Rabbi's Blog

These past nine months have drawn us closer to our screens almost to an unhealthy level. Obviously, we have no choice in certain circumstances such as zoom classes for school, work-related meetings, and, of course, family get togethers. Rarely do I watch online classes or presentations,  But this week was different. For a few hours straight, I watched hespedim for recent leaders of the Jewish people given by other great leaders of our time. I drew so much inspiration and insight from the eulogies. That I came to reconsider that perhaps such use of online technology was not a ’waste of time’ but rather an invaluable component of who we are as a people, and what I can strive to become as a person. This opened my eyes -and heart- to an important dimension of our character development that should be focused upon. Then I became conscious that this is not something new, as you know…..

Every week I scour my library for divrei Torah related to an incident, a story, or something that I relate to in ordinary life. Every book and sefer brings perspectives to the reader that may not have been previously known or keenly understood. Sometimes reading someone else’s thoughts resonate within us. I believe that when such thoughts do resonate, it is because we are like-minded, but could were able to express it as well as in this particular sefer or book. Most seforim are commentaries of the Torah, whether it is halacha, mussar, or presentation of a deeper understanding of the written and oral Torah. I for one, hope to get inspiration or a more profound sense of knowledge and understanding from the seforim I learn from.

No question, Torah is paramount to all that we do as Jews. I have  always been driven by learning so as to be able to answer questions with depth, to prepare lectures and drashos. I felt that the reading of “books” was not the best use of my time. Only recently did I come to understand the need to read about the great Jews of our past to gain a perspective for our future. These biographies are not just “reading material”; rather they contribute to pieces of a larger picture of our overall dimension as Jews.  Therefore, at the same time, the learning and reading of such material should be used and viewed as a mechanism to aspire us to be better people, not only better Jews (in the limited Jewish sense). There are dedicated biographies that I recommend everyone to read, from the great Torah scholars to the great women driving them to their greatness.

This week, as I was perusing through a few seforim, I realized that the phenomena of reading about our great sages and righteous people is nothing new. In the back of a few of the seforim that I have, eulogies of the leaders of the generation the author lived in are included. I thought to myself “Why write up the hesped/eulogy here? Intrigued, I began to read the Hespedim. Amazingly, the people whose Hespedim I was reading came to life!  These beautiful tributes to outstanding leaders of our past did not focus on how many times the individual finished Shas and Poskim and all of the laws of the Torah, but rather gave me a deeper insight regarding the greatness of each of these people; I learned to appreciate them as great husbands/wives, fathers/mothers/ mentors, friends, colleagues.    Above all, I learned how they profoundly reached out to the less fortunate. Although the Torah is not meant to be a history book, there nevertheless is mention of many (not all) of the characters’ place and time of death. In this week’s parsha we read of one obviously significant person and one less known but nonetheless important.

In this wek’s Parshas Vayishlach the Torah states in Bereishis 35:8 "ותמת דבורה מינקת רבקה ותקבר מתחת לבית קל תחת האלון, ויקרא שמו אלון בכות"  “Rebecca’s nurse Devorah died, and she was buried in the valley of Beth El, under the oak. It was named Weeping Oak”. Who was Devora and what did they say at her funeral? We do not necessarily know exactly what was said, but as in every eulogy we find out things about someone that we did not necessarily know. But it IS through the words of the eulogizer that we gain insight into who the person was and what and how we can gain and grow from that individual’s way of life. So too, we seek out Chaza”l to give us the tidbits of information that the Maspid/eulogizer may have used in delivering the final say about this Devorah.

Devora was a name  that would later become famous through a prophetess by the same name in Shoftim 4:4.  Rashi and Medrash Lekach Tov, and Sefer HaYashar say that Rivka Immeinu sent Devorah to inform Yaakov that it was safe to return home. According to others, Yaakov had stopped at his parents’ home and had picked up Devorah. The Midrash Aggadah explains Devorah was the mother of Rivka, making her Yaakov’s grandmother. In fact, the Midrash Tanchuma in Ki Seitzay explains the plural of the word ‘Bachus/weeping for Yaakov, who wept for both his mother and grandmother Rivka and Devora on their passing. The passuk reveals to us her burial place is Beit El,  a holy place that, in her merit, indicates she deserved to be buried there.

There are three times the Torah uses the expression "ותקבר"   “and she was buried”: Devorah, Rochel and Miriam. The Midrash Lekach Tov asks what is this expression supposed to teach us? The answer is that we do not allow a bier to be left out in the street by women because of their honor, and therefore we bury as close or as soon as possible following their death. It is a testament to Devorah that she was part of the elite- on the level of a Miriam and Rochel Immeinu. No more needs to be said. The greatest of our women leaders were always Tzanua, modest and in the background, pulling the strings, choreographing their husbands, daughters, and sons to lead and teach the Jewish people. Sometimes we hear a lot about someone; other times only a word or two encapsulates their entire essence and being. It was Devorah who fast tracked Yaakov and his family to put into motion the essence of all that the Jewish people will become.

Let us take some more time from our busy schedules and learn by reading , hearing, or watching events and accomplishments of  our leaders of the past to insure a brighter and stronger future for Am Yisrael, Amen  

Our nervous system depends upon the five senses – sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste in order to receive and process information from the world outside our bodies. Each of these senses has a specific job:               

Sight:  The eyes translate light into image signals for the brain to process.

             Sound: The ears use bones and fluid to transform sound waves into sound signals to the brain.

                           Touch: Specialized receptors in the skin send touch signals to the brain.

              Smell: Molecules released from fragrances or odors stimulate olfactory cells or nerve cells in the nose, sending signals to the brain where the particular smell is identified.

Taste – gustation - develops through taste receptors on the tongue, soft palate, cheeks, esophagus and the epiglottis – a small flap in the throat.  Five types of taste are known: sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and umami – the taste of protein!

    As I analyze these five senses, three of them seem to be more critical than the other two. The ability to see, hear and feel are important regarding our health, safety, and overall well-being. This is not to say that taste and smell do not affect safety and health, but in my opinion these senses are not as critical to survival as the others. With that said, I will share two examples where I dramatically fail with regard to listening to the messages my senses are sending me.

The first incident occurred over thirty years ago while driving over the 59^th street bridge from Queens to Manhattan. We were stuck in traffic. My car began overheating and smoke was steaming out from under the hood. At one point the person next to me (my Shidduch date) in the passenger seat said,” Is that smoke coming from this car?” A few minutes later the passenger was sniffing, while I thought that there did seem to be a smell like anti-freeze oozing into the passenger section of the car, vaguely indicating to me that there may be a leak. I remained, however, oblivious, until the passenger noticed drivers in other vehicles motioning to us, wildly waving their hands, pointing to the smoke now coming out thickly and rapidly. My polite passenger sheepishly asked,” Don’t you think something is wrong?” I responded,” You mean that little smell and some smoke? Nah. It’s nothing.”  Long story short, we made it over the bridge, parked on 2^nd Avenue and waited for a tow truck to get us home.

The second example occurred about fifteen months ago when my foot was just a little swollen.  I ignored that and kept going. By the end of the day I was limping along. I could see some redness on the top of my foot and felt a nagging, but not serious pain. I took some ibuprofen, raised my foot while sitting, and by morning it was better. By the end of the next day, however, it was swollen again and felt really heavy. This went on for about two weeks until I was finally convinced that it might be a good idea to see my doctor. Making a long story short, I ignored the signs, and, as you may remember, I learned that I had been walking around with a broken foot. There are dozens of examples I can relate to about how our body detects and senses when something is wrong - or even right.

Reviewing the Parsha this week, I picked up on the fact that all the senses are mentioned in the parsha. In fact, all five are found in the Perek chapter 27.  This week’s Parshas Toldos opens with the pregnancy of Rivka and concludes with the fleeing of Yaakov from his brother Eisav. Let us identify and highlight where and how these senses are mentioned and how significant they are. In no order we begin with Rivka experiencing a mini battle of sorts within her as she is pulled toward the house of idolatry by Eisav and the house of Torah study by Yaakov while in her womb. From that point on Yaakov and Eisav went their separate ways, but their paths crossed many times, continuing to this very day. 

