chofetzchaim

The most suspicious thing about the attempted bombing in Manhattan, was that the driver found a parking spot.

At the seder this year after kiddush, my 1-year-old nephew pointed at the covered matzah and said “challah”. I guess he was skipping right to ma nishtana…

17 Iyar, 5770 Vol. 11, No. 26

Parashas Emor

The Ralbag (ibid.) explains why the Torah prohibits a kohen from defiling himself by coming in contact, or in proximity, of a dead body: The kohanim need to learn to despise earthly matters. Their position as servants of Hashem in the Beis HaMikdash demands that they separate themselves as much as possible from worldly pursuits. The only reason to justify their involvement with a physical body would be to benefit the spiritual aspect of that person, his neshama. Once the neshama has left the body, however, there is no longer any spiritual component that would gain from the interaction, and therefore it should be prohibited as a purely physical activity. If the deceased is a direct relative, on the other hand, the kohen is obligated to defile himself, the Ralbag continues, in order to properly mourn them and to build the necessary family bonds.

d a, yes, that link does go through RSA

Fish and Worms – The Bottom Line

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman

on Monday, April 19, 2010

Under a light at the Machon, we proceeded to pull out numerous Anasaki worms from different types of fish.

After seeing these worms first hand and where they are located, both in the fresh fish and on tapes and pictures from the boats – it is vividly clear that the worms start in the stomach of the fish.

This author personally pulled out one of those worms. Indeed, while writing this article a test tube filled with spiraled up Anisakis worms pulled out during my visit there lies in my front pocket.

This being the case, that the origins of this parasite and the manner in which it enters the fish is now known – the position of those that permit the consumption of fish that are infested with these worms seems to be quite tenuous.

There is another issue too. Even if the worms would be considered to be kosher, the halacha states that if someone is personally disgusted by the consumption of these worms then it is forbidden to eat them as well.

However, if one actually saw the worm proceed from the gizzards into the flesh then, clearly, the Shulchan Aruch would not have permitted such a case.

Are the fish impossible to eat for those who wish to avoid eating worms? Can they be cleaned? Yes. The seasoned inspector can look at a completely skinned fish in 65 seconds if using a light box. Red fish, however, would require an ultra-violet light and need about 90 seconds to inspect properly.

1] As of this writing, the major Kashrus agencies in America are not yet committed to ensure that our fish are free from the Anisakis worm.

2]

3] Some fish producing countries and fish simply do not have the Anasakis worm. This is either because the waters do not have it or because the fish is frozen so quickly after the gizzards have been removed that the worm has no chance of migrating.

Herring – Must scrape and clean the fillet sides and thoroughly cleanse.

Chinese, American, Canadian, and Japanese Salmon fillets may not be used without light box. Farmed salmon in the USA is okay.

There are other types of less common fish as well. Please inquire about them. This author may be reached by email at [email protected]

Nu? I’ll take 56

10 Nisan, 5769 Vol. 10, No. 24 Pesach

[Spring]

The experience of the Jewish people in Egyptian slavery was not merely one of hard labor without compensation. Tortured by the taskmasters and their newborn babies murdered en masse, the Jews suffered in Egypt to an unimaginable degree. When Hashem freed them from bondage, with an unparalleled revelation of His awesome mastery of the forces of nature, the Jews must have felt an overwhelming sense of ecstasy. Imagine concentration camp inmates being liberated by Allied forces, or prisoners being released after years of suffering and torture in Soviet prisons. Would it make an iota of a difference to them if the weather was less than favorable? Would they mind having to walk through a snowfall to their freedom? To our Father in heaven, it did make a difference.

This amazing ability, and the resultant responsibility to show gratitude, is shared by every person, in every generation. If we simply spend a few moments contemplating the unending flow of goodness bestowed upon us by Hashem, we will realize that all our prayers and mitzvos cannot even begin to thank Hashem for all His kindness.

Underwood Family Farm: fruit picking, tractor, ponies, moonbounce,

petting zoo, also a big picnic area

Hike to Sturtevant falls

Snatch!

Whale watching?

