Rabbi's Blog

This Dvar Torah should serve as a Zechus for a Refuah Sheleima for Yakov Eliezer Ben Yocheved

The Jewish calendar is filled with sad days and holidays  which are commemorated through symbols and mitzvos, each representing a particular holiday and remembrance. I have clear childhood memories of holiday celebrations with certain family members , eating certain foods, doing something unique which was specific to each holiday, and simply recalling how our family’s holiday celebrations grew within me over the years.

I can’t imagine there is a child out there today (or an adult recalling his/her Purim of yore) who doesn’t have a fond memory of Purim and who doesn’t look forward to celebrating Purim again the next year. What are our memories from Purim? We obviously remember getting dressed up in home-made costumes that were more authentic than today’s store-bought or rented ones. The preparation and delivering of Shaloch Manos was equaled by looking at what we received for Shaloch Manos. Listening to the Megilla in Shul was tolerable due to the excitement of how we drowned out Haman’s name every timt it was being mentioned. The entire day was summed up by enjoying a wonderful feast complete with music, fun, and games.

As I look back over the years from my early childhood all the way up to the present,  I wonder if those Mitzvos that are performed on Purim are the primary or secondary reasons of the celebration? There is no question that there are four explicit Mitzvos to be fulfilled on Purim. The underlying question is why do we have all these Mitzvos?  What are they for? Perhaps an insight can be found in the following explanation:

In Shmos 15:16 the Torah states: “Tipol Aleihem Eimasa VaFachad Bigdol Zro’acha Yidmu KaAven, Ad YaAvor Amcha Hashem, Ad YaAvor Am Zu Kanisa “. “Fear and dread fell upon them. At the greatness of Your Arm They are still as stone. Until Your people crossed, O God, until the people You gained crossed over”. This passage, taken from Moshe’s song ‘Az Yashir’, interprets ‘Kanisa’ -  that Hashem has cherished the Jews above the other nations, just as an article which is acquired at a high price  is cherished by the purchaser.

In his sefer Ben Yehoyada *Yosef Chaim from Bahgdad weaves a Gemara from Brachos 4a to merge the words of Moshe Rabbeinu as an allusion to Purim. The words ‘Am Zu Kanisa refers to the second acceptance of the Torah. During the days of the story of Purim ‘this nation’ were the ones for whom God performed a miracle: that the decree of Haman the wicked would occur on the thirteenth of Adar. The gematria (numerical value of the word ZU comprised of a zayin, equal to seven, and a vav, equal to six, adds up to and corresponds to thirteen, the day of the month Haman wanted to annihilate the Jews. It was the miracle at Krias Yam Suf, the parting of the Reed Sea, that Hashem used to re-acquire the Jews anew. This was the reason Moshe called them ‘Am ZU, as if to say they were saved with THIS miracle on THIS day being the thirteenth of Adar. The thirteenth of Adar is the date of Taanis Esther, not to be confused with the three-day fast which Esther asked all the people to observe, but rather a fast day in anticipation of a war, having learned from Moshe Rabbbeinu the notion of fasting as a sign of repentance at a time of battle.

A second interpretation given by Reb Yosef Chaim explaining why the Jews were distinctively called ‘Am ZU’ is because it was at this time the receiving, or more so the acceptance of the Torah She’B’Al Peh ,the Oral Law, was completed. The generation at the time of Achashveirosh went back and reaccepted the Oral tradition as it states in the Megilla ‘KeeY’mu V’Kiblu. The Gemara darshans that we accepted that which we accepted already, referring to the Torah She’B’Al Peh. The word ZU is comprised of two letters, zayin and vav, the value of seven and six, as I mentioned earlier. The Seven represents the Torah She’Bichsav, the written law which consists of seven books because Bamidbar 10:35,36 is viewed as a separate book, dividing Bamidbar into three books, giving a total of seven. The Oral Torah, known as SHAS, stands for Shisa Sidrei.  There are six orders of the Oral law. Coming full circle to this nation, AM ZU, Your people, who now have received the complete, entire Torah. It was in this merit that they were able to turn things around against Haman on the thirteenth of Adar and have HaKadosh Baruch Hu, save the people, hence, the story and celebration of Purim.

The Rabbis teach us ‘Mitzvah Goreres Mitzvah’: the performance and doing of one mitzvah leads us to an opportunity to do another. The Jewish people resoundly re-accepted  the words of the Torah. What better way to be rewarded for accepting the Torah than to do more of that which it stands for: to do more mitzvos. The underlying simcha and joy of Purim is the fact that we wanted to get back to a place where the Jewish people were at the time of Har Sinai when receiving the Torah. Year in and year out we seem to focus on fulfilling of the mitzvos, which is incredible, but somehow forget the primary, key reason why we are doing all of this.

As we prepare to enter the week in which Purim occurs, we need to remember this holiday, will remain even in the time of Moshiach because of the association of our commitment to Torah. Let this year’s Purim celebration be full of joy and happiness in doing the mitzvos of the day. More importantly,  remember the reasons why, even after Purim, that it is a day when we re-commit ourselves to learn more Torah and to dedicate ourselves to the primary aspect of Purim. Purim is a one-day celebration that should push us in the direction of our own Keemu V’Kiblu – to confirm and to undertake - to take on once again the Oral and written Torahs and to bring Klal Yisrael back to the level we were on when standing at Har Sinai.

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

*Yosef Chaim (1 September 1835 – 30 August 1909) (Iraqi Hebrew: Yoseph Ḥayyim; was a leading hakham (Sephardi Rabbi), authority on halakha (Jewish law), and Master Kabbalist. He is best known as author of the work on Halakha Ben Ish Ḥai  ("Son of Man (who) Lives"), a collection of the laws of everyday life interspersed with mystical insights and customs, addressed to the masses and arranged by the weekly Torah portion.

It is difficult to keep up with the speed of technology. Today’s newest gadget, application, or program is in tomorrow’s recycle bin. I personally try to keep up with the techies, but as I get older I fall behind more and more. By the time I finish writing this commentary, it will be old-school material. I am always torn in my thinking as to whether I should work to keep more up-to-date with the constantly changing technology and with the younger generation or give up and live contentedly in the old world which, in many cases, can be a much safer route.  The newest techie device may not be proper or appropriate. I personally have drawn the line on different means of communication such as texting, e-mail, twitter, and Facebook.  Furthermore,  I think everyone should do the same.

One particular application that I have now gotten into is ‘WhatsApp’, a different type of texting that works via data usage and not phone service and is therefore very useful for communicating with people around the world.  In addition, all the functions of WhatsApp (texting, speaking, sending pictures, and videos) are free! The Jury is still out as to whether or not I will keep with it, but for now I am figuring out the pros and cons. One of the major features WhatsApp has over traditional texting is the ability to create a group chat that everyone can see, read, and reply to simultaneously. Every individual can make his own direct WhatsApp to one user in a group or to one hundred users in a group.

 Within my family circles there are a few WhatsApp groups: one with my immediate family, another that is expanded to cousins, and a third to a larger group that even includes family in Israel besides the individual one-on-one group. When I was a young boy, most of my cousins lived within a half mile of each other. Our families made a concentrated effort to get together on special occasions with the other cousins who lived a car ride away. There was no need to call someone up and shmuze because we saw each other all the time. Now, a generation or two later, families have spread out to different cities and even different countries. There are, of course, cheaper phone plans today, allowing families and friends to ‘reach out and touch someone’ or to connect on Facebook or Skype, but those connections tend to be only one-on-one. WhatsApp makes us feel as though we are all sitting around in the same room talking to each other while everyone ‘hears’ or really sees what you are saying. I have been communicating to nieces and nephews who, if not for this application, I would probably not know about anything going on in their lives. WhatsApp has brought a new kind of family bonding that I believe has never existed before. Regardless of the thousands of miles which may separate families, this application effectively brings everyone together.

There are certain things Hashem puts into the world specifically to bring people together. Through certain mitzvos God helps the Jewish people to bond together.  This bonding ranges from the level of immediate family members to national issues and events, particularly those which directly affect the Jewish people. One of the Mitzvos that binds us together will be read this coming Shabbos - Parshas Shekalim. Parshas Shekalim is the first of four specially-designed Shabboses before Pesach, each addressing different issues related to Purim and Pesach. A different Haftorah is read for each one of these portions. This week’s Haftorah for Parshas Shekalim is taken from Melachim II chapter 12.