The Torah states in Bereishis 27:1   "ויהי כי זקן יצחק ותכהין עניו מראות, ויקרא את עשו בנו הגדול ויאמר אליו בני ויאמר אליו הנני"   “Isaac had grown old and his eyesight was fading. He summoned his elder son Esau, and he called out ‘my son’ and he said ’Yes’ I am here.’ Why was it important for the Torah to relate the status of his eyesight? The fact that he was getting old was reason enough to want to bless his children, just as the Torah relates how Avraham, his father, was old!  In Bereishis 27:9 the Torah states: "לך נא אל הצאן וקח לי משם שני גדיי עזים טובים, ואעשה אתם מטעמים לאביך כאשר אהב"  Rivka said to Yaakov, ”Go to the sheep and take two choice young kids. I will prepare them with a tasty recipe, just the way your father likes them.” Why was it necessary for Rivka to prepare food that should have a good taste? The answer is simple: she was following the command that Yitzchok himself had asked Eisav to do for him earlier in 27:4. One can ask why Yitzchok asked Eisav for a tasty meal? Rabbeinu Bachya explains that the best bracha/blessing comes following a satiated, full stomach. Note that sound and touch are found in the same verse, making this  perhaps one of the most famous pesukim to pit the Jewish people against all the other nations of the world. In Bereishis 27:22 the Torah states: "ויגש יעקב אל יצחק אביו וימושהו, ויאמר הקל קול יעקב והידים ידי עשו"  “Yaakov came closer to his father Yitzchok, and [Yitzchok] touched (felt) him. He said, ‘The voice (sound) is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Eisav’.”  Why is the word ‘voice’ repeated, but the hands – touch – is only mentioned once? I suggest that a sound - or voice - is a sense that can be impersonated or altered, meaning the same one individual can have two different-sounding voices from the same voice box, in contrast to the sense of touch, in this case the hands -feeling – was the cover-up by Rivka who ‘dressed’ Yaakov’s hands. I believe my distinction is supported by the fact the word ‘voice’ - in Hebrew ‘kol’ - is spelled two different ways: one time ckaser and one time malei- meaning once full with a vav and the other without. This Indicates that there was something strange going on. Even though Yitzchok could not see well, his sense of hearing was able to discern the sound of Yaakov’s voice even though the hands felt like the hands of Eisav. The final sense of smell that the Torah states in Bereishis 27:27 "ויגש וישק לו וירח את ריח בגדיו ויברכהו, ויאמר ראה ריח בני כריח שדה אשר ברכו ה' "   “Yaakov approached and kissed him [Yitzchok]; he smelled the fragrance of his garments, and blessed him. He said, see my son’s fragrance is like the perfume of a field blessed by God”.

Of the five senses and incidents I point out, four of the five are in the positive.  Sight was lacking; Yitzchok could not see! Sight, however, in this situation was Yitzchok’s foresight: he recognized the need to give specific blessings to each of his sons. Alternatively, sight could also be a reference to the moment Yitzchok realized he had given the first bracha to Yaakov and trembled, knowing that was Eisav standing in front of him. Rashi on the word ‘tremble’, connotes an expression that Yitzchok saw Gehinnom opened beneath him.

We take away from this analysis that the senses are physical in nature. We need them to navigate our way through life; it is scientifically proven that when one sensor does not work properly, other sensors will kick in to compensate. The deeper and more significant lesson, however, is to be more acutely aware of how we should consciously use our sensory processing for the performing and fulfilling the Mitzvos. Let us use our common sense to provide the vital viaduct to living both our physical and spiritual lives properly, making continuous effort not to ignore the signs our senses are sending to us.

Ah Gutten Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

P.S. Guess who the passenger in the car was?

I have been wearing glasses since I was nine years old. Thank God for corrective lenses.  They have helped me to see clearly throughout my life. Our vision, as well as all our senses and abilities, should never be taken for granted and should be reflected upon from time to time in order to more deeply appreciate that which we have.

According to research conducted by the Vision Impact Institute, three out of four people in the U.S. require vision correction, and of those people, 71% wear glasses and 22% wear contacts. However, the number of people wearing corrective glasses or contacts changes drastically as people age. Only 59% of people ages 25-39 wear corrective lenses, while 93% of people between the ages of 65 and 75 wear corrective lenses. The proportion of individuals requiring glasses to improve their sight rapidly increases after the age of 45.Interestingly,the study also found that people between the ages of 16 and 25 tend to look at screens (e.g. tablets, phones, and computers) more than 3 hours per day. All that screen time can later lead to serious problems such as age-related macular degeneration. Although there may be some scientific support that eyesight is determined or controlled by our environment, most will say it comes down to genetics, and there is truly little one can do to change that. However, having good or bad eyesight is a physical condition. There are other types of sight, critical to all of our lives, which cannot be corrected by glasses or contacts .

The phrase “hindsight is 20/20” means looking back at a situation or an event and having a clearer understanding of how things could have been done better or more appropriately. This  wishing to be able to undo a previously missed opportunity or inappropriate action, unfortunately, cannot be undone by use of corrective lenses. People have visions - visions of greatness, visions of prophecy, visions of making appropriate, smart choices all requiring spiritual corrective lenses known as ‘Hashkafa”. Everyone has an Hashakafa, but just as in the physical sense there is bad and good, so, too, in the philosophical realm there is good and bad. Chaza”l teach us in Pirkei Avos: ‘Who is a wise person? Someone who has eyes in his head.’ It is interesting to note that while it is true our eyes are located on the part of the body which sits on top of the neck called the head, eyes are really located on the face. Therefore, shouldn’t the Rabbis’ statement  be that a wise person has his eyes on his head, not in his head? So, what do the Rabbis mean when they say a wise person has his eyes in his head? The answer is, that the statement is not speaking of the eyes in terms of physically seeing, for those eyes are located on the face. The eyes in the head represent sight governed by our intellect, knowledge, and wisdom. Hindsight is not taken literally, of course. We humans do not have eyes in the back of our heads. More accurately, this expression refers figuratively to what the brain interprets: deciphering information already known based upon something that has previously happened.

In this week’s parshas Vayera the Torah states in Bereishis 19:11 "ואת האנשים אשר פתח הבית הכו בסנורים מקטן ועד גדול, וילאו למצא הפתח" “They [the angels] struck the men who were standing at the entrance with blindness – young and old alike — and [the Sodomites] tried in vain to find the door”. The Malbim explains blindness not as a physical eye ailment but rather hallucinations. The Sachatchover Rebbe in his commentary Shem MiShmuel also explains that it was not blindness in the traditional understanding, rather it was a ‘blindness’ of knowledge and intellect. In this instance, the attackers of Lot did not feel or sense the imminent danger that was lurking around the corner, namely the eradication of Sodom and Gomorrah. How do we know that they did not understand or feel a danger coming? The answer is revealed to us at the end of the passuk when the verse states they tried in vain to find the door! Even when blinded, they continued, pursuing a way in to get to Lot, his family, and the angels. A person with sense and wisdom would recognize that this is not going in the direction planned. Maybe we should not be doing this. Instead, they continue their attempt to attack. They are not dissuaded from their goal despite the obvious stumbling block placed before them. Even when their world and their entire mission was literally crumbling underneath them, they lacked the ability to regret their actions and instead of quickly learning from their obvious mistake, they pushed on. To make matters worse, only a few verses later - 19:14 - Lot tries to persuade them to get out of this place, to leave immediately.  But not only did their eyes fail to see it; it also fell on deaf ears (but that is a Drasha for another time). They did not budge from their determination and remained blinded by their stubbornness.

Lot, for his part, was also living down the wrong path. Fortunately for him and part of his family, he was able to see the truth and understand, but the remainder of his family did not. Unfortunately, Lot did not have the foresight to realize – to perceive - the influence he had on his older daughters and married them off to Sodomites. Lot’s daughters were sucked into the society. For them, it was too late to change. Lot brought them up that way, and the mistake in judgment was a costly one. Lot was raised in his Uncle Avraham’s home. Yet, while Avraham Avinu brought Lot up,  at a certain point, which we witnessed in last week’s parsha, Lot grew wealthy and haughty and chose to separate from Avraham.

Members of a community and people living within the private world of their own families need to maintain a life of honesty, integrity, and truth. Once those essential qualities break down a person begins to lead a life that is antithetical to the Torah, falsely justifying the decisions and actions of their lives. Along the way they damage those closest to them: their children, spouses, friends, and others. This lifestyle choice continues until there is a major hiccup and they make a serious mistake. If this  error is caught and honestly looked at, it can be corrected.  Bad decisions are made by all of us as we live our lives, but with focused effort such decisions can be corrected.  However, if the individual remains completely blinded, such serious errors in judgment, errors in behavior will continue until ultimate demise. Remember, no one is perfect, but when we make a mistake, see and face the error.  Ultimately, this  may be for the best in helping to return to seeing things with a perfect vision and Hashkafa.

Ah Gutten Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

Ah Gut Your, Ah Kesiva Vachasima Tova, Gmar Chasima Tov, Ah Gut Kvittel, Ah Gut Yom Tov, Ah Gutten Vinter, Ah Lichtiga Chanuka, Ah Freilichin Purim, Ah Zeesen Kasherin Pesach, Ah Gutten Zummer, Ah Gutten Shabbos, and, of course, Shabbat Shalom are Jewish greetings used as we progress through the year. These greetings are reflective of the holiday and season that we are currently in, just passed, or are moving into. The greetings are infused with blessings relevant and pertinent for that time of year, some religious and others secular, some just for fun and others serious. These universal Jewish greetings go beyond a simple ‘good morning’ and the like. Rather, each greeting demonstrates a connection to being Jewish whether we know the person to whom we’re speaking or not.

