“and you shall love your fellow as yourself, I am Hashem.”
(Vayikra 19:18)
How can we possibly love another person as much as we love our self?
The Meshech Chochma writes that the meaning of as yourself
isn’t part of the command but rather part of the explanation of this Mitzvah.
He explains that there are two types of love. One comes from being the
recipient of good. People tend to love those that give them benefit. This is a
low type of love because it’s root is really one’s love for oneself.
A greater type of love comes from commonality. Shoemakers naturally tend to
love other shoemakers. People with similar interests are attracted to each
other.
This is the meaning of the verse: “andyou shall love your fellow
as yourself.” Asyourself explains why we
should love one another. We are so similar. We come from the same ancestors and
we have the same intrinsic aspirations and goals. Every Jewish soul deep down
has the same goal of serving the Almighty. When we look past the surface
differences we will see that we are really quite similar to our neighbor. That
perspective will bring love.
Thank you again Rabbi Beryl Glaser
Did you see this article about the pirates?
They are accused of firing on Saturday at the Italian cruise ship the Melody
- which had more than 1,500 passengers - in an attack repelled by Israeli
security guards.
It seems that our young men after the army are finding very lucrative jobs on
the high seas these days. Kol Ha Kavod to them. I have a personal interest in
following these pirate stories of the seas as it was about 30 odd years ago that
I was travelling in a small sailing boat in these same waters. I was a month on
board a 35 ft. state of the art catamaran, sailing down the red sea into the the
gulf of Eden opening up to the Indian Ocean. There were pirates in those days
too, Albeit, maybe 6 attacks a year. Now there could be six in a week. Gosh
I'm happy to have survived that episode!
You should have a restful healing Holy Shab bass Kodesh
In last week’s Parsha, we find the difference between a Metzorah Musgar, who is someone locked away in order to determine whether he really has a definite Tzoraas affliction, and a Metzora Muchlat, who is someone who definitely has Tzoraas. The person who is suspected of Tzoraas and is put away for a week or two, and then pronounced Tahor, clean, need only take himself and his clothes to the Mikvah. However, the Metzora Muchlat, the definite Metzora, must live separated from people, letting his hair grow, with his clothing torn, screaming to people that he is tamei so that they do not get near him, and eventually, if and when he becomes Tahor, he must go through an entire purification process. HaRav Yechezkel Levenstein, Zt’l, explains that the Metzora Musgar, who was merely locked away for a week or two recognized that he needed to rectify that which he was doing wrong and quickly did Teshuva for his actions. As a result, he was spared much shame, pain and ordeal. On the other hand, the Metzora Muchlat didn’t respond to his Tzoraas with a quick turnaround of Teshuva, and, as a result, had to wallow deeply in the mire of his avaira.
In this week’s Parsha, we find the immense Mitzvah of "V’Ahavta L’Rayacha Komocha" (Vayikra 19:18)--you shall love your fellow as yourself. The scope and breadth of this "K’lal Gadol B’Torah--great principle of the Torah" (Shabbos 31A) includes the following situations which are listed in, or based upon, the teachings of Love Your Neighbor (by Rabbi Zelig Pliskin, Shlita, the wonderful work referred to yesterday). The Mitzvah is fulfilled when:
A craftsman or worker is mindful that he is making a product, or performing a service, not merely for a source of income, but also for the benefit or pleasure of the person who will use it;
Teaching another person Torah;
Forgiving one who has hurt or offended you;
Helping someone by making change for a larger bill or coin, or giving them a quarter for the parking meter;
Going out of your way not to keep people waiting--trying to be the first one present on a conference call or for a meeting;
Intentionally steering clear of annoying others--such as not slamming doors, making screeching noises with your nails, or doing something to which another person present would respond with "Uch"! Or "How could you do that?!" Note here that the "L’Rayacha Komocha" is dependent on the person who is present, and is not the standard of the average person. You must specifically relate to the person who is with you;
Bringing good news or happiness to others;
Getting some air or taking a walk with someone who appears troubled or is clearly in need of talking;
Complimenting someone for their job, effort, or appearance; and
Giving Tzedakah to someone, or helping someone with something he needs help with, **BEFORE** being asked.
May we all be zoche to fulfill this K’lal Gadol B’Torah!
The Ramban (Vayikra 13, 47) writes that tzora’as is a completely supernatural phenomenon. It occurs only in the chosen land of Eretz Yisroel, it will befall only the Jewish People - and only when they maintain an elevated level of spirituality. When an aveirah is committed in such a spiritually charged environment, Hashem causes tzora’as to appear on the sinner’s house, clothing or body to indicate that He has distanced Himself from the offender as a result of the transgression. Rav Wolbe writes (Da’as Shlomo) that in such an era, Bnei Yisroel lived with an amazing amount of Hashgacha Pratis. One who spoke lashon hara would immediately be punished with tzora’as; as if Hashem were literally speaking to him as two friends would speak to each other. Even so, the Ramban writes that people were only afflicted with tzora’as after Bnei Yisroel conquered and divided Eretz Yisroel. Despite the straightforwardness of Hashem’s message, only after they were settled would they have the peace of mind to be able to fully recognize Hashem and His Hashgacha Pratis. Rav Wolbe continues that the essence of the Torah is to help us reach such a level of Hashgacha Pratis. The Rambam writes that the purpose of the mitzvos is to aid us in diverting our thoughts from the mundane in favor of living completely with Hashem, so to speak, enveloped in Hashgacha Pratis. Moreover, the very inception of the Jewish People as a nation was brought about through Hashem demonstrating to Pharaoh and teaching Bnei Yisroel that, "I am Hashem in the midst of the land" i.e. constant Divine Providence. It is interesting to note that the Seder is constructed in such a manner which helps us fulfill the dictum, "In every generation a person is obligated to feel as if he left Mitzrayim." We eat maror and charoses so that we can "taste" the bitterness of bondage and relate to the servitude that the Jews experienced. We eat matzah and drink the four cups of wine while reclining, so that our bodies sense the exhilaration of freedom. Why must we experience the exodus? Wouldn’t retelling the wonders and miracles of Yetzias Miztrayim suffice to bring us to emunah in Hashem? The answer is that we are striving to achieve more than just concretizing our belief in Hashem. We are trying to bring ourselves to a state where we too are enveloped in Hashem’s Hashgacha Pratis. We are to come to the realization that, "Originally our forefather’s worshipped idols and now Hashemhas brought us into His service." Right now on the Seder night, Hashem is taking us by the hand and guiding us - the ultimate Hashgacha Pratis. Unfortunately, Hashgacha Pratis is an abstract concept for many of us; we acknowledge it in our minds but it never makes its way to our hearts. What is a practical application of Hashgacha Pratis to which we can relate? Many people feel pangs of jealousy. This one has a middah which he is lacking and the other has better intellectual capabilities (all the while oblivious to their deficiencies). There are even those who wish they could forgo their talents so that they need not answer to all those who expect more from them. The Mashgiach writes that the solution to these problems is internalizing the concept of Hashgacha Pratis. Every person was put in his particular situation with a plethora of external and internal factors that are hand tailored for his unique purpose in life. It won’t help to be like your neighbor or friend, because you will never accomplish what you have to accomplish. Rav Naftoli Amsterdam once commented to his Rebbe, Rav Yisroel Salanter, that if he would have the intellectual capacity of the Sha’agas Aryeh (a renowned genius), the heart of the Yesod V’shoresh Ha’avodah, and the middos of Rebbe (Rav Yisroel Salanter), then he would be able to properly serve Hashem. To which Rav Yisroel responded, "Rav Naftoli, with your mind, with your heart and with your middos you can become the true oveid Hashem you are supposed to be."
This dvar Torah was compiled Le’iluy Nishmas the Mashgiach Harav Shlomo ben R’ Moshe z"l
Well for those poor souls who were not able to find the time or energy to cut their hair before Pesach, this year as Rosh Chodesh Iyar falls on Erev Shabbas and Shabbas, according to all minhagim it is permissible on Erev Shabbas, to cut one’s hair and shave one’s beard in honour of the "tosefet simcha" ( extra joy) that we have. The
Mishna Brurer actually brings this down as " there is to permit " under these circumstances. However, there is a well known opinion that we don’t cut our hair on Rosh Chodesh. Period. So the word on the street so to speak is Rabbi Shienberg permits. I heard it from my Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Mordechai Goldstien, Shlita. So that’s what we did, Eliazar had his solo appearance as family barber, and we are now all ready for Tosefes Rosh Chodesh Shabbas Kodesh. See you soon at the wedding.
Rb Yossi Ponak
This parsha opens with the final day of the dedication ceremony of the
Tabernacle. Moshe tells Aharon to offer certain sacrifices. “And Moshe said
to Aharon: ‘Go close to the Alter and offer your sin offering and your burnt
offering, to atone for yourself and the people.” (Vayikra 9:7)
Why did Moshe have to tell Aharon to “go close”? Rashi quotes Chazal
that Aharon was embarrassed to approach the Alter. Moshe had to persuade him.
Moshe said: “Why be embarrassed? For this reason you were chosen.”
Why was Aharon embarrassed and what was Moshe’s persuasion?
The Nachalas Yaakov explains that Aharon was embarrassed because of his
participation in the Golden Calf. Moshe understood and responded that the
Almighty choose him to be the Cohen Gadol exactly for that reason.
The trait of embarrassment is a branch of humility. It is a most
praiseworthy character trait. It comes from realizing one’s faults and
limitations. It leads to many great character qualities, and guards a person
from many transgressions. It isn’t a debilitating personality weakness, but
rather an honest assessment of one’s limitations. It’s the opposite of chutzpa
and makes one beloved by all. The Almighty was looking specifically for someone
like Aharon who possessed the trait of embarrassment to be the Cohen Gadol.
Thank - you again Rabbi Beryl Glaser, and may your son Chaim Shmuel merit a
full recovery.
I presume you survived Pesach and are carefully counting the days of the
Omer. I too am counting the days... till Lag Be Omer, when my daughter Sara
gets married. The invitation is on the way. I hope you will join me in this
Simcha in Yerushalayim...Ye ru sha layim...
Have a great Shab bass, ( I grilled 3 grey mullet, come a get it
!!!)
Why is the Shabbas before Pesach called Shabbas Hagadol ? - Because of
the miracle that happened on that Shabbas, before we went out of Egypt. The
Mishna Brerer explains, that in the year that we went out of Egypt, it was the
tenth of Nisan ,,,Shabbas, and we took each one from Israel a sheep to sacrifice
, and we tied it to the posts of the beds, and the Egyptians saw this and
they asked, why are you doing this, and we answered them, to slaughter it in
the name of Pesach according to the commandment of our G-d. And their teeth
were blackened , since the Jews were going to slaughter their god. and they
couldn’t do anything about it.
And so, since that year the 10th of the month was Shabbas ,therefore it was
fixed that the Shabbas before Pesach would be called Shabbas Hagadol..
Great except for 2 dynamite Kashas of the beer Hative. - which goes like
this. If the ness was on the 10th- make it the 10 of every month, and call that
day the great day. - and further, the Beit Yosef asked, if that’s the case that
the Egyptians were freaked out and couldn’t do anything about their god being
taken, then all 4 days from the 10th till the 14 th should be called the great
days, since the Egyptians were unable to do anything all those days.
The answer is -- Only on this particular day, Shabbas did the Egyptians
really believe that the Jews were gong to slaughter their god, and why weren’t
they doing it, - Because it was Shabbas !, and they knew that it was forbidden
to slaughter on Shabbas for the Jews. But when shabbas was over, then they
would surely slaughter their god. So it comes out that only that Shabbas did
the Egyptians have that immense fear and worry over their god, because what
happened the next day, when the Jews didn’t kill their god. they said Ha ! We
can’t take back our god, but you cant touch it either. ]
I read something that I thought you might like to think about. Who do you
think wrote these words, and which mitzvah is he speaking about."
"The man that is so inspired to do this, will share a goodly portion in
everything that is generated from his efforts. He will delight in the Eternal
delights - that no physical eye has ever seen. It is beyond human understanding
to fathom and perceive the quantity and quality of the reward of this Mitzvah.
The effort is relatively small and the reward is great - beyond all our ability
to value and measure. Every man should put his eye and the power of his
intellect to this great thing - and he will be a Master of his soul.
And what about this, isn’t this the wildest ? What is the name of this
lizard and what country does it inhabit.? The world’s heaviest lizards, can grow
up to 3 meters (10 feet) in length and have a toxic bite that they use to kill
prey such as buffalo, returning to feast when the animal succumbs to the poison.
Despite their ungainly appearance, the carnivorous reptiles can run as fast as a
dog in short bursts, jump up on their hind legs, and kill animals with a blow of
their powerful tail. Keep connected and the answer will be revealed next week,
Shabbas Ha Gadol.
And now a word of Torah from my son Reuven, who with another 2 of my boys
has returned from Yeshiva to be at home for the next month. The month of our
redemption, let we only merit it soon.
The famous question as to why is there a small aleph in Va Yikra. So
Reuven gave me 3 answers of which I will only tell you 2. Rav Chiam Vitale
brings down that because of what happened when Moshe Rebainu came down the
Mountain and saw the golden calf ( Masey Ha Egal) he lost 1000 shades of his Zif
Ha Panim( radiance of his face) The word 1000 in Hebrew is elef spelt the the
same way as the Hebrew letter alef. By Hashem making a small Alef, we are to
understand that because of this incident, Moshe Rebainu lost 1000 shades of his
radiance. Ziv Hapanim.
The second answer is according to the Kli Yakar and he says " What is the
first Parsha in the chamash that children in Kita "alef " learn.? Why its Va
Yikra !!! the small alef is a sign to us from Hashem that the first Parsha that
we should teach our children is none other then this weeks Parsha. Thank - you
Reuven Ponak.
And now one more thing. This Shabbas its my Bar Mitzvah Parsha that I
memorised as a 13 year old. Unfortunately, I don’t remember it because it also
happens to come out as the Shabbas before the Yourtziet of my Mother. And our
Rav here on Metzad holds that unless the Haftorah is read from a real parchment,
then the one who gets Maftir is obligated to read himself. And that means me,
so I’m practicing. Wish me success.
I’m sure everyone knows that we moved the clocks ahead last night, Baruch
Hashem for the extra hour. I’m about to grill hamburgers with my special soy
sauce and honey marinade, and its late.
Have the most Kedusha filled Shab bass, sorry no fish this week.
Bin Laden stated that, as the Americans start pulling out of Iraq
jihad must be relocated to "the Palestinian territories."
DEBKAfile's counter-terror sources point to his key phrase as
being: "Jordan… is the best and widest front, and from Jordan the second
launching will be toward the West Bank."
I'm sure glad we know where its going to be coming from !! G-d forbid.
There is a young couple who just moved in next door to me. I saw them together
a few minutes ago standing at the edge of their patio. They were looking past
the security road and barbed wire fence, over the Judean desert to the
mountains of Jordan beyond. I wonder what they were thinking about. The truth
is they weren't smiling at their Hollywood view. I'll have to invite them over
for a Shabbas meal soon and tell them not to worry.
The second Pasuk in this weeks double Parsha talks about Shabbas. " Six
days may work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be holiness to you, a
sabbath of strict rest to the Eternal..." A Rabbi told me that he heard from
another Rabbi that Shabbas is literally the central force in a persons week.
Look at the days of the week as a Menorah. Shabbas is in the middle. The
spiritual energy that a persons receives from Shabbas lasts him through to Wed.
when the energy of the coming Shabbas kicks in and uplifts ones soul till he
actually brings in the new Shabbas.
I hope this thought finds you all well. There were so many juicy topics to choose from this week, but because I will have to take a break until the hecticness of my trip to Florida and Pesach is over, I wanted to leave you with the following.
The parsha begins with the subject of Shabbos. The Alexander Rebbe, while in the 'resort' city of Carlsbad, told a 'chasidishe vort' to R' Avrohom Grodzensky. The gemara tells us that Hashem made a special request to Moshe to tell the Jewish people, that H-E had a very special gift in H-S treasury which H-E is giving to them - and that gift is Shabbos. The gemara explains that it means that Hashem wanted Moshe to tell them of the great reward of Shabbos. "What does this mean," asked the Rebbe." I will illustrate it with a true story. The great Rebbe, R' Shmelke of Nikolsburg, was sitting and learning in his house one day when someone knocked on the door. He told the person to enter. It was a poor man who looked like he was at the end of his rope begging for a donation. The Rebbe looked in his wallet, in the drawer - not even a penny did he have in the house. He had an idea though -" would you accept it if I gave you something which you could sell and get some money that way," he asked the beggar. "Why not " he replied. The Rebbe searched the house for something that was not needed at that time and came across, in the closet, a very nice dress that the rebbetzin was saving for their daughter's dowry. He took it thinking that his daughter was not yet close to the age of marriage so it wouldn't be missed right now, and by the time they would need one they would get another. He gave it to the man who thanked him and left with the dress under his arm. Just as he left, the rebbetzin walked in and seeing a stranger walking out with something under his arm, asked the Rebbe what had just transpired. He told her exactly what happenned. Not pleased she wailed," but that was for the dowry!" He said that he knew but… "but not only was the dress for the dowry, but all the cash that I have scraped together over the years for the wedding and dowry, was in the pocket of that dress!!! She shreiked. The Rebbe was visibly shaken by this revelation, and he grabbed his hat and ran out the door, after the beggar. It was an extraordinary sight - The holy Rebbe of Nikolsburg chasing a beggar through the streets of Nikolsburg ! Those witnessing the event immediately assumed that the beggar had robbed the Rebbe and was making his escape. They joined in the chase and apprehended the poor bewildered man and held him until the Rebbe finally reached them. The Rebbe was yelling, "let him go , it's okay, I gave it to him!" He turned to the still terrified man and said, " I just wanted to tell you that when you sell the dress, make sure you take the cash out of the pocket first - there is a hidden treasure in there."
The Rebbe from Alexander said," that is what Hashem asked Moshe to tell them - "don't just take the gift at face value. Don't just think that Shabbos consists of chulent and a good sleep - make sure to find the hidden spiritual treasure within. The Maggid of Koznitz puts this idea to a parable : A very wealthy man moved into a small town, bought a huge plot of land and proceeded to build a phenomenal mansion. Besides the huge palace, there was a fantastic amount of lush land around the property. At the boundary lines of his property, he erected quite a security system - two solid, 3 foot wide stone walls, separated by a 10 foot area into which he placed a pack of Rotweilers, and then outside of that, a double barbed-wire fence. No one in town knew what went on behind those walls but the rumors started to fly of magnificent gardens, creeks and ponds full of rare fish, and … One smartalec decided to brave the security by digging under the system to finally satisfy his and everyone else's curiosity. In the dead of night, for two weeks straight, he dug and dug until he finally reached past the inner stone wall. His heart was racing and breathing heavy as he pushed up the final piece of earth and stuck his head through the hole. Opening his eyes expecting to be dazzled by who knows what, he almost fainted - there was nothing - just empty land!! The Maggid said - does that make any sense? To build an intricate security system to protect nothing? Shabbos is protected by 39 melachos and all their derivatives along with all the Rabbinic prohibitions and protections - does it make sense for Hashem to construct such a detailed and intricate security system simply to insure our ability to have a good piece of kugel and/or shmaltz herring and a nap?? I thought that now, before we go through a bunch of Holy days, we should all give some thought to two things. Although Yom Tov is by its very nature and definition, different than Shabbos, the concept is true for it as well. Secondly, we should all give thought to the imbedded Shabbosos in this Yom Tov season (for example instead of looking at this year's Shabbos Chol Hamoed as the ' third day of a three-day Yom Tov ', let us not lose sight of the fact that it is Shabbos.
How to capture the hidden treasure of Shabbos ( and Yom Tov ) is best done through learning of Torah. I am not denigrating eating and drinking and sleeping and socializing, but we all must realize that the true value of Shabbos can only be realized through its twinning with Torah - going to a shiur, learning on your own or with a chavrusa or for a nice ' sholom bayis ' touch, learning something together with your spouse. B"H I will get to see you all one way or another over the next little while and I hope we can all draw great meaning and inspiration from each other and the great gifts of Shabbos and Pesach.
Have a wonderful Shabbos, and from the thought for the week, a wonderful Yom Tov. I love you all. 'd' p.s If Moshiach doesn't come before it, may this be the last Pesach that we are not all together celebrating it in Yerushalayim !!! Xoxoxo 'd'
Rav Wolbe cites two explanations offered by the meforshim on how the Mishkan succeeded in causing the Shechina to rest among Bnei Yisroel. The first explanation is offered by the Kuzari who explains that the rules of nature are in reality a manifestation of Hashem’s command. Hashem created the world in a way that specific actions bring about certain desired results. When one plants a seed in the ground, a plant sprouts, while if one would do the exact same action upon a rock he would see no such results. The Kuzari continues that the same holds true for the mitzvos. Mitzvos are the spiritual counterpart of physical nature. When they are performed exactly as Hashem commanded, it brings about the desired outcome; Hashem’s Shechina is brought into the world. We do the "preparatory actions" through the performance of the mitzvos, and Hashem brings about the anticipated outcome. Therefore, we do not need to try to understand why specifically a menorah, shulchan, aron and the other vessels are needed to bring the Shechina into this world. In order for the Shechina to be able to reside in an abode here on earth, specific conditions must be present. The conditions are the proper construction of the Mishkan and its vessels. If there is even one stone missing from the corner of the mizbeiach, the heavenly fire will not descend to consume the korbanos that lay upon it. Spirituality is no less a reality than physicality. It is not enough to be a "Jew in our heart." Our goal is to connect to Hashem, and solely practicing yoga, meditation or any other human concocted idea will not bring about this desired result. The only way to accomplish this is through the meticulous performance of His mitzvos. The second explanation is offered by the Sforno and others. They expound on how each vessel in the Mishkan represents a different quality needed in one’s avodas Hashem. The combination of all these qualities creates an appropriate condition for Hashem’s Shechina to reside on earth. Rav Wolbe comments that with this approach, it is possible to understand that the entire creation is made up of symbols that represent spiritual concepts. Chazal tell us (Brachos 32a) that there is no artist like Hashem, for He has the ability to not only paint a picture but to breathe life into it too. Just as the artist’s painting on paper represents objects found in this world, so too, everything that the Master Artist "paints" represents spiritual ideas and concepts. The Mekubalim explain that the right hand symbolizes mercy and the left hand symbolizes strict judgment, and therefore, the left hand is weaker than the right because Hashem’s compassion is exercised to a greater extent than strict judgment. The same holds true for the all the limbs in a person’s body; each one represents a way to understand Hashem more deeply. The Reishis Chochma writes that it is difficult for one who is not married to get a true picture of what it means to love Hashem, for he hasn’t experienced the love created through marriage. Rav Wolbe takes this idea a step further and suggests that it might be possible that Hashem created the concept of love between a husband and wife for this reason alone - to gain an idea of what it means to love Hashem. Everything we observe in the creation can serve as a lesson in our avodas Hashem. It all depends on how you look at it.
This dvar Torah was compiled Le’iluy Nishmas the Mashgiach Harav Shlomo ben R’ Moshe z"l
What a week !!! I don’t know about you but I’m glad this ones over. What
with Purim, and Purim again in Yerushalayim, my legs are stiff and butter at the
same time, figure that one out. The chef’s choice of fish, sea bream in
English, Sargo in the Mediterranean basin and Denis in Israel. Its fast to
cook, very few bones and easy to fillet, and very tasty. I think we grow the
best ones in Eretz Yisroel. Shmuel,my son-in-law and the owner of Domo’s, the
Japanese and sushi Restaurant in Jerusalem Mircaz Ha Ir, invited the family for
the seuda in his home outside Yershalayim. He bribed us with fresh Denis, one
for each person as the appetizer ( it was understood that I would grill it.),
and so it was. 20 - 1/2 kilo home spawned Sea bream. The fish chefs dream. And
it came out perfect, I have to admit, and a fun time was had by one and all.
And the next day it was real work. The steak. Marinated in my special soy
honey etc. ( its a secret till you write me in person) My Ravs wife who hired
me ended up grilling with me all afternoon. I think there must have been a
million steaks and about 2 million pargiot. That’s not even talking about the
sea bream and salmon that I grilled for breakfast shalach manot. She may have
been the best help I’ve had in along time. It certainly wasn’t an easy
task, especially when you are using real charcoal as your fuel and a homemade box
to put it in. And now a word from our sponsors : Literally, its the Torah that
holds up the world.
Did you know that if a person arrives in Yerushalayim on the night of the
15 th -Purim for Yerushalayim, and is planning to stay the night and the next
day, the law is that before he sleeps he must read the Megilla. Up until the
dawn of the day. In other words, when I dropped off 2 of my children in
Jerusalem at 9:00 PM, after having spent the entire day having Purim in Bnie
Brak, these children of mine now must find a Megilla reading or find a Kosher
Megilla and read for themselves. So it turned out that’s what they did. A
neighbor had a Megilla and my son knows how to read, so he read for his sister,
and continued on his way.
I was glad to hear that you all had nice and happy times on Purim. I'm sure we all learned something from this great holiday of joy, chesed, love for our fellow Jews, bitachon and Kiddush Hashem. Juxtaposed to that is the terrible story in this week's parsha of the Eigel - the golden calf - at least according to some commentaries a sin more about Chillul Hashem than about idol worship. I just want to share with you a little bit about the paramount importance of making and living a life of Kiddush Hashem - bringing honor to Hashem's name through being a good Jew.
The Talmud Yerushalmi tells of Shimon ben Shetach, one of the only great Rabbis not killed in a very dark time of our history. He was very much in demand as a teacher because he was the Godol Hador and because most of the good teachers had been killed. Students flocked to learn from him but he had to turn them down because he had no time - he was also a farmer ( he needed to support his family too ) and was busy planting etc. The students decided to buy him a mule to help him get his work done faster so he would be able to find some time for teaching. They could only afford a "previously enjoyed" second hand mule which they bought for him. As they were preparing it for him, the mule excreted some waste but with it came out a huge gem. They ran to their rebbe and excitedly declared, " rebbe,you are rich - now you can afford to completely give up the farming and devote all your time to learning and teaching Torah"! He replied, "do you think that Shimon ben Shetach is so anxious to be rich? Give it back to the Arab from whom you bought the mule." They protested that the halacha states that in this case they were not required to give it back (I'll explain the technicalities if you want to know). He answered them that that was true, but this was an opportunity to make a Kiddush Hashem. They returned the gem to the Arab and told him why. The Arab's response - blessed be the G-D of Shimon ben Shetach. Even in the face of the chance to legally keep the gem and accomplish so much learning and teaching of Torah for the rest of his life, he taught us that it is greater to bring honor to Hashem in front of one arab one time.
R' Shmuel bar Susretai was in Rome. The princess lost one of her most precious jewels. An announcement was made throughout the city that whoever finds the jewel and returns it within 30 days would be richly rewarded but after 30 days searches would be conducted in every nook and cranny of the city and if the jewel would be found in anyone's possession, they would be put to death - even if they would willingly give it up. R' Shmuel found it after 2 weeks but did not return it. After the 30 days were over he took the Jewel and presented himself at the palace. The guards wisked him into the princess's quarters to give her the jewel and see if he should be executed. She asked R' Shmuel when he found it. He answered that he found it 2 weeks ago. "So why did you not bring it in right away," she asked. I did it this way because I didn't want you to think that a Jew only returns something for a reward and also I didn't want you to think that a Jew would only return it to save his life - I am returning it now when there is no reward and according to the announcement, I am risking my life to do so .The princess's response - blessed be the G-D of Shmuel bar Susretai. Kiddush Hashem is so important that it is worth even risking one's life for.
These are of course extraordinary examples of great men and hopefully we are not going to be required to face such challenges, but let us all be reminded that Kiddush Hashem is just as potent and important within our small circles of friends and families and even (perhaps most of all) in complete privacy. One example - when you sit down to eat and you was, make a bracha of ' al netilas yadayim ', make a bracha ' hamotzi ', and after finishing, you bench, you haven't simply fulfilled some mitzvos of making brachos. You have done all those things because you (even ) subconciously say to yourself " this is what a Jew does because Hashem wants us to." You have declared, without anyone watching, that you are aquiecing to Hashem's wishes and that at least in this instance you have shown that H-S wishes are important - you have brought honor and glory to Hashem.
How "lucky" we are that we have so many simple ways of doing so many great things. Let's all be aware of the things we do and what they mean and BEZ"H they will spur us on to ever greater heights. Have a wonderful Shabbos. I love you all. 'd'
The Cohen Gadol wore eight exquisite garments. One of them was the Robe
(m’il). Hanging from the bottom of the Robe were bells. Many explanations
are given for these bells. Rabbeinu Bachya compares the Cohen Gadol to a visitor
to the King’s palace. He must be announced before he enters. So too the bells of
the Robe announce the entrance of the Cohen Gadol into the Tabernacle, the
Palace of the Almighty. In addition the Tabernacle was filled with administering
angels. Had the Cohen Gadol entered unannounced the angels would have killed him
on the spot.
Rabbeinu Bachya goes on to note an inconsistency. On Yom Kippur, when the
Cohen Gadol enters the Holy of Holies, he wears the garments of an ordinary
Cohen. These garments don’t include the Robe. Why isn’t this improper and indeed
dangerous?
One day a year, when we are busy repenting and requesting atonement, the
Almighty brings us very close. He makes us a part of His household so to speak.
Just as a member of a household comes and goes unannounced, so too the Cohen
Gadol on Yom Kippur comes and goes from the Holy of Holies unannounced.
Happy are the Jewish People who have such a close relationship to their
Father in Heaven!
Thank - you Rabbi Beryl Glaser, my ex - next door neighbor, for this word.
His son Chaim Shmuel, came home from the hospital, Tel Ha Shomer a couple of
weeks ago. He still frequents a Jerusalem hospital quite often, but he is home
in a wheelchair,and has good mobility in his upper torso. So the family had to
move to a different home on Metzad. One without stairs to get to the front
door. A home in the town center of Metzad close to the Shul was completely
renovated for him and his family. Thanks to Ha Kodesh Baruch Hu, When he had
the traffic accident on Chol A Moid Pesach a year ago, the Dr's. said there was
little chance of survival. He he not only surviving but he is thriving.
Purim: I will end off now with something that probably everyone knows. Why
is Purim even greater then Yom Kippur ? It is because the words say so. Yom
(the day ) ki (like) pur (Purim). So you see proof positive that Purim is
greater. If I don't write you a special Purim Torah,(which I probably won't
have time to do, as our whole family is going to my daughter Shaindle and
Shmulik the Restaurateur. Its along way to go from Metzad, but he promised us
each our own sea bream (which of course I will grill ) then Lamb for the main
course.
Hi Kids, From speaking with you all on the phone, I am hearing that B"H all is well and IY"H things will continue that way.R’ Vallach tells a beautiful story this week and I hope to connect it to Purim as well.