5 Nisan, 5770 Vol. 11, No. 22 Parashas Vayikra

As we examine this wager and the man that attempted to anger Hillel, we realize that this man was a wicked individual who employed every means to try to harm Hillel. To Hillel, becoming angry would have been a very serious error. Yet, this man even turned to diabolical psychological tricks to try to reach his nefarious goal. Now, having lost the bet, he has become extremely angry himself, and that anger is all directed at Hillel for causing him this major financial loss. Money obviously means a lot to him, and the value of patience does not. Hillel, nevertheless, did not give up on him. Hillel tried to enlighten him to the importance of humility and patience. Could this man take the lesson to heart? After trying so hard to induce a lack of patience, after losing his valuable bet, and now in a state of rage, could he be at all receptive to this lesson?

The Midrash tells us that this pasuk is refering to a great man sinning; A man as lofty as Adam HaRishon. Adam was so great that the angels thought he was godly. He was on one of the highest levels a human can reach. But yet, the Midrash continues to say that this man who sins must take care to separate himself from the animals, to insure that he does not fall to the lowest of depths. Granted that a man as great as Adam HaRishon may commit a small sin. But would we ever imagine that this sin could drag him to the animalistic depths? Is he truly in danger of sinking so low?

Let us realize that the Yetzer Hara is the greatest enemy we can ever have, and let us try to learn from our nemesis, who never surrenders without a struggle and fights tooth and nail for the smallest gain. He knows quite well that the stakes are extremely high, because we are dealing with eternity. If we make the effort to be vigilant and to avoid even the smallest lowering of our spiritual level, and seize every opportunity to grow, we will find ourselves making consistent strides forward in the positive direction, onward and upward as we elevate ourselves and everything around us to accomplish the ultimate purpose of our existence.

Welcome back yossi z.

6 Adar, 5770 Vol. 11, No. 18 Parashas Terumah

The very same routine mitzvah that we feel lacks gusto and seems humdrum can often generate the spark that ignites a chain reaction of enthusiasm for Torah and mitzvos. Focusing on infrequent mitzvos, or on practices that have popular appeal, is not necessary. Instead, we must each attempt to unleash the power of the mitzvos that we are presently performing. This will infuse our lives with the exuberance and joy of rising each morning to greet a new day, appreciating the incredible privilege bestowed upon us, to serve the Creator of the universe with all our heart and soul.

Eternity:

Song composed by: Yitzy Waldner and Abie Rotenberg

Lyrics by: Bella (Rotenberg) Levitan

Sung by: Yaakov Shwekey

Choir by: Acheinu/ Shapiro brothers

Produced by: Yochi Briskman

Musical arrangements by: Leib Yaakov Rigler

Music recorded at United studios Ramat Gan Israel

Vocals recorded and mixed at: Studio X

Mixed by: Zoha (Baba) Beurger at Studio X

Special thanks to Abie Rotenberg

27 Shevat, 5769 Vol. 10, No. 18 Parashas Mishpatim

[If the Jews would have not made the Golden Calf]

Of course, once the Jews had sinned with the Golden Calf, their sin was a negative factor that weighed against them and the scales of judgement were no longer so overwhelmingly tipped in their merit that they could live forever. Still, the greatness remains in every one of us, because we all have free will and we all can struggle to overcome our yetzer hara. That potential has never left us, and as we look at our fellow Jews, and perhaps more importantly, as we look at ourselves, we must see the grandeur of our potential for holiness. We should appreciate the profound love that Hashem feels for us, to endow us with this incredible blessing of bechira, a potential so lofty that it deserves eternity.

22 Shevat, 5770 Vol. 11, No. 16 Parashas Yisro

Say it loud, say it proud, Say Asay!

You can pre-order Shloime Gertner’s Say Asay at Mostly Music

15 Shevat, 5770 Vol. 11, No. 15 Parashas Beshalach

This might possibly be the major reason that many Jews are disconnected from their heritage. A large number may be aware of many of the mitzvos. However, they perceive it as a dry, illogical collection of demands and restrictions that seem unreasonable and unpleasant. If we could reach out to them and show them the beauty and wisdom of a Torah life, and how Hashem has created us according to the blueprint of His Torah so that we achieve ultimate happiness through the mitzvos, it could open their eyes to a world they never knew existed. If we could give them a taste of the radiance of a real Shabbos, the explanation for a mitzvah or the joy of studying authentic Torah with commentaries, it would change their outlook and open the door to reclaim their priceless inheritance. Let us contemplate our obligation, and our privilege, to share the light of Torah with our fellow Jews, and teach it with its full glory and profound meaning, to illuminate their lives with purpose, satisfaction and genuine happiness, in this world and the world-to-come.

13 Shevat, 5769 Vol. 10, No. 16 Parashas Beshalach

Pride has the ability to twist and distort the human mind. It can mislead even intelligent and great people into accepting completely baseless ideas. Even as the Ephraimites were being enslaved in total subjugation, their arrogance created the delusion that it was safe to escape. Lulled by this sense of invincibility, they fooled themselves into believing a false prophet they normally would have rejected, who led them and their families on a path of total destruction.

Let us realize the dangers of arrogance, and protect ourselves against its insidious and pervasive influence, through the powerful and essential tool of daily mussar study. If we constantly work on our humility, we will not merely become better spouses, parents, neighbors or friends; we will also gain the clarity of vision and judgement to know that our decisions will be based on reality, sound reasoning and the eternal values of our Torah.

http://mikomos.com/wiki/Manhattan

6 Shevat, 5769 Vol. 10, No. 15 Parashas Bo

We must at all times remember that we are here in this world to do our job and to fulfill our personal responsibilities. Ultimately, Hashem is in charge of running the world. Let us humbly accept our mission in life, and by keeping the laws of the Shulchan Aruch, we will bring about the greatest kiddush Hashem possible.

A friend of mine owns Goldmine Wholesale Jewelers of Cedarhurst. They are now offering top dollar for your old, broken, outdated gold. Don’t get cheated by selling your valuables to someone you don’t know and trust! Gold is at an all time high, now’s the time to empty your jewelery box. The old ‘junk’ is worth a lot more than you think.

Call (516) 374-4682 or toll-free (877) 454-9042 or stop by at 524 Central Ave, Cedarhurst, NY.

They can even send a free FedEx pick up at your convenience, evaluate the gold and send you a check right away.

Posting for a friend in response to Volvie:

This piece is lema’an ha’emes, and my apologies in advance to anyone who might be offended. It is not meant to offend anyone.

Volvie wrote:

Mir is more flexible in terms of the type of learning style and hashkofos the students have. Brisk is very monolithic, and opinionated when it comes to both. They have their own shitas and they are very strong minded about them. Culturally, they are also very European.

Correct. Whenever you have a mesorah, it’s important to understand why you do “B” instead of “B” when everyone else does “B”. Just like you explain to your kids why we’re Jewish instead of goyish, and why we’re frum instead of frei, and why we don’t go mixed swimming even though other with yarmulkes do, a good rebbe will explain to his talmidim why he does “A” instead of “B”. When shitas come from a rebbe with many years of learning under his belt instead of the yeshiva coffee room, then tend to be more correct. such is Daas Torah.

Volvie also wrote:

In both learning and Haskofo, Brisk and Chofetz Chaim are an odd couple, and the American Yankee boy type of of Ben Torah that comes from Chofetz Chaim is on the opposite side of the spectrum from the typical “alter litvak” in Brisk.

Correct. I have yet to find where in the torah it says “Thou shalt not be a Harry”. Everyone is entitled to learn Torah and become a lamdan, no matter how American. There is no mitzvah in the Torah to speak in a yeshivish accent and say “oy” instead of “o”.

Volvie further wrote:

In Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim they employ a derech halimud that is considered incorrect in many other Yeshiva circles. They will respond that their derech halimud came from their Rebbe who got it from his father/Rebbe who got it from the Chofetz Chaim. Yet others will claim that the approach to learning there bears no resemblance to the Chofetz Chaim’s, and if the Chofetz Chaim would be alive today he would be the first to disagree with them.

Rav Dovid got his derech from a melamed in Warsaw and the Grana”t, not the Chofetz Chaim ZT”L. As the Chofetz Chaim ZT”L didn’t give shiur it makes sense. It is clear from the gemara that there were distinct derachim in learning (Bavli vs. the Eretz Yisroel way, dbei Rabbi yishamel vs. Rabbi Akiva, etc), and that this continued throughout the rishonim (Ramban-Rashba-Ritva-Ran vs Baalei tosfos, etc) , it is clear that each place followed their rebbe muvhak and their own specific derech, and they didn’t just make a cholent of them. Chofetz Chaim didn’t make up the concept of a Rebbe Muvhak. As very few people today were alive when the Chofetz Chaim was, I find it hard to believe that anyone has the authority to say that the Chofetz Chaim would censure the yeshiva for its approach to learning.

Volvie further wrote:

I heard from a CC rabbi that the Chofetz Chaim colored shirt thing is supposedly an offshoot of the approach that existed in the Slabodka Yeshiva, where Rabbi Lebowitz, the CC Rosh Yeshiva, learned. They focused a lot there on what’s known as Gadlus HaAdam, the greatness of man, and one of the reasons was because in those days Yeshiva guys were considered lowly and it was hard to feel proud to be one. So they made them dress a little spiffy amongst other things, to boost their morale and self-image. The CC people sort of carried that over, and to them, it manifests in their wearing colored shirts. If you ask me, it doesn’t accomplish anything nowadays and just serves to make CC different in the eyes of the rest of the Yeshiva world. I am nobody to tell them what to do, but I don’t see what they’re gaining.

If the purpose of it was to gain favor in the eyes of the yeshivishe oilam, then it accomplishes nothing. However, the purpose is “conservative elegance”, that one dresses as a mentch whom the baalei battim would respect instead of as a “yeshiva bachur”. This derech raised the self-esteem of bachurim in europe, and caused the townspeople in Mir to start respecting the bnei yeshiva once Rav Leizer Yudel Finkel ZT”L went over there. As such it accomplishes plenty.

Volvie further wrote that other say:

The reason some do not consider the Yeshiva on the optimal level, is because:

(a) They go too slow. Tearing apart Rishonim and Achronim has a limit. Knowing Gemora and knowing a lot of it of it has value that they consider to be neglected in your Yeshiva. “B’iyun” doesnt mean to spend all that time tearing apart and rebuilding the Rishinim and Achronim that much. If so, ain l’dovor sof. Your spending time discussing the ins and out of the Meforshim they consider beyond the point of “Iyun” and way into plain “kvetching” and ill spent time.

The yeshiva does have a bekiyus seder where one is expected to cover ground. however, one can’t just quickly read an acharon and understand what he’s saying. The Maharsha and the Maharam wouldn’t write anythign that they didn’t go over in depth with their talmidim. Rav Yaakov Kaminetzky ZT”L approvingly described the yeshiva’s derech as the “derech Hamaharam Schiff”. You just can’t figure out the depth of the Maharam Schiff with a cursory reading. Just because it’s not written in the style of the Griz’ notebooks doesn’t mean it’s not there. Rav Kaminetzky ZT”L was the paragon of emes, and wouldn’t say a lie to placate the yeshiva of his old chavrusa. Rav yaakov Kaminetzky ZT”L also said that today’s Talmidim don’t have the proper respect for the words of the acharonim. As the acharonim are closer to Har Sinai than we are, it makes sense to be cautious when understanding their words. There is a reason Rabbi Akiva eiger didn’t just answer his kashyes with a “cheftza gavra” svara pulled out of a hat. His kahyas were based on emes, and sevaras pulled out of a hat which cannot be read into the gemara or rishon are just not emes.

Volvie further wrote that others say:

c) The emphasis on the Rosh Yeshiva’s Shiur, the amount of time spent on it, and the value given to it (as always “muchrach”) is considered by those other places to be misplaced, the time ill spent, and the entire idea of emphasizing a Shiur to that point as a problem because it it purposeless to do that and counterproductive since what to emphasize and what not, and how much is considered an intergral part of learning.

The Rosh spent his life hearing shiur from the maharm of Ruttenberg. We don’t find him running around Europe hearing shiur from different Rabbeim. We find that the Ritva was a talmid of the rashba. he didn’t go running to tzarfas to hear shiur from the later baalei Tosfos. That is the meaning of a rebbe muvhak. A rebeb teaches you what to say as well as what not to say. Working on the shiur (as opposed to hearing the shiur, saying “shkoyach” at the end, and moving on ) gives you a depth of understanding and an affinity toward emes that is just not possible with the “shkoyach” approach. Pirkei Avos stresses that everyone had one Rebbe Muvhak, not a menagerie of different Rabbeim. This is how you grow- by being able to observe a gadol up close and grow from his torah and middos instead of just being exposed to gedolim through Gadol cards or the signatures on a kol koreh.

Volvie further wrote that:

(d) The above and similar misfocused learning methods constricts the students’ creativity, constricts his Torah focus on one narrow type of thinking thereby preventing him from developing his potential, especially since that potential may lie in learning differently than the single-minded way was taught to think.

This narrowness comes from the emphasis and over-value mainly on one particular rebbe’s Shiur (i.e. the Rosh Yeshiva) and secondarily, over-emphasis on late Achronim.

Correct, emphasis on emes and on understanding the Torah of ones greater than you instead of varfing your own sevaras restrict your “creativity”. you Torah is then closer to emes instead of sheker. Emes is always restricting. Rav Shach came out with his famous kol koreh against iyun because, as he explained, bachurim fill up notebooks with their own sevaros at 18, and at 24 they realize that all of them are sheker. As they have no bekiyus they are left with nothing. If they do bekiyus they at least walk away with something emes. The Chofetz chaim style of iyun is designed to get around this problem- the stress is on emes, and what not to say, as opposed to filling up notebooks with “Toyrah”.

Volvie further wrote that:

The end result of all this is, the way your Yeshiva and its students and alumni learn is not considered up to par with the rest of the Yeshivos. It certainly is different; they consider it worse.

They are welcome to do so. As we have our mesorah, and the haskamah of the acharonim, we feel free to ignore their views.

Volvie continued to write that:

(e) Hashkafically, the Yeshiva is considered to over emphasize going out into Chinuch and Kiruv as opposed to valuing learning for its own sake, and growing into a Gadol B’Torah.

So if learning to teach others isn’t “learning for its own sake”, that means Rav Aharon Kotler ZT”L was not a lomeid lishmah, cholilah. Pirkei Avos 4:5 says that one who learns to learn will get the ability to learn. One who learns to teach others gets to ability to learn and teach. One who learns “al menas laasos” gets all the brachos. So according to the yeshivish world, this makes no sense- one who learns for the sake of his own learning is the highest level! As Pirkei Avos is part of the mishnah, its interpretation is clearly more accurate than he yeshivish velt. Furthermore, the Rosh Hayeshiva said that when one knows that he will need to explain the torah over to others, he learns it on a much deeper level. Finally, the give-and-take of a rebbe with his talmid causes one to gain much higher levels of learning than he can achieve on his opwn- “vetalmidei yoseir mikulam”. Finally, Shma says “veshinantam levanecha”, and “banecha” means Talmidim. Hashem clearly wants us to teach the Torah. Chofetz Chaim didn’t make up the chiyuv to say krias shema twce a day, so Krias shema is assumed to be more accurate than the yeshivishe velt. And if nobody taught anyone the torah because it violates torah lishmah, then the torah would have been forgotten ages ago, cholilah. Clearly this can’t be Hashem’s will.

Volvie adds that

(f) The same over emphasis and focus on one specific way of thinking applies to Divrei Agadita and Mussar as well.

But as Volvie himself ends off,

Another, very very important thing. Nobody in the world, from one end of the Yehsivishe velt to the next, has anything but extreme admiration for the Middos and “ehrlichkeit” of the students that come from Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim. If there is any Yeshiva that is considered to “put out” great Baalei Middos and “mentchlicher” students, it would surely be Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim, above any other.

The connection between the yeshiva’s focus on mussar and the result of its products can’t be ignored. We describe Hashem as Rachum, Chanun, Gomeil Chasadim, Tov uMeitiv, etc. In other words, Hashem is the epitome of middos and mussar. How can anyone knock the yeshiva’s derech on this if it is producing tzelamei Elokim who emulate Hashem? Torah is supposed to teach us Daas torah- in other words, we are supposed to develop a kesher with Hashem and have our minds think more closely like Hashem’s than like mortals (Maharal, Nefesh Hachaim, etc). If Chofetz Chaim is producing such walking embodiments of Hashem’s derech of behavior, they must be closer to the emes than the velt chooses to admit.

Rabbi Paysach Krohn in a lecture he gave in Bal Harbour this past Shabbos said the following… when he goes to a bris he carries his tallis bag in one hand and his kit in the other and he does not have the ability to open the door on his own and yet no one ever opens the door for him save for one place. He said the only people who always open the door for him without fail and in matter of fact, they open the door for him as soon as they see him on the block are Chofetz Chaim bochurim!