Rabbi's Blog

A few years ago I took some flak for quoting a non-Jewish source as support for a dvar Torah message that I wrote. The intent was not, Chas V’Shalom/Heaven forbid to imply that we need a source outside of Torah to prove a point, especially where there are Torah sources to support everything. Rather, I used this quote as something contemporary, something everyone could relate to today. With this disclaimer, I present to you this week’s message!

Does Jerry Seinfeld still work so hard? Jerry Seinfeld’s response to this question is a master class in achieving incredible success. According to Jerry Seinfeld, his simple approach will never let you down.

Seinfeld is famous for his joke-writing routine. Early on he realized the only way to become a better comedian is to write better jokes -- and the only way to write better jokes is to write every day. So, he purchased a large wall calendar, hung it in his office, and every day after writing a new joke, he marked a red X over the date. He remarked, “After a few days, you'll have a chain; just keep at it and the chain will grow longer every day. You'll like seeing that chain, especially when you get a few weeks under your belt. Your only job is to not break the chain."

Seinfeld further explained that he read an article that said when you practice a sport a lot, you literally become a broadband: the nerve pathway in your brain contains a lot more information. As soon as you stop practicing, the pathway begins shrinking back down. Reading that changed my life. I used to wonder, 'Why am I doing these sets, getting on a stage? Don't I know how to do this already?' The answer is no. You must keep doing it. The broadband starts to narrow the moment you stop."

You can't control other people. You can't control timing. You can't control luck. When you think about it, there are very few things you can control except how hard -- and how consistently -- you work. So, if your definition of success includes, at least in part, traditional measures like wealth and professional achievement, consistent effort is the great equalizer.

In a few days thousands upon thousands of Jews from across the globe will be celebrating the seven-and-a-half-year journey through the sea of Talmud. The thirteenth Siyum HaShas will take place on January 1st, 2020. (Actual completion will be on Sunday January 5th) with venues in MetLife stadium in New Jersey to countless communities, Shuls and Batei Midrashim throughout the world. For those who are not familiar with this event, please Google it and be awestruck by the magnitude and the incredible effect Daf Yomi and the once-every-seven-and-a-half-year event has had on the Jewish people throughout the last century. There are many benefits to those who learn the daily page of Talmud and to those who support it. Recent interviews of wives and children of those who learn Daf Yomi explained the benefits they received and continue to feel through the Daf Yomi initiative in which their families participate. But to the individual, what is the primary benefit? Isn’t all and any Torah learning great? The answer is of course! All Torah learning is wonderful and great, but Daf Yomi and many other daily learning regimens give the student an increased capacity to learn as well as an increase in success in learning overall. Every day a person checks the box of another page, eventually to a chapter’s end, heading to the completion of an entire tractate. Ultimately, one looks back, realizing with awe that a number of Gemaros were knocked off, adding to the enthusiasm of beginning to complete one order after another and before long the entire Shas (Shisha Sidrei) is completed.

There is a tremendous amount of stamina necessary to carry this and other consistent processes through to completion. One can ask; “Is it because someone has the innate ability prior to beginning Daf Yomi which sets up the consistency required for day in and day out learning? Or is it an after-the-fact matter that once the person accomplishes the feat he recognizes the daily struggle and challenge which creates the perseverance? It is clear purpose and resolve that gives a person the drive to accomplish that which he sets out to do. This idea is found in the story of Chanukah and the episode of Yosef managing the food supply to Egypt and the other peripheral nations seeking out food during the region’s famine.

In this week’s Parshas Mikeitz the Torah states in Bereishis 42: 6 "ויוסף הוא השליט על הארץ, הוא המשביר לכל עם הארץ, ויבואו אחי יוסף וישתחוו לו אפים ארצה" “Joseph was like a dictator over the land, since he was the only one who rationed out food for all the people. When Joseph’s brothers arrived, they prostrated themselves to him, with their faces to the ground”. The Midrash Tanchuma 42:8 explains that Yosef himself sold the food, and why? Since he did not want to appoint anyone else to be responsible for the sale of food, he knew his family would eventually come down to Egypt to buy food. Therefore, he wanted to be the actual salesperson, enabling him to recognize his brothers when they arrived; they would receive food directly from him. The Ramban explains that it is not befitting a ruler of a land, second in rank to the king of Egypt, that he sell everyone a se’ah [a dry measure] or a half thereof of grain. It was for this reason that our Rabbis were impelled to say that Yosef had ordered at that time that all storehouses except one be closed so that he would be sure to meet his brothers. The Ramban continues to explain that this is in line with the literal interpretation of the passuk: it is possible that the people from all lands came before him, and he would question and investigate them. He would then command the officers to sell so much food to the people of that particular city. Therefore, it became necessary for his brothers, among all those who came from the land of Canaan, to come before him allowing him the opportunity to issue an order especially for them to support his father and family back home.

One could only imagine how busy Yosef would be as second in command to Pharoah. Yet, he felt it necessary to streamline the buying/selling of the grain supply to everyone and anyone who arrived to purchase. Not only was he directly involved in the sale, he was also interviewing and questioning those customers to determine what and how much food to sell them. This scenario undoubtedly took place seven days a week and well beyond regular business hours. Yosef did this on top of and in addition to his regular responsibilities. He was on a mission that required a daily focus and could not risk missing even one day for fear his family would show up that day, causing him to miss them. Each and every day that passed would ultimately bring them closer to seeing them. (Although Chazal tell us the Bnei Yisroel were the first to come from Canaan). Yosef was determined to meet up with his brothers. It would take a daily regimen on the part of Yosef to being the only person to mete out the task necessary to guarantee his success. He displayed consistency to every day and every customer. He was the only one who administered the distribution.

Perhaps it was Yosef’s tenacity and commitment that has been handed down to future generations of Jews to accomplish things, particularly in learning, to be consistent day in and day out, never missing a day, regardless of how many other things requiring attention. There is no question that this has contributed to our increased capacity to learn and retain much more than ever before and to feel and live the success for ourselves, our families, and all of Klal Yisrael. Chazak Chazak V’Nischazeik!

Ah Gut Shabbos & Ah Lichtiga Chanukah Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

Life today, at the dawn of the second decade of the twenty-first century, is markedly different than it was when I was a teenager forty years ago. For the most part, stereotyping anyone or anyplace is no longer acceptable. Despite this, stereotyping happens to be useful when explaining the differences and changes that have occurred over time. This is especially so when describing men’s and women’s experiences and opportunities regarding equality. With this disclaimer, I grew up watching sports which were all predominantly male. Most sports were ‘modified’ for girls, stereotyping the same sports played by boys to be more rough, rugged and vicious. There was, however, at one mirror-image game where the girls were clearly more aggressive and the boys were actually a bit more cowardly. The male version was called dodgeball and the female counter part was called Machanayim.

I’m not sure if all you reading this know what ‘Machanayim’ is; perhaps it was created and predominately played by religious Jewish girls. I personally never fully understood the game and only recently asked someone how it works. Machanayim is a souped-up version of dodgeball which requires greater killer instinct. Traditional dodgeball for boys is, by and large, a cowardly game consisting mostly of running for cover and retreating to the back line. As the other team threw the ball it lost velocity, making it catchable, getting the thrower knocked out of the game. Typically, when someone threw the ball, he would run to the back line as quickly as he could. In order to shorten the game, the teacher or counselor had to move the back line closer to the middle thereby narrowing the amount of area where one could run and hide.

Machanayim, a game played by girls in Jewish schools and summer camps, is similar to dodge ball. The name ‘Machanayim’ comes from the Hebrew word meaning "two encampments", or in this case, two teams. The Game Play is as follows: Players are divided into two encampments with the room split in two, the teams facing each other. The playing area does not extend all the way to the back of the room or court - the two far ends are left empty, and two volunteers, typically one of the better players from each team, are placed behind the opposing team. This player is called "the captain". In Machanayim team A has its captain on the other side of the field behind the back line of team B. Team B has its captain on the opposite side behind the line of team A. Each team can either throw the ball directly against their opponent with a face-to- face attack, or they can throw the ball to their captain, allowing the captain to attack the other team from behind. Essentially, the teams are constantly running back and forth because the back line can become the front line and vice versa. A player who thinks she can hide and hang out in the back is quickly faced by the captain of the opposing team, now directly in her face, forced to either try to catch the ball or run back again to what was previously the front. A ball is thrown into play at the start, although it is not activated (see below). The game is like dodgeball, in that players throw the ball at opponents. When player are hit, they are out. The difference between Machanayim and Dodgeball is that when a player is out in Machanayim, she are still part of the game. Rather than leaving the court, the player goes to the end area behind the opposing team, joining the original volunteer or captain from her team. The start of the game is the Activation: The ball is only eligible for use in getting others out once it has been "activated". To activate a ball, a player must throw it to any other player, on either team, without it hitting the ground. The ball is announced "alive" when it has been activated. As soon as the ball hits the ground, it is pronounced "dead" and needs resuscitation. Winning: When one team runs out of players (they are all behind the opposing team), the captain goes into the middle. The captain has more than one "life" (can be up to 3). Once the captain is out 3 times, the other team wins.

Earlier, I wrote that I am not sure who came up with this fancy game of Dodgeball or for that matter who named it Machanayim. Upon analyzing the game, one could conjure up the name be borne out of a separation of the two sides or two camps, each team against each other. But that simply could apply to dodgeball as well. I think the key in understanding the name is some or at least one member of each team/camp is on the other side leaving the camp split up. The word Machanayim is plural for the word ‘machaneh’ meaning camp.

In Torah study and commentary, we know there is a connection between one Parsha and the next. This is known as Smichos HaPArshios, loosely translated as either the closeness or the connection between one section (Parsha) and the one that follows. Last week’s Parsha ended Bersishis 32:3 stating "ויאמר יעקב כאשר ראם מחנה אלוקים זה, ויקרא שם המקום ההוא מחנים", "And Yaakov said, as I see this is a camp of Elokim, he called the name of the place Machanayim.” The very beginning of Parshas Vayishlah Bereishis 32:4 states: "וישלח יעקב מלאכים לפניו אל עשו אחיו ארצה שעיר שדה אדום" :“And Yaakov sent angels before him to Esau his brother to the land of Seir, in the plains of Edom”. Rashi in verse 2 explains there were angels of Eretz Yisrael that came to greet Yaakov Avinu to escort him into the land. Then in verse 3 Rashi says there were two camps, one from outside the land who came with Yaakov, and one from inside Eretz Yisrael who came to welcome him. In the next Parsha, Rashi, in verse 4 defines these Mal’achim as actual angels, leading us to believe that other commentaries would say they were just ordinary men acting in a messenger role.

