Rabbi's Blog

One of the many delights of my job is the variety of people and daily issues I deal with.  Without getting into any details, the diversity of topics faced by a pulpit Rabbi ranges from marriage to divorce, birth to death, from laws of mourning to issues addressing education, policy making, kashrus, eruv, family guidance (for those who seek it out), giving of classes, teaching, community concerns and needs, Israel, and so much more. On any day I may receive several questions in one area, such as marriage, or focus on a variety of matters running the entire gamut previously mentioned. In a nutshell, life is never boring. Moreover, it gives me the opportunity to connect with everyone in the community and to hone in on the halacha and proper way the Torah instructs us to lead our lives. It is fascinating and eye-opening to deal with individuals asking unique questions from their distinctive worlds.

Part of what gets me so excited and intrigued on so many multidimensional issues of my vocation is the complex interaction this daily weaving of individual specific needs and concerns generates, linking every segment of Jewish life and the Jewish people. Obviously, no two Jews are alike, and everyone is in a different place and position in life, be it older or younger, single or with a family, older or younger children, different stages of learning, diverse levels of observance, and ultimately, a distinctive charting of their Judaism. With over a quarter century in the Rabbinate, this process has given me the ability to deepen and nurture my own learning and growth. Through this process my views and understanding of people in general - and Jews in particular - have evolved and matured. One size really does not fit all;  the identical question asked by two people separately will often receive two different answers. Hopefully, each will receive the correct answer, and the proper decision for each of the petitioners will be dealt with accordingly.  

We live in troubled times; the Jewish people are now facing complex geopolitical and accompanying antisemitic challenges as we speak and as I type. The diversity among the Jewish people is great and complex, and we struggle daily to address and repair the differences between us. Most recently ,however, as demonstrated in Operation Guardian of the Walls and the Meron tragedy, Jews from all walks of life put their differences aside and bound together as brothers and sisters should. Unfortunately, it takes a calamity to remind us of how close we really are to each other. Deep down we know and appreciate the value of every Jew, of how much each one of us means to the other. This is recognized by the parsha of the week we just read and the upcoming Yom Tov of Shavuos.

In this week’s Parshas Bamidbar 1:1 the Torah states "וידבר ה' אל משה במדבר סיני באהל מועד, באחד לחודש השני בשנה השנית לצאתם מארץ מצרים לאמר"   “God spoke to Moshe in the Sinai Desert, in the Communion Tent on the first [day] of the second month in the year of the Exodus, saying:” On this verse Rashi gives us an insight on how the Jewish people should value each other. Rashi writes,”… because of their love before Him, He numbers them every time. When they went forth from Egypt, He numbered them, and when they fell because of the sin of the Golden calf, He numbered them so as to ascertain the number of those who remained. And when He came to cause the Divine Presence to abide among them, He numbered them. On the first day of Nissan, the Tabernacle was erected, and on the first of Iyar He numbered them.” It was the love Hashem has for His people that He counted the Jews a number of times. Now it is true that when a person counts something, the goal is to get to the total number, but this total cannot be reached without everyone. It is the Yachid, the individual, that is the most important component of this count.  Hashem, by counting repeatedly, is demonstrating the importance of the individual over the group.   

This all may sound so unique, but in truth it is not. The notion of ‘one-hood’ stands out in the upcoming yom tov of Shavuos.  Klal Yisrael readied itself to receive the Torah. The Torah was given not only to the Klal - the group - but also to the Prat -the individual. The Jewish people gathered at Har Sinai and the passuk in Shmos 19:2 describes the scene:"ויסעו מרפידים ויבאו מדבר סיני ויחנו במדבר, ויחן שם ישראל נגד ההר"   “They had departed from Rephidim and had arrived in the Sinai Desert, camping in the wilderness; Israel camped opposite the mountain”.  Despite the obvious, that the entire Jewish people were there gathered around the mountain, the Torah sneaks in the word encamped in the singular. Rashi’s famous explanation "כאיש אחד בלב אחד"  . The singular of vayichan is to be interpreted as one man with one heart. The heart does not necessarily mean the physical meaning of heart but rather the singular meaning of one mind set. Rashi concludes with, “but all the other encampments were with complaints and with strife”.

What does the ‘one mind set’ really mean? I would like to suggest “one mind set’ means we all think in the same terms; that while each of us is unique, we accept and respect each other for our differences. ‘One mind set’ does not mean we all must think the same way or even practice the same way. Practically speaking, how do we get to this realization that the mind set must be to respect and accept each other as a starting platform? The answer goes back to what I said earlier -  at times of trouble we forget our differences and appreciate our similarities. To accomplish depth of respect and commitment to each other, we need to strengthen and reinforce the ahava, the love for each other. We must move beyond mere lip service, we need to create settings where we see our fellow Jews not as distant or removed, different from ourselves, but rather as close to us, as our brothers and sisters.

The Yom Tov of Shavuos and Parshas Bamidbar could not come at a better time. The combination of recognizing the importance of every Jew, bringing each of them together under one banner, is essential to strengthen us as truly One People. Let us practice tolerance for our fellow Jew and unite in appreciating everyone’s individual contribution. There are numerous examples in the Torah describing how effective we are joining individual- to- individual to make up the Tzibbur.  Let us use the counting of every Jew and the Yom Tov of Shavuos to demonstrate and re-enact the time of Har Sinai. Let us stand together today under one banner just as Klal Yisrael did at the base of Har Sinai 3333 years ago.

Ah Gutten Shabbos & Ah Gutten Yom Tov

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

Raising a Community, a Family and Ourselves along with Developing a Torah Personality can be purchased by clicking here via my author page at Mosaica Press.

This Dvar Torah is in honor of Shmuel Yaakov Eden on his Bar Mitzva Parshas Emor!

A few weeks ago, while attending a wedding, I struck up a conversation with another guest whom I did not know. He shared a question with me and proceeded to propose an answer.  The question: Which is the correct version of counting the omer – "yamim la’omer" or "yamim ba’omer? Is there a content difference or only a grammatical one between them? I think we can all agree there is no shortage of opinions and answers when discussing Jewish practice and halacha. Halacha itself has a wide range of biblical and rabbinical commandments, complimented by decrees, enactments, and the accompanying variety of customs – some of which are pretty funky. There are some customs where Jews will accuse each other of being a heretic for not practicing specific halachas as they do, while there are others who throw their hands up in the air and say to each other, ”Who cares! Does it really make a difference?” I will illustrate this with two customs that occur relatively at the same time - only one day apart. On Pesach, some eat gebrokts (soaked matzah), whiles others do not eat gebrokts. Some go to the extreme of not even placing matzah on the table for fear it might get wet and become chometz. Others label this concern insignificant. This relates back to the question posed by my new acquaintance -  pronunciation when counting the Omer: is it Ba’Omer or La’Omer? Before we delve into that battle, let us understand the essence of the Mitzva of the Omer.

In this week’s parshas Emor the Torah states in Vayikra 23:15 "וספרתם לכם ממחרת השבת מיום הביאכם את עומר התנופה, שבע שבתות תמימת תהיינה"  “You shall count seven complete weeks after the day following the [Passover] holiday when you brought the omer as a wave offering”.  Omer is the measurement of barley brought as a korban on the second day of Pesach; it is the accepted rabbinic parlance when referring to the korban. The measure of the Omer was 1/10 of an Ephah. A Biblical Ephah is approximately ninety-three cups of dry US flour. The Omer, therefore, came out to be 9.3 cups of dry flour. The ‘counting’ of the omer, is just that. A mitzva to count 49 days starts on the day the korban ha’omer is offered. Somewhat separate from the Korban Omer (offered specifically one time on the 16^th of Nissan) and the subsequent counting of 49 days towards Shavuos, is the mourning period for the death of Rebbi Akiva’s twenty-four thousand students. There is a machlokes (a debate) whether in our times, when there is no korban ha’omer, the mitzva of sefiras (the counting of) ha’omer is Torah law or Rabbinic (see Beis Yosef, Orach Chayim 489).