For the average person, every greeting and introduction is an opportunity to demonstrate respect for others and to create a favorable impression of yourself to others. When you greet someone, you acknowledge their presence. Most people do this automatically, barely noticing they are doing it. Nevertheless, it is an especially important component of society that provides opportunity to understand one another, breaking down barriers that otherwise might distance one from another. Surely, Jews say good morning and give greetings throughout the year just as everyone else does. Is the idea of greetings something consistent with Torah thought or not?

What is the Halachik/Jewish law opinion on the matter of greetings? To answer, I would look at the laws of mourning. On Tisha B’Av we refrain from greeting people in the morning whom we typically might greet daily. This practice is followed in a house of mourning whereby no greetings or goodbyes are used when entering or departing the mourner and the house. A visitor just walks into the ‘Shiva house’ without knocking and sits down facing those in mourning. Before leaving, the visitor gives words of comfort and then just leaves. We can deduce that if I am forbidden from greeting at certain times and places during the year, it must be a good thing, if not mandatory, to greet someone upon seeing them.

A few months ago, I wrote about the inability to show a smile to someone due to mask-wearing requirements. Although it may take extra effort to speak while wearing a mask,, this  makes it all the more important to give an extraordinary greeting in order to make up for the lost visual of the smile. These kinds of greetings should not be limited to a ‘good morning’ to someone you see every day. Rather, go out of your way to give that extra effort to greet  everyone with whom you come into contact with throughout the day. Every day presents  opportunities to brighten up someone’s day and lift their spirits with a good greeting.   Whether you are waiting in line at the bank, checking out at the grocery store, waiting on some line or in an office waiting for an appointment, you can improve the world around you by extending this simple gesture of good will as we wend our way through the waves of anxiety throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. I believe statistics support that we are closer to a vaccine and that the mortality rate is currently dropping. Treatments are improving as the medical and scientific worlds learn more about the intricacies of this virus. We are hopeful that we will slowly emerge from this pandemic and begin the process of restitching the shattered lives of so many who have lost loved ones while rebuilding the devastation done to the economy. For now, however, we must focus on doing what must be done to protect ourselves and those dependent upon our leadership

That was not the case going back two thousand one hundred six years ago when Noach and his family emerged from the Teivah/ark. There too, a complete destruction of the world, barring the fish, the  eight human beings quarantined in the ark, and the animals they ceaselessly fed and cared for. When they were told to step out of the ark, there was no one around to greet except themselves. Perhaps they even anticipated knowing there would not be anyone to greet and felt reluctant to even leave the ark. Did Noach and his family want to exit from the Teivah or not?

In this week’s Parshas Noach the Torah states in Bereishis 8:16  "צא מין התבה אתה ואשתך ובניך ונשי-בניך אתך"  “God spoke to Noach saying, ‘Leave the ark --you, along with your wife, your sons, and your son’s wives”. The Netzi”v, Rav Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin, in his commentary Haamek Davar, comments that in the very next verse it says, ‘take out with you…’ from the ark all the living creatures. The subtle difference between ‘leave’ and ‘take out’ is coming to teach us that they delayed and remained in the ark to seek out the blessing. Of course, you ask, ”What blessing is it referring to?” Fast forward to Bereishis 9:10: “God said to Noach, ‘I am making a covenant with you and with your offspring after you. It will also include every living creature that is with you among the birds, the livestock, and all the beasts of the earth with you – all who left the ark, including every animal on earth. The animals carefully made sure (by remaining in the ark) to be included in the blessing that Hashem gave to future offspring and only those who left with Noach. But had they left immediately, then they would not have been a part of this blessing. The Netzi”v later on explains that the animals stood there next to Noach to receive the bris/covenant. It would also be a segula, a good merit, to receive a blessing, tor be part of a covenant when it is in front of you and not from behind.

I would like to suggest that Hashem, commanding all of the passengers on the Teivah to go out, was really extending an invitation, a greeting, to come back into the world. Noach and his family had no one to greet and perhaps I can suggest that this is why they were reluctant to leave, not knowing where to go. It took that ‘welcome’ from Hashem to motivate them to come out. The guarantee through the words Hashem spoke with Noach was a bris/covenant, and a bracha/blessing. This message was conveyed through the ‘greeting’ of welcome to Noach and his family to come out and rebuild the world. If you spell the word Teivah with a Yud and rearrange the letters you get Bayit, house. Every morning, afternoon and evening we walk out of our homes the same way 2106 years ago Noach emerged from his house. His purpose, his goal, was to rebuild the world;  our mandate is the same. We have the mission, the purpose, to go out from our homes to recreate a better world every single day of our lives. That will be the ultimate blessing and the covenant that not only will destruction not rain down upon the world, but  that only blessings will shower upon us through our greetings, wishing everyone a special, unique, dedicated blessing for that time and place.     

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

I recently watched a podcast presented by Rabbi Efram Goldberg about shul life. The question asked was, “What is the biggest religious intimidation that you have experienced?” There were a few cute answers, but one I related to was, “I am intimidated by a Baal’ Korei/Torah reader who is able to change tunes in the middle of the reading.” For example, in the Megilas Esther we use the tune for that Megilla and change for just a few words to the tune from Megilas Eicha, or in Parshas Devarim, we switch from the regular Shabbos niggun of leining to the niggun for Eicha. There are even Haftoras that change the tune being sung in the middle.

Even though it has been a dark six months from the time when the pandemic took hold on the world, there were many bright spots along the way. Every year, as we approach Rosh Hashana we look back over the course of the year about to close and remember things we should or should not have done. For those things we should have done, we say to ourselves, ”Well there’s always next year.” For those things we should not have done, we express regret, saying we are sorry and will not do them again. One of the most treasured gifts we have is time – a gift which cannot be saved; it can only be used or wasted. Time is so precious because only time gives us opportunity for growth, for helping others, and ultimately for making a difference in the world. Time itself is irreplaceable, but the things we could have done during a certain given period time are dependent solely upon how we use it.

 Barbara Bush, in her book Reflections: Life After the White House, writes,  “At the end of your life you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict, or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, a child or a parent.” There is no question that we parents attempt to make wise choices and correct decisions for our children. My wife and I made a difficult choice, sacrificing in order to send our children away from home for high school. Clearly, every parent makes such decisions based upon what would be best for their sons or daughters. For my wife and me, these decisions were made with those principles in mind, but the choice was never easy. I will not get into the pros and cons of the decision, but one obvious aspect is missing out on their lives, not seeing them daily, not having opportunities to guide and direct them in person.  The time that they were away cannot be made up, time is here and then time is gone. We cannot recapture the teen years - or any other time of life – time cannot be retrieved. But , due to Covid-19, our youngest child came home from Israel a few weeks earlier than planned, and also due to Covid-19,  stayed well beyond the time he was scheduled to return to his Yeshiva in Eretz Yisrael. Like so many others in the world, he was home either quarantined, following stay- at- home orders, or just having nowhere else to go for five and a half months. We set out on a mission to make his time valuable, productive, and fun. Beyond what we call “the silver lining” was 5 ½ months of bonding and really developing a close connection to our son. We learned together almost every day to fill in the gaps he was missing from Yeshiva on zoom. We exercised and assembled a new basketball hoop together, taking over four days to construct it.  We used that basketball hoop just about every day possible. We prepared meals and ate healthy foods together and through our nurturing and support, he lost a sizable amount of weight. The ultimate value was spending time not with a teenager who often does not particularly want to spend time with his parents, rather with a mature young man who thinks deeply and philosophically as I shared life’s insights with him. This precious experience made up for lost time. The importance of time and the opportunity to strengthen our relationship with Hashem is found in the Manual.

In this week’s Parsha Ki Savo we read of the Tochacha, the public rebuke of the Jewish people and a horrific description of what will befall the Jewish nation if we stray from Hashem. The Torah states in Devarim 28:28 "יככה ה' בשגעון ובעורון ובתמהון לבב"   “God will strike you with insanity, blindness and mental confusion.” Rashi explains the ‘simhon levav’ as obstruction of the heart, while Rav Hirsch explains it as hallucinations. These are the primary reasons a person does not come back and repent. We have blocked our hearts from attempting to repent and return closer to Hashem. One of the Al Cheit’s we ‘klap’ our heart is ‘for the sin that which we sinned before you in confusion and a closed heart’. The confusion and hallucinations not only caused us to sin in the first place, it prevents us from returning  to Hashem through Teshuva. We are beset with so many distractions that we do not find the time to even think about our misdeeds and the need to ask God for forgiveness. It was these same distractions that led us to sin initially which now distract us from trying to make it right. Therefore, through reasoning that if we are able to make up for the infraction by doing Teshuva, getting close to Hashem, it will be considered as if we never sinned to begin with. And so, the time we missed out in the beginning will be rectified by how we spend the time later.

As we evaluate our lives in general and this past challenging year in particular, the essence, quality and gift of time rises to the surface. Sometimes we feel we wasted so much time, and yes, it is true we cannot get that time back. Nevertheless, that which we lost out during that time can be made up with meaningful and positive experiences of the same magnitude moving forward.