From here we can infer that each camp was comprised of messengers that consisted of both ordinary and angelic beings - there was an ordinary camp that had a captain or messenger on the other side to help out from either direction. Whether the threat came from behind or from the front, the family was protected on all sides. Yaakov Avinu’s journeys throughout his life pave his children’s journeys in their future. Just as Yaakov had different kinds of protection and messengers from all sides, so too, we, the Bnei Yisrael, have angels from various sides looking after us, anticipating any danger in the future. There are signs that are sometimes very obvious and others that are hidden or unclear. From this perspective we should feel comforted, given the knowledge that we are protected, we are being looked after. It is up to us to focus in and recognize these signs, some simple and obvious, others unclear, complex. Regardless of the intensity, we all need to open our eyes and minds to what surrounds us. We need to look with deeper clarity and consider that perhaps this is my angel who is with me, shielding me and guiding my future.

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

The Jewish people are known as the ‘People of the Book’, due primarily to our everlasting connection to the Torah, studying and applying its wisdom to life and learning day and night for centuries. Even with the advent of the Internet and the availability of vast resources and texts online, we nevertheless prefer swaying back and forth, immersing ourselves in the traditional study method of learning from an actual sefer in front of us. Books serve many different purposes. They are a source of reference, deepening our knowledge, provide information, give us pleasure and enjoyment and even help us to improve our memory. Two stories, one related to me and the other to my wife, were recently told to us about a former classmate.

A few weeks ago, I received a call from someone in my past, and although I knew the name I could not place where I had known him. This individual let me know that was going to be in San Diego on business. He had the typical questions about davening times, food and lodging options. During the call, I gathered up the courage to ask the uncomfortable question of where we know each other from. He answered, that we went to high school together. My high school class had about one hundred twenty guys; we were not in class with every student. I don’t recall if we were ever in the same class, but I have no doubt that we were in the same grade. I could not picture what he looked like, and the picture I saw of him on his website did not help to connect me to his name. So, I thought to myself, “Hey, let me check our graduation yearbook!” Immediately, I reminded myself (as I’ve done for the past 38 years) that my class never published a senior yearbook, and therefore I could not look anything up in order to put a name together with the face. ☹

A few days later a young man in his early twenties arrived in Shul on a business trip. He explained that he would be here for a few days . Something about him intrigued me. I am always cordial and welcoming to all of our guests, but rarely do I offer them more than a morning cup of coffee. In his case I felt a little different and knowing he was alone, I invited him for dinner. After Mincha /Maariv we walked home and had some small talk before sitting down to eat. The conversation turned to dating as we saw in him a potential shidduch for someone whom we know. He said that he is actually currently dating a girl and it was going well. He mentioned the high school she attended, and my wife exclaimed, “I went to that high school too!” Immediately the young man curiously responded that his mother also went to that same high school. He sheepishly asked my wife how old she was, and my wife keenly asked, “Well, how old is your mother?” At which point he stated his mother’s age, and my wife replied, “So am I,” and continued to ask what his mother’s maiden name was. Before he could even finish responding, my wife told him her first and last name. What were the chances of such a coincidence! Our guest then showed my wife a current picture of his mother, but it did not really look like her old self. At that, my wife jumped up, retrieved her high school yearbook, and lo and behold showed him his mother’s picture. My wife recognized an uncanny resemblance of this young man to her visual memory of his mother and was able to connect his facial features to those of his mother’s. At that point she was able to put a name to the face. 😊

The benefit of having a yearbook versus not having one was so striking to me as these two incidents occurred a week apart. The resemblance of mother and son were prominent and gave cheer to him. It is a great feeling to see the resemblance in siblings, of children to their parents and to other relatives as well. At times, it’s even necessary to prove that some are related to each other. This notion is can be seen in no greater place than in the Torah.

In this week’s parshas Toldos the Torah states in Bereishis 25:19 "ואלה תולדות יצחק בן אברהם, אברהם הוליד את יצחק": “These are the chronicles of Isaac, son of Avraham: Avraham was Isaac’s father”. Rashi’s famous comment regarding the text “Isaac the son of Avraham,”reiterated,, “Avraham begot Isaac”, for the scorners of the generation were saying, “From Avimelech did Sarah conceive, since for many years she tarried with Avraham and did not conceive from him.” What did the Holy One Blessed Be He do? He formed the features of Isaac’s face to be similar to Avraham, causing everyone to attest, “Avraham begot Yitzchok”. And that is why it is written here, “Isaac was the son of Avraham,” for there is testimony that “Avraham begot Isaac.”

Harav Yerucham Asher Warhaftig zt”l explains the words of קלסתר פנים: a similar face of Yitzchok to Avraham not in the physical sense but in the spiritual sense. The spirituality of Yitzchok was on the same level of his father Avraham. There were no differences in their hashkafa/outlook and in their understanding of the Torah/God/and the world. They were on the same page in all areas of Jewish and secular life. A person was able to have the same, identical conversation with Avraham and then with Yitzchok, and vice versa. When someone spoke to one of them it was equivalent to speaking to the other one; that’s how similar they were.

In the name of a great Gadol, HaRav Dovid Solomon, this Rashi is quite difficult to understand. Avraham was called HaIvri because the entire world stood on one side of belief while he stood on the other side in belief of Hashem. Avraham fought with Nimrod, the most powerful man on earth, battled against the major kings of the world, fought against all of the idolatry and practices of the world and emerged victorious. Now Avraham faced scoffers and needed the help of God to come to his rescue and make his face like his son’s in a miraculous way. Why did Avraham need Hashem’s help? Why was it necessary for Hashem come to his aid? The answer is, even the best firefighter needs help against a raging fire. The sad truth is, the power and strength of Leitzanus, of mockery and joking about things, is so powerful it can even strip away Avraham Avinu’s impeccable record of chessed, emes and greatness to the extent people would accuse Avraham of not being the biological father of his son Yitzchok. The power or influence of Leitzanus, mockery, is so strong that even a great warrior and man of unbelievable chessed such as Avraham Avinu needs help to defeat it. Therefore, Avraham needed Siyata Dishmaya - Heavenly assistance - to repeal that kind of rhetoric that spreads like wildfire.

Today, we face a scourge of leitzanus not only from outside the Jewish camp but even from within. Leitzanus is a tactic to shrug off and throw down our responsibility to the learning of Torah andto fulfillment of Mitzvos. It’s a tactic a person uses to make himself feel better by mocking those who are committed to learning and fulfilling mitzvos. We need the spirituality and hashkafa of the previous generations coupled, with heavenly assistance, to eradicate the midda of leitzanus in order to allow each and every one of us to serve HaKadosh Baruch Hu, looking in the Yearbook of our fathers and mothers, modeling and living life as they did.

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

The three-year lease on my car is due to expire in the next few weeks. I am once again faced with questions that I faced three years ago, deciding how I should go about my next means of transportation. Three years ago, my car basically stopped working and was not worth fixing; the car had no notable value. In order to make a long story short, I decided to get a new car rather than a pre-owned or, as they used call it, a used car. Spending the entire day at the dealership, I had to decide whether to buy a new car and finance it or to try something that I’d never done before, to lease it.

Anyone who has had the privilege of dealing with a car salesperson knows how frustrating it is to speak with someone who keeps reminding you that he is helping you to get the best deal possible. For those who have never had this wonderful opportunity, let me give you a quick synopsis. After reassuring me over a dozen times that he is going to take really good care of me, the salesperson asked, “What am I looking for?” So, we reviewed the type of car and features I’d like, and then came the pop question, “What can I afford?” We went over the numbers, and eventually, after waiting a good amount of time, I was told that the vehicle I want could not be had for the amount I wanted to spend. More time went by and I was blandly told that it was not possible to ‘give’ the car away for the price I wanted to spend, basically declaring that they would be ‘losing money on the deal’. Really?! Then there was the time I was ‘hondling’ with the salesperson and, as negotiations were breaking up, the manager was brought in ‘to see what he could do’ to make the deal work. As I walked out the door, the manager said to me, “What if I can close the deal for this price?” I said I’d think about it and then returned a little while later. I said to the manger, “O.K, I can do it for that price.” I thought to myself that now, finally we’ll have a done deal and be out of there in no time with my new car.” SCREEEEEEECH! STOP! He says to me, (the chutzpah) “I did not say I can do it for this price; all I said was if I can give it to you for this price, would it work?” At that point, I turned around went to the other dealership and completed an agreement there. That slight nuance of the word can make or breaks the entire negotiation.

While the power of suggestion is often deceiving, as described above, but it can also work as a measure for promoting something positive, useful and helpful. A statement or question can be understood from opposite perspectives - from good to bad or from right to wrong. *Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel, the Alter from Slobodka, depicts the scenario between Avraham and the city of Sodom. Avraham Avinu was the foundation of Chessed (Kindness) in the world; Sodom, the opposite of everything Avraham stood for, was his adversary. The people of Sodom were the the epitome of callousness and rudeness sprinkled liberally with antipathy. They intentionally intensified their disservice to their neighbors and to each other.. Through their wickedness evil actions, they stood in complete opposition to Avraham. All the goodness that Avraham planted in the world was uprooted by the Sodomites and Amorites. One might conclude that if God considered getting rid of Sodom, the nemesis of Avraham, Avraham would be ecstatic!

Let’s look at the wording and language Avraham uses when speaking to Hashem:

In this week’s parshas Vayera the Torah states in 18:22-24: "ויפנו משם האנשים וילכו סדומה, ואברהם עודנו עמד לפני השם. ויגש אברהם ויאמר, האף תספה צדיק עם רשע. אולי יש חמשים צדיקם בתוך העיר האף תספה ולא תשא למקום למען חמשים הצדיקם אשר בקרבה" :: : “The men turned from where they were, and headed toward Sodom; Avraham was still standing before God. He came forward and said, ‘Will you actually wipe out the innocent together with the guilty? Suppose there are fifty innocent people in the city. Would You still destroy it, and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty-good people inside?’ Avraham’s question to God - will you actually wipe out the innocent with the guilty - is simply understood that the righteous did nothing wrong. Why do they deserve to die with the others? Why should there be collateral damage and punishment? When the angels left, Avraham stood in front of God. Would he have davened that the wicked should be wiped out and the Tzadikim should be left unscathed? If Avraham had done that then he would have been no better than the people of Sodom. Rather, he stood in front of Hashem and prayed not to destroy the wicked so the righteous will remain, but, on the contrary, to daven that because there are possibly fifty righteous people, Hashem would not destroy anyone – not the wicked and not the righteous. Avraham remained truthful to his beliefs and the to Torah and Mesorah of goodness. He did not pray for the downfall of Sodom, but looked instead to the strength of the good people so as to give the wicked the opportunity too change their ways from bad to good and therefore to survive.

The Amidah that Avraham had by standing in front of Hashem is the Amidah that we have today - to bring more goodness and to not necessarily destroy the people who do bad. Instead, we daven for them to change their ways. Avraham was asking how can you, God, wipe out the innocent with the guilty? Change the ‘how can’ to ‘can you’ really destroy the wicked if you have Tzadikim along with them? The answer, of course, would be no. Avraham rhetorically expressed that not only are You, God, not going to destroy the righteous people by exclaiming ‘how can you’ but stating that You, God, can save the evil because of the good. The Rokeach explained that האף תספה is not a language of anger but rather an expression of bewilderment and surprise. Avraham, through prayer, was able to change God’s disposition of Din/Judgment to Rachamim/Mercy. That is the power of Tefilla.