Getting back to the original question of la’omer or ba’omer, as I mentioned earlier, the risk factor of saying the wrong thing is exceptionally low. The Mishna Brura O.C. 489:8 explains that even if one leaves out the word entirely, the counting is valid, and it seems that even if the word were needed, both versions are similar enough to be valid. There are many authorities, both the rishonim (literally ‘the first ones’ - the leading rabbis and poskim who lived from the 11^th to the 15^th centuries)and the acharonim (the "last ones" – the leading rabbis and poskim living since the writing of the Shulchan Aruch – Code of Jewish Law – in 1563 to today, who fall on both sides of the coin. So… what more can we learn from this mitzva of Omer? Every Mitzva has the directions or the ‘how to’ perform the mitzva. Furthermore, I believe every Mitzva contains a message of a different dimension. In this case, my new friend suggested that the Omer is viewed as one long - or one whole mitzva - while others view each day independent of the other. Ba’Omer means "in or within the period of the omer, reflecting on just that one day". La’omer can mean "from the time of the offering of the korban omer or to the end of the counting. The former is more current on the day while the latter speaks more in terms of the totality of days. My new friend brought an interesting proof regarding his opinion that BaOmer is more correct. When it comes to the thirty-third day (this Friday), we do not say Lag La’Omer, rather Lag Ba’Omer. The fact we say Ba’Omer is because it specifically is referencing that one day of Lag, meaning thirty-three. In truth, we could say both forms are valid depending upon our intentions: are we speaking about a specific day or are we referring to the entire Omer period in general. The specific day is seen as the ‘prat’-  the individual, while the La’Omer is the Klal, or the general.

The ‘prat’, or individual day, is represented by the individual Jew, while the Klal, or general, represents the whole of the Jewish people, hence the wording ‘Klal Yisrael is not just a group; it is the totality of the Jewish people. Klal Yisrael is the sum of all the parts. Without the parts there is no whole, and without the whole we are just parts.

The Jewish people have both dimensions: we are individuals, and as individuals we each join to make up the Klal. The magnitude of this viewpoint is the subtleness of when we do this counting… the days of mourning for Rebbi Akiva’s students. The Gemorah in Yevamos 62b brings down this story. It was said that Rabbi Akiva had 12,000 pairs of disciples. All of them died during the same time period because they did not treat each other with respect. The world remained desolate until Rabbi Akiva came to our Masters in the South and taught the Torah to them. These were Rabbi Meir, Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Yosi, Rabbi Shimon and Rabbi Elazar ben Shammua;  it was these Rabbeim who revived the Torah at that time. A Tanna taught: "All of them (the 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva) died between Passover and Shavuot". Rabbi Chama ben Abba or, it might be said, Rabbi Chiya ben Avin said: "All of them died a cruel death." What was it? Rabbi Nachman replied: "Croup." The Talmud speaks of 12,000 "pairs" of students and not of 24,000, ostensibly to stress the lack of unity of which they were guilty.  

The lesson to remember every day we count the Omer is the importance of every individual and the Klal - the entire group. It is no coincidence the death of the students who did not show proper respect to his individual study partner died during the days of the omer. Interpreted to represent both the individual and the Klal. The counting of the omer gives us an opportunity to work on our middos and character, of Bein Adam LaChaveiro. As the Omer is described in the parsha amongst the festivals of the year, it will be that when we act appropriately, when we practice Bein Adam LaChaveiro, the Yomim Tovim and festival cycle and observance will once again take place in the Beis HaMikdash. Then, the Omer offering will be brought, and the counting of the Omer will once again be biblical according to all opinions. On the question of La’Omer or Ba’ Omer, we still may have a difference of opinion, but we all respect that difference.  

Have a Spiritual Lag Ba'Omer & Ah Gutten Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

On May 14, 1948, just a little over three years since the Holocaust came to an end, the State of Israel was officially declared; on May 11, 1949, The United Nations General Assembly admitted Israel to membership in the UN by a vote of 37-12. The delegations of the six Arab countries (Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Yemen) walked out of the Assembly Hall in protest. The UN vote recognizing the State of Israel miraculously occurred. Unfortunately, only a short seventy-two and seventy-three years later, the Holocaust is either being openly denied, or perhaps worse, commended throughout the world. The State of Israel, which in 1948 did not have complete support from the world, now faces challenges even from those who supported it then. Today, despite Israel’s contributions to the world and being recognized as a beacon of democracy throughout the Middle East, continuously faces calls for its destruction and, again, maybe worse - is attacked and labeled as a racist and oppressive country.

Within a span of nine days many Jews throughout the world annually commemorate Yom Hashoah, Yom Hazikaron - Israel Memorial Day, and celebrate Yom HaAtzmaut, Israel’s day of Independence.  I carefully worded the fact that many but not all Jews observe these specific days. There are many Halachik reasons and arguments on both sides regarding the observance of these days. I will not divert into any of those discussions, choosing instead to focus on one word that connects all of these events: ‘Kodesh’- Holy - the same word that connects the Jewish people to Hashem. The Jews who were murdered during the Holocaust ALL died Al Kiddush Hashem, sanctifying God’s name for the mere fact that they were killed because they were Jewish. Additionally, each and every oneof the men and women who died while in the Armed Forces defending Eretz Yisroel all died Al Kiddush Hashem.  Each of the victims of terror who were murdered in Eretz Yisroel by terrorists ALL died Al Kiddush Hashem. The land of Israel is called ‘Eretz HaKedosha” - the Holy land.       

In a pre-Pesach article, I mentioned a few points from a discussion I heard from my Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Wein. Rabbi Wein told us of a custom which he continues to practice - the insistence on drinking wine from Israel at the Seder. At that point he maintained a continuation of the story of Yetzias Mitzrayim with the Jewish people headed to the land of their forefathers.

Today, some three thousand years after the exodus from Egypt, the Jewish people are once again entering and populating the Holy land of Israel. Many have heard that Israel is known as the ‘Start Up Nation’. Israel is a leader in so many products ranging from medicine, science, technology, food, beverages, and more. Israel has become the center of Jewish life and affords the comfort of being a Jew with all the amenities and fewer distractions than other places in the free world. Yet there seems to be a tendency for so many Jews to travel to other destinations rather than visiting  Israel.

We need to be aware of the importance of not only supporting Israel by purchasing Israeli products because to do so helps Israel’s economy,  but because things that come from the Holy Land are holy. But how did the founders of modern-day Zionism view Eretz Yisrael? In 1903, Theodore Herzl presented a plan referred to as The Uganda Scheme  to the Sixth Zionist Congress in Basel. It proposed the idea of creating a Jewish homeland in a portion of British-controlled East Africa. Herzl presented the plan as a temporary refuge for Jews to escape rising antisemitism in Europe. At the Congress the proposal met stiff resistance.  

To contrast this, one needs to read about how the religious leaders and great Rabbonim characterized Eretz Yisrael. An interesting source from the ערוך השלחן (Aruch HaShulchan}, written by Rav Yechiel Michel Epstein, came across one of my chat groups.  The Aruch HaShulchan first printed in 1884, many years prior to the establishment of the State of Israel in Eretz Yisrael. I mention the year to juxtapose the current events at that time, only nineteen years before the sixth Zionist Congress. Just as Rabbi Wein mentioned using Israeli wine at his seder, the Aruch HaShulchan wrote an important and eye-opening halacha on the mitzva of lulav and esrog. Rav Epstein wrote about the esrogim that were grown in the Carpathian Mountains and other surrounding regions, explaining that most were possibly grafted since the majority of the orchards were run by non-Jews.  Due to the great distances of the locations of these orchards, rabbis could only make occasional inspections of the esrogim to assure that they were not grafted and therefore approved for religious use.

Rav Epstein writes in Orach Chaim 648:29 as follows:

ולפי זה אין לנו שום היתר על אתרוגים, רק אותם שישראלים מעידים שיודעים הנטיעות מתחילתן, שאין בהם שום הרכבה. כמו אתרוגי ארצינו הקדושה, שבשם גדולי ישראל, ותלמידי חכמים, ויראי אלקים משגיחים על הגינות, שלא יהיה בהן שום הרכבה. אבל לאתרוגי קורפ"ו – אין שום היתר, אף בההכשרים שלהם, שידוע לכל שישראל מעטים שם, וכבושים תחת ידם, ויראתם על פניהם. ואיך ידעו מה שעושים על פני השדה בגינותיהם ובכרמיהם, אם ירכיבו אם לאו?ושמא תאמר: הרי אינם חשודים להכשיל רק מה שיש להם טובת הנאה, כמבואר ביורה דעה סימן קיח? איברא דזה יש להם טובת הנאה רבה, דידוע דכל מורכב גדל ממנו פירי יפה, וכל שאינו מורכב – הפירי אינה יפה. ובכל הפירות כן הוא. ואדרבא תקונם של אתרוגי קורפ"ו זה הוא קלקולם, דבאמת הם יפים מאד ואין דומה להם, וזהו מפני הרכבתם. ולכן כל איש מישראל אשר נגע יראת ד' בלבו – לא יקח רק אתרוגי ארץ ישראל. ואיך לא נבוש ולא נכלם בדבר מצוה שנוכל לקיימה מפרי ארצנו הקדושה, ליטול דווקא מארץ העמים? אוי לה לאותה בושה, אוי לה לאותה כלימה! ועל זה נאמר: "וימאסו בארץ חמדה". ולכן יש ליזהר בזה מאד מאד. (גם הלבוש, והמגן אברהם סוף סימן זה, והט"ז בסימן הבא – פסלום.)