There is a well-known Gemara Makkos that when a person killed someone accidentally, he would flee to a city of refuge. Nevertheless, an avenging relative could reach the person before he made it to the city safely, especially if he did not have enough time to get there. Measures were taken to help him reach the city of safety before the avenging relative could catch him by putting up signs on the road giving directions leading to the Ir Miklat - city of refuge.  Perhaps, as we feel time fleeting from us, we, too, need guidance, directions, and reminders.  Perhaps we should hang signs of “Elul”, “Elul”, “Elul”. Maybe by seeing these signs around us will make it easier to feel that closeness and surely help to make meaningful use of the time we now have.

There is no difference between my son and me and between Hashem with each of us. My son and I, who were apart from each other during those post-elementary school years, restricted by distance from each other, was given back to us through making powerful use of every moment of the time we now had together, reconnecting in ways so powerful and beautiful in only a few short months together during a pandemic.  Many of us have drifted away from Hashem our Father at different periods of our lives. However, the experiences during the month of Elul and the holiday season from Rosh Hashana through Simchas Torah can make up for lost time. Let us each appreciate the opportunity to use each day, each moment wisely, to have the focus to see the value of time put to meaningful use.

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

These past six months - and hopefully no more than that - have seen history in the making, a phrase referring to an ongoing current event, will be remembered for all the stress, fear, pain and loss this pandemic has caused, altering our way of life and our view of the future. I think it would be difficult to find an individual whose day -n-day-out routine  has not been impacted by Covid-19. The life cycle events that touch upon those who are either celebrating or mourning has resulted in the now daily term: ‘zoom’ – applied to virtual attendance of weddings, bar mitzvas, brisim, funerals, shiva calls, and also extended to annual medical physicals, conferences, and teaching.  Zoom has now become part of our daily lexicon. 

In Orthodox tradition in varying degrees and communities, there is separation amongst the genders for different life cycle events.  But of the list mentioned earlier, one event - a thirteen year-old boy’s Bar Mitzva - has most of the participation on the men’s side. This was typically true thirteen years prior at this boy’s Bris Milah! Witnessing these events, I recognized the incredible sacrifice and giving that a mother has for her son. For these events she stands in the background, watching from a distance beaming with pride and joy, selflessly giving away her son for service. This prototype may well have been established by Chana, the mother of Shmuel HaNavi.  Chana  willingly gave her son to the service of Hashem. A loving and caring mother consistently gives a piece of herself to her child never looking away or abandoning her young – no matter how old her child may be. The strength of a mother to give and separate while still maintaining such close, dedicated connection is something only a mother can know and experience. I do not want to dismiss the sacrifice that a father makes as well. Of course, within the beauty of a dedicated family, the father’s love and commitment are equally strong, but tend to be in balance rather than identical to the mother.  There is no question both parents raise their children together, knowing what is best for them encouraging each child to grow, becoming his or her own person.  Within this environment, each parent balances this nurturing in a unique and loving way. It is this sense of connection and relationship that causes the child to always look back at the parent with love and deep connection as well.

This reminds me of the famous mashal/parable about a little boy who stood on a beach looking out at the vast sea holding onto a flag. In the distance was a group of young boys playing, but the boy remained totally oblivious to them and their games. A man approached him and asked, ”Why don’t you go play with the boys” The boy replied: “I have no time for games.  I am waiting for a boat to pass by and at that moment I will wave my flag at the boat, and the captain of the ship will wave his flag back at me.”  The man chuckled at the boy saying, “What are you thinking? The large ships cannot get that close to the shoreline. These large ships are moving quickly, and the captain of the ship is not going to slow down. He will not be able to distinguish you from anything on the beach. Why don’t you just go play with your friends?” The boy answered, ”That is exactly the type of ship I am waiting for, the large one that goes fast. I am sure then the captain of that ship will see me waving my flag and he will do the same.”

The man was no longer chuckling but burst out laughing at the boy. “The captain of that kind of large vessel is a high-ranking officer and an elite important person, stated the man. “First of all I doubt that the captain could even see you from such a distance, and I cannot imagine that even if he could see you, why would he direct his attention necessarily towards you? On top of that, why would he bother to wave back at you at all?” The boy said in a stubborn manner, “I am sure that not only will he will be looking for me, but when he sees me he will be happy and glad to wave his flag back at me, because he knows I was waving at him. The captain will be so happy when he sees me being so happy.” The man finally said to the boy, “How can you be so sure of what you are saying?” The boy looked up at the man and with a smile,  looked deeply into the eyes of the man saying,  ”Because the captain of the ship is my father”!

This story, taken from Rabbi Krohn’s book, Around the Maggid’s Table, is a mashal applicable to all of us today. With all we are dealing with in every aspect of our lives, we may tend to feel disconnected from our religious and Jewish life. We are like the boy on the beach, but we just cannot give in and just go play with our friends. We need to look out, holding our banner, a sign of commitment and devotion, waving at the appropriate and meaningful times to gain the attention of  the captain. The captain of this ship is Hashem;  when we wave and show we are connected, we care, then He, without doubt, will wave back at us in good fortune.

Hashem waits for us all the time, every day throughout the entire year, but more so during the last month of the year Elul. Hashem is drawing closer to us so we can see Him and wave and connect. This is one of the meanings to the acronym of  -  אלול Elul “I am to my beloved as my beloved is to me.”            

Contrary to popular belief, we are not living in unprecedented times; the world has experienced greater hardships throughout its history. God has just thrown us a new reminder of not only who is in control; He is reminding us that He is our father and our mother, He, regardless of what may be happening to us, wants a strong, eternal relationship The nurturing and giving that we have received from Hashem was established before birth and is a connection forever.  Occasionally we may forget.  As we now begin the month of Elul, we hope and pray the year will end with the cessation of all its curses, and we will be blessed with  a fresh start in the coming weeks. All we need to remember is  that now is the time to look out above and beyond and start to wave our flags!

Announcements, phone calls, e-mails, fliers, facebook, twitter are only some of the methods we use to communicate information. Despite how many times announcements are made or e-mails sent, invariably there are some who didn't get the information. Quite often, as an event is taking place, someone will come later and say 'I didn't hear or read about it'. There is a great difference between listening and hearing and reading and comprehending; almost everyone hears and reads things, but they are not necessarily listening or understanding. Yet I believe there is a deeper issue than just hearing to listening and glancing and reading..... Subconsciously ignoring.

The debate rages as to how much advertising is needed for people to get the message. There are instances when repeating information in different forms is beneficial. At other times people become sick and tired of hearing or reading the same information repeatedly - even when it's packaged differently. Granted, the level of attention something receives is directly correlated to how interested the party may be. Announcements, either in person or through media that are not meant for my age group or gender will automatically not register in the "paying attention section" of my brain. Of course there are things that apply to everyone across the board, and that is Torah and all the things which link to Torah.

In the beginning of this week's Parsha Eikev, the Torah states: והיה עקב תשמעון את המשפטים האלה ושמרתם ועשיתם אותם....."And it will be that you will hearken to these laws and you will safeguard and perform them". The very last passuk of last week's parsha states: "...and you will safeguard the Mitzva, the statutes, and the laws which I have commanded you to do this day. The Kli Yakar observes that the word "Chukim" in Vaeschanan is missing in the next verse in Eikev. The Kli Yakar explains the absence of the word "Chukim" is really found in the word 'Eikev' - the heel -which can be understood to mean that one should not trample and step on the Chukim, those statutes for which we do not know the reasons. This is in contrast to the Mishpatim, the laws that mankind would enact on their own as it makes sense for a society. The Chukim, on the other hand, do not have rational reasons to the human mind.

The Kli Yakar explains the language and usage of the term Eikev (which means heel) comes to include all the statutes. The statutes are hinted in the word Eikev because the Satan and the nations of the world mock the Jewish People for doing these mitzvos that they cannot relate to. It is for this very reason that Jews tend to trample and step on these Chukim, mitzvos which they feel uncomfortable doing because they do not know the reasons to do them. This is what the Rabbis referred to when they said "do not tread upon the Mitzvos Kalos" - seemingly the easy ones but those that people mock.

The Rabbis often mention the idea "to be careful and treat the Kal (easy) mitzvos identical to those which are more difficult or not possible for us to understand. Again, this directly applies to Eikev, do not trample upon the easy ones, those mitzvos which don't make sense in the same way that we don't trample on the more difficult/harsher ones, the Mishpatim that make sense. All of the mitzvos share in their significance and importance, and this is particularly important regarding the Mitzvos that we are challenged with by not knowing the reasons behind the Chukim.

There is no area of the Torah that should be treated lightly because it may not make sense to you. When I read the ingredient panel of a medication, I do not understand or know what it all means, but I follow the instructions, nevertheless. So too when it comes to following directions in the Shulchan Aruch one should just do the mitzva instead of mocking and disregarding it completely. There is a guarantee that if a person does these mitzvos he will come to rejoice, as reflected in the word V'Haya - and it will be.