When we are confronted with a challenge and we ask ourselves ‘can we’ the answer is ‘we can’. It all depends upon our attitude. If we learn from Avraham that Chessed overcomes the evil even of Sodom, we ‘can’ change a situation regarding we view such challenges and direct our questions and prayers accordingly.

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

*Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel (1849 Russia – 1927 in the British Mandate of Palestine), also known as Nota Hirsch or Natan Tzvi Finkel, was an influential leader of Orthodox Judaism in Eastern Europe and founder of the Slabodka Yeshiva, in the town of Vilijampolė (a suburb of Kaunas). He is also known by the Yiddish appellation der Alter ("the Elder") and as the Alter of Slabodka. Many of his pupils became major leaders of Orthodox Judaism in the USA and Israel.

*Not to be confused with Nosson Tzvi Finkel of the Mir.

The Mishnah explains that the world stands on three pillars: Torah, Avodah and Gemilus Chasadim - the study of Torah, prayer and acts of kindness. Two of the three, studying Torah and Tefillah – prayer - can be done singularly, by an individual. There’s no question that prayer should be done within a Tzibur , with others together, and learning should be with a study partner with a place of study or a Bais Midrash setting. On the other hand, the mitzva of performing or participating in a Chessed, a kindness, requires at least one other individual, in order to perform the kindness for that person.. Without the other person it is impossible to complete the Chessed. The old cliché, ‘it takes two to tango’ first applied to the Mitzva of Chessed long before the dance was created. Unfortunately, the Mitzvos that are dependent upon one another are more difficult to do. In contrast, Mitzvos that are within our purview are typically within our control. We decide whether to do the mitzva or not; I can daven, choose when or even whether to learn, but it is impossible to complete the Chessed alone; I, the giver, cannot also be the recipient. Alternatively, I the recipient, require the giver.

During the month of Elul, the time of year we prepare for the days of Awe and Judgment, I found myself in Lakewood N.J. a small city with many observant Jews. In my view, a smaller Jewish community has fewer opportunities for Chessed than a larger one. This is not to say there aren’t needs in smaller communities, but the issues and needs multiply as the population expands. For example, we here in San Diego may see one ‘meshulach’/charity collector a week while in the shul where I davened in Lakewood had between fifteen and twenty such individuals every single morning. A second example of simple giving would be when a person might need a car ride because his or her car broke down or is in for repairs. In Lakewood, I could drive around all day as an unpaid ‘Uber/Lyft or taxicab driver, picking up Jews in need of such assistance all day long six days a week. Many families only have one vehicle, and due to the nature of the daily yeshiva schedule, school age children, young marrieds, the elderly, are always hitch-hiking to and from Yeshiva. In these two examples we clearly see opportunity to perform a chessed.

The following is the opinion of this writer,, so I will speak for myself as I’m not sure others feel the same way. Unfortunately for me, when I see collectors scurrying around the Shul collecting, a million thoughts ranging from why do they have to disturb our davening to why can’t they just get a regular job run through my mind. Regarding giving a rides to those caught without a needed car, I think to myself, why didn’t they plan this out? Why couldn’t they arrange to get assistance ahead of time? This is actually the reality of how some people operate, the looking for a ride IS their plan, someone collecting IS working, this is his livelihood. This has been the typical way I viewed these situations in the past. Now it was Elul, the month of introspection, a time to become that better person and develop an attitude towards others as we want God to have toward us. Therefore, I re-focused and analyzed these and other situations to focus on the potential Chessed and make it an actual, a real kindness. This did not require any physical change as to how I would do something, but rather it is a small change in personal attitude and how I approach this Mitzva, which is - no question - a challenge.

The key to kindness is to think about the situation beyond what we see in front of us. Forget about the kid I’m giving a ride for or the man going to yeshiva as being late or disorganized. Think instead about the result: it was because of me that this particular individual was abe to be where they needed to be, hopefully on time rather than late. This person will be able to daven a better Shacharis because I got him there on time. When I give some tzedakah to the collector, I don’t think about him but about the children he’s raising money to help who will have a decent Shabbos dinner or the money to purchase needed shoes or clothing, or the ability to purchase needed medication. By giving the extra dollar, that dollar will contribute to someone’s family to pay down excessive bills. We must realize that the Chessed we do goes far beyond the immediate person in front of us. Chessed, by definition of what giving is really all about, goes far beyond the current situation; that is the key to overcoming those challenging thoughts. This strategy is also found in the Torah for overcoming adversity.

In this week’s parshas Noach the Torah states in Bereishis 7:14 "המה וכל החיה למינה וכל הבהמה למינה וכל הרמש הרמש על הארץ למינהו וכל העוף למינהו כל צפור כל כנף": “They came along with every separate kind of beast, every separate kind of livestock, every separate kind of land animal, and every kind of flying creature - every bird and every winged animal”. The midrashim relate it was not a peaceful year for Noach’s family, who never had time to lie down and sleep for even one full night during the entire twelve-month period of the Mabul. They were responsible for all the thousands of birds, wild animals, domestic animals that had to be fed - each according its own schedule. Some ate by day others by night; it was a 24/7 operation for only eight people. The midrash Socher Tov 1:12 and Midrash Rabbah 28:9 teaches that while Noach was in the Teivah he constantly davened to Hashem and asked to be delivered from this prison; his soul was tired of the smell of lions, bears and panthers. Hashem said to Noach, “It is My decree that you shall not leave this confinement for a full twelve months!”

Rav Eliyahu Dessler in Michtav M’Eliyahu asks what was the purpose of Hashem assigning to Noach and his family this overly-burdensome task of keeping all of the animals alive? Rav Dessler answers that the destruction of the world was due to Chamas/robbery motivated by people’s ego.. To become the builders of the new world, Noach and his family had to work on themselves, cultivating within each of them the opposite trait. The opposite of taking is giving, the opposite of taking what you think is yours is to give back that which is yours. The taking from someone else can only be corrected by giving from yourself. These are the traits of kindness and mercy upon which form the basic principles of Chessed. When a person gives selflessly to a cause, he benefits through inner growth. Noach and his family needed to learn to see beyond the present, beyond the difficult and repulsive job they had in the Ark. The only way to see it through was to investigate the future; their efforts maintained the existence of animal life as was known before the flood.

The key to Chessed is seeing within, looking deeply and understanding that what is beyond the challenge that is in front of us lies beauty of giving beyond what we are able to see. Let us all master the Key to Chessed is having vision and understanding that our acts are not limited to the here and now but will have ripple effects to many others beyond the one person in front of us.

There is a standard tradition of asking for mechila – forgiveness - from one another before Yom Kippur. Typically, it is easier to ask forgiveness from someone who isn’t that close to you, such as an acquaintance or a person whom you are friendly but are not really close.. There are the other people who are very good friends and still others who are even closer, such as family. Throughout the year we are more likely to have run-ins and disagreements with people with whom we have close contact throughout the year. . Typically, shortly before Yom Kippur,, someone will approach you to ask for mechila/forgiveness. Immediately we respond, “Of course I forgive you.” Then, without missing a beat, ,we respond by asking forgiveness from from them. But I think there is one group of people who present difficulty with regard to this pleasant two-way forgiveness refrain. For this group, asking for mechila is only a one-way street. Let me explain. Children need to honor and respect their parents. They need to ask forgiveness; the parents do not have to ask forgiveness from a child. (A Rebbi may be in the same category as a parent).

As time and life goes by, not everyone is able to ask their parents forgiveness for a variety of reasons. One obvious reason is because the parent is no longer in this world physically. However, there are situations when a parent is here physically, but mentally the parent is in a different place. In my case my mother a”h is in the next world, and my father Y”BL, who is in this world but is not really aware of what’s going on due to his lack of sight and hearing, cannot respond. There’s no question that as a son I can be doing more for my father. I can call more often, visit a few more times a year, and overall be a better son. On Erev Yom Kippur, as I wished my father a Gut Yom Tov, I asked him forgiveness for anything that I may have done wrong to him or for anything I may not have done correctly for him. This tradition is something we do every year, but this year felt a little different. This past year has seen a decline in my father’s mental ability and diminishing recognition of the people around him. This is in addition to the fact that he is so far away. He is only able to hear a voice on Skype or telephone. Up until this year there was some type of reply, usually a ‘yes’ to the forgiveness from my father before Yom Kippur, but this year was different. There was no reaction after we spoke. No ‘yes’. This made me very nervous. Perhaps he does not forgive me for some of the issues I mentioned earlier, or perhaps there is something else completely different, something that I am unaware of. I keep thinking to myself, perhaps he heard me ask for mechila, and this time he is not ready to forgive me!

Two quick points came to mind, and I came to the realization that I should not be nervous after all. First, I know he doesn’t hear me, and I know his memory is compromised. I know this and I deal with this throughout the entire year. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, I KNOW my father, and despite having gotten angry a few times in his life, he is an extremely forgiving person. There’s no reason for this beautiful characteristic to stop now. My father’s kindness always came through; despite becoming angry, his strong compassionate nature would shine through. Therefore, I felt confident that despite the silence after my request there is no concern that his merciful side would not take over the Din/judgment. This relationship of a parent to a child is uniquely powerful in the sense that the father always has compassion for his child - under any circumstances. We may see the mercy and kindness by a human parent, but does it exist with our Father in Heaven?

In this week’s Parshas HaAzinu the Torah states in Devarim 32:39: "ראו עתה כי אני אני הוא ואין אלוקים עמדי, אני אמית ואחיה מחצתי ואני ארפא ואין מידי מציל" - “But now see! It is I! I am the [only] One! There are no [other] gods with Me! I kill and give life! If I crushed, I will heal! But there is no protection from My power!” Rabbi Shimon Betzalel Neuman, in his sefer Peninim Yekarim, asks why the verse repeats the word ‘Ani’? He explains, based upon a Rashi in Parshas Vaera Shmos 6:2, whereby God spoke to Moshe and said to him, “I am YHVH (Hashem). Whenever God uses the name ‘Hashem’ with regard to a Mitzvah, it’s an expression that He guarantees, is believed that He will pay the reward for the fulfillment of the Mitzva. Likewise, whenever the name of God is used in reference to punishment for a sin, the word Hashem is also used. This is because He is believed to pay a price to the individual for sinning. But this terminology begs the question: Why, by dishing out a punishment, do we use the term Hashem - the YHVH which is used exclusively as an understanding of mercy and not judgment? The classic,general rule is that the name Elokim is reserved for judgment, while the name Hashem is used to describe mercy. Here, by serving a punishment, shouldn’t we use the term Elokim and not Hashem?

The answer is that even when God punishes, it is done with a sense of rachamim/mercy. This directly connects to the way a loving father at times needs to punish his child; it is done in the most merciful way possible. This is what is meant when we recite the verse in Pesukei D’Zimra Tehilim 135:14 that Dovid HaMelech took from Haazinu 32:36 "כי ידין ה' עמו": “For Adonay judges His people”. Even at a time when God is judging and meting out punishment, He does it by mixing in Rachamim/mercy and actually removes the Din/judgment, leaving mercy. The proof is nuanced in the words, “But now see it is I. It is I; this is a guarantee or security that I, Hashem the merciful God Who will pay the reward and warn of the punishment. It is I [Hashem the merciful God] who is believed to pay. It is I, Hashem, and I alone; Elokim is not with me even when teaching or recording the idea of punishment. It is only Hashem and not Elokim.

As Yom Kippur passes we now try to live our life knowing that Hashem forgave us and that the character of mercy overcame the character of justice. As we enter into this new season heralded by the Yom Tov of Sukkos, we can feel a sense of security and compassion that is represented in the symbolism of the Sukkah. As we will sit in the Sukkah next week, we affirm the notion that God judged us with Hashem and mercy and not Elokim with judgment. Sitting, dwelling in the Sukkah immediately after Yom Kippur is a testament to our belief that we have gained atonement through mercy and not through harsh judgment. Let us bask in the glory of Hashem and let His mercy shine upon us and continue to guide and lead us throughout the year.

This year the solar month of September ran neck and neck to the lunar month of Elul. The month of September is by and large the last month of baseball’s regular season preceding the playoffs, while Elul is the last month of the year prior to the post season’s high holidays of Rosh Hashana and Yom HaKippurim. It is during these critical months of Sept/Elul that we prepare for the Big Game, both joining as one in the same pitch.

On Rosh Hashana we hear the pitch of the Shofar blowing, creating a position for us to be successful on the day of judgment. Baseball season boils down to who is going to pitch. Going through the month, I recognized an eerie similarity in the realm of the pitch of the Shofar to the pitching rotation and strategy of who starts and who finishes the game on the mound.

Traditionally, one pitcher pitched the entire game. In the early days of Major League Baseball, substituting a player was not allowed except for sickness or injury. An ineffective pitcher would switch positions with another player on the field. The first relief appearance in the major leagues was in 1876 with Boston Red Caps outfielder Jack Manning switching positions with pitcher Joe Borden. Fast forward to the modern era, a relief pitcher (aka reliever, collectively the bullpen) is a pitcher who specializes is coming into a game started by another pitcher. The difference in usage patterns goes beyond when the pitchers are brought into the game. Unlike starters, who are given several days off after each appearance, relievers are expected to be able to pitch throughout several consecutive games. A relatively recent development in relief pitching is the use of relievers in highly-specific roles. Rather than using all relievers in essentially the same way, as teams do with their starters, managers now try to use each reliever in one of a small number of stereotypical roles that depend on the game situation and the opposing batter. The latest in baseball, an opening pitcher, more frequently referred to as an opener, is a pitcher who specializes in getting the first outs in a game before being replaced by a long reliever or a pitcher who would typically be a starting pitcher. Now, you may be thinking, how does this resemble the blowing of the Shofar?

The Shofar is blown throughout the entire month of Elul except for Erev Rosh Hashana. The Shofar blowing during Elul is just a short blast of Tekiah, Shvarim-Teruah Tekiah at the end of the morning prayer. There were some communities who blew Shofar in the evening after Maariv, but that custom is rarely practiced today. There are many people who can blow Shofar during the month of Elul, but usually they are not the same individuals who blow Shofar on Rosh Hashana. Being a Baal Tokeah (shofar blower) requires skill, stamina and talent. Sure, a few short blows is easy, but on Rosh Hashana the main blower/ Tokea needs to pace himself for the long one-hundred blasts of the day. Each word, i.e. tekiah , shevarim, or teruah, are considered one sound each. During Elul this equals a total of four sounds while Rosh Hashana this equals one hundred kolos/sounds. In baseball there is a reliever, if necessary. Does such a concept exist for blowing the Shofar? Can more than one person blow the Shofar on Rosh Hashana? The Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 585:3 states:אם התחיל לתקוע ולא יכול להשלים ישלים אחר ואפי' ג' או ד' ודי בברכה שבירך הראשון והוא שיהיו שם התוקעים האחרונים בשעת ברכה ואפילו אם בירך ולא יכול לתקוע כלל השני תוקע בלא ברכה ולא הויא ברכה לבטלה: If a person begins to blow the Shofar but cannot finish, someone else can finish. Even three or four people can relieve the starter, and not only can they participate, they do not need to make a Bracha if they heard it already from the beginning. The technical reason this arrangement works is the rule of Kal Yisrael Areivim Zeh BaZeh: every Jew is a guarantor for one another. In essence, we are all like one person, therefore even if another individual comes along to help and complete the blowing of the Shofar, it’s still considered the same one person who is performing the act or the Mitzva. The Shofar may be blown by one or multiple people can join and help. This is the classic example of a starter and reliever. The starter needs to pace himself while the reliever gives it his all right away. In this new age of baseball, with a reliever who starts the game for one or two innings, he gives it his all in the beginning instead of at the end. With regard to the blower of the Shofar, the main pitcher is the Rosh Hashana blower while the reliever - either in the beginning or the end - is the man who does the short stint during Elul. The Jewish people are not just a regular team for the here and now; we are a team that is strung together from game to game, each from one time period to the next.

In this week’s Parshas Nitzavim the Torah states in Devarim 29:13,14 “ולא אתכם לבדכם אנכי כרת את הברית הזאת ואת האלה הזאת. כי את אשר איננו פה עמנו עמד היום לפני ה אלוקינו ואת אשר איננו פה עמנו היום. “But it is not with you alone that I am making this covenant and this dreaded oath. I am making it both with those who are standing here with us today before God our Lord, and with those who are not [yet] here with us today.” On the word ‘yet’ Rashi explains that includes future generations. An obvious question exists: How is it possible to include the future generations in an obligation of a covenant without them being present? Rabbeinu Bachya comments consistently on both verses stating that it is not with you alone, referring to a father who was present. A father is the root and source for his children and for the future branches that will come forth from his [the father’s] roots. Therefore, if the roots were present at the signing of the bris/covenant, then whatever those roots bring forth later are connected and considered an offshoot from their origin. Regarding the second verse “…and with those who are not yet here with us” Rabbeinu Bachya explains those who are not here today in body, but who are here with us today in spirit or with their souls. Other commentaries mention that later generations are dependent upon the previous generations and the previous generations are dependent upon the later generations, vis a vis fulfilling the covenant. Meaning, it’s all or nothing. Those who are here now and those who will be here later; ultimately, Klal Yisrael is viewed as one large body stretching from generation to generation. We do not view the existence of the Jewish people in a vacuum, but rather on a continuum of existence. And so we learn that one Jew can relieve another Jew and carry on the responsibility of fulfilling a particular Mitzva or the ultimate leadership and mission of the Jewish people.

When we hear the blowing of the Shofar on Rosh Hashana, any one of us could be filling that position, taking on that role on behalf of each other. The halacha/law that states we are permitted to have a reliever or substitute for the Shofar blower is not limiting to being given permission to do so. Rather, it is a message that we are all there for each other; we are ready to step in for our fellow Jew in time of need. It is with this lesson in mind we approach the holy and awesome days of Rosh Hashana to let Hashem know that we are not only individuals, but we come as a nation. We come as a people as brothers and sisters ready to help one another. In this merit may we all be zocheh to a Kesiva Va’Chasima Tova, a Happy and sweet New Year!

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

My Jewish identity has always been a source of attraction to others since the earliest times I can remember. As a child growing up in Borough Park (or Boro Park as spelled by the natives!) I was chased by the local non-Jews, forcing me to try to be inconspicuous and walk on the other side of the street. During my high school years I traveled to school on the NYC subway, passing through neighborhoods that were not safe for anyone, especially Jews. I was taunted at times or stared down; I preferred feigning sleep or to fake doing my schoolwork (that was easy to do because I always faked doing my homework throughout high school). Relocating six thousand miles to go to Yeshiva in Israel gave me a completely different sense of pride and joy of being Jewish. Please keep in mind this was in the early 1980’s before the Intifada was conceived. We traveled in taxis owned and driven by Arabs and I shared an entire taxi ride with my cousins (local Arabs), being the only Jew in the cab. Returning to America for me was a religious culture shock, acutely aware of our minority status - even in NY - amongst the gentile population. It only took one incident of a car slowing down to have a bunch of young anti-Semites yell a few obscenities and display some vulgar motions to remind me of where I was, back in the exile. To this day, some yelling of some kind of anti-Jew rhetoric is not uncommon. Since I’m older now and down’t hear as well, I feel less upset by these ‘happenings’, especially since I’m never certain that the rhetoric is directed at me.

Despite my awareness and memory of open anti-Semitic insults remains very clear, the level of attacks of verbal anti-Semitism has not been an issue for me, Baruch Hashem. In fact, over the years I’ve felt a decrease in anti-Semitic name calling. I have written about the many questions I receive about Judaism and religion while I am out and about at a park, mall, or shopping. The questions asked of me typically range from when/what the next holiday is to is how much that individual loves, admires, respects, etc. Israel. Sometimes I get lucky and missionaries actually try to convert me. Recently, I was in a public restroom in the airport and the following situation took place: I was in the bathroom washing my face, trying to refresh from a flight when I was approached by a non-Jew. I was asked point blank by this total stranger, “What is the difference between an orthodox Jew and a regular Jew?” The question took me by surprise, I thought, and I believe Hashem put the best words into my mouth. I paused, looked back at him and said, “Nothing. There is no difference between one Jew and another.” Of course, we know there are differences in the way Jews observe the Torah from everything to nothing, but we are all inherently the children of the same Avos, - the same Fathers - Avraham, Yitzchok and Yaakov. The thread that we all share are the middos, the character traits that are seen in our DNA. There are certain Middos that are only found in a Jew who is either born Jewish or someone who properly converts to Judaism. Part of the conversion is converting the DNA to Jewish traits of Middos tovos. The Torah and Judaism allow for conversion to Judaism, some immediately, others after a few generations, and still some others who can never convert and become Jewish.

In this week’s parsha Ki Saytzay the Torah states in Devarim 23:4: "לא יבוא עמוני ומואבי בקהל השם, גם דור עשירי לא יבוא להם בקהל השם, עד עולם. על דבר אשר לא קדמו אתכם בלחם ובמים..." “ - ”An Ammonite or Moabite [*man] may not enter God’s marriage group. They may never enter God’s marriage group, even after the tenth generation. This is because they did not greet you with bread and water when you were on the way out of Egypt.” Abarbanel comments the Ammonites or Moabites did not give essentials even though Avraham Avinu showed special kindness to their ancestor Lot. Rav Eliyahu Lopian Zt”l elucidates that in dealing with the low life Amalekite where the Torah commands us to blot them out, nevertheless if they come to convert we accept them, but in contrast to children and offspring of Lot we do not accept converts. Regarding Amalek (which is found at the end of this week’s parsha) ,the Torah says “They did not fear God”, but if an Amalekite would accept upon himself the yoke of Torah and Mitzvos, then he would be fearful and in awe of Hashem and would be kasher and acceptable, as is the case regarding any other gentile from any other nation. But Amon and Moav had bad middos; they were destructive and denied and or did not recognize the good that had been done for them. Therefore, they will never be accepted into the Jewish fold and can not convert to Judaism. No exceptions, even to the tenth generation. Amon and Moav can never join the congregation of Hashem, forever.