(The following is a translation of the section in bold) “Therefore, every Jew who has a fear of Heaven in his heart – should only take an Esrog from Eretz Yisrael. And how is it that there is no shame and humiliation, with the ability to fulfill the Mitzva with a fruit from Our Holy Land, and instead specifically take from a foreign land? Woe to that shame, woe to that humiliation! Upon this the verse in Tehilim 106:24 states “And they despised the desirable land…”. Therefore, one should be very, very careful in these matters”.

There are many ways to show our love, affection, and dedication to Eretz Yisrael. Whether buying Dead Sea spa products, Tefilin, or Bamba, these purchases not only support the Israeli economy; they connect us to Eretz Yisrael. Every Friday night I offer Osem soup nuts and I remark, ”Who wants a taste of Eretz Yisrael?” Our diet both physically and spiritually should be nourished through Eretz Yisrael. We should all merit to live, breathe and walk the length and breadth of Eretz Yisrael as our forefather Avraham Avinu did when he was promised the Land from Hashem for his children in future generations.  

Ah Gutten Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

This year will mark the three thousand, three hundred, thirty-third time that the Jewish people will be celebrating Pesach, the exodus from slavery. The history of the Jews is evidence to our eternity as a people, and Jewish history is the history of all mankind. One major secret to our continued existence and ability to survive has been the transmission of Torah from generation to generation. If the Jew fulfills the directive of ושננתם לבניך   - to teach our children, we will continue thriving until the end of time. Unfortunately, for some that teaching and the accompanying chain has been severed. The results, therefore, are no surprise: their children have become part of the eighty percent who died during the plague of darkness and did not merit to leave Egypt.

Please take note, mainstream commentaries explain the reason the Jews died while it was dark is because the Egyptians should not be able to say Hashem is killing his own people, not only us. I would suggest the Jews perished during the plague of Choshech/darkness not only in the literal sense but also figuratively; they died a religious death and were no longer interested in being Jewish, choosing instead to assimilate into Egyptian culture. To ensure that the transmission is successful, we need to actively teach our children, both in both mind and action, not only teaching Torah, but role modeling it as well. We must act as we preach; actions do, indeed, speak louder than words. There is no better opportunity to reset our life and goals for our family and ourselves than Pesach.

Although the Torah commands a father to teach his children Torah, there exists the concept of a “Shaliach”, a messenger for many mitzvos. Teaching Torah to our children is not an exception. In today’s society, children primarily are taught in a school system. Even in a “home schooling” situation, it is someone else who does most of the teaching.  Nevertheless, Chaza”l direct us מצוה בו יותר מבשלוחו  it is a greater to do a Mitzva yourself than through a messenger. Pesach is the time when we can learn from others and still maintain the obligation of teaching and transmitting the most basic and essential messages for our family’s future.

No matter how old a person is, he still learns from others, particularly when such learning is available from his or her Rebbi. I participated in a zoom session with my Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Berel Wein, who gave over to us (his children) some key points and takeaways of the most important things to discuss at the seder. I will share these priceless points so that you, too, can implement them, crafting an atmosphere that will leave an indelible impression on our families for years to come, transmitting something they will cherish and pass on to the next generation.

The Pesach seder is meant to be an experience for children. We are celebrating Cheirus, which means freedom. It should not be torture or an experience they want to forget about. They should be free to enjoy and be free of criticism, allowing them the liberty to be the stars of the show while the adults (of course choreographing behind the scenes) should be the audience, demonstrating accolades and woo hoos for the participants. Children should feel their own freedom, and as they mature they will come to appreciate the concept that every Jew needs to feel as if they, too, left Mitzrayim.

Kids look forward to certain events throughout the year, such as a special birthday party. We should make our seder look and feel like a fantastic birthday party for kids. It needs to be fun and active.  No child falls asleep or is bored at their own birthday party. This seder/party is filled with goodies, a game of hiding the afikomen and even a promised present during Chol HaMoed. Most of us enjoy participating in being given a chance to star or take on a great part. We should make it so for the children. If they view the seder as a party, they will look forward to next year’s seder throughout the year. Eventually, as they grow and mature, they will appreciate the story and the Torah that is involved in the story of the Jewish people.

The participants at the seder must appreciate the words אשרינו מה טוב חלקינו, ומה נעים גורלנו, ומה יפה ירושתנו Ashreinu Mah Tov Chelkeinu, Umah Naim Goraleinu, Umah Yafa Yerushateinu: How good is our portion, how pleasant our lot, and how beautiful our heritage! We cannot overstate it enough to relate the benefit and beauty that we have the Torah and the way of life as a Jew. Our inheritance is something we received and will give over to our children. We must feel it to effectively transmit it.Whenf children smell our lack of the above, they will sever this bond as soon as they grow up, (even a little) cutting the connection.  

An integral part of the seder is not only mentioning where we left, but almost equally important, where we were going. Our homeland is Eretz Yisrael, and we need to explain, teach and demonstrate our Ahavas  Eretz Yisrael, our love of the Land of Israel. I will always be thankful to the country we have so graciously been a part of, but I will not be apologetic to say we are only visitors and guests here in America. Rabbi Wein has a custom to drink wine specifically made in Israel. Sixty years ago Israeli wine was unheard of. Today, Israeli wine producers compete at the highest levels in international wine production. The Netzi”v, Rav Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin, upon receiving a bottle of wine from Israel, donned his Shabbos clothing prior to drinking this wine from the holy land. We, too, should devote some part of the seder to specifically focus on Eretz Yisrael, sharing this gift of the present state of Israel in our time.

Finally, we recite the most important words of the seder and if we don’t, we do not fulfill the night’s order. Whoever does not recite “Pesach, Matza and Marror” does not fulfill his obligation.  This is the underlying message to teach and give over to our families. The Pesach meal represents the best of times in our life. The Matzah, as we had to eat it quickly or not have a chance to let it rise, represents the unexpected challenges of life. The Marror, the bitter herb, was no better witnessed this past year during Corona. Death, illness, isolation, sadness permeated the entire world. It was a bitter lesson, especially for Klal Yisrael.   The life lesson is that as we taste many things in life, both sweet and bitter, we still have to make a bracha on it - for good or the bad. Life has its ups and downs and that is part of our heritage and history.  

We should be zocheh to merit the ability to fulfill these messages. As a result, we will put our life and the lives of our future generations in order through the Pesach Seder!

Ah Gutten Shabbos & Ah Chag Kasher V'Sameach

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

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

https://mosaicapress.com/product/developing-a-torah-personality/ 

Click here for printable version

Milestones and anniversary dates are commonly viewed differently by the very people involved in those same occasions. Some place great emphasis on a particular date or time while others dismiss these occurrences as ‘just part of life’. Many people throughout the world will take note that it has been a full year since Covid-19 invaded our world,  , our families, our very way of life as we once knew it. For me, it was  both riveting and even frightening to take note of the  events we witnessed together steadily continue to unfold. Now, one year later, I am amazed how HaKadosh Baruch Hu -God - is allowing things to steadily return, at least partially, to life as we once knew it. 

This past week I received the second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine;  I felt liberated and healthy even though I will continue to wear a mask and socially distance during the next two weeks, allowing time for the vaccine to take its full effect. There was much halachik discussion as to what if any appropriate bracha or tefilla should be recited when receiving this and perhaps other vaccines or medical treatments. 

The following explanation of a proper bracha to recite under such circumstances is from Rabbi Dr. Aaron E. Glatt, Associate Rabbi, Young Israel of Woodmere, and Chief of Infectious Diseases & Hospital Epidemiologist at Mount Sinai Hospital of South Nassau. Based on Shulchan Aruch Orech Chaim 230:4 with the Mishnah Brurah Seif Kattan 6, it is proper and recommended to recite the following supplication to Hashem prior to undergoing any medical treatment or procedure. Certainly, this supplication is most appropriate to recite before receiving the lifesaving COVID-19 vaccine: The prayer in Hebrew is:  יהי רצון מלפניך ה' אלוקי שיהא עסק זה לי לרפואה (יש מוסיפים: כי רופא חנם אתה) In English, this is loosely translated as “May it be Your will, Hashem, my G-d, that this treatment will be for me for a cure (and some add, because You are a Healer who cures for free).” 

We continue to be patient for more and more people throughout the United States and around the globe to become safe and healthy against this virus. There were many lessons learned and practiced over this period. Some of those good practices fell by the wayside while others modified our personal well- being. These practices or even minhagim – customs - concern how we conducted ourselves, whether they be regarding interpersonal relationships or our own personal relationship with the Almighty. Some of the rules and regulations related to safety and health have eased, and, in some places, are no longer mandated. 

In Shul, signs were immediately posted at the onset of the pandemic mandating that we prepare a safe environment. I daven every day in front of a wall that has three signs posted for this purpose. The first sign reads ‘Prevent the Spread’ with four pictures illustrating- stay home if you’re sick; wash your hands; wear a mask; separate. The second sign reads ‘Cover your Nose and Mouth’ accompanied by a picture of a face mask, illustrating how to wear it properly. The third sign reads ‘Social Distancing is Required’, depicting a group of people each standing 6ft apart. We humans tend to grow tired of or even annoyed by dictums which recommend taking on precautionary but invasive practices or behaviors.   I am not here to dictate or to determine whether or not these practices should continue.  I am, however, relating the reality that some of these practices are no longer being… well, practiced! I continue to stand by the principle that we should not forget these seemingly simple but very important safety and health measures. These measures not only continue to protect others as well as ourselves; they also help to make the world we live in a better, more caring place. Therefore, for the sake of our spiritual health and well-being, we should continue to practice all the health and safety measures that have been so strongly recommended. This is learned out in an immensely powerful message in the Torah. 

The Torah, in last week’s Parsha Ki Sisa, relates the dialogue Hashem had with Moshe after God told Moshe to quickly go down the mountain because the Jews were sinning. In Shmos 32:7   "וידבר ה' אל משה, לך רד כי שחת עמך אשר העלית מארץ מצרים"  “God declared to Moshe, ‘Go down, for the people who you brought out of Egypt have become corrupt.’” Then, in Shmos 32:8 "סרו מהר מן הדרך אשר צויתם עשו להם עגל מסכה" “They have been quick to leave the way that I ordered them to follow, and they have made themselves a cast-metal calf”.  This one-to-one conversation takes a turn no one could expect or ever imagine. The Midrash Rabbah 46 (which, by the way, if not for the fact that it is written, we never would have been able to say or even think of such an idea) relates that when Hashem told Moshe to descend the mountain, he was holding the Luchos (Tablets). Moshe, not believing that the Jewish people sinned, said, “If I do not see it, I do not believe it!” How do we know that Moshe did not believe the Jews sinned? The question is, why didn’t Moshe break the Luchos earlier? The Midrash continues, stating: “We see here, that when Hashem told Moshe, ”Go down because your nation has sinned…” he held onto the Luchos and did not believe that the Jews sinned. Wait a minute! Who didn’t Moshe believe? Hashem! Hashem told him that the Jewish people had sinned, yet he didn’t believe it!! The Midrash continues: “Moshe said: “If I do not see it, I will not believe it.” This is confirmed by the Torah eleven verses later. Finally, in Shmos 32:19 "ויהי כאשר קרב אל המחנה וירא את העגל ומחלת ויחר אף משה וישלך מידו את הלחת וישבר אתם תחת ההר"  “As he approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moshe displayed anger, and threw down the tablets that were in his hand, shattering them at the foot of the mountain”. We see that Moshe only shattered the Luchos/Tablets when he saw with his own eyes. The Midrash goes on, ”Woe upon those who testify or say things they have not seen with their own eyes.” Is it really possible that Moshe Rabbeinu didn’t believe Hashem when He said, ”Your nation has sinned?” However, Moshe wanted to teach us an important lesson:  Even if one hears something from a trustworthy individual, even it it’s the Tzadik, the biggest Rabbi of the generation, he is not allowed to accept it and act upon it until he sees it with his own eyes or hears it with his own ears! 

I know that if we took the time to internalize the lesson of this Midrash, we would spare ourselves so much machlokes and conflict. If we just thought about this Midrash and its message, we would avoid so much pain and aggravation. Hashem Himself told Moshe, but Moshe wanted to teach us that even if the most trusted person tells you something, you are  not to act upon it until you verify it with your own eyes and ears. The lessons of the three signs in Shul not only give us practical advice; they give us a spiritual guideline as well. If you hear something which states that we can prevent the spread, it is correct to initially hold back in order to properly verify.  We should also remember that the mask is used to cover our mouths but also figuratively keeps us from jumping the gun and repeating something that may not be reliable because we heard it from someone else, who may have also heard it from someone whose information may not be reliable. Finally, if there is too much temptation, we may spread false information. In truth, our mask protects others, not ourselves.  It is the use of masks by others which, in fact, protect us.  Allegorically, if wearing a mask is not enough of a reminder to be quiet, then perhaps  social distance from others and wait until verification of something that is so important that we need to believe and repeat. Moshe held back to teach us this lesson. In today’s current situation, let’s take the lessons and benefits this pandemic had shown us and aspire to live as better Jews, to be leaders, representing truth and goodness, as well as safety and precaution, for all mankind.            

Ah Gutten Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

Once upon a time long, long ago, I wrote these weekly messages the other way around. Now for some of the old, I mean older readers, you might recall (but you probably do not, either because you ARE old, or perhaps you never really read these Divrei Torah. The reason I say you did not read these Divrei Torah is exactly the point. When I first began writing them, I discussed the “Torah portion” first and then segued that into the quirky, ridiculous, every-day and every person experience to which perhaps only I could relate. I do not remember (because I am also old) at what point in time I flipped around the Dvar Torah segment with the light-hearted mundane insight I wished to share. This format gave me some satisfaction; I felt that I was only wasting half my time discussing the Torah part because most people, if they did accidentally click open the email or sit on one of the printed copies in Shul, would read at least the first half, just as you are doing right now!  Gotcha!

Now, as for the younger or new readership who only know the current format, perhaps we should show them how the layout used to be. This way we’ll have created ונהפוך הוא  a reversal for everyone, possibly causing a surprise for me…and…maybe, just maybe… the reversal just might cause everyone to read the entire piece!   I repeatedly said maybe, but I am not holding my breath!  So… if you feel the urge, you can stop reading right now. But wait!  Ahhh, could it be that you are still reading because it is Purim time and everything in the world has the chance, opportunity, to change and flip around?  If, however, you do continue to read on (even though by now you have been given two occasions to stop), I will attribute this determination on your part to the essence of Purim: You are diverging from the typical act of exiting this email or putting down the printed copy. By the way, since Purim has an element of Yom Kippur - the Rabbis teach us Purim is Yom K’Purim. I will forgive you if you choose to go ahead and read this message in its entirety, planning next week to return to skipping over the light-hearted stuff, reading ONLY the Torah portion of the message.

You are probably wondering (or not) why I am writing about Purim. After all, Purim is on Friday and the Parsha is T’Tzaveh. Why write about Purim? Well, if I do not write about Purim now, then when? In reality, that is not the only reason. When Purim, or more precisely the fourteenth of Adar, falls on Friday, in walled cities – including, of course, Yerushalayim Ir HaKodesh – everyone residing within that walled-in area celebrates the unique “perfect Purim storm”, called a Purim M’Shuleshet” - a three-day Purim! Most people do not get over their hangovers after one day of celebration, let alone three! In Yerushalayim the the Megilla is read and Matanos LaEvyonim (giving of at least one gift to two or more poor people) are given on Friday; Al HaNissim is added to the Amida and to the Bentching on Shabbos; and the Purim Seuda and Mishloach Manos (sending of gifts) take place on Sunday. Now the Halacha stipulates that if someone who celebrates Purim on the 14^th of Adar goes ahead and adds Al HaNissim on Shushan Purim on the 15^th of Adar, they do not need to repeat that prayer. This almost implies that since somewhere in the world Purim is celebrated on that day, even though we are not supposed to add it, nevertheless, if we did say it accidentally, no harm no foul. This refers to saying Al HaNissim when not on your day. See below* if you forgot to say it on your day. Therefore, this Shabbos is also a day of Purim so I can write about it whether  you skip this reading this Dvar Torah accidentally or intentionally!   

Chaza”l teach us that whenever the name Achashveirosh is used in the Megilla, it refers to the actual Achachveirosh, but when it is preceded by ’HaMelech’,  the term refers to Hashem, the King of the world. We also read ‘HaMelech; every Shabbos and Yom Tov.  This is highlighted at the beginning of Shacharis on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, as the Chazzan begins with the word “HaMelech”.  For example, the opening of the 6^th chapter of the Megillah calls out בלילה ההוא נדדה שנת המלך  - On that night The King could not sleep. Rashi explains that ’The King’ refers to Hashem. The Maharal of Prague, Reb Yehuda Loewy, asks,” If we wanted to hint to God in the Megillah, couldn’t we find a more appropriate way to hint to Hashem?” Perhaps the hint could have been phrased either in the name of Mordechai or Esther; why place the hint next to the name of the wicked Achashveirosh? Why, of all the people, would we choose the evil Achashveirosh? The Maharal teaches us an amazing insight: What we are actually looking at is erroneous! The reason we even ask the question, or the reason the question is set up this way is because we see the main character as Achashveirosh, while Hashem is hinted to be somewhere in the background. However, the reality is that Hashem is truly “The King”; Hashem was running everything. God has a collection of puppets and dolls. One puppet is named Achashveirosh and another puppet is named Haman.  Hashem was using them! In fact, there really is no Haman and no Achashveirosh. Everything was from Hashem Himself. This is the main idea of Megillas Esther, which should be read לגלות את ההסתר   - to reveal the hidden. Hashem is hinting to all who read and hear the Megillah that it is not Haman or Achashveirosh.”It is I!”, said Hashem! The Pashut Pshat, the basic meaning of HaMelech is Hashem, not a hint. Achashveirosh and all the other characters of the Megillah were nothing more than puppets. Hashem created an incredibly powerful puppet show.

This concept applies to us in our lives, too. The person bothering you is just a puppet. This can explain the Gemara that says, ”One is obligated to drink on Purim until he cannot differentiate between Arur (cursed be) Haman and Baruch (Blessed be) Mordechai. Sometimes a person may have an enemy and he thinks of him as his personal “Arur Haman”. He hates him, he avoids him. ”He’s my enemy!” Another person is his “Baruch Mordechai”. I must send him a fancy Mishloach Manos…He is my good friend…. The Rabbis want us to realize that there is, in effect, no friend and no enemy, they are only puppets. That is the purpose of drinking on Purim, to reveal the hidden; to realize that there is one King of the entire world; the rest of the world consists merely of puppets. You think that person is hurting or helping you……it’s not that person; it’s Hashem. After we drink, we do not know the difference between Haman and Mordechai, but we do realize that it’s all Hashem. This is the hidden reason of wearing masks on Purim; we think it is Ploni behind the mask only to find out it is Almoni. He is not who he appears to be, and that is the lesson of Purim. We think that a certain person is an enemy. He is not. It’s all from Hashem, the King of the world.

Let us internalize this lesson and put it deep in our hearts. With this inside of us, we can truly be “Marbim B’Simcha!  And be glad, thrilled and overjoyed that this is the end of this week’s message!

Ah Gutten Shabbos and Ah Frielichin Purim

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

*Since this meal is obligatory on Purim, so is its Birkas HaMazon. The Maharshal and the Shela are of the opinion that if one forgot to say ‘Al HaNisim’ in the Birkas HaMazon, the Grace after Meals would have to be repeated, together with its ‘Al HaNisim.’ The majority of authorities, however, including the Shulchan Aruch, Mishna Berura, Kaf HaChaim and Chida, are of the opinion that one is not required to repeat the ‘Al HaNisim,’ because one may fulfill the obligation to eat a Purim Seuda without eating bread (see Magen Avrohom 695:9). Accordingly, our accepted practice is not to repeat Birkat Hamazon because of a forgotten Al HaNisim.

This D’Var Torah is sponsored by Daniel and Sandra Spivak in honor of their ninth Wedding Anniversary 

A few years ago, while in Israel, I noticed an uptick in the number of dogs being walked by their owners. It took me a while, but I came to understand that having pets in general and dogs in particular are a sign of affluence. When I was growing up I did not notice too many dogs in my neighborhood, and rarely did I find a Jewish home with a dog. My earliest recollection of dogs was walking past a fenced-in yard where large German shepherds were barking and howling, practically leaping over the fence any time I passed by. From my perspective, dogs were used primarily for protection or even to attack a perceived danger. Over time, the role of dogs has evolved not only from guard dogs, working dogs, and watch dogs, but even beyond the common role of household pets.    The view of seeing a dog as ‘man’s best friend’ is  just the  beginning of the evolution of the pet world. Today people invest considerable money to have companion dogs, service dogs, and mental health dogs. Pets are found happily snuggled inside doggy strollers and backpacks shopping with their owners and traveling on planes to vacation and work-related destinations. As a result, there has been a boom in the dog population over the last fifty years.  In fact, have you ever given any thought to how many dogs are  in the United States? There was a 2020 census of pets in households aligned with the 2020 United States Census. Wisdom Health, the world’s leader in pet genetics, conducted its own 2020 United States Pet Census. This parallel population survey sought to provide insights into the lives of our country’s cats and dogs, asking owners a variety of questions, including the size, breed, activity levels and overall lifestyle of residential dogs, cats, and other animals to better understand the lives of American pets. The overall pet population, according to the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association),included 77 million dogs and stated that 84.9 million or 67% of American households own at least one kind of pet. 63.4 million or 53% of American households own dogs. Most dog-owning households have one dog. Granted, most of today’s dogs are not the kind of dogs I described people having in the past.Throughout the millennia, the primary livelihood of many Jews was shepherding.  We know that many of the leaders of the Jewish people were רועים  / shepherds and, in fact, shepherding was one of the qualities Hashem looked at when choosing a leader for His children, the Bnei Yisrael. All the Avos, Avraham, Yitzchok, and Yaakov, Moshe rabbeinu, and Dovid HaMelech were shepherds. Hashem noticed how carefully they maintained their flock. This appealed to Hashem, noting  that a good and diligent shepherd would demonstrate the same attributes when appointed to lead His flock.

The German shepherd dog, a member of the herding breed, is known for its courage, loyalty and guarding instincts. This breed makes an excellent guard dog, police dog, military dog, guide dog for the blind and search and rescue dog. For many families, the German shepherd is also a treasured, loyal and loving family pet. These are qualities of goodness and kindness, unlike my childhood exposure to these same dogs. Therefore, there is ‘room’ for dogs within Jewish thought and living. Although we do not hear much about dogs in the Torah per se, it is by no means completely absent either.

There are but just a few places in the Torah that mention dogs; when the Jewish people left Mitzrayim, even the dogs did not bark at the Jews leaving. It is in this parsha that we find the second mention of dogs. In this week’s parshas Mishpatim the Torah states in Shmos 22:30 "ואנשי קדש תהיון לי, ובשר בשדה טרפה לא תאכלו לכלב תשלכון אתו"  “Be a holy people to Me. Do not eat the flesh torn off in the field by a predator. Cast it to the dogs”.  On the surface this verse appears normal and routine - give meat no longer fit for a Jew to eat to ‘his best friend’. But, as usual, the Torah is not here to tell us things that are normal or would be routine for us to do. We can see this throughout the entire parsha of Mishpatim which deals with laws between man and man; although we think something is straightforward, the Torah emphasizes our obligation for fear we may not do what is sensible.

The verse in discussion is not just an ordinary piece of meat that is not kosher, but specifically the ‘treifah’ meat of an animal that was torn and killed. Let’s take a look behind the scenes and go back a few frames to unfold the scenario. Let’s say I am a shepherd of my large flock. I have my trusted shepherd dog, guarding my sheep, goats, and maybe even cattle from other predators. One morning, I arrive to find one of my sheep killed and torn. What is my first reaction? How did this happen? Where was my trusted guard dog? I think to myself that my dog failed in his responsibilities by not doing the job of protecting my flock. I am furious at the dog and my instinct is to get a whip and punish the dog for sleeping on the job and causing me this loss. I ask, why would the Torah tell me to give this carcass to my guard dog who just failed me?

I learned the answer to this and have shared it over the years, but it bears repetition. Let us look back at how many days, months, and years my dog has been faithfully doing his job of protecting my herd. Thousands of nights and days he was on guard and watched over the animals and he kept them safe.  Unfortunately, for reasons unbeknownst to me this one time he did not or maybe could not protect all the animals and one was lost. The Torah’s incredible message is now, at the time when I think I may be entitled to be angry and hit the dog for failing, I should instead show hakaras hatov, gratitude for all of the times the dog did do his job and reward him with a fresh piece of meat.

I gave over this pshat during the Shovavim period while delivering a class on Shalom Bayis/peace in the home. We can extrapolate and expand the concept to any relationship between two people. A husband does many things for a wife and vice versa. Friends do many things for each other. It can happen that one time something fails, causing one spouse or friend to be upset at the other for burning the soup or not washing the last dish. Sure, we can be angry and hold it against the person, or we can take the message from the dog’s loyalty that sometimes we make a mistake and are even wrong in your eyes. Remember now, at the moment we think we should have the right to be angry with the other person, take the opportunity to thank them for all they have done for you in the past by buying them a gift or a treat. Show your appreciation for ALL they have done for us and forget about the one small mishap that took place now. This will truly create a Shalom Bayis in the House of Hashem!

Ah Gutten Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

The weekly Dvar Torah is sponsored by Deborah and Maxwell Brookler in memory of Mrs. Kitty Silverman, Gitel bas Ezriel Baruch on her first Yahrzeit

On January 23, 2020, China imposed an absolute lockdown in the Chinese city of Wuhan. Now, one year later, the long months of harsh lockdown have faded from view in Wuhan, the first city in the world devastated by the new coronavirus. As residents begin the process of moving on, they cite a Chinese saying which warns against “forgetting the pain after a scar heals”. Fast forward to a still-festering world-wide pandemic and there probably isn’t a five- or six-year-old child in the world who will ever forget this past year. Baruch Hashem, we do see the light at the end of the tunnel with proper precautions and a vaccine.

Every generation is defined and characterized by a life-changing event. Lives are molded through life- changing experiences. For the world at large, this generation will be marred by the Covid-19 pandemic, and the previous generation (a generation is approximately twenty years) by the events of 9/11. Our parents and grandparents endured world wars and times of a financial depression. There are upside events and milestones as well, from a cure, vaccine, or major medical breakthroughs to putting a man on the moon.  These  global events have each profoundly affected large segments of the world’s population. On a micro level, this occurs within countries, ethnicities and especially in religions. Within the Jewish world the previous generations witnessed two polarized /opposite events, namely the years from 1939-1945 known as the holocaust and, only a few short years later in 1948, the establishment of the State of Israel.

For the Jewish people, historically speaking, Yezias Mitrayim, the Exodus from Egypt was the defining moment for the Jews then and forever after. It is the one event that is connected to the Shalosh Regalim of Pesach, Sukkos and Shavuos. It is the historical event that we mention during every kiddush - sanctifying Shabbos and Yom Tov.

Reb Aaron Ben Asher of Karlin (1802 – 1872), known as Rabbi Aaron II of Karlin, was a famous Chasidic Rebbe in northwestern Russia. In his work Beis Aharon, he instructed his students to review a certain Ramban every day as it is a fundamental part of Yiddishkeit/Judaism. The Ramban, at the end of Parshas Bo Shmos 13:16, explains the purpose of constantly remembering Yetzias Mitzrayim, the Exodus from Egypt. He wrote: "ומן הנסים הגדולים המפורסמים אדם מודה בנסים הנסתרים שהם יסוד התורה כלה שאין לאדם חלק בתורת משה רבינו עד שנאמין בעל דברינו ומקריני שכלם נסים אין בהם טבע ומנהגו של עולם"  “By remembering the great and wondrous miracles, one recognizes the hidden miracles too, and this is the foundation of the entire Torah. For if not, one does not have a portion in the Torah unless he believes that everything that occurs to him is all miraculous, and that there is no such thing as the natural order of the world. This is the whole purpose of saying over the story of Yetzias Mitzrayim, fulfilling the mitzva to say it twice every single day.” One can ask, ”Why?” The answer is to remember that everything that happens to us is Hashgacha Pratis (Divine Providence).  Accordingly, it follows that the great signs and wonders constitute faithful witnesses, witness to the truth of the belief in the existence of the Creator and the truth of the entire Torah. And because the Holy One, blessed be He, will not make signs and wonders in every generation just for the sake of the eyes of some wicked man or heretic. He therefore commanded us that we should always make a memorial sign of that which we have seen with our eyes, and that we should transmit the matter to our children, and their children to their children, to the generations to come, and He placed great emphasis on it, as indicated by the fact that one is liable to extinction for eating Chometz on Pesach and for the abandoning of the Korban Pesach the Paschal lamb”.

The Chasam Sofer explains this Ramban with an amazing parable as to how we get from repeating the amazing miracles of Yetzias Mitrayim to seeing the Hashgacha Pratis in everything that occurs to us. There was once an exceptionally talented artist, a sculptor who was one of the greatest of his time. One of his most outstanding pieces was a beautiful sculpture of a horse. The horse was made from plastic, but it looked so real that it was difficult for anyone to realize that it was fake. He decided to move this sculpture, which had taken him months to create, to a place smack in the middle of the busiest intersection of the city. He stood from afar on one of the corners of the street, watching people coming and going.  No one,  not one person, stopped to look at his beautiful work of art. This bothered him terribly. He thought to himself about how hard he worked, about how many months he had devoted to creating this beautiful work of art, yet no one even gave it a glance. Deeply disappointed, he thought that perhaps he had not truly created a work of art after all. One day, he mentioned these feelings to his friend. His friend replied, “You are being foolish. The reason no one has stopped to admire your horse is the opposite:  it is because it is too good – they think it is a real horse. Seeing a real horse is not that interesting. I would advise you to take this sculpture and split it in half. When people see a statue of a  horse which looks so real  split into two, you will see many people stop to admire it’! The people will realize it is a beautiful work of art and they will appreciate it.” And that is exactly what happened; the passersby started to notice his work of art.

The Chasam Sofer explains this exact human response occurs in this world. Hashem created the heavens and the earth. A person wakes up in the morning with everything running smoothly. There is a sun by day, moon by night, but no one notices the constant ‘Hashgacha Pratis’ - Hashem’s consistent overseeing of the world’s daily activities. We tend not to pay attention to the fact that it is God who is arranging everything every single micro-second. Therefore, Hashem made Yetzios Mitzrayim, a one-time exodus from Egypt where the things that are ‘regular’ were changed. First there were the ten plagues, then the  splitting of the Yam Suf (Sea of Reeds). What was the purpose if not to grab the attention away from the ordinary day-to-day expected occurrences of life.

There are moments throughout our lives when we look around and consider all the miraculous things that make the world happen, that make the world seem ordinary. We take for granted the daily Hashgacha and input Hashem continuously gives to the world and to our very existence. Therefore, sometimes, on a daily basis or weekly/monthly basis, Hashem will break something in two to get our attention. It is our responsibility to recognize the beauty of the world and see the incredible artwork of the Creator all the time, especially when He splits it in two.  

So much has been written and spoken about regarding the raging pandemic throughout ten months of this past year. Looking back, we recognize and mourn the loss of life as the pandemic wreaked havoc across the globe. Our lives were turned upside down and the world retreated. Life as we knew it came to a standstill. Every aspect of our lives changed abruptly from the way we pray, to how we learn, purchase food, travel, socialize. The list goes on and on, yet despite all the negatives there was also good that emerged, thanks to our forced change in behavior. Life tends to be somewhat polarized: when something negative occurs, something positive emerges to counterbalance it. Today, while the Covid-19 pandemic still rages, hope that the vaccine will stem and ultimately defeat its continued spread and devastation is emerging.  Knowledge regarding disease transmission and awareness of the importance of social distancing and wearing of masks is far beyond what was understood ten months ago.

Early on, in the beginning of the lockdown, shuls were forced to close and Tefilla B’Tzibbur- communal prayer- was, for the first time in our lives, totally shut down. Jews across the continents, from young children to Torah scholars, found themselves alone, davening in solitude, separated from minyanim.  Yet, through this isolation, opportunity for self-introspection arose, allowing a deepening appreciation for the quality and beauty of prayer, of how we pray and exploration of the depth and profound meaning of each word. However, while many whom I spoke with expressed appreciation for this opportunity for inner growth, ultimately even that experience eventually grew stale. It is difficult to maintain consistent davening with the intensity and concentration required when davening at home. This is only one of the many reasons we need to go to Shul. We need to be in a place dedicated strictly for prayer where we set a place and time in order to accomplish through being part of a minyan more than we can attain individually.  We need to daven together.

Today, while the Covid-19 pandemic still rages, hope that the vaccine will stem and ultimately defeat its continued spread and devastation is emerging.  People not in high-risk groups are resuming many of their previous activities. Yet, some who do venture out have not yet made that same commitment to returning to shul and to davening with a minyan. While there are still good reasons for some not to come back to daven in shul, it is nevertheless necessary for those not in a high-risk category to make an honest ‘cheshbon’ – calculation – and re-evaluate the importance of attending minyanim. For some, now may just be the time to return to shul, to daven with a minyan. Precautions are taken and accommodations are available to make everyone feel safe and to remain healthy. It is hoped that the rate of transmission will drop as the number of people receiving the vaccine increases.  At a certain point, the absence from Shul and Tefilla B’Tzibbur starts to have a negative effect on a person’s spiritual well-being. The emphasis and importance of Tefilla is highlighted in a most unusual Midrash. 

The Midrash Rabbah 11:1 relates an amazing and scary explanation of the following: The Torah, in this week’s Parsha Vaeira, states in Shmos 8:16 "ויאמר ה' אל משה השכם בבקר והתיצב לפני פרעה הנה יוצא המימה, ואמרת אליו כה אמר ה' שלח עמי ויעבדוני"   “God said to Moshe, ‘get up early in the morning, and confront pharaoh when he goes out to the water, and say to him, ‘Let My people leave and serve me’.”  Rashi explains why Hashem tells Moshe to get up early in the morning: Pharaoh pretended he was a god, and therefore did not need to relieve himself. He secretly tended to his bodily needs and functions early each morning before anyone else was awake. Therefore, Hashem wanted Moshe to show pharaoh he is not a god and told Moshe to go the river earlier than Pharaoh in order to catch him in the act. The Midrash, however, says something quite different than Rashi’s explanation. It says Pharaoh wanted to daven to Hashem. He could not pray in the place since it was full of idols.  Therefore, Pharaoh needed to go to an area that was idol-free to engage with Hashem.

Before we explain this, we need to examine how it come to be that Pharoah wanted to pray. At a certain point pharaoh recognized God’s greatness, raining relentless punishment upon Egypt. Despite the fact that pharaoh rejected Hashem and turned Moshe away, he now experienced second thoughts. Therefore, even the evil pharaoh, who had enslaved and tortured 600,000 Jews, now wanted to daven to Hashem. Hashem would have answered pharaoh’s prayers if he had prayed from the beginning, but he passed up that opportunity to pray at the appropriate time. A good person is always given the opportunity to repent, to get closer to God.  The wicked, on the other hand, also have the same opportunity - with limitations. Based upon a passuk in Iyov 36:13, we learn that after Hashem waits for the wicked to repent, when they do not do so, even if they desire to repent at the end, He takes away, obstructs, their hearts’ desire so that they will not repent. This was precisely the case regarding pharaoh. Initially, he could have allowed the Jews to leave but chose not to do so. When things began to get rough, pharaoh had a change of heart, and this time he sincerely intended to daven to Hashem. Hashem, however, said sorry, too late and arranged for Moshe to intervene, removing the opportunity for Pharaoh to repent and let the Jews go.   

Pharaoh was evil. He did not receive a second chance, unlike others who can always repent.  The mechanism within nature that prevented his second asking was due to Moshe’s intervention. This is the route Hashem chose to deny pharaoh, the rasha, the second chance to repent through prayer. And so, Hashem tells Moshe to get there before Pharaoh arrived to pray because even the tefillos of pharaoh have power! Moshe, fully unaware, is instructed by Hashem to “go out and stand before him”, to cut pharaoh off by arriving at the river before pharaoh had a chance to pray.  Hashem told Moshe, that if he did not do this and pharaoh had the opportunity to pray, it would be too late for the Jewish people.

If the Yetzer Hora/Evil Inclination should come to me and proclaim, ”Who do you think you are? You think you can pray to God?” I would immediately retort, “I know who I am. Perhaps I am not so holy and righteous. Perhaps I can improve. But I am not in in any way a rasha like Pharaoh!” If Pharaoh’s prayers could have stopped Moshe Rabbeinu, then our Tefillos are certainly powerful enough to reach Hashem’s ears. To repeat the words of the Midrash: ‘Pharaoh wanted to pray to Hashem, and Hashem told Moshe before pharaoh could do so to ‘go stand in front of him’. The Midrash says that there some people who are prevented from davening by Hashem. We should not focus on those individuals; we must, instead, remind ourselves before every Shmoneh Esrei/Amidah how much our Tefillos are worth. If the prayers of a rasha/wicked and evil person such as pharaoh are worth something, then our Tefillos are worth a billion times more. In addition to the value of our prayers, we know that Hashem desires our Tefillos. Our prayers bring us closer to Him.

In my humble opinion, it is Shul attendance, participation in davening with a minyan, that keeps us connected, especially during these trying times. It has been too long, and the longer we are away the further we distance ourselves from Hashem. We need everyone’s Tefillos to focus upon and pray for the threat of illness to dissipate.  We need each other to return, to come back before we fall into the trap of the Yetzer Hora thinking that this is the new norm…it is not.

One of the most awkward, sensitive, and deeply important topics of discussion in life is death. Death is something we all cognitively understand will happen to us, yet no one truly grapples with the reality that it will ever happen to them. Death is, no doubt, the most uncomfortable area of conversation with which I as a rabbi must deal. There is a famous story in Tales Out of Shul where Rabbi Feldman remarked to the people attending a funeral that people think there are two clubs in life: the club of which the person whose body lying before them was a member, and the club everyone thought they belonged to. No one wants to think about death in general, especially not their own. Nevertheless…….. 

The Gemara says that whoever will prepare on erev Shabbos will have what to eat on Shabbos. The six days of the week are physical, focused on the mundane. Shabbos, on the other hand, is a day of rest that is the spiritual counterpart to the weekdays. This world is viewed as the six days to work and accomplish to put away for the day of rest, synonymous to the next world, the world to come. Therefore, just as we prepare for the Shabbos in this world, so, too, we prepare for the Shabbos in the world to come.

The preparation a person does in this world for the next world is not only helpful for himself or herself, but for the family each of us will leave behind. The rule in life is the more we prepare for something and think ahead, the easier it will be for the spouse/children/community who are left behind.  Additionally, the more clarity there is, the less machlokes/disputes will arise among the family. In addition, if a person is clear regarding his/her final wishes - whether leaving clear instructions to prepare for life-ending scenarios or where to be buried – such clarity will guide and comfort the family, providing them with peace of mind, not having to guess as to the true wishes of their departed loved one. There are countless numbers of families, all of whom were well-intended yet ended up not speaking to each other over matters that were left vague by a parent. How painful it must be for the neshama of parents who witnessed such discord between their children at this painful, difficult point when it is too late for them to intervene. If they had only left clear instructions, the Neshama would be imbued with Menuchas HaNefesh, literally would be able to rest in peace. This important lesson is clearly detailed in the Torah itself……

In this week’s parsha Vayechi the Torah states in Bereishis 47:29-31 "ויקרבו ימי ישראל למות ויקרא לבנו ליוסף ויאמר לו אם נא מצאתי חן בעינך שים נא תחת ירכי ועשית עמדי חסד ואמת אל נא תקברני במצרים. ושכבתי עם אבותי ונשאתני ממצרים וקברתני בקברתם ויאמר אנכי אעשה כדברך. ויאמר השבעה לי וישבע לו וישתחו ישראל על ראש המטה".  “ - When Yisrael [Yakov] realized that he would soon die, he called for his son Yosef. Yakov said, 'If you really want to do me a kindness, place your hand under my thigh. Act towards me with truth and kindness, and do not bury me in Egypt. Let me lie with my fathers. Carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their grave’. Yosef replied, “I will do as you say.”  

These verses describe Yakov’s request to be buried with his forefathers in Israel and not in Egypt. Apparently, it was insufficient for Yakov just to ask for this; he insisted his son Yosef take an oath to ensure he would follow through. *Rav Zvi Solomon, in his sefer Kavod HaAvos, raises an interesting point. The fact that Yakov required his son Yosef to swear indicates that the mitzva of honoring your mother and father applies not only during their lifetime; it applies even after they have passed away, quoting the Gemara Kiddushin 31b and also codified in Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah 240:9. If that’s the case - that the Mitzva to honor our parents applies even in death, - why was it necessary for Yosef to swear? He was reliable. Surely Yosef, who fulfilled all the Mitzvos, would continue to do so! Rabbi Solomon goes through a beautiful discourse regarding the difference of opinion between the Ramban and Rebbi Akiva Eiger’s understanding of Yosef’s obligations. For full detail, refer to Kavod HaAvos, pgs 219-222. To paraphrase Rebbi Akiva Eiger’s explanation, there are two kinds of last will testaments that parents may leave for their children. The primary will address how to distribute the assets and divide the estate in a peaceful, equitable manner. The secondary will address an issue which is more spiritual and which, in the case of Yakov, was where he demanded to be buried. The monetary issues of how to pay off the deceased’s debts and distribute assets speaks to the surviving loved ones. The deceased does not really care about these distributions after he/she is gone. The physical body ceases to exist; all physical association therefore also stops. In contrast to the physical, however, is the spiritual well-being of the Neshama/soul. It is this concern which is of extreme concern - even after death.  Therefore, Yakov knew that all ordinary arrangements would be taken care of by Yosef because he would honor his father. The deeper question or concern Yakov had would be the pressure Yosef might feel to have his father buried in Egypt, and that was what Yakov needed to make sure would not happen. Yakov was concerned for his after-life. Being buried in Egypt would cause him pain during Techiyas HaMeisim. He also feared that the Egyptians might worship his grave. After all, it was in Yakov’s merit that the last five years of the famine was furloughed for a later time in Egyptian history. From here we see, brilliantly brought out by Rabbi Solomon, that the obligation to honor a parent is not limited to this world; it extends even beyond. For this and other issues, including reciting Kaddish, giving charity in their name, and learning for their namesake, a nachas ruach is brought to their souls.

This coming Shabbos has been coined T.E.A.M. Shabbos (Traditional End-of-Life Awareness Movement) by NASCK (National Association of Chevra Kaddisha), an organization that deals with end-of-life questions and situations. This coming Shabbos, shuls and organizations throughout the world will dedicate lectures, shiurim, and materials on this all-important part of life. Jewish belief is that there is an after-life; the Neshama lives on, and we anticipate Techiyas HaMeisim (revival of the dead) in the Messianic time.

The all-important Mitzva of Kibbud Av VaEim, honoring your mother and father, is in full focus this week. Parents have an opportunity to ease the burden on their families and prepare for the inevitable after 120. Become aware of end-of-life issues and prepare properly so that our children can continue to honor us properly in this world and the next. If we give them the tools to obey and fulfill the commandment of honoring their parents, then our children should merit the promise and the reward of this mitzva to have long life themselves!

Ah Gutten Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

*Rabbi Zvi Solomon, born in Brooklyn NY., is an alumnus of Ner Israel Rabbinical college and Yeshivas Mir Jerusalem. He was a member of the Kollel of Greater Boston and lectures on various Torah topics for the Boston Jewish community. He now serves as a Rabbinic Coordinator at KVH Kosher and is a KVH Kosher Supervisor. Rabbi Solomon is an expert in vegetable checking for bugs as well as a Bodek of Shaatnez in clothing. The Boston Shatnez Laboratory was started by Rabbi Zvi Solomon in 2007. His humble beginnings began as a SEEDLING at Beth Jacob San Diego in 1997, returning to Beth Jacob San Diego for multiple years after that.

A few weeks ago I received an innocent call asking for a character reference for someone in the community. This is a common occurrence; many people list their local community rabbi on their CV as a reference. In most cases, my wife or I neither know or even  recognize the name of the person requesting the referral. This time I did not recognize the number, but the caller ID was a name that rang a bell.

The caller was someone I had known over thirty-five years ago while learning in yeshiva. After chatting a bit, he informed me about yet another WhatsApp group called ‘Rabbi Wein’s YST Alumni’ (The YST stands for Yeshiva Shaarei Torah). In only a few short clicks, I was transported back to my post- high school yeshiva days where I had spent seven wonderful years as both a bachur and also in Kollel. After I was introduced, I scrolled down through the one-hundred plus participants and wondered if I were in the correct chat. Although the area codes matched the locale from which most of the participants came, I still did not recognize many of their names. This is understandable;  I was only in the Yeshiva for a small part of its long history. There were many students who had learned there before me and many more who came after I left. Nevertheless, we all came together, having  a common bond - the Yeshiva building, the Rabbeim and, of course, the memories. I would venture to claim that most people in any social situation over a span of years (especially school years) could ever imagine not recognizing those with whom they were close to from that time long into the future.  If asked, most everyone would quip,, ”Of course I will remember who that person was.” Yet, our memories play tricks on us; it does not even take a long absence before we tend to forget people. This phenomenon is not so far from what we read about in the Torah this week.

In this week’s Parshas Mikeitz, the Torah states in Bereishis 42:8 "ויכר יוסף את אחיו, והם לא הכרהו"  “Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him”. The Piltzer Rebbe, Rav Pinchas Yustman in his work Sifsei Tzaddik, explains why the brothers did not recognize Yosef. To strengthen the question, the Midrash says that the image or portrait of Yosef looked exactly like his father, Yaakov. If so, the brothers knew what their father looked like.  Shouldn’t they have easily been able to recognize Yosef? Despite Rashi ‘s explanation that when they sold Yosef, he did not have a beard and now he had one, it should not have made a difference. Yosef having a beard should not detract from his resemblance to his father. Rav Yustman answers that Yosef was now thirty-nine years old and resembled Yaakov when he was a thirty-nine-year-old. Yosef looked like his father when his father was that age of thirty-nine. But the brothers did not know what their father looked like when he was that age. (They must have lost the family album.) Since Yaakov married when he was eighty-four, obviously his children did not know what he looked like over sixty years before his marriage.  

 Perhaps, through this understanding of the passuk, I realize why I did not remember many of the names on the chat. I was satisfied until a zoom meeting was arranged so that Rabbi Wein could speak to the alumni of the high school and the current Yeshiva guys. I was excited to see some of the faces I had not seen in over three decades. Then reality struck a second time, and this time it hurt even more. Okay, let alone some of the guys chose not to show their faces and only displayed their names, but others had covered-up their names! Maybe some knew who they are, but others did not. The real challenge was the reality of how the zoom boxes of those showing their faces and their correct identities were still unrecognizable!  I could not believe it, considering I have not changed at all. To be fair, I am sure the feelings were mutual, but at least I had my video with the proper name displayed. Once again, I thought to myself, ”How is it possible for me to not recognize these guys whom I saw day in and day out!”

The Kli Yakar asks why, in consecutive pesukim, there is no mention of Yosef recognizing his brothers?  The passuk before, in Bereishis 42:7, states  "וירא יוסף את אחיו ויכרם, ויתנכר: אליהם וידבר אתם קשות ויאמר אלהם מאין באתם ויאמרו מארץ כנען אשבר אכל"   “Yosef recognized his brothers as soon as he saw them, but he behaved like a stranger and spoke harshly to them. “Where are you from?” He asked. “From the land of Canaan to buy food.” Why does the Torah need to repeat a second time - in verse 8 - that Yosef recognized the brothers? Rav Lunchitz explains that the first time it states ‘recognized’ refers to the structure of each face that caused him to recognize who they were. The second recognition regarded the brotherhood and rachmanus/pity. Others explain that initially Yosef recognized them, but then behaved like a stranger towards them, as though he did not recognize them. But after they responded that they were from the land of Canaan,  he had complete recognition, supporting his initial hunch that they were, indeed, his brothers. The Iben Ezra notes that at first he was in doubt as to who was whom, meaning who was Reuvain and who was Shimon. After he spoke to them a bit, he was able to connect the pieces together and recognized them individually.

The Torah itself reconciles the repetitiveness through experiencing a clearer picture of who the brothers were in the eyes of Yosef. It took time and a few moments to reflect, to see each brother in order to conclude how he [Yosef] did know with certainty who they were. But this could not occur immediately; it took a little time. So too, if someone does not initially appear familiar, yet you feel you know them, take it slowly, look back, try to detect the features of a person which never change.  Chances are good that you will figure out who the person is.  Perhaps the larger and more important lesson is that it takes time to recognize qualities and characteristics in people whom we do not know. A changing face does not mean a change of heart. But a change of heart at times changes the face that will over time become unrecognizable. Hopefully, years from now, we’ll all pull out of our photo boxes and see each other with clarity of memory, recognizing one another face-to-face regardless of the years and events of time.  

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

*Rav Pinchas Menachem Elazar Yustman (1848-1920) was known as the Piltzer Rebbe. In his early years known as Reb Mendel of Ger was a Chasidic Rabbi who after the passing of his brother-in-law Rabbi Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter, became a Rebbe for some Gerrer Hasidim, in Pilica, Poland.

He was born in Góra Kalwaria, his father Rabbi Binyamin Leizer Yustman and mother Tzina Pesa (née Alter), daughter of the Chiddushei Harim the first Gerrer Rebbe. His mother died when he was young. Orphaned of his mother, he was brought up by his grandparents, Rabbi Yitzchak Meir Alter (known as the Chiddushei Harim) and his wife. When he was about nine years old, his grandfather took him to visit the Kotzker Rebbe, an event which left a lifelong impression on him. He married Hendel Lea, daughter of his uncle Abraham Mordechai Alter, in 1864.

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