In a Jewish community, whether it's the Kollel, local day school or Shul, opportunities are granted to one and to all. During Covid we have come to adjust our looking through zoom and other media outlets. Dozens of lectures, speakers, and learning opportunities are there for everyone. Daily, weekly and monthly announcements go out seeking people to sign in from the comfort of your home to learn. Unfortunately, however, much of this planning falls on deaf ears and muted devices. I am not referring to ears which are physically unable to hear, but rather to an ailment of disregarding and ignoring the potential growth made available yet ignored. People should not be foolish in thinking that if I just do the Mishpatim, then I will be ok. Everyone needs to study Torah on every level. It is through the study of Torah that we will increase the days and years of our lives. This requires listening to and noting when the class is going to take place and then showing up and learning.

Baruch Hashem we have seen many families flourishing in our Shul. But let me take license to issue a strong warning: To maintain the level of commitment and observance of the mitzvos, one must continue to study Torah - either privately with a chavrusa or by attending Shiurim. Torah learning is the oil which keeps all the parts greased up and running smoothly. If the performance of mitzvos is not complemented by a constant stream of Torah, then the riverbed will dry up. Opportunities for Torah study come and go; It is incumbent upon all of us to take advantage every available situation to learn.

When a person hears the announcement of a certain lecture or speaker, they should figure out a way to attend by signing in and not just shrug it off as if it's not important or it's not for me. Torah is the elixir of life Plain and simple. Without it we cannot exist. Next time we hear an announcement of Torah learning let us commit to take it upon ourselves the mitzva of Limmud HaTorah.

I always try not to be an alarmist, but there is no question that the America of today is not, at least overtly, the America it was yesterday. Within my lifetime I have experienced extraordinarily little direct anti-Semitism. Growing up in Brooklyn we were called names but were never actually confronted. Yes, at times a car would drive by and the passengers would hurl insults ranging from our family members to the broader Jewish people. Sure, we heard and read about the way Jews were treated in other countries - such as the former Soviet Union - but here in America this felt more like benign anti-Semitic lip service, vocal slurs which some goyim felt obligated to fulfill. Today, however, It behooves every Jew to look around, to take stock of the openness of alarming rhetoric that is being openly spoken in blatant, unabashed fashion. We may think the adage, “Sticks and stones will break my bones, but names will never harm me” is true. To the contrary words, repeatedly used in intentionally insulting ways lead to physical action and harm.

The days turned into weeks, and the weeks have turned into months. I am scared to even talk about the next stage if these months may possibly turn into years! Throughout history changes have taken place and still the world evolved from one set of circumstances to the next. It is almost twenty years since the world of travel and security changed, but acceptance of this need for security has become the norm for the older generation and a part of life for the younger generation. We do not know if the wearing of masks and social distancing is at its peak and will decline, reverting to the way life was before Covid-19 or if these changes are here to stay – at least for a long time. What we should know is God’s omniscient presence in the past, present and future. Unfortunately, we sometimes tend to see Hashem through our 20/20 hindsight, or look with expectation towards a bright and secure future by spitting out the words ‘Im Yirtzeh Hashem’, with God’s will. But it is the present that we either cannot see God, or we just are not looking hard enough for Him. We tend to forget the fact that Hashem is in control as we speak and write. I recently heard about this problem addressed head on.

It is written in the Zohar חיי עלמא מזוני “The one who gives life, gives sustenance”. Rav Elimelech Biderman asks, “What does that mean?” Rav Biderman explains this phrase with a few examples. One can be the wealthiest and most resourceful man in the world, but with all his power, influence, connections and protectzia, can he add even one day to his life span? Even with all the money in the world and networks available to him, can he extend his life? Certainly not, rather, he will receive whatever is predestined to him from the time he was created, not a day or even a penny more. Of course, a man must put forth his/her best effort to make a livelihood and seek out the best medical care, but at the end of the day, it is not in our control.

The Chovos HaLevavos in Shaar Daled writes negatively of someone who does not put in effort to make a living wage. Nevertheless, he must constantly remind himself that complacency is not a guarantee. It is a Mitzva to try and yet know that it is not in his control; it is in God’s hands. There is a story told of a bachur (unmarried Yeshiva student) who came to Reb Elya Lopian zt”l for permission to leave the Yeshiva and go to work. Reb Elya felt the boy still had time to learn before going off to work and asked him why he needed to leave now. The bachur replied: Why? So, I can get married and support children and a family. Reb Elya responded, “And how do you know that you will get married?” “Well, everybody gets married! “the bachur responded. “Ahh, but how do you know you will have children?” The student was growing irritated and responded, “ Is the Rebbi cursing me?” Reb Elya Lopian replied, ”No, I am not cursing you, but I see you put your trust in Hashem to get married and to be blessed with children, but you do not have trust in Him that He will provide sustenance for you and your family in the proper time. Reb Elya concluded, “Are you doing this (going to work) because you are placing a limit on Hashem’s abilities? “

In another episode, a bachur told the Chofetz Chaim that he was turning down a certain Shidduch (a proposed match). Not only was he turning it down, he continued to exclaim, he did not want to even consider or entertain such a suggestion. The Chofetz Chaim asked why he would not consider this shidduch (proposed match)? The young man answered that he is looking for a girl whose father would provide support of five years to be able to continue to learn. The boy added that if he did not receive this commitment he would not consider the shidduch. The Chofetz Chaim then asked the bachur how long he expected to live. The bachur responded he hopes to live at the very least to seventy or eighty years and hopefully more. this age range was just the minimum. The Chofetz Chaim continued, “And who will support you for the remaining sixty-five to seventy years? The bachur immediately jumped and exclaimed ,“Why should I worry about that now?” The Chofetz Chaim responded, ”So… you are guaranteed the 65-70 years, but it is only the first five years that you are worried about?” This attitude is not new, but like everything else there is precedent from the Torah.

In this week’s parshas Korach the Torah states in Bamidbar 16:1 "ויקח קרח בן יצהר בן קהת בן לוי, ודתן ואבירם בני אליאב ואון בן פלת בני ראובן" “ Korach the son of Yitzhar (a grandson of Kehas and a great-grandson of Levi) began a rebellion along with Dasan and Aviram (sons of Eliav) and On, son of Peles, descendants of Reuvain”. The Midrash Shocher Tov 49:3 states Dasan and Aviram had two traits;:brazenness and divisiveness. It was they who said to Moshe, “Who made you a ruler and a judge over us!” It was Dasan and Aviram who said, ”Let us appoint a captain and return to Egypt.” .It was Dasan and Aviram who rebelled at the Sea of Reeds. But one of the greatest direct challenges to Moshe and indirect challenges to Hashem was when they left over manna because they had a trust issue.

The characters in the stories earlier behaved and acted in the same way as Dasan and Aviram. They left over manna for the next day, they were only worried about tomorrow but not worried about the days after that. Seems if they were concerned for the future, they would have stored up a lot of manna. Apparently, down the road they would eventually have put their trust in Hashem but certainly not the very next day. How foolish it is to only be concerned with the immediate future and take matters into our own hands , claiming we/they are not concerned about the distant future. Dasan and Aviram were not of the highest moral caliber. The leftover manna bred worms and rotted. The Midrash Tanchuma Tzetzaveh 11, referring to Shmos 16:20, describes swarms of ants marched out of the tents of Dasan and Aviram and entered the tents of the B’Nei Yisrael. Ultimately, the Midrash Rabbah 18:5 relates on the words: “Woe is to the wicked man, woe to his neighbor! “ Because Dasan and Aviram were neighbors of Korach, they were smitten with him and perished from the world.

We are living in uncertain and challenging times. The only certainty we need to know is to do our Hishtadlus, to make a positive effort navigating the storm of today and to reach up Heavenward for signs, direction, and strength.

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

One of my responsibilities as a Rabbi/clergyman is visiting people in hospital and care facilities. For me, it is an extra perk: first, of course, it is my duty, but on top of that I receive heavenly reward as well. To the perceptive mind and eye, there is something that hangs on the wall opposite each bed - a pull-off page calendar that marks the current day’s date, or at least a white board on the wall which has the day’s date and an update of other information for the patient. No one should ever need to go to a hospital, but for those who have had that experience, we understand how time seems to stand still. An incredibly sad Covid-19 story with a good ending tells about a Jewish man who was put onto a ventilator before Pesach and came out of it a few weeks after Pesach. One of the first things he said was, “When is the Seder?” He had completely lost all sense of time. I feel the same goes for the last three and a half months. I need to look at the calendar to know what day of the week it is as well as checking the current date and sometimes even what year we are in! One of our dedicated Daf Yomi attendees posted a meme about time, “I am not adding this year to my age; I did not use it!”

But besides a calendar or a watch, there are other indicators and reminders which serve to give us a sense of time. We associate people with time and time with people. When I try to remember something that happened in the past, I need an aid to remember. One method I use to calculate or to figure out when something took place is I think about an individual or family who were in the community or around me at that time. As my family and I close in on the completing of two dozen years at Beth Jacob, I look back at the many different people who have come and gone. As time goes by, the frames of time become clouded and blurred, sometimes making it difficult to remember when someone arrived or left the San Diego Jewish community.