Is the real reason we don’t accept the Moabites and Amonites into the fold because they didn’t feed us? Maybe we should judge them favorably and give them the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps they lacked the resources necessary to feed and sustain us. If they were a poor people, they would not have had enough bread and water to sustain to an entire nation. Reb Yonason Eybeshutz explains the reason we don’t accept them has nothing to do with food. This eternal denial of acceptance is due to the second part of the verse when the Torah states that they hired the non-Jewish prophet Bilaam to curse the Jews. It was the hatred they displayed by trying to curse us, to deny us any possibility for a future. Obviously, they would not offer us bread and water. We understand the wickedness of their intent; we will not judge them favorably because we know the core reason they refused us bread and water was due to their hatred of us. Someone who hates a people will not and should not deserve to become a part of that nation.

Am Yisral, time and time again throughout our history, has mobilized its forces and unified its energy to help out a Jew no matter who that person may be, anywhere across the globe. We are one body and one soul and at the core there really are no differences when we strip away and peel off the layers of black, white and all colors in between. Nevertheless, even though subconsciously and intellectually every Jew knows and feels this way, our emotions sometime get in the way, keeping us from demonstrating the kinship that we ultimately share. This Elul is the time to look beyond the surface of our differences and see the core of each Neshama, how every one of us comes from the same source. As we see Am Yisrael as an Am Echad, Blev Echad, Hashem, our father in heaven, will look down upon His children with mercy - as a father shows upon his children. Elul is about not about repairing, it’s about recognizing our similarities and looking beyond our differences and it’s about showing the world there is no difference between Jews!

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

*Ammonite or Moabite man but not woman (Yevamos 69a) See Ruth 1:4, 4:13

As we all know, San Diego is a popular vacation and business destination. While businesspeople travel to San Diego year round to attend meetings, conventions, seminars, and the like, they are different than the tourist crowd. Although when a guest appears in Shul, I ask, “Are you here on business or for pleasure,” when they respond that they are here on business, I respond, “Your business here should be pleasurable.” On the other hand, Jewish tourists tend to visit our fair city at specific times of the year, depending upon their children’s school/yeshiva schedules, These calendar breaks also apply to winter vacation,. Some schools follow the secular school calendar, so vacations coincide with the non-Jewish holidays; other schools intentionally create a designated week-long break in January or February. The summer vacation is also organized around similar schedule issues. Some schools are off the full months of July and August while others schedule their summer breaks during the month of Av, resuming school the beginning of Elul. As we head into the new school year for everyone (after Labor Day and Rosh Chodesh Elul), I want to take a look back at some of the highlights and accomplishments of the past summer.

I am proud of the fact that Beth Jacob is a popular destination for so many tourists who come from the full spectrum of Judaism. Sephardim, Ashkenazim, observant and more observant, locals and foreigners all enter our Shul not only feeling welcome but also are immediately made to feel at home. We strive to provide an environment that is welcoming and warm, driving home the point that we openly make every effort to make every visitor’s stay that much more enjoyable, if that is even possible! The help we offer is accepted with appreciation and gratitude by our visitors, often expressing amazement at the warmth of our community At the end of their stay, whether it was a day or a week or more, I ask them if this was their first time to San Diego. If they say yes, I tell them “it won’t be their last visit either; they’ll be back, and we’ll look forward to their return.

Typically, the shul gets used - and abused - from the playground outside to the bathrooms inside and everything in between: the building and premises get used. the kelim mikva, Moishe’s Grill, our shul is a place to regroup and use as a base of operation. And still, this is the least of what we have to offer. The heaviest usage, without a doubt, are within the four walls of the Beis Medrash where davening, learning and the planning of vacation days take place daily. I announce to visitors and guests that the air conditioning blows all day, the lights burn throughout the night, water, tea and coffee available 24/6. The wear and tear on the Shul take its toll, but then again we are here to help and serve Klal Yisroel. Due in part to our hospitality, guests and visitors leave donations to the Shul for all these various reasons, either on-line, contribute cash to the office, write a check or use a credit card for donations. Some actually make use of the pink donation envelopes we have in the Beis Medrash. Last week I pulled one of these pink donation envelopes from the Tzedakah box. On the surface the two-dollar donation seems minimal, but the message is priceless!

On the inside flap of these donation envelopes are choices as to how the visitor wants the donation to be directed - general fund, youth activities, library fund, etc. In the comment section someone wrote, “Ripped pg in a סידור”. Click here Mi K’Amcha Yisroel - Who is like Your people, Yisroel? A prayer book is used for praying, and if used in the normal way, then a person would not be liable to pay damages if it rips. Of course, if it was negligence then he would be liable. My guess is the person was not negligent; it was accidental, yet he still felt obligated to pay something for it. The deeper reason is things that belong to a shul are known as ‘Mamon Hekdesh’ - holy money. While the Beis HaMikdash stood, there was a Mitzva M’ilah: using holy things for personal, use which is a grave sin. The halacha is similar today in that the shul has sanctity. e should not use shul property for personal use unless permission is granted. People did not take things from the Beis HaMikdash because it was “just there”; it was forbidden to take without paying for it. Today’s shul is the representation of the Beis Hamikdash; no one should think the shul is obligated to offer something for people to use just because it’s there. Holy, consecrated things could be used if there is compensation for it. These words ring no louder than in the Torah.

In this week’s Parsha R’Ay the Torah states in Devarim 12:8 “לא תעשון ככל אשר אנחנו עשים פה היום איש כל הישר בעיניו": “You will then not be able to do everything that we are doing, [where each] person does what is right in his eyes.” *Rav Meir Dan Plotsky, in his commentary Kli Chemdah on Torah, explains this verse is a warning to the Jewish people. The warning was about how life would be different in Eretz Yisrael than it was during their time in the desert. Do not think that you will be able to do here in Israel that which you did in the desert. There was no obligation on any individual to bring Olah and sacrificial offerings to the Mishkan, rather every man could do whatever appeared right in his eyes. There was no obligation to bring a Korban, an animal, tithings in the desert for those Mitzvos are dependent and connected to the land of Israel. Sure, they brought sacrifices in the desert, but they were optional and of their free will in contrast to when they were in The Land. In Eretz Yisrael it was no longer optional; it was a requirement. Only after arriving and settling the land were the Bnei Yisrael at rest and ease and therefore had time to undertake these Mitzvos as an obligation. Up until that point the Jews were busy in the desert, traveling from place to place with minimal rest, knowing that at any moment they would need to pack up and go. Hashem did not add the obligation of bringing a korban or sacrifice during the forty years in the desert.

With the Beis HaMikdash destroyed and the Jewish people in exile, the Shechina, God’s presence, is found within the shuls and Batei Midrashim. The Kedusha and holiness exists in these places, thereby the premises and their contents are considered holy. If damaged, restitution is an obligation. Even if one would argue the point of not being obligated, I think everyone would agree that we should not look to take things from the shuls and Batei Midrashim. Rather, we should give and pay because it is considered holy money. These items are forbidden to be used for personal benefit unless authorized for ordinary, day to day usage. If we begin treating our holy houses with proper respect, we will prove that we are worthy to see the return of the Shechina in the permanent Third Beis HaMikdash!!!

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

*Meir Dan Plotsky 1866 - 1928 was the President of Kollel Polen. He was a Talmudic scholar who authored the Kli Chemdah, a commentary on the Torah. He also authored the Chemdas Yisrael on Sefer ha-Mitzvot.

Plotsky was the son of Rabbi Chaim Yitzchak Ber Plotzker of Kutno, who was first a follower of Rav Chanoch Henich of Alexander, but who then became a follower of the Sfas Emes of Ger. At the age of nine, Plotsky was sent to learn in the yeshiva of Rabbi Chaim Eliezer Wax, the Nefesh Chayah, in Kalisz, president of Kupat Rabbi Meir Baal HaNes Kollel Polen. Shortly before his bar mitzvah, he became a disciple of Rabbi Avrohom Bornsztain (the Avnei Nezer), first Sochatchover Rebbe, whom he considered his lifelong rebbe muvhak (primary Torah teacher).

Plotsky married at the age of 15 and spent the next 10 years in Dvohrt with his in-laws. In 1891, he became Rav in Dvohrt. Later he helped expose the forged Yerushalmi on Kodshim, claimed to be discovered by Shlomzo Yehuda Friedlander, who also claimed he was a Sefardi named Shlomo Yehuda Algazi. At the age of 36 Rav Plotsky published his work on the Sefer Hamitzvos of Maimonides, called Chemdas Yisrael. In 1918, he became Rav of Ostrov-Mozbaisk in eastern Poland. He was voted chairman of Agudas Harabbanim of Poland, a prelude to Agudat Israel. At the age of 60, he left the rabbinate to head a large yeshiva in Warsaw, known simply as the Mesivta

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Last week a group of young students rented a car for their vacation. Lo and behold, using different drivers and estimations of fuel in the tank, they ran out of gas on the freeway. As I shook my head in disbelief, they asked me if I’ve ever run out of gas? Baruch Hashem and Bli Ayin Hora I have not, but, I have had some very close calls. One clear instance comes to mind…In the back of my mind I remember that my car needed gas. Being the Chochom (stubborn in this case) that I am, I tend to fill up where I get a discount and therefore habitually arrange to shop at the Costco where they have a gas station. The indicator in my car told me I had 14 miles to empty. I Waze the directions from my house to that Costco and it calculated a distance of 14 miles. Perfect. I decided to take the chance and, while driving, I could only think to myself, ‘I better not run out of gas!’ I remembered a supposed truism that the faster the car is driven the more fuel it burns. Therefore, I tried driving at a reasonable speed of about fifty-five mph and staying in one lane. Staying in the one lane also kept me at a consistent speed since I did not need to slow down or speed up when changing lanes. Lo and behold, when I arrived at the gas station my fuel indicator read three miles to empty! Incredibly, I actually saved gas by using this method of driving. This was all substantiated in a study I later found on-line.

A U.S. News & World Report article in July, 2008, explained how to drive and maximize your gas mileage. By now, most people know the boring basics: Make sure your tires are properly inflated. Change your oil and air filter regularly. Remove heavy items from your car. Still, watch the drivers on any highway, and you'll see fuel being wasted in every lane. That's because many drivers these days simply don't know much about how cars work and don't understand the mechanics of mileage. Jack Pokrzywa, manager of ground vehicle standards for SAE International, which sets technical standards for the automotive industry, explained what makes gas mileage go up or down. Here are some of the most common mileage mistakes:

“Driving too fast. Everybody knows that highway mileage is usually better than city mileage. So the faster, the better, right? Wrong by a mile. Most American cars operate at peak efficiency—generating the most forward momentum with the least amount of fuel—between 50 and 60 miles per hour. There's nothing magical about that range, except that the government establishes the city and highway mpg ratings for cars by operating them within certain speeds for a short period of time. Automakers want to get the highest mpg ratings possible, so they engineer their cars to be most efficient at the speeds at which the government tests them. If the government tested at 30 miles per hour instead, then no doubt carmakers would engineer their vehicles to be most efficient at 30. At speeds over 60 mph, gas mileage drops off a lot more than most drivers probably realize. The aerodynamic drag created by a moving vehicle increases exponentially; it takes more power to overcome the added resistance, forcing the engine to work harder, therefore burning more fuel. A lot more”.

If your car has an on-board computer that displays your instant gas mileage, the difference between 60 mph and 80 mph will be obvious—and substantial. At 60, a typical four-cylinder car might average about 30 mpg; at 80, it could fall to about 20 mpg. In other words, your gas mileage going 80 miles an hour on an open road might barely be better than the mileage you get navigating stoplights and city traffic. The Torah is a full navigation system unto itself. In addition to giving us the route it also dictates how we should drive in order to get there efficiently.

In this week’s Parshas VaEschanan the Torah in Devarim 5:29-30 states: ושמרתם לעשות כאשר צוה השם אלוקיכם אתכם לא תסורו ימין ושמאל. בכל הדרך אשר צוה השם אלוקיכם תלכו למען תחיון וטוב לכם והארכתם ימים בארץ אשר תירשון. “Be careful to do what God your Lord has commanded you, not turning to the right or left. Follow the entire way that God your Lord has commanded you, so that you may live and do well, enduring for a long time on the land that you are going to occupy”.

*Rabbi Abraham Menachem Rapa of Porto (Rappaport) in his commentary Mincha Belula explains the words right and left not as directions but adding and subtracting. The definition of going to the right is understood as adding to the existing 613 mitzvos, while going to the left is the notion of taking away from the 613 mitzvos. Sometimes we think doing more or going faster is better - it pulls to the right. On the other hand, a person pulls to the left to decrease from the Torah’s mitzvos by going slower. In either scenario right and left is synonymous with faster and slower, resulting in something bad on both paths.

Rav Naftoli Tzvi Yehuda Berlin (the Netzi”v) in his commentary Haamek Davar on Torah explains, “be careful what you do” not to add or subtract mitzvos from the Torah that are between man and God. We are forbidden to alter that which we received and have a transition from Hashem. It states we are not deviate to the left or to the right because they are all Chukim - statutes - that are untouchable. The next verse, “follow the entire way,” reflects upon the mitzvos between man and his fellow man. “The entire way” is alluded to at the end of the second chapter of Talmud Bava Metzia as meaning Gemilus Chesed - acts of loving kindness - which refer to people. There again we are directed not to turn to the left or the right. We are to stay on the straight path of doing kindness, as there is no measure to this Mitzvah.

If we stay on a straight path in one lane, not veering to either side we will have the energy and the fuel to get to our final destination. Going slower or faster, left or right, only burns more fuel and energy , causing us to lose mileage, to fall short of our goal. Let’s keep or eyes on the fuel tank and stay on the straight and narrow path the Torah had paved for us, allowing us to have the ability to reach our destination with fuel to spare!

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

*Mincha Belula, commentary on the Five Books of the Torah, by. Verona, 1594.

On the title page and on page 59/b are ownership inscriptions in Italian Hebrew writing: "Pinchas Chai Anav and his brother". [R. Pinchas Chai Anav (died in 1769), an Italian sage, Rabbi in Ferrara, close disciple of R. Yitzchak Lampronti, author of Pachad Yitzchak. The ten volumes of his monumental work Givat Pinchas were never printed. The Chida who met him in Ferrara, wrote about R. Pinchas, "…He was very clever and in 1755, I had merited a number of days enjoying his Torah thoughts at the time I was on a mission there in my youth.”

Well it’s back to the skies again, taking a different look from the tube. You may recall some of my past observations: “It’s all About God” in March, 2015, “The Dreaded Middle Seat” in December, 2017, “Traveling Light” in June, 2019, and another oldie from May, 2016, about “Davening on Planes”. Most of those discussions centered on things other than the passengers accompanying me on the flight. From time to time, I do engage in conversation with a fellow passenger, Jew and non-Jew alike, on various topics from “Are you from San Diego?” to the obvious inquiries about Israel and Judaism. I try to be polite, answering all the queries, depending upon how tired I am and also, in truth, upon how engaging the other person is. The route from San Diego to New York will invariably have people who are either living in New York and visiting San Diego or visiting New York and living in San Diego. Since I’ve lived half my life in each city, I make suggestions to those who are coming and going from coast to coast.

A study from British Bank HSBC in 2018, reveals that over half of the airplane passengers have struck up a conversation with a stranger while on a plane. The findings suggest that one in seven fliers makes a lasting friendship while flying, while 16% add a new business connection to their network. Now that many airlines are testing out inflight Wi-Fi, the opportunities for making connections aren't limited to shooting the breeze with your immediate neighbors. The airplane app Inflighto has a chat function which allows communication between pilot and passenger, while also promoting conversations between travelers on board. Naturally, airborne connections aren’t always ‘plane sailing’. About 48% of surveyed passengers were freaked out if fellow passengers removed their shoes; 65% are put off if another traveler displayed rudeness to a flight attendant and, of course, drinking too much is another no-no, with 46% listing it as a complaint. If you want to impress your seat buddy, respecting their personal space is -- of course -- integral. Some 37% of people hate it when passengers take up too much space in the overhead locker and 32% get overtly upset if someone uses the arm rest. Falling asleep on someone's shoulder (30%) and snoring (26%) also tend to be buzz kills. So, if you're considerate and respectful, perhaps a connection is out there just waiting on a plane you are about to board. It's just a matter of figuring out which of the 107,000 daily scheduled flights they happen to be on.

As progress through the three weeks, about to approach Rosh Chodesh Ave and the beginning of the Nine Days, we all try to do our best in the mitzvos Bein Adam LaChaveiro, the commandments between man and man. Following a flight to the East Coast only a week ago, I was struck about how many ways people find to interact with total strangers while on a plane. For the most part people on a plane are so courteous to each other. Utterances of please, thank you, excuse me, can I help you with that, and so forth are only a few of the comments I am accustomed to hearing during travel. It is also interesting to consider that the chance of every seeing those individuals again are highly unlikely, while our friends - and particularly family members who are closest to us - we tend at times to be obnoxious and rude to. I’ve sometimes wondered what happened to “that person” I was talking to on the airplane,: did they get the job, have a good visit with those they were headed to spend time with, did their trip meet their expectations or not? Is the interaction on planes limited to short, brief comments? Is there a determining factor regarding whether or not it is strictly an on-the-plane situation or beyond? The answers to this and all situations are found in the Torah.

In this week’s Parshios Mattos/Maasei the Torah states in 33:1 אלה מסעי בני ישראל אשר יצאו מארץ מצרים לצבאתם ביד משה ואהרן “These are the journeys of the Israelites, who had left Egypt in organized groups under the leadership of Moshe and Aharon”. Why does the Torah need to say they left Egypt under the leadership of the two leaders? Who else would have been led them? The Midrash addresses this issue saying since the redemption of from Egypt came about through the hands of men of flesh and blood, it could not lead to an eternal state of Geulah/redemption. In other words, it is inevitable that another exile will follow this one - even after the redemption. What will make the difference between one exile and the next is determined by who is exercising it. If human beings are in charge, then it’s not permanent and a follow-up exile will occur. In contrast, when Hashem, with His honor and dignity, takes His people out of exile, it will be the last time. That final redemption will be final and eternal.

This idea is based upon the principle that man is finite and that which we do is not permanent or forever; it is subject to change from time to time and from situation to situation. In differentiating man and God, Hashem’s existence is infinite and eternal. Therefore, when Hashem does something it remains forever perfect, because He is perfect and complete. There is no need for something else to occur. When Hashem does it it is done. This is hinted to in the very first verse of the parsha: “These are the Journeys of the Israelites” noting many journeys, even after this one- departing from Egypt. These journeys and redemptions were performed by Moshe and Aaron, mere mortals who are limited by lifetimes and cannot be defined as eternal.

In a beautiful and keen Remez/hint the Roshei Teivos esplains: The first letter of each of the first four words of the parsha stand for the different exiles to come. The first letter of each of the first four words of Masei are ‘aleph, mem, beis, and yud’. Rabbi Ari Nachum Lubetski in his sefer Nachal Kedumim explains that the ‘aleph’ is for Edom, the ‘mem’ is for Madai, the ‘Beis’ is for Bavel and the ‘yud’ is for Yavan. These are the four exiles post the Egyptian story: Babyloniyan, Persian, Greek and the current Roman exile.

*Reb Yisroel Friedman, the Rebbi from Rhuzin, comments on a more philosophical angle regarding these exiles: Anytime the Torah says V’Eileh, it adds and connects to what was said previously. Here the word is Eileh - without the vav - disconnects and nullifies that which came before it. These travels of the Jewish people represent each person’s travels throughout his lifetime. When a person is on the wrong path, he needs to change direction and cut himself off from his previous actions. We are constantly traveling; we need to realize when to change course or maintain the course we are on. This three-week period is a time of re-setting our moral and halachik compass of life. This is a time we each need to focus on changing the way we treat others and making sure all future travel looks back at the mistakes of the past and the bright ultimate redemption in the near future.

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

*Ruzhin is the name of a Hasidic dynasty founded by Rabbi Yisroel Friedman (1796–1850) in the town of Ruzhyn, Ukraine. Friedman was the first and only Ruzhiner Rebbe. However, his sons and grandsons founded their own dynasties which are collectively known as the "House of Ruzhin". These dynasties, which follow many of the traditions of the Ruzhiner Rebbe, are Bohush, Boyan, Chortkov, Husiatyn, Sadigura, and Shtefanesht. The dynasties of Vizhnitz and Vasloi are related to the Ruzhiner Rebbe through his daughters.

Following up on last week’s message, I would like to share another aspect of experiences from my high school academic career. I was not particularly into test taking or, for that matter, even studying for tests. Despite the advice of educators proclaiming that cramming for an exam is not very beneficial, I, knowing better, reasoned the opposite. “Why should I study or prepare in advance of a test, taking the risk of possibly forgetting the material? I reasoned that it was much better to buckle down and study twenty minutes before the exam. That way the material would be fresh in my mind.” Believe it or not, this strategy did meet with limited success; I did get some of the questions right.

Looking back at my adolescent view of tests, I continue to consider what is the testing process really for? Most educators will tell you that a test is given to measure and assess the student’s growth of knowledge, formally measuring how much information the student retained, was able to process, and apply. I am of the belief that tests in actuality determine the quality and effectiveness of the teacher! Think about it. What student wouldn’t want to do well on an exam? Surely, most students would do whatever it takes to succeed, providing he or she was genuinely motivated and encouraged by the teacher. I believe that the results of student performance on classroom tests are a direct reflection of the focused teaching techniques of the teacher,

I tried using my theory of teaching when answering my parents each time I had to have the tests and quizzes signed off by one of them in order to show the teacher that my parents had been informed and therefore kept in the loop of my academic performance - or lack of. I would defend my lower grade on an exam with the following argument: There was a ten-question test and each question was worth ten points. I got five wrong for a whopping fifty percent, while everyone else in the class scored ninety percent. Obviously, all of them had gotten one of the ten wrong. After carefully analyzing the data of the test, I realized that each student got a different question wrong. That meant that I was not the only student to have gotten that question wrong. To the contrary, each one of the questions that I got wrong another student also got wrong. So, I could surmise that it certainly was not I; it was the teacher who got it wrong. I suppose I could have admitted that occasionally it was my fault, especially if I happened to be the only one who got the wrong answer, but that wasn’t the case!

A teacher’s effectiveness is measured through the growth of his or her students’ love of learning the material; it can be seen through the stimulating, creative and challenging way of presenting the material being taught. My Rebbi, Rabbi Reznick, was all of the above, particularly when it came to giving an exam. He created a twenty-question multiple choice test. . By design, a multiple-choice test has three to five choices and you must choose the best answer possible. Typically, the choices were preceded by letters A,B,C,D. My Rebbi created self-motivation throughout the test with the choice of selection being different numbers such as 4,9,15, or 19. A different set of numbers was presented for each one of the twenty questions. A student could answer each question in order, but if he chose the third answer which, for example, would be 15) he would answer question number 15 instead of question two. If the student answered all twenty questions and did not come back to a question that had already been answered, it meant that the student got them all right and a one hundred percent on the test. I do remember one brilliant fellow, HaRav Shlomo Goder, A”H, who was able to get a perfect score, not by knowing the material per se, but by figuring out the mathematical system. As one could see, tests and their purpose have different goals in different situations. The Torah is replete with leaders and foes of the Jewish people who lived and died by their tests. One such individual who almost passed the test but ultimately failed was Bilaam HaRasha, Bilaam the wicked.

In this week’s reading of Parshas Balak, the Torah states in Bamidbar 24:10 “ויחר אף בלק אל ‘ ‘ “‘ויאמר בלק אל בלעם לקב איבי וגו.בלעם ויספק את כפיו: Enraged at Balaam, Balak struck his hands together. “I called you,” Balak said to Balaam, “to damn my enemies, and instead you have blessed them these three times!” HaRav Yitzchok Shmelkish*in his sefer Beis Yitzchok quotes the Beis HaLevi**and asks why Balak was so angry at Bilaam. Didn’t Bilaam at the very outset tell Balak that he would not speak what God did not tell him to say? But Balaam said to Balak, (Bamidbar 22:38) “And now that I have come to you, have I the power to speak freely? I can utter only the word that God puts into my mouth.” From the beginning Bilaam gave full disclosure that he did not know whether he would be able to curse the Jews. Why would Balak be so angry after the fact?

It is understood that when a person says, “I can’t do such and such a thing,” we know there are two ways to interpret the intent. For example: a person tells his friend go to over to a certain respected individual and, for a great sum of money, slap the person across the face! There is no question any normal person would say, “I can’t do that.” If he turns to another person and asks him to lift the wall of a city for a great sum of money, so, too, here the person would reply, “I can’t do that.” Even though both responses were identical, there is a great difference between them. In truth, in the first case he could carry out the request (or the test), but his sense of decency and normalcy does not allow him to carry it through. In the second scenario, it is simply physically impossible to lift the wall of a city. The practical difference between “I can’t” in the two scenarios is one does not think it is worth it while the other is just incapable. Perhaps, for a lot of money someone would slap another, and if he was smart would tell the recipient of the slap that he’d split the money with him. As far as lifting the wall, all the money in the world could not change the facts on the ground.

When Balak approached Bilaam, at first he was offering money that he thought just wasn’t enough and for that reason to curse the Jews, an honored people, would take more than that. So Balak offered more and Bilaam responded that even if you give me all the money in the world, I can’t do it. Balak viewed Bilaam as the first case while Bilaam was looking at the lifting the wall case.

When we test people and challenge them, it must be something that they can accomplish if they believe it is worth it for them. We can’t challenge and test children or adults with something beyond their capabilities. A teacher, parent, boss or employer that gives a test that is too difficult or material that was not properly explained is the “I can’t” factor - the wall. Creating a test, trial or a task that requires the motivation to prepare, to work hard to succeed is the first case scenario. The Ribbono Shel Olam tests each and everyone one of us daily. Our job, our responsibility, is to see the benefit side of what we gain and how we grow from those experiences and not to get down on ourselves. Let us all rise to the test and all say “I CAN”.

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

*Rov of Lemberg passed away 9 Tishrei 5666/1906

**Yosef Dov Soloveitchik born 1820 in Nesvizh, Minsk, died 1892 in Brest-Litovsk, Grodno was the author of Beis Halevi, by which name he is better known among Talmudic scholars. He was the great-grandson of Rabbi Chaim Volozhin.

It was forty-two years ago of this Thursday - the week of Parshas Korach - when this story took place. Because my grandfather, a”h, couldn’t walk all the way to the Shul we attended, I had a week-end bar mitzva at a hotel in Belle Harbor, N.Y. This was a repeat of my brother’s bar mitzvah; five years earlier he had his bar mitzva there as well.

On Thursday morning my mother, a”h, and I went to pick up the yarmulkes and small pocket siddurim that would be placed in the gift basket for the guests. The yarmulkes came out fine, but the cover of the siddur did not look or feel the way I had anticipated it would look. I was disappointed, dejected, upset and a bit angry. My mother a”h was great under pressure, and as the pressure of the entire weekend was quickly closing in on my mother, she said to me in Yiddish, “עס זאָל זיין די ערגסטע זאַך אַז כאַפּאַנז צו איר” : “It should be the worst thing that happens to you”. Lo and behold, a few hours later my brother, a”h, took me along with a few of his friends golfing at a park near the hotel where the bar mitzva was going to take place. We delivered some of the things later that afternoon in what happened to be our new car, or at least new for our family (a new used car). After a very frustrating afternoon on the golf course followed by delivering the bar mitzva items to the hotel, my brother drove through a weird stop sign and totaled the car! Thank God no one was injured, but after I processed what had happened that day, I thought about those prophetic words my mother, a”h, told me. At the end of the day, all of us must understand that despite things in life not going the way we might want them to go can always be worse.

I wouldn’t categorize the following as a true epiphany, but the following incident brought me back to the wise words my mother, a”h, told me. A few weeks ago the Shul did not order rolls for Shalosh Seudos (the third meal of Shabbos) because we had accumulated a fair amount of freshly frozen rolls in the freezer. Rather than buy more, we chose to use what we had. Unfortunately, through a miscommunication, the rolls were not taken out of the freezer in time to defrost for the meal, and I started to build up a frenzy of anxiety. Then it hit me. So what! Is this the end of the world? Could we not manage? And so, I realized - what if they were frozen! Leave them out for a few minutes and they’ll be edible. But, more than that, I once again remembered the old lesson: this should be the worst thing that happens in Shul, that the rolls were not defrosted in time for Shalosh Seudos!

The question is what do we want to take away from any situation that isn’t as perfect as we thought or had hoped it would be? My intention relaying these two examples are that they stand as illustrations which I have observed in my life. I have no doubt that all of us engage in similar situations every single day of our lives. In fact, the Torah is replete with characters who see both sides in life. Some choose to focus on the fullness while others focus on what is lacking. This week we read of such an individual who only saw what he should have instead of what he does have.

In this week’s Parshas Korach the Torah states in Bamidbar 16:1"ויקח קורח בן יצהר בן קהת בן לוי ודתן ואבירם בני אליאב ואון בן פלת בני ראובן" : “Korach son of Yitzhar (a grandson of Kehas and great grandson of Levi) began a rebellion along with Dasan and Aviram, the sons of Eliav, and On, son of Peleth, descendants of Reuvain”. Now, even though we translated the word ויקח as began, it typically connotes taking or even buying. The Apter Rov, Rav Avraham Yehoshua Heshel of Apt, in his sefer Ohaiv Yisrael, relates a Midrash that Korach “took or bought a bad deal for himself. If someone has the merit, he takes himself and his friend with him to Gan Eden, Paradise, and if he does not merit then he will take his portion and his friend’s portion to Gehinom”. The Apter Rov explains that every kind follows its kind: bad follows bad, good follows good. When a tzadik or a good person rebukes the wicked and he deflects the rebuke, whatever good that person has will now follow the righteous one, and the whatever bad within the good person will be taken by the Rasha - the evil one. This, in turn, means the good of one will follow the good of the other all the way to the bank of Gan Eiden, while the bad of one follows the bad of the other all the way to the landfill and below. Korach ‘took’ the bad of Moshe and Aharon (the bad is a discussion point for another time) with him to the abyss when the earth opened up and swallowed him along with all his followers of bad. Whatever redeeming qualities Korach had were swallowed with him (Korach did have good things but that is also a discussion point and comparison to Moshe for another time).

At the root of Korach’s rebellion was the jealousy he bore towards his first cousin, Moshe. Korach felt that he should have been appointed the Kohein Gadol and accused Moshe of nepotism. Korach was a brilliant talmid chacham, and prior to this terrible event was respected by all. The Midrash Rabbah 18:1 informs us that he was one of the top officials to Pharoah. Gemaras in Pesachim 119a, Sanhedrin 110a and Targum Yonason Ben Uziel here in 16:19 describe Korach as extremely wealthy. The Zohar says in relation to Korach, ‘taking’ whoever chases and takes what is not his, it will run away from him, and more so, that which he has will be completely lost. Korach lost all that he had, and he did not gain from that which he sought out.

From our human perspective nothing and no one in the world is perfect. From above everything is correct, good and perfect. We are blessed with so much of the good, yet we get upset when things are not as perfect as we thought they should be. This concept is different than the definition of who is rich, someone who is happy with his lot. This is a nuance of when that last piece or the final touches are slightly off or completely gone, we should focus on the main part that we still have. If the cherry on top falls off or the icing gets wiped away, we still have the cake. That is the part of having your cake and eating it too. These little things should not bother us. We need to learn to just stop and remind ourselves that this should be the worst thing that happens to you and to me!!!

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

An oxymoron is a literary device in which two contradictory words are used together.A good example of the oxymoron is the phrase “deafening silence.” Have you ever read that ‘the silence was deafening’? Or were you ever told that ‘your silence is deafening’? How can silence be deafening? After all, it’s clear that an extremely loud noise – such as an explosion - is deafening, but silence is the absence of any noise. Rare is a time in my life that there is complete silence. Growing up in the city and spending time in the country always has its share of different kinds of noises. Perhaps some of us can remember walking in a dense woods or standing outside in the midst of a vast desert that, for just a few seconds is wrapped in quiet, free of bird sounds, free of rustling wind, or even the scurrying of some animal. This is an experience devoid of all sound, and the silence can be deafening. Otherwise, life is full of noises.

If you were to stop and think, or, better yet stop and listen, the myriad of sounds and noises our ears bring to our brains is truly incredible. In reality, it is the ear that brings all sound to the brain which then deciphers just what that sound is and where it is coming from. Rarely do we have the time to stop and listen for different sounds and messages that life sends to us. The hissing of a snake can warn us of danger while the howling of the wind prepares us for a storm. Frequently, we are able to tune out some sounds that are not directly related to us. For example, when a child cries or babbles in Shul, I only “hear” that sound if it is my child (or today, my grandchild). If, on the other hand, that cry or babbling was noise coming from someone else’s child, the sound is typically ignored. Please take just a moment to process or “hear” the following noises……Achoo, Babbling, Cough, Gargle, Gibberish, Hiccup, Hum, Chomp. Awooga, Bang, Boom, Beep Beep Beep, Ding Dong, Fizz, Flutter, Honk, Kaboom, Oom-pah, Ping, Plop, Slosh, Splash, Squish, Swish, Thump, Tick Tick Tick, Tick tock, Vroom, Whoosh, Zap, Ching, Clink. Bark, Bleat, Buzz, Chirp Chirp, Growling, Hiss, Hoot, Meow, Moo, Purr, Quack, Ribbit, Roar, Screech, Bells, Whistles, Crash, Clash, Wham, Smack, Whomp, Whump, Thump, Bump. This is just a short list of onomatopoeias, words that imitate, resemble or suggest the source of the sound that they describe.

In Judaism we have sounds that express grief and sorrow as well as happiness and joy. But, primarily the sounds we’ve grown accustomed to hear are associated with certain mitzvos, such as hearing the sound of the shofar on Rosh Hashana. In the time the laws of the Jubilee were being announced, we also heard the Shofar on Yom Kippur of the fiftieth year. Today, in Yerushalayim and other cities in Eretz Yisrael, the sound of some type of horn is blasted incrementally announcing that the time to usher in Shabbos is drawing near. This blasting of a warning horn to remind us of apporoaching time is not only symbolic; it reminds us of the blowing of the horn which took place during the Mishnaic period. Throughout the armies of the world, trumpets were blown to indicate the ‘charge’ into battle and were also blown to warn people to run for safety. The Jewish people were no different;the horn was also blown during battle as well as for other purposes, as is seen in this week’s parsha.

In this week’s Parsha B’Haalosecha the Torah states ותקעו בהן ונועדו אליך כל העדה אל פתח אהל מועד: “When both of the trumpets are sounded with a long note, the entire community shall assemble at the Communion Tent entrance.” )Bamidbar 10:3( Then, in verses 4-8, the Torah presents a few different variations of sounds either emanating from only one of the trumpets and the differences between short and long notes of both of the trumpets. The Meam Loez explains that when Hashem wanted to speak to the entire nation, the people were gathered together by blowing one long Tekiah from both trumpets. If the purpose was only to call the Nesiim - the tribal leaders - to gather together, then only one trumpet blew a long Tekiah note. If the purpose was to announce the moving or traveling of the camp, then both trumpets blew a TRT: Tekiah, Teruah, Tekiah. Since a Teruah was one of the sounds heard, the people knew it signaled that the camp needed to initiate travel. The Alshich teaches us that it was the sons of Aharon HaKohein who blew the trumpets and no one else. In addition to the explanation of blowing, further understanding reveals the need to repeat the blowing in each quadrant so that everyone heard and understood that it was time to pack up and go. Many commentaries, understanding the need for a variety of sounds to indicate different messages, considered the possibility that these sounds could easily have been a series of blows that differed one from the other. Upon investigation it becomes clear that there is more to the actual number of trumpets blown and the corresponding different kinds of sounds they produced.

The Netziv in the Haamek Davar says the reason why it says both trumpets were used is because it was clear to hear when two horns were being blown as well as to distinguish when either the sounds were different from each other or when one trumpet played longer notes than the other. Two trumpets were blown for the Kavod, the honor, of the multitude of Jews. It was a call for the entire people! This is in contrast to only one trumpet being blown for the Nesiim, the princes of the tribe, designating them as unique among the people. The Mincha Belulah explains that the leaders were called with one trumpet so as not to create jealousy among them if they were to be called by Moshe and Aharon. Should that occur,,someone would have to be called first and someone last, in contrast to using just one trumpet, allowing everyone to be called at the very same moment.

Rav Shamshon Raphael Hirsch explains the essence of the words Tekiah and Teruah - the long blast and the staccato. A Tekiah is a straight blast/sound whose root is Taukah meaning to thrust, stick, insert, or drive into. The sound of the Tekiah is solid and long, piercing the air, telling the people they cannot break and to go forward with force. The word Teruah is a rattling sound, more like a cry or a rattle. The Teruah is a sound that causes alarm and perhaps even panic. The root of the word Teruah is to be shaky. Rabbeinu Bachya relates that the Tekiah is a straight-forward sound, symbolizing the character of mercy as we see in the verse that states that Hashem extends His right hand in order to receive those who want to return. When it comes to the nation traveling, the Teruah is blown as a sign that the people were about to enter in battle, therefore giving a cause for concern. The Teruah is symbolic of the character of judgment, a significantly scary time for Am Yisrael.

Sounds are the instruments through which we determine what is occurring around us, for good and for bad. We should learn to cut out all the noise and static in life that is basically a distraction and focus instead on the beautiful symphony that Hashem conducts through the messages of sound.

Living in San Diego, a comparatively small community, there are certain limitations regarding certain life-cycle celebratory events. As the old saying goes, “the only two things guaranteed in life are death and taxes”. The joyous occasions of Bris Milah, Pidyon HaBen, and Bar/Bat Mitzvahs do happen in all smaller communities, but weddings are the one event that don’t always take place here in San Diego. Weddings, by definition of terms, include two sides, meaning either the bride or the groom typically come from a different city. Today, with American Jewry spread out across the country, more often that not weddings of local people end up in distant locations more convenient for the families. Nevertheless, last week I not only attended one wedding, but two weddings - back -to-back - one in San Diego the next day the other in Los Angeles.

As I get older and attend weddings where I am older than more than three quarters of the attendees, I can focus and observe quite a bit regarding the individual aspects of the total wedding. There is singing at the Chosson’s tisch/table, followed by some dancing, escorting the groom to veil the bride, but nothing unique or especially exuberant. That outburst of unrestrained exuberance bursts forth when dancing at the arrival of the new couple as they enter the banquet hall for the first time as husband and wife. Jewish dancing is basic; it’s very circular. The men’s circles go around and round sometimes holding hands, putting hands on a fellow dancer’s shoulders, or just clapping. Next time you are at a wedding or simcha, take note of the formations of the circles breaking up and starting anew; look at the inner versus the outer circles. The inner circle starts off with the chosson and fathers, then reaches out to the grandfathers, siblings, relatives, and friends. The outer circles tend to be older people, guests who were invited from the ‘other’ side and people who are just not into or comfortable with dancing per se. An outside observer may think the only important circle is the one in the center with the guests of honor, or the inner circle of friends, and that the outer circle isn’t really doing anything. Each circle serves its own purpose. Ultimately, the outer circle lends support and protection to the inner circle; that inner circle does the same for the center circle. Similar to any army that has many divisions all of whom serve and support each other, no matter their position. There are a number of allegorical as well as real descriptions of things surrounding and supporting central figures.

A less well-known part of my youth occurred around the time of my Bar Mitzva. I was part of a boys’ choir. The lyrics from one of the songs on the album was “שיר המעלות הבוטחים ב"ה כהר ציון לא ימוט לעולם ישב. ירושלים הרים סביב לה וה" סביב לעמו מעתה ועד עולם”: “Those who trust in Hashem are as Mount Zion which cannot be moved but abides forever. Jerusalem is surrounded by mountains, and Hashem is round His people, from now and forever” (Tehillim 125:1,2). This verse reveals the symbolism that the relationship, or marriage, between Hashem and the Jewish people is eternal, like the rock-solid mountains surrounding the Temple Mount which elevated the Beis Hamikdash upon high.

Parshas Bamidbar is typically read prior to the Yom Tov of Shavuos. There are two places in the Torah that highlight the Jewish people surrounding something, in the desert around the Ohel Moed, the Tent of Meeting, and in Parshas Yisro when the Jews circled around Har Sinai preparing to receive the Torah, consequently coinciding with Shavuos. The Torah states in this week’s Parsha Bamidbar 2:2 “איש על דגלו באתת לבית אבותם יחנו בני ישראל מנגד סביב לאהל מועד יחנו.” “The Israelites shall camp with each person near the banner having his paternal family’s insignia. They shall camp at a specified distance around the Communion Tent.”

The Midrash Rabbah on this passuk tells us a great love did Hashem, Blessed is He, have for the Jewish people who made flags and banners just as the ministering angels made in Heaven so they could be recognized for whom they are. The Midrash quotes a verse that displays the love Hashem had for the Jewish people at this time. In Shir HaShirim 2:4 Shlomo HaMelech states:

“הביאני אל בית היין ודגלו עלי אהבה”: “He brought me to the chamber of wine (Torah delights) and my banner clustered my encampments about Him in love”. The house or chamber of wine refers to the Tent of Meeting. The Torah Temimah explains the Midrash that the house of wine refers to Sinai because the Torah was stored there in preparation for its giving from the time of creation, just as wine is stored in a cellar. Rashi explains the second half of the verse,”… and His banner upon me is love” refers the gathering of the tribes around the Tabernacle in the desert. That, in it of itself, was an act of love. The Vilna Gaon quoted in the Artscroll Shir Hashirim explains that the numerical value of יין - wine - is seventy, alluding to the seventy facets of Torah interpretation, which is an apt description that Har Sinai should be the ‘house’ of this revelation. The numerical value of ודגלו is forty-nine, which equals the forty-nine gates upon which the Torah can be expounded. The Gerrer Rebbe adds to this stating that the forty-nine of the banner hints to the forty-nine days of Sefirah, which is the time of preparation for receiving of the Torah on Shavuos morning.

Reb Aharon Kotler in Mishnas Reb Aharon explains that all areas of holiness and spirituality in serving God must have an order. The camping, traveling and the very design of the Jewish camp in the desert all had a particular order; everything, every aspect was intertwined and based upon each other. The extended explanation the Torah prescribes for the formation of each quadrant of tribes is special and unique; every tribe had its specific assigned location and prominence. The circles of the tribes formed the outer layer to the tribe of Levi; the innermost circle consisted of the Mishkan itself. On the passuk in Shmos 19 which describes the Jewish people camped around Har Sinai to receive the Torah, we became fused together as one one man with one heart. The Jewish people merited to receive the Torah because they respected each other - despite the positioning of where they were located.

When every soldier acknowledges his purpose and role and appreciates the other soldier’s purpose and role, then there is no jealousy between them, only love and support. The order of where everyone is in each given situation is important but only completed by the acknowledgment and acceptance of where they stand. So if you find yourself in the outer circle ,just schlepping along at a wedding, don’t think your presence and your participation is for naught. There is a real sense of belonging – and meaning - to the entire group dancing together to honor the groom – and for the women, to honor the bride. The Yom Tov of Shavuos comes to remind each one of us that we serve a purpose and an important role in the serving of Hashem. Whether you are the one making all the noise and excitement and receiving all the attention, or the quiet one going about his or her business, collectively we make up the total of Am Yisrael.