A group of chasidim organized to spend a Shabbos in Chernobyl with the Rebbe R’ Mordechai ZT"L ( no Mordechai is not the Purim connection ). They hired a wagon and driver but not before assuring the driver, a misnaged ( non-chasid ), that he could daven in the big non-chasidic shul in Chernobyl and still be welcome to stay and eat with them, and that they would be prepared to return home Asap after Shabbos. They arrived in Chernobyl Friday afternoon, settled at their place of accomodation and proceeded to have a wonderful, inspirational Shabbos with the many chasidim and of course with the Rebbe. The driver, uninvolved and oblivious to the chasidic atmosphere around him, spent Shabbos his own way. As soon as Shabbos was over he rushed over to the group announcing that he was ready for the trip back immediately, as they had guaranteed. They begged off just a bit saying that the minhag was to get a Birchas Preida - a parting blessing from the Rebbe, before going home. The driver reluctantly agreed to the small delay. The chasidim convinced him that while he was waiting anyway, he might as well get a bracha too. R’ Mordechai was in the practice of not only giving out a quick bracha, but he also ’interviewed each person who came in and gave them some advice as well. The driver entered the Rebbe’s room, and the Rebbe, in a friendly manner, asked him who he was - he hadn’t noticed him in shul or at any of the gatherings. He replied that he was just a driver, not a chasid, but was convinced to anyway get a bracha from a tzadik. The Rebbe said of course he would bless him but first he inquired, "what is your typical day like?" The driver answered that it depended whether he had a trip that day or not - when he did not have a trip he was good Jew - he would awaken early to say the whole T’hillim before davening, then daven slowly with the minyan and after davening he would say other things before going home to eat. He would then do some maintenance on his horse and wagon, take care of this and that and before he knew it he was back in shul for some learning before Mincha and Maariv, supper and bedtime. On days when he had a trip things were different. He had to get up before dawn and prepare for the trip, pick up the passengers at dawn to take advantage of the sunlight. Davening would be a grabbed opportunity during a quick break to slap on his tefillin and say Shma and shmoneh esrai at breakneck speed. He didn’t have the luxury of being a good Jew while he was trying to make a living, he admitted to the Rebbe sheepishly. The Rebbe, accused the man of not telling the whole truth. The driver did not understand. The Rebbe asked, " even on the days that you have a trip, what do you do before you prepare the things for the trip - right when you get up don’t you say Modeh Ani and before you go to sleep those nights don’t you say the bracha of Hamapil"? "of course , the driver said,"that goes without saying". "So", the Rebbe analyzed, "you admit that you know that you entrust your very life to Hashem every night and every morning you get up and thank H-M for returning to you your soul - your life and then you say the brachos thanking Hashem for the fact that you woke up with everything functioning healthily again; let me tell you a story:
There was a poor melamed (teacher of small children) who barely made ends meet. One day his wife alerted him to the fact that their oldest daughter was approaching shidduch age and when people inquired about what type of dowry the parents were prepared to offer, she did not know what to reply. They talked and talked and decided that he would divvy his students out to other teachers and take to the road to try and raise money for the dowry. When asked about it, she was to say that there would be a dowry, but only when he returned. She made him promise that he would return exactly one year from that date. He travelled from town to village to city, living in the beggars quarters and after eight months,decided that he had done well and it was time to start heading home. Of course he took a different route to try and collect even more on the way and three days before his scheduled arrival date in his town, he found himself in a small close by village on erev Shabbos. He decided to spend Shabbos there and then head on home. He was hosted by the richest man in town who treated him royally. Before Shabbos he realized that this village was too small to afford a rabbi, where he would usually entrust his money and so he was forced to ask his host if he had a safe place to put his money over Shabbos. The host gladly obliged and showed him his safe where he put the money to the man’s satisfaction. While in the middle of Kabbalas Shabbos, a terrible fright came upon the man - he had entrusted the host with all that he had worked for the whole year - and did not write out a reciept!! Dark thoughts of grand larceny swirled around his increasingly obsessing mind. While everyone around him was having a wonderful Shabbos, in shul, at delicious meals with harmonious zmiros and warm family atmosphere, he didn’t enjoy a thing and was only itching for Shabbos to end to be able to check on his money. Unfortunately for him though, no one was in a great rush to end Shabbos and by the time havdalah finally ended, he was bursting as he approached his host to retrieve his money. The host obliged with a smile and opened the safe. The three bags looked untouched but he was so self-brainwashed into suspecting foul play that he began to count the coins - perhaps during Shabbos the host couldn’t control himself and grabbed some coins, leaving the bags looking intact. He counted the bag with the gold coins first - 47 - ok so far and he opened the bag with the silver ones. He counted out 156 - that one was not touched and then he opened the bag of copper coins - the pennies - and started to count when he felt an angry slap on his hand. His host, completely insulted said," I realized too right after Shabbos started that we had forgotten to make a reciept and knew that because of that your mood had gone dark. I saw that you were fidgeting all night and day and that nothing I could even say to you would console you and alleviate your suspicions of me. I even understood when you counted the gold and then the silver coins thinking that I may have been tempted. But after finding that nothing was missing from the more valuable bags you are still so obsessed to think that I would steal a few pennies?!" The Rebbe said to the wagon driver," you admit that you wholeheartedly believe that you entrust Hashem with your life and your health every night and thank H-M for restoring it every morning. Yet you demonstrate by your actions that when it comes to your livelihood, you can’t just rely on Hashem alone, you can’t take the time to do the right thing and daven to H-M properly because if you don’t rush you won’t make the money - if H-E can be trusted with your life, don’t you think H-E can be relied upon to make sure you get your due?!"
The Rebbe blessed him and the journey home began. In the wagon the chasidim were reminicing about the wonderful Shabbos they had and how inspired they were from the various aspects of it. Suddenly the wagon driver turned around to them and said," if that is what inspired you, then I was for sure inspired more than any of you." After telling them of his conversation with the Rebbe, no one could disagree.
OK, this is way too long. This is a story worth studying. Of course we can learn about bitachon and level-headedness. But just to point out to you that Mordechai was a man who would not budge from his principles. He was convinced of the truth and righteousness of those principles and valued them even in the face of death ( Haman could have easily killed him for not bowing down to him ). To put it another way, Mordechai brought his bitachon to life. That was what the Rebbe was telling the wagon driver - if you already believe, then value and live your beliefs. May we all take strength from the noble examples of Mordechai and Esther, enhance our emunah and act on our bitachon - then we will find ourselves truly happy and content - Mishenichnas Adar Marbim B’simcha.
Have a wonderful Shabbos and a happy, fun and life-improving Purim (and don’t drink too much!! ) I love you all ’d’
As we saw in last week’s Parsha, the Aron consisted of solid wood, plated inside and outside with gold. In spite of the fact that the Aron was plated with gold much more valuable than the wood it covered, the Aron is nevertheless referred to in the Torah as the "Aron atzei shitim--the acacia wood Aron". Why is it that the Aron is described as wooden--and not as a more valuable and respected golden Aron? HaRav Shimshon Dovid Pincus, Z’tl, answers that, in fact, wood more aptly describes the Aron because wood is something that grows and that regenerates. Indeed, even if one cuts down a tree to the ground, its roots are left and a new tree can sprout forth. Gold may be valuable in this world, but it has no inherent capacity to live or grow. Our Torah is much more aptly described with wood for "etz chaim he--it is a living tree"--it enables one--even one who was down and out--to reinvigorate himself and renew his life.
Rav Pincus notes that this is the special nature of the month of Adar, and of Purim, as well. It is a time of Hischadshus--of a new lease on life both physically and spiritually. It is no wonder then, that after experiencing the miracles of Purim, our people’s immediate reaction was "kimu v’kiblu"--a rededication and revival to Torah commitment.
There is another important aspect to the days we are enveloped by. When one is flying on a plane which begins to experience some turbulence, he may be annoyed and find his way back to his seat, but, despite the fact that he is miles above the ground in a relatively small hunk of metal, he is confident, and even certain, that the pilot will safely navigate through the clouds and storm--without the help of any of the passengers. Now let us look at a lottery, or "Pur", upon which the holiday of Purim is based. When the winning number, or the winning day (as the case may be) is chosen, there is no talent, no third party, no expert consultant, who could have helped make the choice otherwise. It is simply Hashem’s clear, indisputable, unadulterated act. Haman HaRasha was looking for Hashem’s direction and seeming concurrence with his plan, and so he was elated with the lot falling out in the month of Adar--which he felt was Hashem telling him that he would be successful, since Moshe Rabbeinu passed away in that month (tomorrow, the seventh of Adar, is Moshe Rabbeinu’s Yahrzeit).
Everyone in life goes through stages in which he feels unsuccessful in one way or another--and that there is simply nothing that can be done about it. This is what his G-d-given capabilities simply are. Some even feel that way all the time about certain things—I’ll never daven a complete Shemone Esrei with Kavana; I’ll never learn Chumash/Rashi on the Parsha; I’ll never go through Mishnayos; I’ll never improve on my hastiness or my jealousy; I’ll never get rid of this middah or that habit...
In fact, Adar teaches us that the reality can be quite to the contrary. As Chazal (Megillah 13B) teach: "but Haman did not know that Moshe Rabbeinu was **born ** in Adar." Yes, Moshe Rabbeinu passed away in this month--but he was born in the very same month--and look at what he accomplished for all of Mankind forever! What we may feel that we are (and will always be) unsuccessful in are the very things, the very challenges, that Hashem is telling us we can succeed in. We just have to realize that it is Hashem Who places that power into Adar that we may not otherwise know about--and do our part to meet those challenges.
Engraved on the gems that graced the ornamental garments of the Kohen Gadol - the High Priest - were the names of the twelve sons of Yaacov. The Torah states several times that these names awakened an eternal remembrance to HaShem. What was the special attribute of Yaacov’s sons that they were so beloved to HaShem?
The sons of Yaacov focused exclusively and consistently on attaining holiness and purity. Every act they did, including taking care of their personal needs, was dedicated to the sake of Heaven. Their mastery over material pleasure was perfect. Never in their lives did they weaken in the fulfillment of HaShem’s will - both in their Divine service as well as their interpersonal relationships.
The merit of our Patriarchs - Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaacov - was the factor that propelled the sons of Yaacov to attain such a high spiritual level. If so, why weren’t the names of our Patriarchs etched on the gems of the Kohen Gadol?
Our Patriarchs were wholeheartedly committed to HaShem. They desired no personal honor for their efforts. Their entire life’s mission was dedicated to inspiring others to recognize HaShem.
Likewise, they educated their children to dedicate their lives to serve HaShem. Although they were the root of their children’s success, they did not view their children’s spiritual attainment as a personal achievement. Rather, their main concern was to see that their offspring followed in their footsteps, so that the awareness and service of HaShem would exist throughout the generations.
In this light, when the Kohen Gadol entered the Kadash HaKadshim - the inner sanctum - with the names of Yaacov’s sons, HaShem remembered their perfect holiness and favored Israel with abundant and endless blessings. [Based on Ohr RaShaz of the Alter of Kelm]
TODAY: Be encouraged with the knowledge that the merit of our holy ancestors awakens great mercy for you and all of Israel.
Hi Kids, I hope you are all well and that your week is going even better than last week and hopefully part of that is because your Shabbos was an uplifting one. I ask forgiveness from Parshas Trumah because I want to talk to you about Adar. I will try to be brief and to the point.
Chazal tell us "Mishenichnas Adar Marbim B'simcha". As soon as the month of Adar starts and throughoout the entire month, we must strive to constantly increase our level of 'Simcha'. Why are we given a whole month, and specifically the month before Pesach, the time of redemption, to work on, of all things, 'Simcha'. Why if it seems to culminate on Purim, the middle of the month, do we have to keep going until the end. What role does the alcohol we use on Purim, play in the achievement of our goal of 'Simcha'. What is the Torah definition of this concept of 'Simcha' - yes Simcha is 'happiness' but what feeling do we need to have in order to feel and be happy?
It is hard to be brief when there is so much to say, but I"ll try. When Chazal tell us "Who is a rich man - he who is happy with what they have", the word "happy" means satisfied i.e. even though he may want other things, he does not feel like he is missing anything - he feels complete - he feels that his world is good and as it should be. The same could be said in a spiritual sense - whereas there are times in the Jewish calendar year when we must look deep inside and do T'shuvah for our misdeeds, Adar and Purim are given to us as a chance to magnify the positives in our lives - Adar on the spiritual side and Purim adding the dimension of bringing on board the feeling of physical well being too. Rashi (Berachos 4B) tells us in the name of the talmud Yerushalmi that the proper design of davening is to say Shmoneh Esrai immediately after speaking of Ge'ulah (redemption), because if you praise Hashem for redemption and don't ask for your needs right away, it is like knocking on the castle doors and when the king comes to open the doors, you run away before he gets there. My pshat in that B'EZ"H, is that the person speaks of the greatness of Ge'ulah and then gets scared - I am not worthy of all that and certainly not worthy of asking for anything personal - I'm running away. Chazal are telling us that we should not think like that but rather focus on the positive and know that just like Hashem wants to redeem us and bring Moshiach, H-E wants us to ask for personal things and relate to him as a father.Think about the parts of Torah and Mitzvos that we are comfortable with, that are natural for us by now. We can be confident if we take a reckoning of all those things, that we can face The King when H-E opens the doors and H-E will respond positively.
There was a very frum doctor who lived in Germany. He had never been to Poland but had heard so much about the great yeshivos there, the high levels of learning, of soaring levels of spirituality, etc. He decided to see for himself and toured all the great yeshivos and their communities. By the end of his trip he became depressed - how could he return to his life in Germany? Before seeing what he did, he thought he was a fantastic Jew - frum, a ben Torah, professional and well-off. Now after seeing such total dedication to Hashem, how could he ever be satisfied with his lifestyle? He decided that before going home, he would visit the Chafetz Chaim and pour out his heart to him. The Chafetz Chaim smiled and told the doctor a vort. The Torah makes a point to tell us that the 'Tree of Life' was in the center of Gan Eden - why is it so important for us to know that? He answered that the Tree of Life symbolizes life in the world to come - Olam Habah. The Torah is telling us that the path to Olam Habah is equidistant to everyone. All Jews, whether they be Rosh Yeshivas or working people, whatever situation they find themselves in, have the same access to redemption. We can all accomplish our missions and feel accomplished in doing so. The key is to be cognizant of where you are and work with your strengths to bring praise to Hashem in whatever you are doing.
Adar and Purim are about just that. We need a whole month to raise our own self-awareness of our strengths and to whatever degree we can, feel good and complete about our spirituality. On Purim, the Megilla story reminds us of a time when we sat at home with a decree of death on our heads - all was lost. Suddenly, Hashem manipulating the whole story in the background, turns everything around and everything is restored to us. From the darkness into the light, we take stock of all that could have been lost and all that we actually have. What a shame that sometimes us humans need to feel like we've lost everything before we can appreciate what we have ( alcohol, the 'feeling no pain' drink, can jumpstart these thoughts for those that need it ). I hope I was clear as a lot of these ideas are my own thoughts for a change. I bless all of you with the message - may we be zocheh to 'use' the month of Adar and the great eternal message of Purim to learn and experience true happiness, satisfaction and a sense of completeness that will enable us to experience the Geulah Shelaima very sooon.
Have a wonderful Shabbos and whole month. I love you all, 'd'
This certainly has been an exciting week. What with the engagement party
on Tues. night and the ...
We had it in a large private home in Har Noff. The Balas Ha Bayit was one
of Sara's teachers from her school in Ofakim. Sara now works as night house
mother for the American school in Jerusalem, Tiferet B'nos Yacov in
Sanhendria. So 4 of her girls worked from 5 in the morning preparing for the
Erusim. It turned out so nicely decorated and arranged, and such yummy parve
cuisine. I didn't recognize the Kala my daughter, she was so beautiful. And the
Chasan came in with many friends. I bought one bottle of cheap scotch and an
expensive bottle of wine. I figured that with mostly a young Yeshiva crowd,
they wouldn't know the difference, and would just want a healthy shot. But wine
is different. One bottle for the connoisseurs, and you could really taste the
body of the grapes. The whole evening went very well. There was singing and
dancing and words of Torah till after midnight. Many of my dear friends came
by as the evening progressed and gave me and the couple their blessing. I
certainly am a rich man.
And now I would like to tell you a word of Torah that I have been working
on a bit.
Hilchot Shabbas, Siman raish mem tet, sif beit, : " It is forbidden to fix
a meal or a drinking party that you wouldn't normally do on the days of the
week. And even a seudo Erusin( you may not do) because of Koved Shabbas, that
you will enter Shabbas with a good appetite to eat. And all the day is in the
forbidden category." end quote of the Machaber. Now the Rama adds " and a
suedas Mitzva in its right time, such as a Brit Mila or a Pid yon ha ben, it is
permissible to eat a festive meal on Erev Shabbas" In the end, the Halacha is
that the one should make the meal early in the day as when Purim falls on Erev
Shabbas. And in the Beur Halacha the Chofetz Chaim adds. " This is also the law
when you finish a mesecta." ie : If you finish a trakate of Gemorra on Erev
Shabbas, Friday morning, then it is permissible for you to make a seyum ( big
meal, with food and drink) even though it is Erev Shabbas. And if you look in
sif Katan tet in the Mishna Brurer you will see the the halacha is that if a man
and a woman officially become engage on Erev Shabbas then you are permitted to
make the meal on Erev shabbas, and it becomes like a mitzvah bez-man-no( In its
right time) just like Brit Mila and Pidyon Ha ben.
So wish me luck, and Good Shabbas, as the chasan is coming over for
Shabbas, as well as many of my children and their children. And that reminds me
of one more thing. I started learning Hilchos Pu-ru- vu, in the Even Ha
Ezer this week. I'm learning in person from Rabbi Raphael Sadin from koltorah.com/sadin. Then its Kedushin and
in 3 months time I can take the Rabbanute test, and if I pass, I can officially
perform weddings. In other words, I can be the officiating rabbi at my own
daughters wedding on Lag Be'omer. Imagine that. So please have a really great
Shabbat, and be in touch.
Its a Gefilta fish Shabbas. That's what the Chasan says he likes.
What would have happened on Mount Sinai if the Jewish Nation to be, had not
accepted the Torah? Not only would we be buried by the mountain that Hashem
held over our head as a bucket. ( rashi) but the entire creation would return to
To- u- ve - Vo- hu. Void and emptiness. As we see from Gemorra Shabbas 88 A
-Resh Lakish said: Why is it written." And there was evening and there was
morning, the sixth day" What is the purpose of the additional "hey - Ha Shishi,
needs to say only shishi, the extra "the " "hey" -teaches us that the Holy
one blessed be he, stipulated with the Works of Creation and said thereto. " If
Israel accepts the Torah, ye shall exist; but if not, I will turn your back into
emptiness and formlessness "
Pretty cosmic if you ask me.
And you can wish me a Mazal Tov as my daughter Sara became engaged this
week to a beautiful boy, from Chicago, of all places.
Important Numbers