San Diego, in general, tends to be a transient community. People come and people go. Perhaps this is the trend of our generation in all places throughout the world generally, but especially in the Jewish world. I often think what the community would look like if everyone who came just stayed and did not move away. To be fair and objective, I would have to look at the community as though no newcomers arrived at all. In other words, life is a balance of people and circumstances in all scenarios.

The idea of time standing still is not a new phenomenon for the Jewish people. We traveled in the desert for forty years with the same weather, the same food, the same clothing and the same living quarters. In fact, the Jews complained about many of those issues, especially the food and water supply. Even internal family squabbles erupted between Aharon and Miriam against their brother Moshe. Over this period there were religious issues and concerns of not being able to perform the Korban Pesach, resolving the issue with Pesach Sheini. I think this all sounds awfully familiar to us now with regard to our much shorter “shelter at home” order. With all that has transpired in our world over the last few months from the medical /health issues to the social unrest we are witnessing, I at least feel as though I am wandering through a fog of time. I do not have all the answers to the issues, but I can and will share an insight for each and everyone of us to think about concerning making the world a better place.

In this week’s parshas B’Haaloscha Moshe instructs Aharon to light the Menora. The Torah states in Bamidbar 8:2 "דבר אל אהרן ואמרת אליו, בהעלתך את הנרות אל מול פני המנורה יאירו שבעת הנרות" “Speak to Aharon and say to him, ‘When you light the lamps, the seven lamps shall illuminate the Menorah”. Rashi explains that this act and command to Aharon was a gift to him and the Kohanim for future generations. But Rashi, describing the lighting writes, "שאתה מדליק ומטיב את הנרות" “for you should light them and then clean the lamps”. In his sefer Panim Yafos *Rav Pinchas Ben Zvi Hirsch Horowitz comments that those actions should be reversed: first clean the candlesticks and then light them. He explains that in reality this may be reversed, but in purpose the given order is correct. The first thing a person needs to do is get the light going, fire it up and then clear its path. Sometimes, just the light and the resulting flame will clean and clear out some of the debris. The lesson and message for us today is that we need to just light the candle and the menorah. That light will, in turn, reflect, thereby lighting up the other things around it. More importantly, once a fire is lit and the candle burns, the light that it gives off is timeless. The long -lasting effects of the light which, of course, is brought through the learning of Torah and fulfilling the mitzvos, will continue to shine, clearing away the debris, opening the path of justice and purity. Each and every one of us should strive to light up our own lives, to clear the path, to clean up that which is around us, creating clarity of light for the Jewish people and the world that we live in.

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

*HOROWITZ, Pinchas Ben Ẓvi Hirsch Ha-Levi (1730–1805), German rabbi. Horowitz was born in Czortkow, Poland, where his father was rabbi. He studied first under his father and then under his two brothers, Nachum (introduction to the Shevet Aḥim) and Shmuel Shmelke *Horowitz, later rabbi of Nikolsburg. During that period the two brothers were attracted to the circle of *Dov Baer of Mezhirech. Rav Pinchas Horowitz visited Dov Baer, first in Mezhirech and then in Rovno. As a result of these visits, he made the acquaintance of *Shneur Zalman of Lyady, the founder of *Chabad Ḥasidism.

Rav Horowitz was rabbi at first of Witkowo, Poland and then of Lachowicze (1764). In 1771 he accepted a call to the rabbinate of Frankfurt, a post he held until his death. During his later years he was frequently ill and eventually became totally blind. Horowitz was held in the highest esteem by the rabbis and scholars of Frankfurt. Particularly noteworthy was the cordial relationship which existed between Rav Horowitz and Nathan Maas, Av (father) of the Bet Din of Frankfurt and author of the Binyan Shelomo. Rav Horowitz maintained a close and friendly relationship with Nathan *Adler, although he opposed him in certain matters and later was one of the signatories to the 1779 proclamation signed by the leaders and rabbis of the community against Adler because of his cḥasidic leanings. His congregants also admired Horowitz because of his saintliness and integrity. On one occasion Rav Horowitz gave assistance to a Catholic priest who was in distress. Horowitz had a private *minyan where he followed the Sephardi rite, whereas the traditional Ashkenazi rite of Frankfurt was otherwise followed.

Horowitz vigorously opposed the *Haskalah movement. On the eve of the new moon of Tammuz 1782 he preached a powerful sermon (known as Tokhaḥat Musar, "ethical rebuke") against Mendelssohn's German translation of the Pentateuch and its commentary, the Be'ur (Biur). In this sermon, regarded as the first public statement reflecting fierce opposition to the Haskalah, Horowitz referred to the Biur as a work "which resuscitated heretical works in scoffing at the words of our sages." The opinion has been expressed that his opposition to the translation was directed chiefly against the special system of translation and the "dogmatic tone" of the commentary and not against the translation itself. It should be noted that despite his polemics against the aims of the Haskalah movement, he did not refuse to give his approbation to the German translation of the festival prayer book of Wolf *Heidenheim. In 1795. Rav Horowitz issued a ban on the proposed establishment of a teaching institute in Frankfurt, fearing that it would result in a diminution of the study of religious subjects, but under pressure from the civic authorities, he was compelled to rescind the ban. On the other hand, he was keenly focused on the contemporary problems of the community and participated actively in the concern of the communal council to create a harmonious relationship with the government Conspicuous among his prominent pupils was Moses *Sofer, author of the Chasam Sofer, who revered Rav Horowitz for his talmudic genius and his halakhic authority. He stated that despite Horowitz' attraction to Chasidism, he was averse to giving expression to cḥasidic or kabbalistic ideas. In the view of many scholars, the whole tradition of Horowitz' Chasidism is open to doubt.

The most important of Horowitz' works, on which his fame chiefly rests, is the Sefer Hafla'ah, in three parts: pt. 1, Sefer Ketubbah (Offenbach, 1787), consists of halakhic and aggadic novellae on tractate Ketubbot with an appendix entitled Shevet Aḥim on the Shulḥan Arukh Even ha-Ezer, laws of ketubbah chapters 66–118; pt. 2, Sefer ha-Makneh (ibid., 1801), to tractate Kiddushin and to Even ha-Ezer, 26–45. Horowitz wrote a homiletical introduction to these parts entitled Pitḥa Ze'ira. The Hafla'ah to tractate Berakhot and on the laws of meat and milk (1895) and on various tractates (3 vols., 1900) were published posthumously. Among his other works the best known is part 3 of Sefer Hafla'ah, his commentary to the Pentateuch, Panim Yafot (Ostrog, 1824), published by Ephraim Zalman *Margulies. That the 1876 Warsaw edition is still in print is evidence of the continued popularity of this work. In this commentary pilpulistic halakhic expositions are combined with kabbalistic and ḥasidic elements. He also wrote Shevet Aḥim in two parts; pt. 1 Netivot le-Shabbat, a commentary to Even ha-Ezer 1–23 (1838), pt. 2 Givat Pinḥas, 83 responsa (1838). A commentary to Psalms entitled Panim Yafot, collected from his various works was published by Pincḥas Finkelstein (1924). Various explanations by him of scriptural verses are found scattered in the works of his contemporaries and pupils. A commentary on the Passover Haggadah appeared in 1860 (reprinted in Jerusalem, 1994). On the occasion of the coronation ceremonies of the emperors Leopold ii and Francis ii in the years 1790/92 he compiled special prayers which were issued with German translations.

Americans are tuned in every day and night waiting to find out when their locale will begin or continue to the next phase of opening for business, pleasure, and religious activity from Covid-19. It is a delicate balance of knowing when to start the integration of society while keeping the virus at bay and the incident rate low. Many people are frustrated with the slow process, some feeling it is not necessary while others feel it is too quick. I am not a scientist, but what Rabbis do is to search for precedent in forming opinions and practice. Perhaps the following excerpt from the official NASA website can shed some light on our current situation. Obviously, we are dealing with two completely different ideas, nevertheless the message may be the same.

Spacecraft re-entry is tricky business for several reasons. When an object enters the Earth's atmosphere, it experiences a few forces, including gravity and drag. Gravity will naturally pull an object back to earth. But gravity alone would cause the object to fall dangerously fast. Luckily, the Earth's atmosphere contains particles of air. As the object falls, it hits and rubs against these particles, creating friction. This friction causes the object to experience drag, or air resistance, which slows the object down to a safer entry speed. This friction is a mixed blessing, however. Although it causes drag, it also causes intense heat. Specifically, shuttles face intense temperatures of about 3000 degrees Fahrenheit (about 1649 degrees Celsius). Blunt-body design helps alleviate the heat problem. When an object – with a blunt-shaped surface facing down -- comes back to Earth, the blunt shape creates a shock wave in front of the vehicle. That shock wave keeps the heat at a distance from the object. At the same time, the blunt shape also slows the object's fall. The Apollo program, which moved several manned ships back and forth from space during the 1960s and 1970s, coated the command module with special ablative material that burned up upon re-entry, absorbing heat. We see the difficulty and complexity of something moving from one atmosphere to another. I believe our transition from stay-at-home command to exploration of malls, shops, restaurants, Shuls and the like is similar in nature. The devastating effects of a space shuttle upon its return from outer space to Earth travelling too fast or too slow will be catastrophic. The pace, speed, and exact entry point are crucial elements of a successful mission. This is the challenge we face while trying to return to our old atmosphere.

The Torah gives us this perspective from the namesake of the new Chumash we begin with this week in Bamidbar. The first Parsha is named as the book itself in the very first passuk. In Bamidbar 1:1 the Torah states: "וידבר ה אל משה במדבר סיני,, “And Hashem spoke to Moshe in the Wilderness of Sinai”. The Midbar, the desert, where the Torah was given teaches us many lessons from humility to the fact that anyone can embrace the Torah as a way of life. The word Midbar/desert can be understood in at least two ways. The first, is the general definition of a dry, barren area of land, especially one covered with sand, that is characteristically desolate, waterless, and without vegetation. The second is two Hebrew words הדרכה והנהגה Guidance/training/direction and conduct/behavior. I would like to suggest an integration of these two different understandings of the term “Midbar/Desert. The Gemara Sanhedrin 8b explains through the passuk in Tehillim 47:4 that if we attain good guidance and conduct ourselves properly, then the desert will be a place where we can flourish despite its scarce resources. The Torah, given in the harshness of the desert in spite of its apparent shortcomings, demonstrates that one can become great in such an atmosphere. But, if we do not act properly, then it will be a desolate place of destruction where there can be no life.

Transitioning from one atmosphere to the next is not solely dependent upon each atmosphere but rather how we guide and maneuver from one to the next. All in all, people are people, everyone has his or her opinion and philosophy. We, as the Jewish people, can pray and ask Hashem to imbue the leadership, both secular and religious, to have the wisdom and insight in making the transition safe and healthy. Re-entering from the stay-at-home atmosphere to the spiritual atmosphere of Shul life should be a careful process - not too fast and not too slow. It needs to be carefully, perfectly timed under the best conditions.

During the lockdown we encourage each other to make the best of the situation that we are going through now. Whether it has been using our time wisely for a better davening, speaking and connecting more deeply to our parents, children, and spouses, learning some area of Torah or following a secular pursuit upon which we don’t typically focus, are all important and invaluable. Speaking for myself (and I am sure others as well), I try to maintain the ordinary daily schedule of events while working within this new framework. Current studies and emerging theories are coming out regarding the negative impact and toll the quarantine continues to take on our brains and bodies. At the very beginning of the mandatory stay-at-home order, I suggested among many ideas, the importance of exercise. Exercise keeps our minds sharp and our bodies in shape and has an overall positive effect on our mood and attitude.

In general, I try to use my time wisely by planning and scheduling similar events together and go to places that are close to each other. The best is combining two tasks or chores at the same time. In keeping up with and maintaining a regular schedule, I usually drive around the neighborhood and check the Eruv on Thursdays. When the Eruv was established, it was recommended that at least once a year an inspection should be done on foot. I decided to combine the routine of checking the Eruv and exercising in one united task. If anyone is curious, the Eruv is four and a half miles in circumference; it normally takes fifteen to twenty minutes to check the Eruv, based upon traffic conditions. It takes a little longer by foot. But, often in life there is an additional benefit to the tasks being fulfilled. Besides the exercise and Eruv being inspected, I was the opportunity to actually see and greet people who typically whiz by and notice certain things about the area that typically go unnoticed. I would like to share just two of my observations.

The first is the social courtesy and closeness that exists from the people who are running, jogging or only plain walking. Many but not all pedestrians are wearing masks. Therefore, as a courtesy when passing someone, there is an automatic distancing to separate one from the other, but this distance-separating comes along with a little wave or greeting to express the idea of “don’t take it personally”. The second and more profound observation is the array of foliage that exists. As I slowed down and walked along Collwood Boulevard, I began to take notice of how many kinds of grasses, plants, shrubs, small trees, and the like grow on the mountain side of Collwood. There are plants that are clearly dead or dormant and others that are just beginning to come to life. I wondered to myself while viewing the assortment of different sizes, colors, and peculiarities how they exist in such close quarters. They remain together in the day and the night, in the cold and in the heat and when it is dry or even wet. When a car whizzes by, they all feel the wind, and all move together in the same direction. Although each variety of vegetation is created uniquely and differently, they nevertheless can co-exist as if it were among its own kind.

To me this is reminiscent of an entire universe from different parts remaining together under all kinds of conditions. True, these species do not necessarily grow in every part and place in the world, but in every place, there are specific plants and vegetation unique to that region. This is a microcosm of humans living on Earth; groups of certain people tend to congregate and live in specific areas. Originally, people remained in the locale where they were born, but over the last two centuries migration has peaked, and the world is a mix of different cultures, religions, and the like. Our challenge is to take the time to consider the vegetation, which, at least to my eyes, exist in peace and harmony. This remarkable setting is found none other than in the Torah HaKedosha!

In this week’s Parshas Emor the Torah speaks of the Moadim, the festivals of the Jewish calendar year. The Moadim have a double reference, a seasonal one and an historical one. With regards to the first, the festivals are connected with the season of the year as well with the state of development of the products of the soil. On a philosophical level, the meaning of Moadim is the “Times for Meeting” of the Bnei Yisrael to Hashem; they should be fixed and sanctified. More specifically, the cycle begins with Shabbos and Pesach and concludes with Sukkos. The Mitzvos of Sukkos are listed at the end of the Parsha. The Torah states in Vayikra 23:40 "ולקחתם לכם ביום הראשון פרי עץ הדר כפת תמרים וענף עץ עבות וערבי נחל..." “On the first day, you must take for yourself a fruit of the citron tree, an unopened palm frond, myrtle branches, and willows [that grow near] the brook”. The last of the four species that represent all the different kinds of Jews (combination of Torah and Mitzvos or lack thereof) is the willow. The Arava/willow has neither taste nor smell, contrasting to no Torah or Mitzvos, the least desirable of Jewish character. Rav Shamshon Raphael Hirsch quotes the Yalkut Shimoni saying: God says, none may be lost on account of their failing, but additionally God teaches to join them together in one combined union so that the failings of one are balanced by the perfection of the other.

Rav Hirsch, in his masterful way of seeing the world, adds that according to their geographical dispersion the four Lulav-plants could also be representative of the plant world. The date palm belongs exclusively to the torrid zone, citrus plants to countries of lesser heat, myrtle is a plant of the temperate zone, and willows grow in colder climates. With all of them and with each one of them, we nevertheless must rejoice, find joy in the Presence of God.

We, today, find ourselves - the Jewish people and the world at large - collectively representatives of God’s world to come together just as the plant and fruit life around us. We bear witness to the unfortunate passing away of thousands of people from this virus and yet children are also being born. The isolation of individuals is countered by the chessed and kindness offered and accepted, bringing people closer to each other. On a whole, I feel a stronger sense of humanity permeating through the streets of the world, creating a tangible calm and peace or Shalom among mankind. Hashem always offers us a choice: to change for the better on our own, or to have our hand forced. Unfortunately, this experience has come through the latter.

We wish comfort to those who lost loved ones and wish health to those suffering physical and mental illness. May it be our will to learn from these deep, harsh, and difficult circumstances to bring a complete peace to the world and experience the ultimate redemption.

Parshas Tazria/Metzora - The Mask: Hiding or Preventing

Human beings need social interaction to exist on many levels: personal relationships, including family and friends and professional, including business and academic interactions, and so forth.. We are now bearing witness to the difficulties and challenges related to Covid-19 that have struck people throughout the world. My world has also been tainted in many ways, but I will highlight two of them that are distant yet related.

The world of ZOOM and other meeting/teaching platforms have exploded to meet the needs of social interaction, continuation of business meetings and teaching from pre-school to graduate programs. We, too, at Beth Jacob have joined this world in order to maintain a virtual Shul for davening, learning, and disseminating information to members and to the outlying Jewish community. As is true regarding everything in life, nothing is perfect, and ZOOM, which is great, gives each individual participant options to mute oneself and to turn off the video, leaving a black screen with just a name identifying the person. Even then, a person can “change” the name, using an alias or the name or word of a funny or not so funny character. To me, the shutting down of the video camera decreases and almost eliminates the connection that we so desire and cherish. The ability to see a person’s face allows for a meaningful ‘connection’ to each participant. Chaza”l (the Rabbis of blessed memory) have stated that there is no comparison between hearing and seeing the face of a person. The Kabbalists explain the Hebrew word for face is panim which can also be translated as inward. A person’s face reflects what is inside of that individual’s being; by looking at someone’s face we are able to view the essence of that person. Moshe Rabbeinu wanted to see Hashem panim el panim, face to face. The desire was not to see what God looks like (because Hashem is not a physical being) but rather to see the essence of What Hashem is. This gift that Hashem has instilled within human beings, , the gift of seeing/reading the face of those with whom we are communicating, is now minimized by our situation to make do with something that compromises the natural way.

The second observation relates to the few times I’ve ventured out of the house to go shopping. Many concerned and responsible citizens - including myself - now wear masks to avoid a potential transmission of Covid-19 from person to person. The expression a person has on his/her face and particularly the expressions emitted by with the mouth speaks volumes. If you do not believe me, just take a look at how many emoji faces there are on your phone. While the expression the eyes are the entrance way to the soul and the eyes definitely give a direction as to an individual’s point-of-view, it is the mouth that gives support to the entire face. The mouth controls the description of the face, shaping the message to transmit happiness, sorrow, anger, excitement, etc. We communicate not only by speaking, or through use of sign language, but also through facial and mouthing expressions. I, and I’m sure many of you, know how to communicate with one’s mouth without emitting a single sound.

Rav Shimshon Pincus ZT”L once told me an interesting idea about the Jewish people during the years of wandering in the desert. If the Jewish people had everything, that they needed during the forty year journey through the Sinai desert, there obviously was no need for the Mitzva of Tzedaka. Yet, we are lead to believe that the utopian society of the generation of the Jews in the desert fulfilled all of the mitzvos (so to speak). So, how did they perform the Mitzva of Tzedaka/righteousness? Rav Pincus responded with a smile, exactly how a Jew would smile at a fellow Jew and the other reciprocated and smiled back. The acknowledgment and recognition a person gives to someone else makes the other feel good, as if he or she were receiving something warm, something to be cherished. A smile is contagious; an outgoing smile is reflected upon the recipient’s face, shining back to the person who sent it. In short, smiles given are reflections of the sender. Nowadays, when I venture out to the grocery store, I am only able to see another’s eyes and eyes alone cannot be read. It is the combination of eyes with the mouth which sends the messages, but when the mouth is covered, we are prevented from adequately being able to convey or receive such nonverbal messages. As a Jew, I try to show courtesy and pleasantness to those around me, Jew and gentile alike. While I am not silenced by wearing a mask, I find it very difficult to transmit a friendly feeling to another human being. Additionally, I tend to use the ability to read someone’s mouth if the person appears to be looking at me in an adversarial way. I raise my defenses in case I deem the person a threat. Once again, I am blinded by the fact that masks cover up mouths, causing a complete standstill. These and all issues are discussed in the Torah.

In this week’s Torah portion Tazria/Metzora we read about the laws on Tzoraas/leprosy and the Metzora, the leper himself. The Mechilta lists ten different reasons or sins why a person would develop Tzoraas and end up being quarantined outside the camp of the Jewish people. The number one or most famous reason was the speaking of Loshon Hora. This is a direct result of someone’s wrongful speech and the misuse of the gift of the mouth, forcing a person to ‘cover’ that mouth and face by being sent away and not being a part of Am Yisroel. If one were to analyze all of the other reasons the Mechilta lists, one would be able to connect and associate those sins that stem from the mouth to the disposition of the total face.

These are two reflections happening on a regular basis during these trying times of social distancing. So often, we read sections of the Torah that we think are outdated and do not apply to us in our time. One obvious example is Tzoraas, the spiritual leprosy that we do not see and therefore cannot check today. Nevertheless, the message, the Mitzva, and the relevance of Tzoraas is alive and well today in our midst, particularly as we ‘protect’ ourselves by wearing a mask. Perhaps the wearing of a mask today or using a ZOOM screen when interacting is not just hiding or preventing the spreading of a virus. I would say it’s the message that we may be guilty as well of the sins that lead to Tzoraas; the result of wearing a mask and observing social distancing is to give us time to reflect that just maybe we may have Tzoraas. The actual physical affliction does not appear, but the effect of it may be making its way inside through a hidden, masked cover-up preventing us from truly ‘seeing’ each other.

May we all have the ability during this time of isolation to think and reflect upon our actions that may have led us to living this type of existence. If we think about this and consider ourselves to possibly be guilty of some of the reasons Tzoraas comes about, then we should do Teshuva. If and when we repent and learn from our actions and speech, we should be Zocheh and merit to see the end of the virus and its devastation and begin to rebuild our world as the Ribbono Shel Olam would want to see us achieve.

From the day of a baby boy’s bris or a baby girl’s naming, a person hears his name anywhere from five hundred thousand to a million times over a seventy-year life span. Throughout our lives there are times we want to hear our name being called out and other times when we absolutely do not want to hear our name called. If we are in a contest that calls out names to advance to the next round, we would want to hear our name called. On the other hand, when I attend jury duty, I do not want to hear my name being called because that means I was selected for a jury pool and I would not be able to leave early.

There are situations when we are in doubt as to whether we heard our name or not. For example, background noise or static can make it difficult to discern whether our name was announced or not This may occur at an airport terminal, or during a raffle or an auction. Also, the reason why my name is being called will have a direct effect upon how clearly I am able to decipher if my name was announced or someone else with a similar-sounding name was being called. I always find it quite amusing how some people ask me if I am related to Bogomilsky, and I ask them why they think I am related to that family. ? They typically explain that the names are so close and sound familiar. I tell them the two closest possibilities that we are related is that we were all at Har Sinai and our names are consecutive in the Brooklyn phonebook, but other than that the names are NOT the same!

There is a certain sensitivity to our names because our names are our specific identity. The Gemara Brachos 7b explains that our name is our essence and an insight to our personalities and our future. If someone calls us by a name which we do not approve of or relate to, we are hurt. On the other hand, when we are called by a name which we relate to or approve o,f we are proud. Our surname, family name, or last name is the portion of a personal name that indicates a person's family. Depending on the culture, all members of a family unit may have identical surnames. A given name, on the other hand, is unique for that particular individual and a further clarification may include a second or middle name. In the Torah we find a few places where a person is called by his name and then repeated a second time. For example, when Hashem called out Avraham, Avraham. Avraham responded, “I am here.” Avraham appreciated the feeling of endearment by hearing his name twice. There are many different reactions a person must have hearing his or her name being called. The reaction to hearing or even not hearing your name hinges upon the circumstances surrounding the reason why your name may or may not be called. A powerful illustration of this was discussed by my Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Wein of Yeshiva Shaarei Torah.

Rabbi Wein YB”L told about his experience walking around the children’s exhibit of Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem. Years later, I had same experience when visiting Yad Vashem. An ongoing recording of the names of the one million children murdered by the Nazis, Yimach Shmom V’Zichram, is starkly heard by everyone entering the children’s exhibit. The voice recites the name of each child, the city where he or she came from, and the age of the child when he or she was killed. Rabbi Wein, who was just about the age of those children when he was growing up in Chicago, was waiting to hear his name being called, but it was not. Rabbi Wein found himself wondering why his name hadn’t been called. After all, he was the same age as many of the children whose names were being called out, albeit from cities and towns far away from the streets of Chicago’s West Side. Nevertheless, Rabbi Wein identified with those children. Perhaps he had survivors’ guilt, giving him the drive to make a difference in the world, to be a part of the rebuilding of the Jewish people. There were others in history who felt the same way when it came to cementing a place in history.

From parshas Shmos until the last portion of the Torah V’Zos HaBracha, Moshe Rabbeinu’s name is mentioned in every Parsha except for this week’s Parshas T’Tzaveh. Many are familiar with the reason why Moshe’s name is omitted this week. The remez, hint, is due to the fact this Parsha always coincides with the 7^th of Adar which is the day of Moshe’s death. To symbolically recognize his absence from the world his name is left out this week. This only answers the fact of why it would be this week, if his name should be deleted at all? Did Moshe deserve to have his name to be left out, even though it’s just one Parsha? Many commentaries explain how after the debacle of the golden calf, God was so angry at the Jewish people that He was ready to get rid of them and start a new nation with Moshe at the helm (keep in mind Moshe was on top of Har Sinai at the time of the golden calf). Moshe argued, defending the people by reasoning that if God wiped out the Jews, the other nations of the world would question Hashem and declare how terrible Hashem is to take His people out of slavery only to kill them out in the desert. Furthermore, Moshe said, “If You wipe out the Jewish nation, then kill me along with them.” Moshe was the captain of the ship that was sinking, the last one off to safety, putting himself alongside the people. Moshe declared, ”If you wipe them out, then erase me from the book that you wrote”. Once Moshe made that statement, Hashem felt He needed to pay heed to the intent and even though He did not destroy the Jews He nevertheless ‘erased Moshe’s name’.. Hence God did not write Moshe’s name in this one portion and arranged it to occur on the week that Moshe died.

A difficulty still exists, however. Why would Hashem punish Moshe for trying to defend Am Yisroel? Reb Shimon Sofer explains that leaving out Moshe’s name is not a punishment; it is, to the contrary, a reward! Hashem gives Moshe a one-time honor of Moshe being the decider and giver of the Mitzva directly to the people without Hashem first commanding him to do so. The very first word of the Sedra is "ואתה" “and you” Moshe will command the Sons of Israel. This is similar to a king who gives permission to one of his servants to rule for a day. Because Moshe was willing to sacrifice his own name, Hashem rewarded him by establishing the Mitzva of the priestly garments. Sometimes even when you don’t hear your name being called, it is nevertheless loud and clear as to who is being called!

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky