  Perhaps there is a subconscious reasoning behind the names we see in the United States as a small reminder of the original cities in Eretz Yisrael. It may not be so far-fetched to reason that these names were chosen for the benefit of Jews, strangers in a foreign land, to help us remember our roots.

Interestingly, as I drove in Israel this past summer, I took note of a sign on the road near Ben Gurion airport that read: “No exit from Kibbutz Galuyot”. Many are familiar with the concept of a ‘kibbutz’ as a type or style of communal living. Kibbutz Galuyot, loosely translated, means the ‘Gathering of Israel’ or the ‘Ingathering of the Exiles’, also known as Ingathering of the Jewish Diaspora. It is the biblical promise of Devarim 30:1-5 given by Moshe to the Bnei Yisrael prior to their entrance into the land of Israel. He foresaw that the people of Israel would sin in their new land and would therefore be exiled. However, he also foresaw the people's return to their homeland. During the days of the Babylonian exile, writings of the prophets Yeshayahu and Yechezkel encouraged the people of Israel with a promise of a future gathering of the exiles returning to the land of Israel. The continual hope for a return of the Israelite exiles to the land has been in the hearts of Jews  since the destruction of the Second Temple. The Jewish people have been in golus/exile for more years than we want to think about. This two-thousand-year exile was not the first.  Chazal teach that there are four Galuyot the Jews will endure Babylonian, Persian – Purim - the threat of our annihilation, Greek - Chanukah, and Roman which continues to this very day. Prior to the Jews living in Eretz Yisrael an exile was foretold by Hashem to Avraham Avinu that his children would be exiled.

The road sign “No exit from Kibbutz Galuyos” is letting the driver know that from this vantage point it will not be possible  to get to the kibbutz. A slightly different spin on the wording of the sign can be viewed not only as the kibbutz itself but rather that there is no escape from the ingathering of the exiles. In the tenth benediction, we ask that God “sound the great shofar” and “raise the banner” to gather the exiled Jews from around the globe and to return all of us to the land of Israel. The use of the shofar and the banner to signal the return of those exiled are themes in the Navi Yeshayahu 27:13 and 11:12, respectively.

We ask that God gather our dispersed from the “four corners of the Earth” –another quote from Yishayahu 11:12. Israel is the place towards which we would have Him gather us. The Midrash Tanchuma describes Israel as the center of the world. Furthermore, Jerusalem is in the center of Israel, the Temple is in the center of Jerusalem, and the Holy of Holies containing the Ark is in the center of the Temple. Accordingly, the focal point of the “four corners of the Earth” is not only our land, but ultimately the location of our Temple, the site of our service to God. No matter where a Jew will be, when Moshiach comes we cannot exit out of the system that will bring all Jews back to Israel.

There is a famous debate with regard to understanding a law based upon a verse in this week’s parsha that alludes to a different understanding of where the diaspora boundaries are to be determined.

In this week’s Parsha Lech L’cha the Torah states in Bereishis 15:13: “Vayomer L’Avram Yadoa Teidah Ki Ger Yihyeh Zaracha B’Eretz Lo Lahem, Va’Avadoom V’Inu Osam Arba Meos Shana”. “And God said to Avram, know for sure that your descendants will be foreigners in a land that is not theirs for 400 years”. The land that Hashem told Avraham about his descendants being slaves was the land of Egypt. There is a law or a Mitzva prohibiting a Jew to live in Egypt. A person is permitted to tour and vacation in Mitzrayim but is forbidden to move there permanently.  The Rambam Maimonidies in Hilchos Melachim 5:7 states: “it is permitted for a Jew to dwell/live any place in the world except for the land of Egypt”. Following this law, Hilchos Melachim  5:8 it states: “it is permitted to return to Egypt for business and trade, but one is not permitted to remain there. Maimonidies continues, stating: “it appears to me that if a Jewish king conquered the land of Egypt through the direction of the high court, then we would be permitted to live in Egypt.” The Rogatchavor, Rov Yosef Rosen asks what is the novella in that. Isn’t it true that any land a king of Israel conquers through the order of the Beis Din has the same status as Eretz Yisrael proper? The same law applies to the expanding of the borders and annexing land that borders Israel.  Those lands would also become part of Eretz Yisrael itself.  Therefore, in the case of conquering Egypt, it should be permissible to live there because it is no longer considered Egypt but rather now would be part of Eretz Yisrael!

From here the Rogatchover proves that Egypt will never be sanctified with the sanctity and kedusha of Eretz Yisrael, rather the Jewish people are permitted to dwell there when captured. Rav Avrohom Kook in his sefer Mishpat Tzedek disagrees and maintains that under those circumstances even Egypt would be infused with the Kedusha/holiness of Israel if conquered according to Jewish law. Rav Kook says this is the novella of the Rambam. The Rogatchover explains the law of the Rambam differently based upon our verse here in Lech L’cha.  When the passuk states “Ki Ger Yihyeh Zaracha B’Eretz Lo Lahem” -  “that your descendants will be foreigners in a land that is not theirs” has double-worded language. The word ‘ger’ means a foreigner, so is  ‘in a land that is not theirs’ repetitive? “Rather,” he explains that the repetition of the concept teaches us the following: Hashem is telling Avraham that the Jews will be foreigners in a land that will never become theirs. Even if we capture and conquer the land according to Jewish law,  the land will never be incorporated into the land of Eretz Yisrael.

The previous discussion is about the first time the Jewish people had to leave Canaan and end up exiled in Egypt. Hashem tells Avraham we would have to endure this for a time that according to Chazal was cut down from 400 to 210 years. Today we are in the last and the longest of the exiles in Jewish history. We have certainly paid our due, let us all hope and pray that Moshiach is on his way and we will all return speedily in our day.