The giving or collecting of a half shekel was used for census counting and to cover costs for communal sacrifices. By the time  King YeHoash assumed the crown, the first Beis HaMikdash was approximately one hundred fifty years old and in need of some repairs. The king told the Kohanim that any money that came in either from the annual half shekel, any self-valuation of a person, or any donation that a man brought in as a result of an uplifted heart should go towards repairing the Temple. The term used for repairing the Temple is called ‘Bedek HaBayis’. Years had passed and unfortunately the repairs that the Kohanim were supposed to take care of never happened. The Radak (Rav Dovid Kimchi) explains that the Kohanim were waiting, intending not to begin the work until they collected enough money to complete  the entire job: fixing all of the cracks and deepening crevices of the walls. The king thought they were keeping or stealing money as the donations came in. Later on, the king instructed the kohanim to repair things as soon as the money came in. The Kohanim were insulted, and a new system of collection was to be put in place.

Eventually, the repairs were finished and the project of Bedek HaBayis was completed. The Bais HaMikdash is the house the Jewish people come to that makes us into one large family. The Shekel was the mechanism for creating a bond, forming a common goal and purpose for the Jewish people. The Shekel directly created a bond because  everyone gave the same half shekel, demonstrating equality. Just as all children in a family should be treated equally and should treat and view each other as being an equal and not superior or inferior, so too everyone was required to contribute the same half shekel for repair of the Bais HaMikdash. Furthermore, the physical purpose of the Shekel being used to fix the walls of the house is similar to the bonds being created when brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, parents and grandparents do things to come together.

Whenever there are different types of communication and relationship-building going on, a direct bond and strengthening is created within the physical home and among all of the people of each household. The reading of the giving of the half shekel should be a reminder for us to attempt to do things that will create stronger and more meaningful relationships with individuals with whom we would otherwise lose touch. The only difference between giving of the half shekel and connecting with WhatsApp is that the modern day communication is free! Start using it!

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

When a man gets called up to the Torah it is called an ‘aliyah’, meaning going up. In many Shuls and synagogues the Bimah is raised and a person literally ‘goes up’ to read from the Torah, and when they finish they go back down. Getting an aliyah is much more than just saying the blessings and perhaps making a donation of some sort. Rather, the ultimate goal and purpose is for the individual to ‘go up’, to  have a ‘spiritual experience’ that will continue to be with the person for as long as possible.  Perhaps there is a correlation between the attitude and the intent the person has when receiving the aliyah to the time it takes to wear off. 

As I fly back from Eretz Yisrael, I can relate what I wrote above to a trip to Israel and not necessarily making “aliyah” as we generally know it today. In today’s lexicon making aliyah means to permanently move to Eretz Yisrael. Nevertheless, I believe each and every time a person goes to Israel he gets an ‘aliyah’. Unfortunately he has to come back down to Chutz LaAretz (outside of Israel). Hopefully, we take that spiritual and physical infusion of Israel with us which will  keep us going in the non-spiritual lands of the diaspora.

It is difficult to capture every moment of my recent trip to Eretz Yisrael, because my family and I try to make each and every moment an ‘aliyah moment”. From the time we land and receive a welcome in Lashon HaKodesh/Hebrew to the time we are preparing to leave, saying the word “L’Hitraot” (until the next time), there isn’t a moment that is not injected with the greatness of Israel and the Jewish people. Sure, Israel is approaching its seventieth birthday, but in many ways it is approaching seventy years young. To say the least, Israel is a flourishing country, sitting among its unfriendly neighbors who are filled with strife, deprived of human rights, enveloped by war, civil war, devoid of  a bright future. Despite the diversity of its own people, not limiting it to Jews alone, but to Christians, Muslims, and people from all around the world, Israeli society is thriving in spite of its great challenges. The food in Israel today is not only abundant;  the quality and variety rates it among the leading countries of the world. I personally received an ‘aliyah’ when visiting the ancient sites and historical mountains, valleys, and roads that our forefathers passed through. That ‘aliyah’ is mirrored to the modern forefathers of our country, who, only a few decades ago, blazed the path to independence with sweat, blood, and tears so that today we can enjoy  eating out, jeeping in the Judean mountains, walking through the old city of Yerushalayim, davening at the Kotel, and visiting a modern, historic museum. The ‘aliyah’ these experiences gave me will hopefully keep me charged with the enthusiasm of building Judaism in San Diego as if I were in Israel at the time I was receiving the aliyah itself.

This week’s Parshas B’Shalach marks the anniversary of the first Aliyah the Jewish people made as a nation. Leaving Mitzrayim, or to be correct, being sent out of Egypt by Pharoah, was the first stage in the process for Bnei Yisrael towards going up to the land of Canaan. If we track the life of Moshe Rabbeinu, we can view it from a point of ascension. Even though Moshe was not able to make aliyah in the conventional manner as we know it today, he nevertheless led a complete life of aliyah. Even though Moshe never abused his power and rank over anyone else, God did it for him. There is a subtle nuance that reflects Moshe growing above and beyond the people and even over his sister and brother. In Shmos 15:20 the Torah states: “VaTikach Miriam HaNevia Achos Aharon Es HaTof B’Yadah, VaTeitzena Kal HaNashim Achareha B’Supim UVimcholos”. “And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took the timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances”. Many commentaries ask; why is Aharon’s name mentioned as the brother to Miriam and not to Moshe? Rashi gives two explanations: the second one is that Aharon gave of himself when Miriam was in distress during her time of leprosy. Another interpretation is given by the author of the Midrash HaNelam which explains that up until the time of the splitting of the Sea of Reeds Moshe, Aharon and Miriam were of equal prophetic status in the eyes of the Jewish people. Now that the Jews witnessed the splitting of the sea by Moshe, they recognized and understood his greatness over Aharon and Miriam. They understood the level Moshe reached was higher than that of his siblings. The levels of prophecy were two distinct levels, one much higher than the other. Moshe at this point was called “Eved Hashem” a servant of God, a title that is unmatched and far superior to his brother and sister. Now that Moshe’s level of Nevua, prophecy, climbed higher, Aharon and Miriam were left on the same degree of prophecy. Therefore, when the verse mentions Miriam as a prophetess, the Torah includes Aharon only because it was only he on that same level as Miriam, whereas Moshe was on a much higher level.

Moshe, with his title Rabbeinu, ‘our teacher’, always has a lesson for us. In this section of the Torah, Hashem uses language which clearly tells us not to criticize and put down the level of prophecy that Miriam and Aharon share.  Just putting them together and leaving out Moshe gives us a hint that Moshe is no longer on the same level as his sister and brother. The juxtaposition, which comes immediately after the splitting of the Yam Suf, indicates that Moshe was catapulted to new heights. One of the many areas to learn and adapt from Moshe Rabbeinu is the notion of working to grow and aspire to ever greater heights.

We should never remain stagnant in life,  particularly in religious observance and growing as a Jew. Growing, continuously increasing our knowledge and commitment,  is critical for the survival and flourishment  of Am Yisrael. Each and every day of our lives should include a moment in which we feel we did something to experience an aliyah. Living life with the conscious intention to grow will make us stronger as individuals, which, in turn, will strengthen the Jewish people as a whole. Hopefully, if we all experience a personal and spiritual aliyah, we will all be spurned to make aliyah to Eretz Yisrael. i Just as our forefathers made aliyah by leaving Mitzrayim and ultimately entering Eretz Canaan, so, too, may we journey from Chutz LaAretz in order to make aliyah to Eretz Yisrael. Let Hashem give us strength! Chazak Chazak V’Nischazeik!

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky 

Every so often the Internet connection goes down at home or in the office. If it weren’t for the fact that we have a Shabbos for which, by choice, we shut down our computers, phones and the like, I would go ballistic when this happens during the week. I definitely have the patience for a short ‘down time’ when the connections are not working properly or not working at all. I even attempt to re-boot my computer or restart my smart phone when it is giving me trouble, but I manage only because it usually comes back pretty quickly. This week, however, computer ‘down time’ gave much cause for thought.  The Internet provides the world with instantaneous access to breaking news.  When that viaduct for information is broken during times of crisis, particularly those events which directly affect Jews anywhere in the world, my patience quickly runs very thin.  Throughout the past week all of us, I am sure, were focused on the emerging news from Paris, and yet, in the midst of the quickly growing story of terror and heroism, of anti-Semitism and shock, having no Internet connectivity was frustrating, to say the least.    

We have become so enslaved to our technology that we actually tend to break down when we  lose connectivity as a result of some computer malfunction or loss of power. Think how often in the course of a day we rely on search engines such as Google, Bing, and continuous, instantaneous access to  Internet. This need for total reliance on Internet connectivity is not only in our personal lives;  the entire business world, - stock markets, and government. We feel trapped and lost without it. We rely on technology for instant mail, stock trades, buying, selling, and banking needs, bill paying, entertainment, movie reviews, and much more. I only remain sane because I go, by choice, twenty five hours a week without even thinking about the Internet  and therefore am trained to get by when it’s not available thanks to an act of God. This situation, however, has limited effects for me as well as for most of us when we are disconnected from events which can easily be traced back to events of seventy years ago in Europe.  News traveled very slowly, and frequently inaccurately during WWII.  It was only after the end of the war that we really learned to true horror of what had happened to European Jews.  Terrorist anti-Semitic attacks occurring today are transmitted directly to our cell phones only minutes after they’ve occurred.  Television and radio programs are immediately interrupted to tell us of “breaking news”.  For us this week, an Internet shut down was maddening. I came to appreciate the benefits of immediate access to a quickly developing major event taking place seven thousand miles away – an event which, initially focusing on a controversial publication shifting one day later to a kosher market just hours before Shabbos.  This dual attack, revealed to a watching world, juxtaposed in my mind to the lack of news emerging from the same part of the world seven decades earlier. The fact that there is double meaning in events of importance is not something new; it actually occurs around the time of this week’s parsha. A little background will offer greater insight into the nature of this idea. The five books of the Torah are known by two different names. In Hebrew the name of the second book of the Torah is Shemos, which means ‘names’, because the names of the children of Yisrael are mentioned immediately. The English name of the second book of the Torah is called Exodus, which is the translation from a different Hebrew name of Shemos called ‘Sefer HaGeula’ - the book of redemption. With regard to the other four Chumashim (books) of the Torah, the secondary names come apparently from the beginning to the end of each sefer/book. In contrast, Sefer HaGeula, the book of redemption, one can argue only begins once the Jewish people are safe and sound on the other side of Yam Suf – the Sea of Reeds.  During the first three Parshios of Shemos, we are still slaves in Egypt.  It is only after the Makkos, the plagues, and literally leaving Egypt that we leave slavery behind. One can even argue that the slave mentality remained with many of the Jews even in the desert many years later.

The name of the Sefer  runs from the beginning to the end, as do  the other four books of the Torah.   The Gemara Megilla 17b states: “Milchama Zu Hee Aschalta D’Geuala” - “War, this is the beginning of the redemption”. Once the battle has begun we should understand that the salvation is accompanying us, giving inspiration and hope to that end. I either once heard or saw a Gemara Yerushalmi that literally says every war that takes place in the world brings the ultimate redemption, the Geula Shelaima, that much closer to the world. (I am going out of my own box of rules: quoting a source without knowing the exact citing, but I feel it’s worth the risk in this case). To that end, in the seventh Bracha of the weekday Amida, we ask for Geula/redemption. At first it appears to be a request for the national redemption of the Jewish people, but that idea is challenged because the requests about Moshiach and rebuilding of Yerushalayim comes later in the Shmone Esrei. Rav Chaim Friedlander, in his sefer Sifsei Chaim, explains that it really refers to a personal Tzara,a personal difficulty. A personal difficulty is viewed as one being enslaved by the issue that is attacking him. Once we mention Geula for a personal plea, it can also be attributed to the national cause as well.

The internal battles and wars that wage within us can be viewed as slavery. Anytime we are being controlled by an outside force and torn by what to do is a form of slavery. We must recognize that the battle itself is the beginning of the resolution. When a person fights for something, it is an indication they are on the road to victory. In the United States the Civil War, despite being a bloody and  costly battle and a war which came close to tearing the United States apart, WAS the actual beginning of the redemption and ultimate freedom of the blacks in America.

In our own personal daily struggles, battles, and wars we should know the actual trouble and difficulty is the beginning of the salvation. Whether it is a religious or secular issue that we are faced with, we need to maintain our resolve to fight because the actual ‘slavery’ that we find ourselves in is really the beginning of our freedom. If and when we struggle with religion and our observance of the Torah and we feel strangled and enslaved, keep in mind that the salvation and the Geula – redemption - has begun. Therefore, the beginning of Shemos, when our slavery started immediately, the book is nevertheless called Sefer HaGeula, the Book of Redemption, because the Geula was on its way. As Jews today, we are facing difficult and complex challenges that previous generations witnessed in different ways. Let us strengthen ourselves by knowing the Geula Shelaima is not too far behind!

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

Shlomo HaMelech, King Solomon, the wisest of all men declares in Koheles: “Ein Adam BaOlam Asher Ya’aseh Tov V’Lo Chata”. There is no man in this world who only does good things and does not sin”. In the course of life we interact with many people. Whether it be family, friends, co-workers, fellow students, sales people, the mail carrier,  the list goes on, we sometimes say something positive or, on occasion, negative to a person. Most people are good-natured and don’t say or do things to intentionally harm someone, but there is the rare time when hurtful or harmful words or actions  happen -  even intentionally and spitefully.

On another level there are times when we think we did something wrong or hurtful inadvertently, but those words or actions resulted in some very severe consequences, while other times we may have done something catastrophic but the action resulted  in minimal damage. Most of the time we are not privy to the aftermath of our actions, whether good or bad. Nevertheless, we should be aware of the fact that, particularly when we say or do something that we feel is insignificant, those words or action can still bear a heavy reaction and responsibility. We may not realize that a joke can sometimes be taken the wrong way. It may clearly be a misunderstanding in how the receiver of the ‘attack’ takes being the brunt of others’ laughter.  We must be extra sensitive to how they may feel it.

On a different note, it is not only the interactions we have with our fellow man that are impacted by intent;  the spiritual fulfillment of the commandments is also affected by our level of intent. A combination of the physical and spiritual harm that was done to Yosef by his brothers is of great proportion to how  it relates to the sins between man and man and man and Hashem.

In this week’s Parsha Vayechi the Torah states in Breishis 50:16-17: “Vay’Tzavu El Yosef Laymore, Avicha Tziva Lifnei Moso Laymore”. “They instructed messengers to tell Yosef: ‘Before he dies, your father gave us final instructions. He said: “Ko Tomru L’Yosef Ana Sah Nah Pesha Achecha V’Chatasam Ki Ra’ah G’Malucha V’Ata Sah Nah L’Pesha Avdei Elohei Avicha Vayevk Yoseg B’Dabram”. “Forgive the spiteful deed and the sin your brothers committed when they did evil to you, ‘Now forgive the spiteful deed that we the servants of your father’s God, have done”.

There are three descriptions of sins: Chataim/errors, Avonos/iniquities, and Peshaim/willful sins.  The Gemara Yoma 36a quotes the sages’ definition of the three levels or kinds of sins a person violates. Avonos are sins which are committed intentionally, Peshaim are the rebellious, willful sins and Chatas are accidental sins. Reb Yosef Chaim from Baghdad, in his sefer Ben Yehoyada, questions the order which the Chachamim/sages in the Gemara list these categories of sin. The order of sins from the less to the more severe are accidental sins (Chataim). For example, the person did not know that which they did was forbidden or they knew it was forbidden but did not realize that they had committed the sin. Iniquities (Avonos),  sins done intentionally but only as a result of desire, for example  knowing that eating non-kosher is not permitted, but knowingly ate the non-kosher food because they desired it. The third level which is by far the worst is Peshaim, sinning willfully as a sign of rebellion. The person is sinning to spite God even if he did not  necessarily want to do that act but did it anyway. 

Based upon severity of the sin, why does Yakov Avinu in his instructions and statement of the brothers to Yosef begin with the worst level of spiteful sin and then address the lower kind of sin called a Chet? Shouldn’t a Cheit, which is the least severe, be the starting point and then progress to the intentionally spiteful act?

In truth, the brother’s actions consisted of two wrongs when they sold Yosef. The first was the selling of his actual body as a slave, and the second was his Neshama/soul being sold as well. He wasn’t just sold as a slave but as a slave to the most decadent society where the nakedness of the land ruled! Egypt is described as the center of immorality. It was that type of a society that bred a woman like Potiphar’s wife who chased Yosef like a bear; Yosef  had to fight the greatest battle of his Yetzer Hora. If it wasn’t for the fact that Hashem was with Yosef to help him, the spiritual world as we know it would have been destroyed.

The evil and bad that is associated with the ‘nefesh’/soul is heavier, harsher, and bitter, a thousand times worse than any evil afflicted to the physical body. With this basis we can come to understand why the order of the words describing the ‘sin’ perpetrated against Yosef is correct. The brothers had sold Yosef as a slave thinking only in terms of his physical but not taking into account the spiritual detriment and extreme negative effect it will have on him. From their perspective selling Yosef ‘intentionally’ was a ‘Pesha’, which under traditional guidelines is the worst level sin. But in this case selling Yosef wasn’t the worst kind of sin because it only affected Yosef physically. In contrast, the spiritual harm that threatened him when they sold Yosef ‘accidentally’ was a far worse  crime. In the case of Yosef, the brothers only looked at the physical damage that would occur but not at the spiritual and therefore the intentional sin was less of an issue than the accident that resulted in a far worse spiritual state for Yosef.

The lessons drawn from the episode of Mechiras Yosef are multifold. The underlying message from me today is to be concerned with the after effects of our actions and statements. Even though we might be guilty of doing something by accident, it still may carry greater spiritual repercussions. Our actions don’t only have short term results;  quite often damage is done for a long time into the future as well. Let us always use caution prior to saying or doing something that potentially can cause damage and harm. If we failed to prevent ourselves from doing something wrong, then we need to examine the situation and correct the negative effects. Whether we did something intentionally, accidentally causing physical or spiritual damage, we must be extra careful, particularly with regard to recognizing and understanding the consequences of our deeds.

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky 

This week’s Parsha Mikeitz reports the birth of Yosef’s two sons, Ephraim and Menashe. There is a custom to bless our children on Yom Kippur eve and some do this every Friday night. The bracha for sons is that they should become like Ephraim and Menashe, who were born in Mitzrayim and not the other sons of Yaakov or the forefathers themselves who were either born or raised in Eretz Canaan. One basic reason given for this is they were born in Galus/exile amongst the Egyptians. Despite the enormous challenges they faced, they turned out more than okay.

The underlying theme of Chanukah is the study of Torah. It is the candle representing the Mitzvah and the light that emanates is the Torah. The custom of giving children gelt/money is to reward them for studying Torah in a world that challenges children to anything but learning Torah. The Assyrian Greeks forbade the learning of Torah; it was with Mesiras Nefesh that teachers and students defied the decree and learned. In today’s day and age there is also mesiras nefesh for children to learn under difficult conditions.

A few years ago someone who is very close and dear to me gave me an article about children being asked to leave and were dismissed from a Yeshiva. The gist of the article was about Chinuch, educating children under any and all circumstances. In today’s world of Jewish education (particularly in the Yeshiva system) everyone is looking to have perfect, trouble-free good students. Very few institutions are willing to work with kids who are struggling in both physical learning and spiritual growth. Entire new schools have opened to educate the “problem” students, which is good because they have no other place to go. But these schools were borne out of necessity: the Jewish system of chinuch, Jewish education, has failed these children, not the children failing in school.

The following message of the Chazon Ish is so strong that if he were to make such a statement today he would be banned from the Jewish world!  The article quotes a Rabbi Yehoshua Yagel*, a Jewish educator par excellence, who told a story about his interaction with the Chazon Ish.  The following is an excerpt from Arutz Sheva written by Hillel Fendel in December 2006 when Rabbi Yagel passed away at the age of ninety-one.

Rabbi Yagel wrote that he once asked the Chazon Ish whether it was permitted to expel a problematic pupil [based on a translation by Meshullam Klarberg]: "I put the question to the Chazon Ish as follows: There were a number of problem pupils who were likely to become worse if I were to expel them, but if I allowed their continued study in the Yeshiva they were likely to have a negative influence on others. The Chazon Ish's answer was that it was a difficult problem of 'dinei nefashot' (life and death).

"In the course of the discussion, he asked me: 'How have you dealt with this to date?' I answered that there were very few I had expelled, but experience has shown when a group of difficult pupils left of their own accord, the rest of the class graduated successfully from every point of view. The Chazon Ish interrupted me and said firmly: 'Experience does not overrule the Shulchan Arukh [Code of Jewish Law]. You don't have to pursue [a problematic student] to ensure that he remains; but if he clings to the place, you are not entitled to expel him. You have to devote all your energy to educate him and supervise his behavior.'"

Rabbi Yagel then concluded that his operative understanding was as follows: "It is a moral imperative to expel [only] a 'pupil who is not worthy,' who does not want to improve, and is not prepared to accept guidance which will bring him to proper behavior. However, such a pupil does not exist. The only criterion is whether the pupil is willing to improve, and also whether the educator is prepared to undertake the heavy burden of this important goal."

A talmid of the Chazon Ish took upon himself the task of taking care of three young bachurim who had recently immigrated to Eretz Yisrael. He arranged for them to enter a local yeshivah and found them chavrusos (study partners). To his chagrin, the hanhalah/administation told him at the end of the zman/year that the three bachurim/students could no longer stay in the yeshivah. “They have no place in the yeshivah. In middle of a zman/semester I did not want to tell you to take them out, but now that the zman has ended I can tell you….”

The askan/communal advocate made his way to the Chazon Ish and told him what had transpired. The Chazon Ish responded sharply: “Say to the [hanhalah] in my name: ‘Why did you have to send these bachurim home? You could have taken them to the middle of the sea and thrown them into the water!”

On another occasion, after a certain bachur was expelled from yeshivah, he began to slip rapidly into a spiritual abyss. Word of the case reached the Chazon Ish. When the Rosh Yeshivah, who had made the decision to expel the bachur, visited the Chazon Ish, the latter had a question for him. “You pasken on dinei nefashos (you rule on matters of life and death)?” The Rosh Yeshivah attempted to defend himself by explaining that he simply could no longer keep the bachur in the yeshivah. “What could I have done?” the Rosh Yeshivah asked the Chazon Ish regretfully.

“Learn with him, become his chavrusa/study partner!” the Chazon Ish replied. “This is the ‘medicine’ for such an ‘ill’ bachur!” “I personally am not capable of learning with such a bachur,” the Rosh Yeshivah argued. “Not capable?” the Chazon Ish retorted. “Then I will learn with him. Keep him in your yeshivah and I will learn with him.” For a long time the Chazon Ish learned with the bachur, who is today a renowned marbitz/spreader Torah and a mentor to talmidei chachamim.

Rav Yagel’s Yahrzeit is 26th of Kislev, the second day of Chanuka.  He died the week of Parshas Mikeitz.

Let us all celebrate the kindling of the Shabbos and Chanukah lights that will lead us to true expressions of learning and teaching of Torah to ALL who want to learn!

Ah Gut Shabbos & Ah Lichtiga Chanuka.

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

*Rabbi Yehoshua Yagel, who headed the Midrashiyat Noam yeshiva high school since its founding in 1945, died Saturday night December 16th  2006 which corresponded to 26th of Kislev following an illness. He was 91.

Midrashiyat Noam, located in Pardes Hannah, was the first yeshiva high school in Israel and has become one of the flagship Israeli yeshivas of religious Zionism. Yagel emphasized the value of friendship and loyalty among students and graduates of the yeshiva, and opened the doors of his institution to students from low-income families. He also maintained close ties with the ultra-Orthodox world, and many Midrashiyat Noam graduates went on to study at ultra-Orthodox institutions.

Polish-bornYagel, at the age of 11, left home  to study for three years at the well-known Slonim yeshiva, which his uncle headed. Later on, he went on to other yeshivas, studying with two of the most highly regarded ultra-Orthodox rabbis in pre-Holocaust Eastern Europe: Rabbis Elhanan Wasserman and Aharon Kotler.

Rabbi Yagel moved to Israel in 1936 to study at the Mercaz Harav Yeshiva in Jerusalem. He received the President's Prize for Life Achievement in Education in 1998,

Although he officially headed Midrashiyat Noam until his death in 2006, most of Yagel's tasks were carried out by others during the past decade. He did, however, continue to participate, until recently, in all meetings concerning the yeshiva's educational path. Midrashiyat Noam graduates include Minister Eitan Cabel (Labor) and former ministers Yaakov Neeman, Benny Elon and Rabbi Yitzhak Peretz..

Adam Baruch, a journalist who graduated from Midrashiyat Noam, said Yagel succeeded in turning high-school yeshivas into a sort of training ground for post-high-school yeshiva study, rather than making a distinction between the two types of religious institutions.

Yagel's original intention was to create a yeshiva highschool institution that would prepare the young generation of that era for a life of Torah that also involved full participation in the state that was on the way to being created. This goal contradicted the ideology of the ultra-Orthodox "Old Yishuv," which mandated isolation from political Zionism.

Yagel is in large part responsible for the shaping of a new generation of religious Zionists before the advent of settlements - a generation of Torah-observant young people who were part of the fabric of Tel Aviv life, a generation of religious moderation whose educators chose to establish a "midrashiya" in direct contrast to a "yeshiva" of the old-school variety.

Yagel was buried on the Mount of Olives. He was survived by his wife and son, as well as grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Celebrations and sorrowful occasions are mired by where and with whom we share the company.  When it comes to a simcha, a happy occasion, the event itself  a wedding, bar mitzvah, or the like -  can be enhanced or ruined by the people who are there. Likewise, a tragic event, either due to an illness or sudden death, can be tempered by the people who are there. When a tragedy occurs, those grieving need to be surrounded by people who are sensitive, caring, and comforting. A simcha on the other hand is enhanced by levity, laughter and all around good fun.

A mourner at a recent Shiva home, where many siblings were sitting Shiva with a parent and aunts and uncles, remarked about how meaningful and supportive the home was because of who had been with the deceased.  In contrast, at a recent youth event I noticed a very good teenager hanging out with a group of kids who were not having the best influence on him.

In this week’s Parsha Vayishlach, Yakov Avinu sends a message to his brother Esav “Im Lavan Garti” - “I lived with Lavan”. The Rabbis explain the intent of Yakov’s statement to mean, ‘Vtaryag Mitzvos Shamarti’ - despite living with a wicked person such as Esav, the six hundred thirteen mitzvos were guarded and fulfilled. Yakov is saying that he did not learn from the evil ways of Lavan, and that Esav shouldn’t think that he, Yakov, was influenced by Esav in the way most people are influenced under similar circumstances. Yakov is not using some trite method to fend off his brother. Rather, he is conveying the strong psychological path that he is on and will not falter from it.

Yakov’s approach provides a solid basis for understanding an earlier story in the Torah. In Bereishis 6:9, Noach is described as an “Ish Tzadik Tamim Haya B’Dorosov” -”A righteous man in his generation.” Some interpret this to Noach’s credit:  even in an inferior generation he was a good man.  How much more so is the quality of man seen and judged in a generation of righteous people. Others explain this line to Noach’s discredit: In comparison with his own generation he was considered a tzadik, but had he lived in the generation of Avraham he would not have been considered great.

In the Sefer Madreigas HaAdam, Stature of Man, Yosef Yozel Horowitz, known as the Alter of Novardok (1847–1919), a student of Rabbi Yisroel Salanter, the founder of the Musar movement, questions why a commentary would look to discredit Noach if there is room to give credit to him? In addition, it was the Torah itself that praises Noach and states that he was whole and walked with God.  So… why knock him? The Altar sees this in a completely different context.  Noach was praised and credited that he was a Tzadik from within himself. Without any other outside factor or reason, he would rise to this great level of righteousness. Those who look to discredit Noach explain that the reason he had to become good and even better was due to the outside influences of his neighbors and community which surrounded him. When Noach saw the spiritual state of affairs around him, he needed to put himself in a different place. This was a change brought on by the exterior and not from within; it was a change which was not of his essence. Changing for the better because of outside influences is good, but when changing for the better for its sake alone it is to be considered not only a Tzadik, but a Tzadik Gamur, a complete and righteous person.

Reb Yechezkel Levenstein* Z”TL says in the name of the Vilna Gaon that there are two categories of the Yetzer Hora, the evil inclination. There is the inner Yetzer Hora that is part of everyone’s nature, and the second, from the outside – the influence that comes from our surroundings.  The strength and influence of the outer Yetzer Hora is greater and stronger than the inner one.

This is testimony to that which the Rambam says [Hilchos Deos 6:1], and that which is a sociological fact - "A person's nature is to be drawn in his opinions and his actions after his friends and companions." Yakov was not influenced by Lavan and he did not change because of the people around him. Rather, he was consistently good, and therefore Esav could not have any influence on him.

We live in an age of influence. Not only do we have to be careful not to drive under the influence; we need to be careful not to live our entire lives under the influence. We live in dangerous times and in dangerous spiritual places. If we have the inner strength to be strong enough to grow in our service to Hashem, that is wonderful. But if we are not capable of relying on our inner strength, then we at least must take precautionary measures to shield ourselves from the negative, external forces.

We need to be proactive when it comes to shielding ourselves and our families from negative outside influences. Just as we protect our children from predators when they are young, we must protect our children from the external spiritual challenges when they grow older. Many young adults who felt protected by their Yeshiva environment need to put on some extra protection when they go outside to face the cold windy elements of the secular world. Most of us today do not have the inner core strength to just “be good”. In addition to bolstering who we are from the inside, we also need to simultaneously insulate ourselves from the outside forces. Today’s conditions of life are a brutal, heavy storm from which we all need to be protected. The scourge of drugs, alcohol, and other vices are banging on our doors and we must make sure we don’t change under the influences of the outside world.

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

These words were adapted from a drasha given by Reb Yoel Schwartz

*Yechezkel Levenstein, known as Reb Chatzkel, (1895 - 18 Adar 1974), was the mashgiach ruchani of the Mir yeshiva, in Mir, Belarus and during the yeshiva's flight to Lithuania and on to Shanghai due to the invasion ofPoland by Nazi Germany in World War II. He was a leader of severalyeshivas in Europe, America, and Israel, and raised several generations ofTorah-observant Jewry. He was a disciple of Simchah Zissel Broide

Rabbi Levenstein was born in Warsaw. His mother died when he was just five years old. He studied in the yeshiva in Łomża, where he was imbued with mussar, then in Raduń Yeshiva under the Chofetz Chaim and the famous mashgiach Rav Yeruchom Levovitz, and finally in Kelm.

The famous idiom, “Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me” seems like a bit of "folk wisdom" that probably goes back centuries, originating either in America or England. It has been used countless times to mean one of two ideas. First, it can be understood that man typically trusts man in an initial meeting. If that person was dishonest it is ‘shame’ that is labeled against him. But once  fooled by that person, I can no longer trust him and if I do business with him a second time and am fooled again, then it is really my fault for not being wary of the situation the second time around. The second way of viewing the idiom is not reflected onto another individual but rather recognizing that I was fooled by someone else, but I put myself into the same position again and didn’t learn from my original mistake. I made the same mistake twice without even being coerced into the similar situation.

One of the most intriguing parts of my job as a pulpit Rabbi is the diversity of tasks I address daily. There are relationships with old, young, new, married members, single members and non-members. There is a daily regimen of personal learning, private one-on-one learning and giving of classes. Every Rabbi attends three tefillos a day: shacharis, mincha and maariv and carefully oversees them to create a positive, beautiful prayer experience. Another side to the job is teaching a few classes during the week at the local Jewish high schools which gives me an opportunity to meet and help other teens beyond the walls of Beth Jacob. The list goes on, but in order to contend with all of the micro details of each part of my day it is necessary to write down a task list for that day which very often carried over to the next day.

Friday is by far the longest task list of the week, because it includes all the details involved with getting ready for Shabbos. In reality, every task is a mitzva in the preparation of Shabbos.  Once in a while (actually rarely) I find myself actually completing the task list and I think I have more time for leisure on erev Shabbos. It recently dawned on me that whenever I finish early and have extra time on my hands, it means one of two things: either I forgot to do something (another mitzva opportunity) or invariably something out of the blue comes up unexpectedly- another form of a mitzva. This is also the case when I try to get ahead of myself by facing things I know I will need to do and take advantage of using that rare bit of spare time.  Then, something out of the ordinary pops up such as forgetting to buy cookies for the Kiddush or, far worse, having to conduct a funeral.

I started thinking about this phenomena and contemplated the following: Do things pop up because I have the extra time, or did Hashem gave me the drive and the push to finish other things early so that I will be able to take care of unplanned or unexpected needs? I can’t imagine how I could accomplish the extra last minute needs if I also had to take care of the daily tasks. What came first: the out of the ordinary extra work or the work that allowed yet one more task to be introduced?

The old Jewish/Religious cliché’ “Hashem gives a test to someone who He knows has the ability to pass.” If we truly believe in this then whatever comes our way, no matter how, when, where ,or what, if we identify it as a Nisayon, a test, then we should be able to perform and accomplish the task.  In Pirkei Avos 3:15 the Mishna states: “V’HaKol L’Phi Rove HaMaAseh” “and it was all according to the action”. Some of the commentaries place this statement on the Passuk in Parshas Vayera 22:1 “V’HaElokim Nissa Es Avraham…. And God tested Avraham”. Everything depends upon how the person reacts to the situation. Avraham Avinu, when tested with the Akeidas Yitzchak, acted with the utmost faith a person could have. The action of Avraham was measured according to his inner kavana and intention. One may ask what was the inner Kavana at the time, what was Avraham Avinu thinking during this last test?

Before we answer this question, we must point out a few other details. The test officially only targeted Avraham and not Yitzchak, although one could argue that the test was at least equally challenging for Yitzchak, if not more so. Rav Eliyahu Ki Tov in his Sefer HaParshios explains the concept of a Nisayon, what we commonly translate as a test. The purpose of a teacher’s exam is to determine if the student knows the material. As a current part-time teacher and a former full-time teacher, and as any teacher will tell you, they know which students know the material and which do not before the exam, based upon what they see in class. But they are not able to determine how well the students will perform on the test because it all depends upon how much they study. When it comes to God, He obviously KNOWS what you know; the test is not to determine knowledge but rather to see how the person will deal with that test of life. The man may pass or fail, but that is not necessarily what the test is truly about. In actuality, the test measures how man goes about addressing the issues that test requires of him. It addresses the person’s attitude and belief in Hashem.

Although the Midrash enumerates ten tests that Avraham was put through, only a few of them are actually mentioned in the Torah itself. Nevertheless, of all ten tests only this last one, the Akeida, is called “Nissa”. This description does not appear with the previous nine. The distinction between the first nine and the last one is that the Akeida was completely out of character, so to speak of Hashem to command a father to sacrifice his son. The first nine tests were ordinary, logical types of things that happen in life that everyone is accustomed to. The last one did not make any sense whatsoever. Hashem put Avraham to the tenth test in order to make the miracle that much greater.  Through the tenth test, Hashem showed the world Avraham’s greatness and dedication to God. Avraham at this point was so close to Hashem that it wasn’t even an ordinary test, it was something Hashem knew from the outset that Avraham would pass. As Chazal teach us, the test was designed show the angels the greatness of Avraham’s dedication. 

We are each tested all the time whether it’s related to family, religion, work, learning etc. The ordinary tasks on the “to do” list are similar to the nine tests of Avraham. Those are the obvious ones that we do in good faith because they are the ordinary ones. If we train ourselves to do the ordinary, then when faced with the extraordinary we will have trained ourselves to easily pass the test as though it were not really a test at all. If we are able to view the daily tasks that are often associated with mitzvos, Hashem will decide whether or not we passed the test by scrutinizing whether we worked through the test happily or regrettably. When we do the nine out of ten happily and willingly, then the last one, as difficult and challenging as it may be, won’t even be considered a test in the eyes of that individual.

Avraham Avinu set the bar for his children not necessarily by what score he got on the test but on the attitude and approach by which Avraham came to come close to Hashem.  We too should follow the guidelines of Avraham to take the challenge of the  test with the notion of getting close to Hashem., That way, any challenge which comes our way  will be met with the fortitude and determination of passing our own type of Akeida.

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

Historically speaking, most movements have been started as a result
of the lack of the right thing being done. A benign example is the
creation of sugar substitute. Saccharin, one of the earliest sugar
substitutes, was created to curb weight gain or or to serve as an
antidote for sugar. Creating and inventing substitutes for the real
thing is a cop out and a way to avoid the real issue. I challenge
you, the reader, to come up with different things in life and in the
world that were created but at best worked as a Band-Aid approach and
not a true solution to the problem it’s purportedly solving.
Instead of creating the substitute, man should either learn to eat
foods without adding sugar or compensate by either exercising more or
eating less. In terms of “outreach”, the task of reaching out to
mankind was only a result of the failure for man to do the right
thing in the first place. Once mankind strayed off the righteous
path, a new concept labeled “outreach” was born to correct that
which was lacking.

If one were to ask; “Who was the first person ever hired to do
outreach and fail miserably”? The answer would clearly be Noach
(Noah). Noach was effectively hired out by God to give mussar and
rebuke to the people of the world to follow the commandments of the
time. Perhaps he did a little, as people expressed curiosity as to
what and why he was building a mammoth structure. He had one hundred
and twenty years’ time to go out and correct their ways, but
instead he chose to remain isolate, focusing on building. But perhaps
it just wasn't his personality to go be outgoing, reaching out to
approach people. Why would this be his failing? In fact, we are all
familiar with Rashi’s comment on Noach being a Tzadik perhaps in
his generation, but certainly not one compared to Avraham’s time.
Was he righteous or not? Did he try to save the world, or did he not
care about everyone else?

Perhaps we can suggest that Noach did try to save the world but IT
did not work. Noach didn’t fail, but rather the people of the world
failed to absorb the lessons and teachings of Noach. Noach did not
necessarily do outreach by tapping people on the shoulder or do cold
calling to invite them for services. Rather, Noach’s forte’ was
somewhat unique and perhaps lacking in our day and age. In my humble
opinion, the method Noach used was the process of gradual or
subconscious assimilation of ideas: knowledge defined as
“osmosis”. There are many things a person knows not through
birthright or even through wealth, but rather through a process of
“osmosis”.

The notion of a “chilul HaShem” - desecrating God’s name,
versus a “Kiddush HaShem” is the key factor to bringing Jews
back, to bringing them closer to true Torah Judaism. Why would any
non-observant Jews want to become observant and religious if they
witness observant Jews desecrating God’s name. (I am referring here
to sins of disproportion to the norm of “even a Tzadik may sin some
times in this world”.) Then there is the unassuming, quiet Jew who
goes about his business and is known to be honest, who only has a
good word to say about others, who treats others with respect
regardless of whether he knows them or not. The power of
kiruv/outreach can be accomplished through the process of osmosis. If
a Jew acts like a Jew is supposed to act, quietly demonstrating midos
and honesty, he is, in essence, emanating an incredible method of
bringing others close to home.

The Midrash Rabbah in Breishis 26:2 quotes a verse from Tehilim
92:14,15: “Sh’tulim B’Veis Hashem, B’Chatzros Elokeinu
Yafrichu”: “Planted in the House of Adonoy, in the courtyards of
our God they will blossom”. “Od Yenuvun B’Seiva D’Sheinim
V’Raananim Yihiyu”: “They will be fruitful in old age; they
will be full of sap and freshness”. The Midrash explains that the
one who planted in the House of Adonoy is referring to Noach, whom
God planted in the Teivah (the ark). The second half of the passuk,
“in the courtyards of our God they will blossom”, refers to Noach
having children born named Shem, Cham and Yafes. The verse, “they
will be fruitful”, refers to Noach and “they will be full of sap
and freshness”, refers to Noach having his three children. The
analogy of Noach being planted is because plants and flowers are
looked and smelled by those in their surroundings. Hashem held back
the birth of Noach’s children until he was five hundred years of
age while all the other men in his time had children at at the ages
of one hundred or maybe at two hundred years. Generally speaking,
people have more energy and strength to raise children when they are
younger. Hashem made it a point to show Noach’s greatness that his
children survived the flood despite having an old father raise them.
The because they saw and experienced the sincerity of their father,
and even though he was older they absorbed his parenting and teaching
through osmosis.

The verses the midrash commented on was from Psalm 92, which is the
Shir Shel Yom, the Psalm of the day for Shabbos Kodesh. By
experiencing and observing a perfect day of Shabbos, we instill and
plant ourselves in the House of Hashem and will ultimately blossom.
The blossoming process is that which surrounds all of us, whether it
be our own children or those around us in the courtyard of life. The
responsibility of observant Jews is to become better more dedicated
Jews. I believe that by raising the level of existing religious
observance and attitude, we will, in turn, raise the consciousness,
dedication, and observance of non-religious Jews around us.

In today’s day and age the best kind of Kiruv is just being a good
all-around Jew and letting people observe that. Jews who are
suspicious of religious Jews are keen enough to discern between lip
service and sincere service to Hashem. Noach lived a righteous life
and survived while the men of his generation did not pick up
Noach’s uniqueness of serving Hashem. To the contrary, they poked
fun at him; they despised and ridiculed him. We know what happened to
that generation, and we saw how Noach was able to re-build a new
world. We, too, should stand up to the ridicule and pressure by just
acting in a manner which creates a Kiddush Hashem, taking notice of
how many people start coming closer to Hashem. One doesn’t
necessarily need to go to them; they will seek out the truth and come
to you. Ah

Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

Never in the history of mankind have Jews enjoyed the luxury of
kosher meats and wines more than today. This statement holds true for
many items that we enjoy in abundance and all year round, thanks to
technology and logistics. Modern man has ready access to foods from
all over the world within a day, something that was rare a century
ago. The import/export business is booming; kosher food markets are
now able to offer customers exotic delicacies shipped within a day
from all over the world, expanding the kosher culinary pallet,
introducing gourmet edibles previously unheard of. Perhaps it is
ironic that we were always able to share common spiritual nourishment
such as the observance of holiday mitzvos and learn the same Parsha
of the week no matter where Jews were living.. Daf Yomi, a daily
page-a-day of Gemara, is now a world-wide phenomenon which has caught
the enthusiasm of active Jewish learners, all of them learning the
same daf, page, of Gemara every day all over the world. The kosher
wine, particularly fine kosher wines, and kosher meat industries have
both experienced a boom in demand in both quantity and quality. The
kosher meat industry started in this country about a century ago and
has steadily grown to the extent that cardiologists are prescribing
more cholesterol medication to Jews than ever before. More recently,
probably within the last thirty years, the natural antidote to
potential heart failure has been the incredible explosion of kosher
wines available which are reaching a level of quality in taste and
price to its fanciest non-kosher counterpart.

America today probably has the most observant Jewish population ever
in its history. The United States is still considered the land that
has everything. Yet, with all that we have, and especially with all
the access we have to gourmet foods, fine wines and high-quality
meat, are we any happier? Doesn’t Chazal - the rabbis of blessed
memory- teach us, “Ein Simcha Ela B’Basar V’Yayin?” - “Only
true joy and happiness can come from eating meat and drinking
wine”, so why aren’t we happy? The Yom Tov of Sukkos is known as
Z’man Simchaseinu, the time of rejoicing. Must we eat meat and
drink wine to reach the level of true simcha? Perhaps the Jews in
America are not happy enough and must eat more meat and drink more
wine in order for Yom Tov to be V’Samachta B’Chagecha V’Hayisa
Ach Sameach.

It is interesting to note that the source of the notion that drinking
wine and eating meat brings joy and happiness found in Gemara
Pesachim 109a is not exactly the way we interpret it. The Gemara
states: Rebbi Yehuda Ben BeSeira says that at the time of the Beis
HaMikdash, when the Temple stood, joy only came through the eating of
meat. Now that we no longer have the Beis HaMikdash, the only way to
gain joy/happiness is by drinking wine. It was not necessary to have
the combination of both meat and wine, but rather meat was the
primary luxury food and drinking of wine is only a substitute today.
The Gemara gives two verses to suggest why wine and meat meet this
criteria. With regard to eating meat, the Torah states in Devarim
27:7 “V’Zavachta Shelamim V’Achalta Sham, V’Samachta Lifnei
Hashem Elokecha”.: “You shall also sacrifice peace offerings and
eat there, rejoicing before God your Lord”. The verse to express
what wine does to a person is found in Tehillim/Psalm 104
“V’Yayin Y’Samach L’vav Enosh”, “And wine makes the heart
of man rejoice”. Tosfos gives an explanation regarding n the verse
in Parshas R’ei, which describes the bringing of the Shelamim, the
meat sacrifice. This sacrifice was not referring to festival time,
rather it was mentioned in connection to the curses of Har Eval. The
warnings of curses described at the scene of Har Eval are immediately
followed by the command of “V’Samachta B’chol HaTov”: “Be
happy in a proper, correct way for all that Hashem has given to us,
the Jewish People”. We have a hekesh, a connection from this verse
to another verse, Devarim 16:14: “V’Samachta B’Chageacha Ata
U’Veisecha…. You shall rejoice on your festival along with your
son and daughter, your male and female slave, and the Levite,
proselyte, orphan and widow from your settlements”. The word
V’Samachta, and you should be happy, is used in both verses and
therefore whatever applies in one area of discussion applies to the
other as well. We are actually commanded to be overjoyed to be Jewish
to be filled with joy as we observe the Mitzvot.

In today’s day and age is man obligated to eat meat on a Yom Tov?
Does the only source of joy to be happy on Yom Tov come from meat and
wine? The Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 529 describes and commands how a
person is supposed to celebrate and be happy. The Chofetz Chaim, in
his commentary Biur Halacha, rules that a man during the Temple time
ate meat, not just any meat but rather Shelamim (peace offerings).
Now that we no longer have the Temple and therefore have no
sacrifices, a person has NO obligation to eat meat on Yom Tov because
the mechanism to reach joy today is only through wine. The Chofetz
Chaim does conclude by saying that nevertheless it is still a mitzvah
to eat meat on Yom Tov since the word simcha is mentioned with regard
to eating of meat.

The Rambam, on the other hand, in Hilchos Yom Tov 6:18, declares that
even in our times without the Beis HaMikdash there is still an
obligation to eat meat on Yom tov and one should try to have beef and
not even poultry! All this of course is only if the individual enjoys
the meat or the wine. But if someone flatly just doesn’t like
either meat or wine, most authorities agree that there is no need to
drink wine or eat meat, particularly if it does not bring any joy.

I believe ‘happiness’ and joy are a state of mind; the meat and
or the wine are used to kick in or jumpstart that process of thinking
that we all should strive to be happy and joyful. American Jewry will
not become overly happy or sadly depressed solely due to the amount
of wine they drink or meat they eat. The stimulus to an existing
state of mind serves to help us focus on the happiness and joy we are
to experience during a YomTov.

May we all be Zocheh to eat of the Korban Shelamim during our
lifetime as we look forward to seeing the rebuilding of the third
Beis HaMikdash speedily in our day.

Ah Gut Shabbos/Yom Tov

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

The calendar on my smartphone displays the number of weeks which have
passed this year. For example, we are now in ‘week 38’. As far as
the Jewish calendar is concerned, however, we are now heading into
the final week of the year. Elul, the last month of the year, is
primarily designed to prepare us for the upcoming Days of Awe: Rosh
Hashana and Yom HaKippurim. In reality, the entire year is meant to
prepare us, to make sure we live meaningful lives which should carry
us into the following year and, after 120 years into the next world.
If the entire year is designed this way, then the very last month
(Elul) is more of the cramming style, packing in everything possible
at the very last minute.

Whether it is the entire year or just the months leading up to the
New Year, it is the preparation that is critical. Throughout our
lives we prepare for different events, some taking longer than
others. A certain reality comes crashing down upon us at the end of
our preparations. No matter what kind of situation we prepare for,
the actual event or occurrence that we are building towards usually
takes a fraction of the time compared to the preparation for that
event.

As Yom Tov approaches we know we have to prepare meals. A festive
meal can sometimes take a few days of preparation, including planning
the menus, purchasing the ingredients, preparing and cooking the
food, setting the table, etc. It literally takes hours, sometimes
days to make it all happen, but the actual time spent from the time
people arrive, sit down to eat, finish the meal, and say Bircat
Hamazon takes only a couple of hours.

I have the opportunity to work with the young boys of our Shul to
prepare them for their Bar Mitzva. One of the skills they master is
reading the Torah. Months and months, hours and hours of preparation,
review, and hard work go into learning how to lain for that very
special day and then, usually within thirty minutes, it’s all over.

Every alternate summer and winter people from all over the world are
attracted to the Olympics. Athletes who have been training for years
in order to reach the highest levels of competition sometimes get one
shot at a chance to succeed at the Olympic level. Years of hard work
and dreams of winning the gold can be smashed by one little fall or
glorified by one perfect performance.

In these examples and in all cases similar to these in life, I
recommend that we savor the moments of the actual performance.
Savoring the moment, taking the time to really appreciate it, will
bring a sense of satisfaction and pleasure to what we are doing
regardless of the outcome. The fact that we took the time and put in
the effort to shop, create, and cook a beautiful, scrumptious meal,
to see that the Bar Mitzva boy learned and then mastered the ability
to read from the Torah or that the dedicated athlete was selected to
compete in the Olympics brings a sense of great accomplishment to
life.

If we have been training, focusing, and preparing for the big days of
Rosh Hashana and Yom HaKippurim, then we want to make sure we do it
right. We want to try to win the gold, to read the Torah flawlessly
and to savor every moment of our yom tov meal, eating it with
pleasure and appreciation, ultimately creating and experiencing
deeply meaningful and spiritual Days of Awe. But what happens if you
are reading this and realize that you did not prepare, that you
aren’t ready for the big days?

*Rav Moshe Teitelbaum in his sefer ‘Yismach Moshe’ writes about
the importance and significance of the last Shabbos of the year. He
says, “When a person lifts up the leg of a bed from one corner, he
has the ability to raise the entire bed.” So, too, if a person
corrects on the last day, be that the last day of the year or even of
his life, it is as though he has fixed and corrected everything from
the beginning of time. It states in Tanna Dvei Eliyahu: ‘Days He
created and not just one of them – this is the day of Shabbos’.
Not just one of them refers to the one day that is unique to all the
other days which is Shabbos. The Gemara in the first chapter states,
‘Yom Echad BaShana, Chashuv Shana’ one day of the year is
considered to be like an entire year’. One day can actually
represent an entire year and any day has the power and influence to
be like an entire year. If this applies to any day of the year, how
much more profoundly it applies to Shabbos. Shabbos is a spiritual
charge for mitzvos; it has the ability to represent the entire year.
This is why the last Shabbos of the year is filled with opportunity.

I believe this same principle can be applied to the days of Rosh
Hashana as well. For those who prepared, there is no question they
will be ready for the spiritual challenges of the High Holidays. But
even the individual who let the days of Elul slip by should not
despair. It all depends upon the performance of that one day, even if
the person didn’t prepare at all. It is possible to begin the
actual day and experience a great surge of energy and adrenalin,
pumping oneself up for the big day.

We learn from the famous story of Reb Elazar Ben Durdaya that Teshuva
and complete repentance can be achieved in one moment. Even if a
person has not prepared properly, as long as the one day is earnestly
focused on Teshuva, Tefillah and Tzedakah, the entire year can be
transformed into a year of blessing and goodness.

May we all merit a Kesiva VaChasima Tova and a good happy and healthy
Shana Tova!

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

*Rabbi Moshe Teitelbaum (1759 - 16 July 1841), also known as the
Yismach Moshe, was the Rebbe of Ujhely in Hungary. According to Löw,
he signed his name "Tamar", this being the equivalent of Teitelbaum,
which is the Yiddish for "palm-tree. An adherent of the Polish
Hasidic Rebbe, the Chozeh of Lublin, Rabbi Teitelbaum was
instrumental in bringing Hasidic Judaism to Hungary. Though initially
opposed to Hassidism, after his son-in-law introduced him to the
Chozeh of Lublin, he soon became an adherent to Hassidism(Dezsö
Schön, 1997).

Rabbi Teitelbaum authored three main works, Heishiv Moshe ("Moses
Responded", a collection of responsa), Tefillah Le-Mosheh, (a
commentary on Psalms), and Yismach Moshe ("Moses Rejoiced", 1849; 2d
ed. 1898, containing homilies on the Torah),.Rabbi Teitelbaum is
commonly referred to by the title of the latter, Yismach Moshe. He
originally wrote a significant portion of his commentary on Psalms on
the backs of personal notes handed to him by petitioners seeking his
aid and blessing. These notes were transmitted via a succession of
prominent hasidic rabbis, until finally being edited and published
for the first time in Kraków in 1880.

I am introducing this week’s message by presenting a clearer
understanding of last week’s message, ‘Changing of the Guard’.
The full intent of the message to the younger generation is not to
push out the old regime while taking up with the new. It is important
not only to get involved in the fiscal and physical components of the
Shul but to also become more actively involved in the spiritual side
as well. As our older members are no longer present or can no longer
physically make it to the minyanim or volunteer for different
activities, we need the younger, upcoming leaders of our shul to pick
up the reins. Although the demands on life may be overwhelming for
young husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, we also need them to
fill those roles that the aging population can no longer continue
doing. This includes attending Shul and volunteering in the myriad of
ways that a Shul functions.

Ki Saytzay – Taking it to the Enemy

In the eyes of many people, turning fifty years old is a milestone
that should be duly recognized. My mazal is that I turned fifty this
year. Along with all of the celebrations and good wishes, my doctor
informed me of a special birthday gift one is entitled to at this
age: health insurance pays for your first colonoscopy and this is a
gift that I should accept with grace. As the saying goes, ‘Never
look a gift horse in the mouth’. With that I scheduled the
appointment and eventually received instructions on the preparation
for this delightful procedure. It is basically a two-day process
whereby the first day I could only drink clear fluids and in the
evening I had to drink this magical potion that would miraculously
clear my entire system and then some. The day of the actual procedure
I would again drink this magical potion to clear out anything
remaining in my system from the previous cleaning. I believe the only
thing that came out the next morning was the liquid that I drank that
very same morning preparing to waste it.

It struck me that in the two-day preparation I was only permitted to
drink; it was sort of a fast day to me. It dawned on me that there
was nothing really preventing me from eating except the fact this was
the rule for the test. In a similar fashion on a mandated halachik
fast day, there is also nothing preventing me from eating except for
the halacha. In both fasting scenarios, whether religious or medical,
I chose not to eat. It boiled down to the difference between a
medical fast and a spiritual fast. I happen to fast easily, but
typically there is a struggle for people to fast, avoiding all food
for an entire day. There is a common struggle between the two reasons
we may fast. In actuality, we should not view them as independent
struggles of the same kind but rather as being complimentary one to
the other.

In the beginning of this week’s Parsha Ki Seitzei the Torah states
in Devarim 21:10 “Ki Seitzei LaMilchama Al OyVecha, UnSano Hashem
Elokecha B’Yadecha V’Shavisa Shivyo”: “When you go out to
wage war against your enemies, Hashem will place them in your power;
you may take captives”. Moving away from the Pashut PShat - the
simple meaning of the text - the Torah suggests that there are other
types of wars that man goes out to fight. *Reb Shlomo Kluger suggests
that the Torah is hinting that there are two kinds of war: War with
the nations; and the war within, the evil inclination better known as
the Yetzer Hara.

War with the nations affects our physical welfare, whereas war with
the evil inclination affects our spiritual welfare and keeping
Hashem’s commands. Hashem tells us that He will deal with us Midda
Knegged Midda. He will help us in our war with the physical enemy on
condition that we control and subdue our Yetzer Hara. Reb Yisroel
Ba’al Shem Tov teaches that the words ‘Ki Seitzay’ - when you
go out - is in the singular. There is no man who goes out to do
physical battle without an army consisting of many men; no one can do
such battles alone. Therefore, the context is speaking of the
spiritual battle that each and every one of us must go into alone;
the spiritual battle is our fight!

The Shlah HaKadosh gives a deeper clue to the success on the
battlefield. The key strategy is ‘to go out’ to be on the
offensive and not sit back and wait for the enemy to come to us but
rather to be pre-emptive. When we attack the Yetzer HaRah, Hashem
guarantees us that the Yetzer Hora will be delivered into our hands.
The reason follows the saying, “kal Haba L’Tahair, M’sayin
Oso”: whoever comes to purify, Hashem helps him. If man goes out
and tries, then God helps, but only on the condition that we take the
first step. The last and highest level this method brings us to is
the re-direction of the sin. If we cut off the path of the sin, then
we are actually able to use that power and influence for something
positive.

As we are now in the month of Elul, we should be preparing not only
to do battle but to take the fight to our Yetzer Hora, perhaps better
known to us as our weaknesses. We need to plan an attack in the areas
in which we know we can do better. We cannot wait until Yom Kippur to
ask forgiveness for those sins we committed or for the positive
commandments which we omitted. Rather, we each need to troubleshoot,
to think ahead, to erase the charges that might be held against us.
We need to begin the spiritual fast now. Just because I can eat if I
want to, I know that it’s better for me if I don’t. Each and
every one of us needs to create a strategy to be on the offensive in
this battle for our Neshama and not wait until it’s too late.

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

*Shlomo ben Yehuda Aharon Kluger (1783–June 9, 1869): שלמה
קלוגר‎ born in Komarow, Congress Poland, was chief dayyan and
preacher of Brody, Galicia. He was successively rabbi at Rava-Ruska
(Galicia), Kulikow (Galicia), and Józefów (Lublin), preacher at
Brody, and rabbi at Brezany (Galicia) and, again, at Brody (where he
held the offices of Dayan and preacher for more than fifty years). He
died in Brody on June 9, 1869.

We are all aware of the Halacha that Havdala may be recited until Tuesday evening as it is connected to the previous Shabbos. Hence, I am sending out last week's Torah message today.