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

Often in life a person’s strength can also be his weakness, and his weakness can be a strength. Take for example the trait of humility. When exercised in situations that require a person to be humble, it is a strength. On the other hand, if the situation calls for boldness then humility might be out of place. The midos/character traits of an individual are not the only things in life that can be both positive and negative, depending upon the situation. There are countless ways we think, communicate, share and express ourselves, frequently illustrating this dichotomy. I, like everyone else, have a few areas of strength which can, at times, be considered a fault.

One of the few criticisms my wife gives me is how I try to access information from our children. When I wand to learn if they’d  done something either good or bad, I tend to pose the question  in a quizzical or indirect way. Sometimes the way I ask the question goes right over their heads, causing them not to provide me with the answer I was looking for. For example, if I wanted to know what they learned in school I would ask, “So what did I get for my paying tuition today?” They wouldn’t know how to respond, I grew frustrated and everyone got upset. My wife said to me, “Be direct; don’t ask ambiguous questions. If you want to know the answer, ask them straight out what they learned in school that day.” In my mind, I was using a Talmudic exercise and method by which asking something one way can solicit more information than the actual question was seeking. Through my question I hoped they would understand that school wasn’t free;  I am paying for their education, so I want to know that I’m getting my money’s worth. My wife, on the other hand, felt it necessary to split the question from other anticipated answers and  to be open and direct.  To get  straight to the point. I know my wife and I disagree, but I think the disagreements are borne out of her thinking in a practical manner and I from more of a philosophical one. Not that I am saying my wife is wrong, but I think the Torah and Hashem at times also choose to use indirect questioning as opposed to direct questioning.

In this past week’s Parshas Bereishis the Torah in at least three instances uses a line of questioning that Hashem, who is asking the questions, surely knows the answers. After Adam and Chava (Eve) sin by eating the forbidden fruit, God, in Bereishis 3:9, states: “Vayikra Hashem Elokim El Ha’Adam Vayomer Lo, Ayekah?” “God called to the man, and He said, ‘Where are you?’” A few verses later - 3:11 - the passuk states: “Vayomer Mi Higid L’chja Ki Eirome Ata, HaMin HaEitz Asher Tzivisicha L’ViltiAchol Mimenu Achalta?” “God asked, ‘Who told you that you are naked? Did you eat from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat?’ ” We all know that Hashem knew where Adam and Chava were, and we also understand that God knew Adam and Chava did indeed eat from the forbidden fruit.  A third case in point in this parsha is after Kayin  (Cain)kills Hevel (Abel). Hashem comes to Kayin in Bereishis 4:9 and states: “Vayomer Hashem El Kayin, Ay Hevel Achicha?” “God asked Kayin, ‘Where is your brother Hevel?’ ” Once again we don’t doubt the fact God knew that Cain killed Able his brother. If so, why does Hashem ask  the rhetorical questions about the whereabouts of Adam and Chava (Eve) and ask Kayin (Cain) where his brother Hevel (Abel) was?

The commentary Meam Loez explains that even though Hashem knew where to find Adam and Chava He felt it necessary to engage in some innocent talk after seeing the fall of Adam due to his sin. The Torah, ultimately Hashem, is teaching us some simple Derech Eretz: if a person sees an individual do one sin and the sinner recognized his sin, then you should not yell at the sinner at that moment. Perhaps, if we are too harsh on the sinner at that moment, he will not be able to withstand the pain. Therefore, it is appropriate to wait a while, giving the  rebuke a little later.

A second reason is brought down in the Midrash Rabbah, quoting a Midrash Tanchuma in Tazria. The reason Hashem ‘called out’ to Adam was to speak with him in a non-threatening way, hoping, perhaps that the sinner would express regret  and repent. Two names of God are used in this verse: Hashem and Elokim - one representing mercy, the other judgment. The name ‘Hashem’, displaying God as merciful, was used first . G-d pleaded with Adam:  ”Ayeka”  ”Where are you?” ”Come back and do teshuva.”

A third reason for  rhetorical questioning is supplied by Rashi as he includes the approach to Kayin (Cain) also for the sake of Derech Eretz, mentioned in Derech Eretz Zuta 91: A person should not burst into his friend’s home suddenly. He should not startle his friend. Every man should learn this form of Derech Eretz from Hashem.  He stood at the entrance of Gan Eden and called out to Adam.

In these three instances (and I’m sure we can find more) the rhetorical question, Hashem intentionally asking a question which He the answer to was an open act of  kindness and Chessed and from the earliest times of this world  Hashem is engaged in teaching and instructing us how to do a kindness, how to extend ourselves to someone who has stumbled. 

The next time you find yourself asking a rhetorical or obvious question, make sure there is a purpose in asking it in that way. Whether it is posed to a child, an older student, a teacher, a co-worker, a colleague or even to your Rabbi, make sure it doesn’t sound supercilious, presented without apparent reason. The rhetorical question is a question that shows some love and care for another individual. Your purpose is  to help bring out the best in that individual. The rhetorical question isn’t actually being addressed  to the person you are speaking with; it is, in fact being addressed  to you, the questioner, by asking yourself what you are trying to accomplish through asking this question.  If you are not sincerely trying to help, then you would be better off  skipping the rhetoric and asking the question directly. Let us keep in mind that Hashem, being merciful, posed the question with derech eretz.  Therefore, shouldn’t we, wanting to bring out the best in another individual, also always question with chessed and derech eretz? 

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky