Podcasts about rav shach

The pasuk in Parashat Vayakhel states that Hashem filled the hearts of Betzalel and Aholiav with wisdom to carry out the intricate work of constructing the Mishkan . Rav Shach asked: Why were these two individuals chosen over anyone else in Klal Yisrael ? He explained that when the people heard Moshe announce Hashem's command to build the Mishkan , no one wanted to take responsibility for such an overwhelming task. It seemed impossible. But Betzalel and Aholiav stepped forward, not because they already possessed the necessary skills, but because they believed in the mission. They understood that "it is not the capable who do, but rather those who do become capable." They wanted to take on the responsibility, and after Moshe appointed them, Hashem filled their hearts with the wisdom they needed to succeed. Their zechut has benefitted Kelal Yisrael for all generations. After David HaMelech killed Goliat, Goliat's brother sought revenge. A man named Elchanan ben Ya'areh struck Goliath's brother down with a weaving tool before he could cause harm. Rashi explains that Elchanan was a descendant of Betzalel, and in the zechut of Betzalel's weaving of the Parochet in the Mishkan , Hashem gave Elchanan the ability to eliminate this threat with the very same type of tool. Another powerful story is told about the father of Rabbi Aholiav Chiyun. He was 90 years old when his son was born. His wife, much younger than him, desperately wanted a child. She went to pray at the kever of Aholiav ben Achisamach in Sidon, and miraculously, they had a son. They named him Aholiav, attributing his birth to the zechut of Aholiav ben Achisamach. At four years old, however, the boy still had not begun to speak. His mother returned to the kever to pray again, bringing her son with her. Before she even finished her tefilla , he opened his mouth and asked her a question. She was so shocked that she nearly fainted. That boy later grew up to become a gadol b'Yisrael and was a chavruta of Chacham Ovadia Yosef in Yeshivat Porat Yosef . Betzalel and Aholiav stepped forward to do Hashem's will, and He gave them the ability to succeed. Their zechut continues forever. When a person is moser nefesh to do what is right, Hashem grants him special siyata dishmaya to accomplish it. Rabbi Goel Elkarif told a story that he heard directly from the person it happened to. Today, this man is a talmid chacham living in Yerushalayim. When he was in shidduchim , he was introduced to a girl with outstanding middot and deep yirat shamayim . However, no one told him that she suffered from a severe stuttering problem. When they met, he immediately noticed the issue. But because of his sterling character, he wasn't going to reject her solely because of it. They continued seeing each other. She was perfect in every way except for her extreme speech difficulty. With great emunah , he decided to move forward and got engaged to her. Amazingly, the day after their engagement, her stuttering disappeared completely and never returned. She had seen doctors, therapists, and specialists, but nothing had ever helped. Yet the moment she was engaged, the problem vanished. This chatan was moser nefesh to do what he believed was Hashem's will, and in return, Hashem gave him the greatest gift. Hashem can help us with anything. Our role is to do His will, and He will take care of the rest. Shabbat Shalom.

Today's Perek Shira is the Song of the Snail. It's a pasuk in Tehillim 59,9 , where David HaMelech is cursing the wicked, and he says כְּמוֹ שַׁבְּלוּל תֶּמֶס יַהֲלֹךְ נֵפֶל אֵשֶׁת בַּל חָזוּ שָׁמֶשׁ: / Like the snail that melts and slithers away. the stillborn of a mole, that never saw the sun. So, the mole (which we're not going to talk about) and the snail have in common that the sun is not good for them. And , now lets explain the pasuk : What does it mean that the snail that melts and slithers away ? Simply, it means that it dies when it leaves its shell, so it slithers away. But the Seforno says that a snail has a certain mucus, and it creates a slimy trail that makes it appear like it's melting away. So David HaMelech is saying that the wicked should continually melt away and disappear in a similar fashion. The Midrash adds a point that just like the snail disappears but leaves behind a visible trail, so too with evil slander, long after the actual sound of the words vanish, the damage they cause remains. So, that's the pasuk. What is the snail's message about not seeing the sun? The sefer Kanaf Rananim explains that the wicked are compared to the snail, because just like the snail is always in his shell, hiding himself from the sun, so too, the wicked don't want to see the sun and light of the Torah. They avoid the light and stay in their shells. That's one explanation. The sefer Yismach Yehuda explains beautifully that the Gemara in Nidarim 8b tells us that there's no difference between Gehinom and Olam HaBa . The sun is really not at full force presently, but when Hashem takes the sun out of its sheath, the righteous are healed and the wicked are judged. And not only the righteous are healed , but they enjoy it. They're dancing and the wicked are melting away. That's why the wicked are like the snail, that can't come in contact with the sun. This is an important lesson- the snail symbolizes the inability to deal with the Torah. So the Resha'im avoid the sun, the light of Torah and Godliness in this world, and therefore, they can't handle it in the next world. Basically, this world is, like the Mesilat Yesharim tells us, A place to delight in God. Not just the next world, but this world. And with that enjoyment and delight that we develop in this world for spirituality, we'll continue in the world to come. That's an important concept. Just like when it comes to drinking scotch, you have to develop a taste, you have to develop a taste for spirituality. Somebody that has no appreciation for spirituality will not enjoy it at all. In fact, it's the opposite-it will be painful for them.So, the wicked, snail-like people who avoid the sun, will not be able to ever enjoy the sun. Our job in this world is to develop that taste. A certain rabbi once said jokingly (although there's more than a grain of truth in this humorous remark), that Gan Eden and Gehinom are really the same thing. It's a huge Bet Midrash with bookshelves lining the walls from one end to the other, and people have nowhere else to go- forever. For the righteous person, this is Gan Eden . What more could you ask for? But for the person with no connection to Torah, this is Gehinom - like sitting through a boring speech for eternity. Rav Wolbe said that the time in our lives that we're supposed to develop this taste for spirituality is Shabbat. That's the litmus test. How much do you appreciate Shabbat? Shabbat is Me'en Olam Haba/ a microcosm of Olam Haba. Shabbat is created for Oneg , Oneg Shabbat . Like the Pele Yoetz writes on the topic of Rosh Hashanah, that there are many levels of Oneg . Enjoying your piece of chicken is not the ultimate . That's where it starts. You might say, Oh wow, this is what chicken tastes like, so imagine what Olam Haba tastes like! But the ultimate goal is to get to a spiritual flavor and appreciation. Rav Shach once commented that Gan Eden is the experience of a long Friday night in the winter, learning Gemara by candlelight. You have a long candle, and you sit there with the Gemara and you're great. And you know what Gehinom is? It's the feeling one experiences when the candle is suddenly extinguished and one can no longer study! A more modern example that has happened to me more than once is when you have a 45- minute free Zoom account, and you're in the middle of an exciting shiur . Then suddenly, bing, the 45 minute mark comes and that's it. That's Gehinom if you're in the middle of the class. The experience of Gan Eden and Gehinom depends on one's connection to Torah learning- something that we develop here. And that's the message of the snail: Do not be of those creatures that avoid the sun. Develop a taste for the sun and you will enjoy Olam HaBa.

Welcome to our series on Anava . All of our good Middot come from emulating Hashem. In Bereshit 1:26 before man is even there, Hashem says, וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם בְּצַלְמֵנוּ כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ /Let us make man in our image. Rashi tells us, we learn from here the humility of Hashem. When it came to the time to make man, which would be in an image similar to angels, they might be jealous of him. So He first asked them their opinion. Imagine you have a company and you want to bring on a new employee, but you're afraid that the existing employees might feel some competition, so you bring them into the decision. So too, Hashem so to say, says, I want to bring the angels in. Rashi continues, He said, Na'aseh Adam/Let us make man. Even though, of course, they didn't help with the creation. So it's possible for a heretic to say, " Oh, look at that. There's more than one force here." But the Torah says, לא נמנע הכתוב מללמד דרך ארץ No says, I'm not going to hold back from teaching you a good Middah - Middat Anava. שיהא הגדול נמלך ונוטל רשות מן הקטן I have to teach you the lesson. And if I write, E'esah Adam/I will make man, we won't learn that lesson. And therefore we'll take the risk of saying Na'aseh Adam, even though it could bring one to heresy. The Midrash Raba on Bereshit 8:8 adds that when Moshe Rabbenu was writing the Torah, he asked Hashem, " Why are you giving the heretics an opening here? And Hashem said, כתוב והרוצה לטעות יטעה / You write, and the one that wants to make a mistake, will make the mistake. Hashem continues and tells Moshe, This man that I create, They'll be big people and small people. And the big people might think, "I don't have to ask any permission or advice from small people." But you'll be able to say " No, learn from your Creator. He created the world and He still advised with the angels." The Elder of Slobodka, in his sefer Or HaTzafon on Bereshit adds a beautiful thought. There is a big risk here that person may have a wrong hashkafa . They may think there were two creators. But what's the other option? Not to teach the Derech Eretz of Anava? Then we'll have a mistake in proper Middot, and a mistake in understanding Hashem and how He acts. And therefore it seems that it's better to make this mistake than the other. We don't want to take the chance. Its unbelievable- look how important Anava is, that Hashem took that risk, so to say, to give us that lesson. The Sefer Parashat Derachim , from the same author as t he Mishneh LeMelech, in his 16th derush , says a fascinating concept. Why is it that it says somebody who is arrogant is like he's worshiping idols? Because when you look at the words Na'aseh Adam, with a humility lens, you understand that Hashem is being humble. Of course He created the world, but He's being humble and advising with the angels. That's if you are a humble person. If you're a humble person, you see the pasuk teaching a lesson in humility. But if a person is arrogant, with his arrogant glasses, he can't see that God would ever seek advice. Of course not. So he'll think, " It must be that be here are two forces. " So his arrogant lens causes him to misunderstand the pasuk and therefore he's going to be an idol worshiper, because he's going to say there are two forces. God alone didn't do it. This is one of the important ways, says Rav Wolbe (Aleh Shor vol 2 pg 312) to work on becoming humble- advise with people younger than you or lesser than you. He says Rav Yerucham Levovitz gave this idea and did it himself as well. He used to do this to ask advice from others. He tells a story that one of the younger students went to Rav Yerucham with a message from his father, and Rav Yerucham asked the boy, " What's the weather outside ?" The boy said, " There's a very strong wind blowing. " Rav Yerucham said, "I have a bit of cold. What do you think? Should I go to yeshiva for Mincha or stay home? " The boy hought for a minute and answered, " I think you should stay home." Rav Yerucham replied, " I think you're right. I'm going to listen to you." Unbelievable! He was doing that to work on his Anava . He actually listened to him in a case where it meant staying home. There's a similar story that I heard Rabbi Ades tell over about Rav Shach. When Rav Shach was sitting Shiva for his wife, it was during that he had to give his shiur . There's a question, if a giving a public class overrides mourning and there's a Halacic question about whether one should go to give shiur during shiva . Rabbi Ades was one of Rav Shach's students, and when he came to pay respects, Rav Shach asked " What do you think I should do? Do you think I should go and give the shiur? If I do, people might make a mistake and think I'm being lenient on the laws of Avelut. They may not understand that I'm really being stringent on the laws of Talmud Torah/teaching Torah." Rabbi Ades thought about it for a minute and said, "I think that people won't understand, so I think it's better if the Rosh Yeshiva stays home." And he did. Wonder of wonders. Rav Shach was asking Rav Ades for advice? Of course he didn't need Rav Ades' advice, but this was the way of the Gedolim - to always ask advice. That was a way of them working on the humility. There's a story told over on this pasuk Na'aseh Adam in the sefer Lulei Toratecha- stories on of Rav Shach, on the pesukim . Once when Rav Shach was going to speak at a major event in Yad Eliyahu with thousands of people in attemdance, he asked a student, "What do you think I should speak about? The student suggested he speak about Emunah and the negativity of arguments. Rav Shach said, " Good, good. I like the idea." So Rav Shach went gave a major speech. I still remember it. He spoke about the creation and it was a major, major speech on Emunah. But he ended up not speaking about the second topic. When he came back afterwards, he met this young man and said, "I have to make an apology. I didn't listen to your advice. I couldn't because I thought I was the only speaker but it turned out that there was another speaker, so I didn't want to speak too long and tire out the crowd. But I think it was okay because Rabbi Elyashiv said that I spoke pretty well." Look at his humility! He shared with the student that Rav Elyashiv gave him a compliment, so he wouldn't feel bad that the speech didn't go well. We need to work on these things. This is practical advice - asking people less than you, even though you don't need them. These are maasim/ actions that will help you become humble. And like we said, it's our responsibility to do what we can to become humble.

Welcome to our special Shovavim series on Humility. We are continuing with lessons from Rabbi Ades on humility: Rabbi Yehezkiel Abramsky was exiled to Siberia for a year and a half. All he did all day was chop wood in the forest in frigid weather. His hands were cracked and bleeding. One morning after saying Modeh Ani , which is a Thank You to Hashem for getting up, he asked himself, " Why am I saying thank you for getting up? What am I getting up for? I don't pray. I don't learn. I can't serve Hashem. "And he came up with the answer that, " I'm saying, thank you for being able to say, Modeh Ani ." Unbelievable. When Rav Shach eulogized Rav Abramsky, he said, " I'm jealous of you. Not because the books you wrote (Rav Abramsky wrote 24 volumes of commentary on the Tosefta), and because f your learning. I'm jealous of your years of Siberia." Rabbi Ades asked, What is going on? You're jealous of his years in Siberia? And he explained, Man's goal ultimate goal in this world is to connect Hashem. And a person cannot connect himself to Hashem until he nullifies himself before Hashem's will. The first step to that is to humble oneself in front of his Creator, and realize I'm a mortal, created by Hashem and I have to accept His yoke. Reaching this level is extremely difficult but Rav Shach was convinced that the year and a half in Siberia did that for Rav Abramsky. But he stresses, You don't have to go to Siberia . People have challenging situations, when life is not going the way we'd like it to go. For example, if a person has a mono- type of virus, he's in bed for a month and it seems like it'll be another month until he recuperates. Let's say this is a learning man. He gets frustrated by his inability to learn and serve Hashem. He says, What does Hashem want from me? You know what Hashem wants from you? He wants you to have Mono. What should I do ? Do what people with Mono do. Lie in bed and do nothing. What about all the Torah and Mitzvot I should be doing? You decided you should be learning and praying and functioning. That's your opinion. Hashem thinks otherwise. He says that it's a expression of arrogance to say, I think I know what I should be doing, and how I should serve Hashem and how I can bring him pleasure. Wrong. Hashem knows what He wants from you and needs from you in the situation that you're in, but your arrogance doesn't let you accept it. That arrogance actually ends up causing the person to feel down and depressed because their first reaction is to feel worthless, like they have no purpose, and that Hashem doesn't love them. But if you peel away a little of the arrogance and say, " I know I don't understand this, but I know it's all planned by Hashem, and there's a reason for it , and Hashem knows the reason, and probably the reason is for me to be able to say, Hey, I don't get it," that's humility. But our Gaava decides what we think Hashem should give us. And when I don't get it, I decide that Hashem doesn't love me. One of the great Hasidic Rebbes was once asked, " If you were Hashem, what would you do differently? What would you change in the world?" Personally, I think the first thing I would do is let all the hostages out. That's a good thing to do. After letting all hostages out, I would probably destroy Hamas. I would probably also eliminate the burden of the tuition crisis. And solve the shidduch crisis. I have a long list of things that I would do if I was in that position. But the great Hasidic Rebbi answered, " You know what I would do? I wouldn't change a thing. Because whatever God is doing, He knows what He is doing." When we start things to change, it means we think we know how the world should be run. Again, we go back to, So then why do I pray? Well, I pray for a very good reason. I pray because the prayer in itself is humbling. Because prayer says, I'm asking Hashem, I'm not in control. You please do what You can do for me. There's a beautiful thought in Midrash Rabba in Shemot 21:5 which says when the Jewish people left Egypt, Hashem sent the Egyptians after them and they were stuck and they cried out to Hashem. Why did Hashem do this? And it says, because Hashem wants to hear the praises of the sadikim. What does that mean? Rav Yehuda Ben Levi brings a mashal of a king on the road when a princess was screaming out, " Help ! Save me from these thieves. " The king heard her cries and saved her. And after a while they got married, and sometime into the marriage they weren't on speaking terms. He wanted her to talk to him but she didn't want to. So he sent thieves out against her. And again she cried out. The king went and saved her, and the king said to her, " That's what I wanted. I wanted to hear your voice." The Jewish people in Mitzrayim were being subjugated. They were crying out Hashem. They were looking up to Hashem, as it says, " ויצעקו and they cried out Hashem saw their problem and started to take them out with the strong hand and the outstretched arm." He wanted to hear their voice again and they didn't want to, so He sent Paroah to chase after them. And they cried out. Hashem said, that's what I wanted. I wanted to hear your voice. Like it says יונתי בחגוי הסלע השמיעני קול אינו אומר אלא השמיעני את קולך אותו הקול שכבר My dove was in the cleft of the rock. I want to hear the voice -the voice that I heard in Mitzrayim. And then they cried out and that was it. Hashem told Moshe, What are you praying for? I already heard their cries . What does it mean that I want to hear, not the voice but that voice? There's a difference between how you pray when everything's fine and how you pray when you're in trouble. And that is what was going on in Mitzrayim. At first they were crying out from the bottom of their hearts. But then they started to look at things differently. And that was a problem. So when it says that Hashem wants the prayers of the sadikim , it means He wants that connection from us. And He doesn't want it to be the everything's fine type of lukewarm prayer. He wants the prayer of connection . The Sefer Imre Menachem says the prayer of connection means the humble prayer. Going back to what we started with, about Why do we pray if everything is good, why are we praying for it to change? The answer is Yes, it's good and it's wonderful because it's doing what it needs to do right now. But if I could accomplish that without needing the difficulty , I'd like to get there. There is a famous saying, in the name of the Chafetz Chaim: A person is allowed to say about an event that it's bitter, because a medicine that's good for a person is bitter. But you can't say that it's bad because everything Hashem does is good. So it's good. It's bitter and it's good. But what if I don't want it to be bitter anymore? Do how do I get rid of the bitter? The bitterness is necessary to humble us. In another story, the Chafetz Chaim was talking to a certain person who had a job. The Chafetz Chaim asked how he was doing and the man answered, " A few extra dollars wouldn't hurt." The Chafetz Chaim said, " Of course it would hurt. Hashem is merciful and kind. He wants to do what's best for you. And if He gave you what He gave you, that's good." In yet another story the Chafetz Chaim once asked someone, " How are things going?" And the person replied, " Things could be better." Thr Chafetz Chaim's answer was, "If it could be better, it would be better." The Ramchal writes somewhere in his Otzrot " Whatever was done, it can't be better than that." What do you mean that it can't be better than that? This life is difficult. It can't be better because right now you need that dose. It's like saying life would be better without aspirin. But you need it. This is your aspirin, this is your medicine. This is your healing process. But once I get the message of it, I don't need it anymore. That's the answer to understanding this seeming dichotomy.

The pasuk says in this week's Parasha, Shemot, that Pharaoh decreed all the Jewish baby boys should be thrown into the Yeor . But the Torah testifies that the Jewish midwives feared Hashem and did not listen to Pharaoh, but rather they kept the babies alive. The Chafetz Chayim asked, the words, "ותחיינה את הילדים," that they kept the babies alive, seems superfluous, being that the Torah already told us they feared Hashem and did not listen to Pharaoh. The rabbi explained that the Torah here is giving us an insight into the great mesirut nefesh that these women portrayed. The midwives could have easily said that they did not want to continue doing this job anymore, in which case they would've been exempt and had no claims on them from anyone. Pharaoh wouldn't be able to have a claim against them for not violating his decree because it wouldn't be their job anymore. And Hashem wouldn't have a claim against them for killing the babies because they wouldn't be. But they did not want to just exempt themselves. They truly cared about saving the Jewish babies and did not want to take the risk of their potential replacements listening to Pharaoh. So they put their own lives at risk to save others, and Hashem rewarded them for that in a big way. It is very easy for a person to find reasons to exempt himself from something. But if instead he goes out of his way to want to please Hashem, then Hashem gives him Heavenly help in a big way. The sefer Toratcha Sha'ashuay tells the following story about the great zechut that a woman got from going out of her way to help someone in need. There was a 13-year-old boy learning in one of the great yeshivot in Europe. He was the youngest in the yeshiva and one of the only ones without a bench to sleep on at night. The boys learned in an old shul and ate the meals by people's houses. They slept in the shul and whoever didn't get a bench had to sleep on the floor. In the bitter cold winter, this was extremely hard. This boy couldn't sleep at night and was therefore having trouble learning during the day. One day he received a letter from his uncle asking him if he wanted to come and work in his business. This uncle did not have any children and he promised his nephew if he would come work for him, he would leave him all his possessions when he would pass on from this world. The boy had a very big internal struggle deciding what to do. On one hand, he knew how valuable Torah study was, but on the other hand, he was having an extremely difficult time with it. And that night, as he was lying down on the ice-cold floor, he decided he was going to take the offer. About an hour later, a widow came knocking on the front door of the shul. This boy was the only one awake and he went to see who was there. The widow explained she just finished sitting shiva for her husband. He sold blankets for a living and left a lot of them in the house. She said she wanted to donate some to the yeshiva. This boy took the blankets and for the first time was able to sleep normally. That made him decide to stay in the yeshiva, and eventually he became the Gadol Hador who affected tens of thousands of people in his lifetime: Maran HaGaon Harav Shach. When the widow passed away in 1975, Rav Shach attended her funeral and told the students how she saved his life with that act of kindness. The Hashgacha of her coming in the middle of the night on the same night that the young Rav Shach was planning on leaving was amazing. We can say about this woman ותחיינה את הילדים, she gave life to the boy. She was motivated l'shem shamayim , and Hashem gave her tremendous s iyata dishmaya to benefit from that act of chesed for all eternity. We should always do our best to go out of our way to help others, even if we may be exempt, because we never know what each act will produce. Shabbat Shalom.

In this week's parasha , Vayechi, Yaakov tells Yehuda, " יהודה אתה יודוך אחיך ", that he will be the king, and the Jewish people will be named after him— Yehudim . This honor was granted to Yehuda because of his ability to admit his guilt, even when it would lead to public humiliation. The Midrash recounts that when Yehuda convened a bet din to judge Tamar, he served as its head, with Shem ben Noach and his grandfather Yitzchak Avinu as the other two members. Their ruling was to sentence Tamar and the twins she was carrying to death. However, right before Tamar was to be executed, she subtly hinted to Yehuda that she was not guilty, but rather he was. At that moment, Yehuda faced a profoundly difficult decision. He was the head of the bet din , a highly respected leader, and in the presence of two of the greatest individuals in history. He could have ignored Tamar's hint and proceeded with the execution. If he had done so, no one would have ever discovered Yehuda's involvement. Alternatively, he could have delayed the proceedings until the commotion died down by claiming there was new evidence to investigate. This approach would have allowed him to quietly resolve the situation later, preserving his reputation and ensuring Tamar remained unharmed. But Yehuda chose neither of these options. Instead, he stood up in front of everyone and declared, "She is right, I am wrong." Yehuda's ability to control himself and prioritize truth over his own honor earned him the right to become king. This act also granted him the z'chut to father the dynasty that would ultimately bring forth the Mashiach. To be an איש אמת , a person of truth, and to admit guilt even at great personal cost is a remarkable quality. Chazal teach us that emmet is the seal of Hashem. This was the defining trait of Yaakov Avinu, who excelled in emmet . To admit guilt, even when no one else knows the truth except Hashem, is a complete act of emunah . It reflects a person's acknowledgment that Hashem knows all and that they will not hide from the truth. Of course, we do not need to publicly broadcast our wrongdoings. But when circumstances call for it, admitting our guilt is an opportunity to shine. Rav Shach once delivered a deep shiur to the entire Ponevezh Yeshiva on the gemara they were studying. During the lecture, a student asked a question that seemed to completely undermine Rav Shach's argument. Rather than talking his way out of it, Rav Shach immediately admitted, "That's a great question—I see I'm wrong." He closed the gemara and stopped the shiur . Just a minute later, another student proposed an excellent answer to the question, allowing Rav Shach to continue with the shiur . Yet the episode demonstrated how quickly he could admit the truth, even at the risk of embarrassment. Rabbi Yehuda Ades שליט"א , the Rosh Yeshiva of Kol Yaakov, shared a story about his teacher, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach ז צ"ל . When Yeshivat Kol Torah was considering Rabbi Shlomo Zalman as their new Rosh Yeshiva, they asked him to deliver a shiur to the entire yeshiva. During the shiur , another rabbi raised a question about his explanation. Rabbi Shlomo Zalman later said he had three potential answers in mind, but in his heart, he felt that all of them were flawed and that the questioner was correct. During the audition, he admitted publicly, "I see I made a mistake. I am wrong." Rabbi Shlomo Zalman was ultimately chosen as the Rosh Yeshiva. One of the decision-makers later remarked, "When I heard the rabbi publicly admit he was wrong, I knew he was the right choice for Rosh Yeshiva." People are not perfect, and it is often difficult to admit when we are wrong. Yet this quality defines us as Yehudim . If the moment arises when we must admit guilt despite the embarrassment, doing so elevates us immeasurably. Shabbat Shalom

One of the very difficult parts of life is when a person feels left out, when everybody else seems to have or get what he doesn't. He wonders why he has to be different. He doesn't feel like he did something so wrong to deserve less than everyone else. Seeing everyone enjoying themselves while he is left out adds to his sadness. If all of a girl's friends have gotten married and she is the only one left single, or if all of a person's friends and relatives are raising children while he and his wife are still childless, or if all of a person's friends and relatives have the ability to support themselves with dignity while he feels like a poor beggar—these scenarios are very difficult to deal with. If the person is able to strengthen himself and say, "I believe b'emunah shelema that Hashem is giving me the best possible circumstance to be in for my benefit," and truly feel that what he has is good, that would make him so great. Because this is so difficult to do, it is so valuable. Hashem does give every single person exactly what he needs to fulfill his purpose in this world. If he fulfills his role happily, he will be happy in both worlds. When Rav Shach, zt"l, was younger, he learned in a yeshiva with the most outstanding boys in Lithuania. He himself was among the top boys in the entire yeshiva. It was accepted at that time that whoever had a reputation of being a top learner would get a shidduch who would provide for all of his future expenses, including a home. When Rav Shach got engaged, he came back to the yeshiva, and the other boys asked him what he got. He said, "I got a great shidduch from a great family." Then they asked him, "What about a house?" Rav Shach answered, "My future father-in-law is very poor and can't afford one." His friends couldn't believe what he was saying. He was the best boy out there and could easily get any girl or any family he wanted. They felt it wasn't proper for his kavod to marry into a poor family. Rav Shach told them he knew he got the best shidduch. " אשה יראת ה' היא תתהלל —a woman who has yirat Shamayim is the most praiseworthy Marriage is not about money. It's about the best girl who wants to live a life of avodat Hashem." They tried to convince him to at least obligate his father-in-law to put in a certain amount of money towards a house. Rav Shach refused that as well. He said, "He can't afford it, and I will not pressure him to do something that he is not capable of doing." Rav Shach got married and began building a home of kedusha and tahara. It was extremely difficult for them to afford their expenses, especially a place to live. They ended up renting a very small one-room apartment while all of his friends had very large, nice places to live in, with all of their financial responsibilities taken care of freeing their minds to concentrate only on their learning. Rav Shach never regretted his decision for a moment. Sometime later, World War II broke out, and the enemy was quickly approaching the area in which they lived. Those people who had nice homes found it too difficult to just get up and abandon them. Rav Shach, however, didn't waste a minute. He and his family quickly fled the country and moved to Israel. Lo ale מ u, his friends did not make it out on time. It must have been extremely difficult for Rav Shach to live in poverty, especially when all of his friends had it so great, and he could have easily gotten the same. He saw later how, precisely because he didn't have wealthy in-laws, he was able to survive. He eventually became the Gadol Ha ג or, influencing his entire generation. It is very difficult to not have what others do, but we must understand Hashem has a different plan for every person, and everything that happens is always exactly the way it's supposed to.

Daily Dose of Chesed #306 Rav Shach - made sure no one GOT LEFT OUT

Yahrtzeit Yomi #1260!! טז חשון (Sunday) Rav Shach רב אלעזר מנחם מן ב״ר עזריאל שך אבי עזרי (1894 - 2001) Presented by HaRav Avrohom Zelig Krohn Shlita!! Friends, in honor of Rav Shach ZTL's 23rd Yahrtzeit, we have the great zechus to hear from HaRav Avrohom Zelig Krohn Shlita, Rav of Manchester NJ. In the following דברי זכרון, Rav Krohn masterfully and pithily describes the mantra of Rav Shach ZTL's century-long mission, in a mere three minutes!! יהי זכרו ברוך! ---------------------------------------------------- Share the Yahrtzeit Yomi link with your contacts!! https://chat.whatsapp.com/JimbwNtBaX31vmRDdnO3yk --------------------------------------------------- To dedicate or sponsor, please contact 917-841-5059, or email yahrtzeityomidaily@gmail.com. Sponsorships can be paid by Zelle to the same number. First come, first served. Monthly sponsorships are $540. Weekly sponsorships are $180. Daily sponsorships are as follows: Dedications (l'Zecher Nishmas, Zechus shidduch/refuah/yeshuah, etc.) are $50. Sponsorships (fliers, advertising, promotions, additional links, etc.) are $100.

Today we will discuss a pasuk in Tehilim 56,4, י֥וֹם אִירָ֑א אֲ֝נִ֗י אֵלֶ֥יךָ אֶבְטָֽח׃ On the day, I fear I rely on You. The sefer Binah L'Ittim writes, in the second derush on Shabbat HaGadol , “ On the day that I fear, and I realize that I'm not in charge (that's why I'm afraid), then I can rely on Hashem . Because the fact that I realized that I'm not in charge arouses Hashem's supervision and His wonders and miracles upon me. This is an important rule that we've discussed in the past- bitachon does not just mean that a person is complacent, that we sit back as if there are no problems in the world. That's not what bitachon is. Bitachon means that I realize the severity of the situation. I realize there are dangers out there, and then I focus on Hashem Who will take care of me, because He is in charge of everything. The Brisker Rav explains that that's why Rosh Hashanah is a day of fear, and at the same time, a day of reliance on Hashem. Because if we don't arouse fear in ourselves, then it's not real bitachon. Right now, as you read this, no one has bitachon that they won't be in a tidal wave or an earthquake or a mudslide. You're sitting comfortably wherever you are, and you don't even have a concern. It's only where a concern exists that can we evoke our bitachon in that area. In the sefer Shaarim B'Tefila, by Rabbi Shimshon Pincus, on the topic of calling out to Hashem, he quotes the Brisker Rav, and says that the Brisker Rav would act on this. In times of danger, the Brisker Rav would arouse fear in the people and say, We're in trouble. When there's a potential for war, we shouldn't brush it off and say, “ Nah, it's okay.” When there is danger, we can't just walk around serene and peaceful and say it's going to be fine. We're in danger. In his sefer Tiferet Shimshon on Vayikra , he says, “ I heard from the Brisker Rav's son that when there was danger, he would constantly remind his children of the danger. He would say, ‘They're coming to kill us!'” Because the second you forget the trouble, the second you weaken and say, “ It's gonna be okay ,” you're no longer relying on Hashem. When a person has a challenge in his business, he shouldn't say, “ Everything will be okay.” No, it's not going to be okay. It might be terrible! And once I recognize that, I rely on Hashem- that's Bitachon. During the Gulf War there was fear of Iran sending scud missiles into Israel, and there was no Iron Dome back then. Missiles were shot, and missiles did land. Baruch Hashem , they generally missed their targets and landed in open fields. But before Iran sent their missiles out, there was fear of chemical warfare. I remember certain people said it would be okay, not to worry , but Rav Shach said that was wrong.. He said said that before World War II. ‘ Don't worry. Everything will be okay.' Well , he said, “ We don't know if it's going to be okay. It might be terrible. Things could happen .” And people got scared. He obviously did it for this reason, because you have to realize that bad things can happen. And then, when you start getting nervous, then it's going be okay. But if you're complacent and you have no fear, that's a problem. Another point from this pasuk is that the pasuk literally says, י֥וֹם אִירָ֑א אֲ֝נִ֗י אֵלֶ֥יךָ אֶבְטָֽח׃ On a day of fear, I to You rely. It should really say, I rely on You. I don't rely to You. Many commentaries explain that it can be translated both ways. But the sefer Semach Sadik, from the first Vizhnitzer Rebbi, Mendel Hager, (1830 to 1884) asks a different question. Why does it say Yom Irah/On the day of fear, Ani/ I rely on You ? He explains that when a person feels afraid, he gets down. But he needs a little bit of what he calls Gadlut / a little bit of greatness . Therefore, it says “ Ani / I .” There's a bit of gaava , a bit of strength and arrogance because there's a concept that you have to be uplifted your heart in the ways of God. You can't just be down and depressed. So, Yom Irah, Ani Elecha Evtach/On the day of fear, I'm going rely to You. Ultimately, in all our successes, we want them in order to serve Hashem properly. Therefore, I go with courage knowing that I'm trying to do the will of God. Therefore, Elecha / to You I rely, because I'm going towards You. I am relying that You're going to help me, and pull me through this. So again, Yom Irah/it's that day of fear . I realize it's dangerous. Whether due to war, health, business, etc… Ani/I , pick myself up . I am a somebody but Elecha/I'm going towards You and that's going to bring my success.

Have you ever grappled with the challenge of staying humble amidst success? Rav Shach imparts a profound lesson in humility through an extraordinary examination of a single letter from the Torah, revealing the internal struggles of Moshe Rabbeinu and the ongoing battle against the Yetzer Hara (evil inclination). This episode peels back the layers of spiritual warfare, showcasing how constant innovation in tactics is crucial to maintaining our humility, even for a revered leader like Moshe.Join us as we share insights from the venerated Ponevezher Rosh Yeshiva on the significance of the small aleph in "Vayikra" and how it symbolizes the relentless effort to remain grounded, irrespective of our achievements. The discussion uncovers the essence of personal growth and the importance of being a faithful servant to a higher calling. Discover the strategies employed by the greatest minds to ward off pride and learn how to apply these lessons in your own life for a more humble and spiritually aware existence.Support the show------------------Check out our other Torah Podcasts and content! SUBSCRIBE to The Motivation Congregation Podcast for daily motivational mussar! Listen on Spotify or the new Jewish music and Podcast streaming platform 24six! Find all Torah talks and listen to featured episodes on our new website, themotivationcongregation.org Questions or Comments? Please email me @ michaelbrooke97@gmail.com#parsha #shortdvartorah #thetorahpodcast #motivationalmussar

Imagine the immense power of humility and how a single letter in the Torah could unlock lifelong wisdom. Join us as we unveil the transformative lessons nestled within the small aleph of the word Vayikra, guided by none other than Rav Shach's profound teachings. This episode is a journey through the subtle art of maintaining humility, exemplified by Moshe Rabbeinu's eternal battle with the Yehtsahara, the inclination towards ego and pride. Discover the significance of this minute detail and its implications for our daily quest for personal growth.Witness the unwavering commitment to self-improvement that even the greatest leaders had to embrace. Rav Shach intricately connects the dots between the humble aleph and the strategies to combat one's ego, revealing that the journey toward humility is far from static; it's an evolving battle that requires continual innovation and self-reflection. Through our conversation, be inspired to reflect on your humility and the active measures you can take to nurture it. This discussion is not merely a lesson on a textual anomaly - it's a life guide, urging us never to cease striving for betterment in our character and spirit.Support the showJoin the WhatsApp community for daily motivational Torah content! JOIN HERE ---------------- SUBSCRIBE to The Weekly Parsha for an insightful weekly shiur on the Parsha of the week. Listen on Spotify or the new Jewish music and Podcast streaming platform 24six! Access all Torah talks and listen to featured episodes on our new website, themotivationcongregation.org ---------------- Questions or Comments? Please email me @ michaelbrooke97@gmail.com

Dedication opportunities are available for episodes and series at  https://ohr.edu/donate/qa   Questions? Comments? podcasts@ohr.edu   Yeshivat Ohr Somayach located in the heart of Jerusalem, is an educational institution for young Jewish English-speaking men. We have a range of classes and programs designed for the intellectually curious and academically inclined - for those with no background in Jewish learning to those who are proficient in Gemara and other original source material. To find the perfect program for you, please visit our website https://ohr.edu/study_in_israel​ whatsapp us at https://bit.ly/OSREGISTER or call our placement specialist at 1-254-981-0133 today!   Subscribe to the Rabbi Breitowitz Q&A Podcast at https://plnk.to/rbq&a   Submit questions for the Q&A with Rabbi Breitowitz https://forms.gle/VCZSK3wQJJ4fSd3Q7   Subscribe to our YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/OhrSomayach/videos   00:00 Are there any inyanim for doing a two-day Purim?   09:33 What exactly are the halachos of conquest of the land?   18:02 Is the Haredi exemption from the IDF sustainable?   31:07 If one doesn't believe they exited Yom Kippur with forgiveness, that's another sin, so should one instead lie to oneself?   35:01 Is one allowed to admire a church's architecture or enter a mosque during this war?   41:23 May one use a flashlight to do the search for chametz?   42:46 What exactly does Dumah watch over?   45:17 Does the law of the beautiful woman apply during this war, and are chutznikim obligated in a milchemes mitzvah?   50:38 Is a child considered Jewish if the mother converted during pregnancy?   55:24 According to the Ramban, is that considered a ger katan?   57:04 Why are both Rashi and Rashbam on Arvei Pesachim?   1:03:10 Why do we not say blessings on unusual looking people anymore?   1:07:26 What happened to Rav Shach's opinion on Chabad?   1:15:18 How can Western-educated religious Jews learn Kabbalah without applying strict Western thought?   1:21:13 What does 'the beginning of the redemption' refer to?   1:25:32 Should all yeshivos have open admission considering the events of Rabban Elazar ben Azariah's appointment to nasi?   1:31:25 Should we try to bring Moshiach by doing the things Chazal say comes before Moshiach?   1:32:44 Can a woman wear tefillin on Shabbos to bring them to a safe place?   You can listen to this and many other Ohr Somayach programs by downloading our app, on Apple and Google Play, ohr.edu and all major podcast platforms. Visit us @ https://ohr.edu  PRODUCED BY: CEDAR MEDIA STUDIOS  

Hakaros Hatov to the soldiers Being Mevaker Choleh soldiers Being Menachem Avel these families Saying a Mi Shebeirach for the soliders with Rabbi Refoel Wolf – Gabbai of Reb Shach zt"l for over 30 years – 26:30 with Rabbi Yissocher Eichorn– Talmud Muvhak of Reb Meir Solovietchik zt"l, Rav of Kehilas Avreicihim in Yerushalayim, Mechaber Sifrei Pi Kohein – 36:36  מראי מקומות  

We're going to take a break from the Bet Halevi for a few days, in order to share some beautiful thoughts that I saw on the previous Parasha, that have important lessons in Emunah and Bitachon. Rav Meir Tzvi Bergman Shlita, one of the Gedolim of Bnei Brak and Rav Shach's son-in-law, says that Yaakov Avinu called his children together and said, “ I want to tell you what's going to happen at the end of time… ” The Gemara in Pesachim tells us that Yaakov Avinu wanted to reveal when the end of time would come, but the Shechina left him. He said, “ Maybe there is something wrong with my children like Avraham who had Yishmael and Yitzhak had Esav.” And they said, “ No, Shema Yisrael Hashem Elokenu Hashem Echad/ Hear our Father Yisrael, just like you only have one God in your heart, we have only one God in our heart .” And Yaakov Avinu said, “ Baruch Shem Kevod Machuto L'Olam Vaed/God's name should be blessed forever and ever, (when we say it, we say it quietly because Moshe Rabbenu didn't say it) The Targum Yerushalm i says that the translation of Baruch Shem Kevod Machuto L'Olam Vaed is Yeheh Shema Raba MVarach L'Alam U L'Alme Olmaya, which is our response in Kaddish. In Kaddish it's in Aramaic and here, it's in Hebrew. What exactly is the connection? We know that it says whoever says Amen Yehe Shemeh Rabba.. with all his strength tears up bad decrees. So we see that obviously it has something to do, not just with Amen Yehe Shemeh Rabba but really with Keriat Shema that gives us this important lesson. So what exactly is going on? Yaakov Avinu was looking into the future and suddenly, he gets a block in his prophecy. Yaakov Avinu was afraid that at the end of time there would be such, Hester Panim/lack of revelation, with tremendous tragedies, difficulties, tremendous tests, and a person might feel a lack of God's kingdom. Yaakov Avinu wanted his children to see Hashem in all times, in all situations. Like the famous Midrash that one of the kings told Rabi Yehoshua, “ How does the sheep survive among 70 wolves?” And his answer was, “ Gadol Hu HaRo'eh/ the Shepherd is great .” So we have to see Hashem's kingdom even in these situations. And now for the nice insight that Rav Bergman adds: We know that when you say Keriat Shema, you have to accept God's kingdom, which means He's in control of Echad אחד א -1 , God is One. ח -8 is the seven heavens and the ground, ד is the four corners of the world. That's what you have to have in mind- that God's in control of everything (and of course yourself). But there's an added aspect, that God is in control, not only in different places, but also in all different times , even in times of challenge. That's the additional lesson that Yaakov Avinu added, Baruch Shem Kevod Malchuto L'Olam VaEd forever , not just all over the world, but at all times. God is in control, even in the times it looks like God is not in control, when our senses tell us the opposite. That's the power of Amen Yehe Shemeh Raba. And that's why lo alenu , when someone loses a parent, they say Kaddish, and they say this line that God is in charge of all situations, and even in this difficult, sad situation, I still know God's in charge. I know that everything that happens has a goal. It's going to either bring me kapara, bring out my purpose in life, or test me. And if I accept the situation properly and realize Hashem is in control, that brings me to my fruition. That brings me to my end goal. And that's why, if you say with Amen Yehe Shemeh Raba, with kavana, which means you realize this important lesson, it tears up the bad decrees. Because you don't need the bad decrees anymore. You got the lesson; you got the point. You realize that God's name is great in all situations and that could cause the bad situation to go away. The goal of the bad situation is to connect you and give you the lesson, and you got it. That's the power of Baruch Shem Kevod Malchuto , and especially the last words- LeOlam Vaed. **If anyone would like to receive a batch of Amen Yehe Shemeh Rabbah cards leave in shul, to increase kavana, please email your address and the amount you would like to rmsetton@aol.com

#252.> Sponsored by Taj Art > The auction will take place Sunday, Dec 24, 12:00 PM EST. > To view the complete catalogue and bid on items (make sure to register first!) click here. 1. To view and bid on Lot 9, Me'ein Ganim see here.2. To view and bid on Lot 11, Eitz HaDaas of Rav Shimshon Morpurgo see here. 3. To view and bid on Lot 12, Divrei Zikaron of Rav Yosef Stadthagen, an ethical work on Shulchan Aruch Hilchos Shechita & Bedikah see here.4. To view and bid on Lot 26, Shomer Emunim of Rav Yosef Ergas see here. 5. To view and bid on Lot 27, first edition Gevuras Hashem of the Maharal printed in 1582 see here.6. To view and bid on Lot 44, Lekach Tov from Rav Moshe Najara see here.7. To view and bid on Lot 75, Masa Melech on the laws of Taxes from Rav Yosef Ibn Ezra see here.8. To view and bid on Lot 86, the Hebrew-Latin 1541 edition of Sefer Tishby see here.9. To view and bid on Lot 93, the 1st edition of Sefer Chafetz Chaim (published anonymously in 1873) see here.10. To view and bid on Lot 119, an Indian Torah Scroll case see here.11. To view and bid on Lot 123, a hand drawn and illustrated “Mizrach” (including Moshe with horns!) see here.12. To view and bid on Lot 127, the manuscript memorial book of the community of Padua, 1749 – 1778 see here.13. To view and bid on Lot 141, The Appointment Letter of Rabbi Yosef Chaim Zonnenfeld to the Rabbinate of Yerushalayim see here.14. To view and bid on Lot 152, Manuscript of “Ibbur Shanim” / Tiqqun Yissachar by Rabbi Yissachar Ibn Sussan of Tzfat see here.15. To view and bid on Lot 171, 12.5 manuscript pages of Rav Shach that would later be published in Avi Ezri see here.16. To view and bid on Lot 180, Shu't Ohr HaMeir of Rav Meir Shapiro (R'Y Chacmei Lublin) with his handwritten dedication see here 

Welcome to Embrace Shabbat. ושמרו בני ישראל את השבת לעשות את השבת לדרתם , Bnei Yisrael should preserve Shabbat, to maintain Shabbat for their future generations. The Zohar highlights that the word לדרתם is written without a vuv , and therefore can be read as לְדִרֹתָם , for their dwellings . How does a person guarantee the continuation of their generations? לְדִרֹתָם - make Shabbat in their homes . We don't appreciate the impact of Shabbat on our family's continuity. In the early years of America, many people assimilated because they gave up on Shabbat. (We are not judging them. There were great challenges at the time.) Without Shabbat, the generations don't continue. Rav Shach had a son who was not as strong as his father was. There was another Rosh Yeshiva who lived in the same apartment building, and all of his sons followed in his ways and became Roshei Yeshiva. Some once asked Rav Shach, “Why is it that you are a Rosh Yeshiva, but your son didn't follow in your ways?” Rav Shach admitted that he made a mistake. When he was younger and was raising his children, he would finish the Shabbat meal very quickly so that he could go learn. The other Rosh Yeshiva spent time singing zemirot and making the Shabbat table into a special place. Rav Shach attributed it to this difference and learned from his mistake. There are stories about couples who came to him to ask for advice about their children who were going off the derech or assimilating. Rav Shach told them to turn Shabbat into a special time, and the kedusha of Shabbat will make an impact on the future generations. How does this work? Our Rabbis teach that Shabbat is strongly connected to the Beit HaMikdash. The 39 melachot (activities are prohibited on Shabbat) are the same activities that were performed in building the Mishkan. By guarding the 39 melachot of Shabbat, we are building the Beit HaMikdash in our own homes. We see many connections between the Beit HaMikdash and Shabbat in our homes today: 1. Lighting candles corresponds to lighting the Menorah. 2. The loaves of challah correspond to the 12 loaves of bread on the shulchan 3. At a minimum, a person must wash their hands and feet with hot water before Shabbat. Similarly, the Jewish people would wash their hands and feet at the kiyur before the service. 4. We have zemirot and wine at our Shabbat table. There is a concept of אין שירה אלא על היין , one only recites a song of praise over wine. In the Beit HaMikdash, song was always accompanied by wine and therefore kiddush , which is likened to song in the Beit HaMikdash, is recited over a cup of wine. 5. We wear special clothing on Shabbat, just like the kohanim wore special clothing in the Beit HaMikdash. 6. We mention arousing the Beit HaMikdash in our Friday night prayers. In Lecha Dodi we recite: מִקְדַּש מֶלֶךְ עִיר מְלוּכָה. קוּמִי צְאִי מִתּוךְ הַהֲפֵכָה. רַב לָךְ שבֶת בְּעֵמֶק הַבָּכָא , the Mikdash, city of royalty. Rise and get out of the rubble. You have been sitting in the valley of destruction for too long. 7. Further, many have a text in the Friday night prayers where they mention Yerushalayim- ופרושׂ עלינו ועל ירושלים עירך סוכת שלום or הַפּורֵש סֻכַּת שלום עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל עַמּו יִשרָאֵל וְעַל יְרוּשלָיִם . We bring Yerushalayim into our prayers because our homes turn into a Beit HaMIkdash. The connection between the Beit Hamikdash and Shabbat explains how Shabbat ensures a continuation of the generations. There is nothing better for a person than being in a holy place. We don't have the ability to enter the Beit HaMikdash today, but we do have the ability to keep Shabbat. When our homes are filled with kedusha from Shabbat, then our children are located in the Beit HaMikdash and that brings holiness upon us and ensures the future of our people. Have a wonderful day and a Shabbat Shalom.

Yahrtzeit Yomi #825!! טז חשון Rav Shach רב אלעזר מנחם מן ב״ר עזריאל שך אבי עזרי (1894 - 2001)

URGENT APPEAL for ISRAEL from ITORAH.COM https://itorah.com/campaigns/ special We can not go about our days regularly while there's a war going on with our people. Those who do not normally attend Minyan should be attending Minyanim now. Those who do not normally learn Torah should be learning Torah now. Those who may be lax in certain areas of kashrut must be extra careful during these times. Rav Shach said to his yeshiva before an impending war that the only advice was for everyone to improve themselves, especially in the areas of Limud Torah, Kashrut and Shemirat Shabbat. Those who are learning already have to learn better . They have to use every minute of their learning time for learning and not talk about other things. Someone who has difficulty doing any particular mitzvah should say to himself, ‘ I must strengthen myself now and do that mitzvah to help the situation. I have to be strong and overcome my laziness and Yetzer Harah.' Someone once went to the Chafetz Chaim for a beracha and the Rabbi replied, “ You're better off asking Shabbat for Beracha because it is the true source of all blessing.” Rav Shach said keeping Shabbat properly will save us from war. This Shabbat, we all have the opportunity to keep it the best we ever did, and that includes utilizing the time for learning and spirituality. The pasuk in Parashat Ki Tese says, כִּי ה' אֱלוֹהֶיךָ מִתְהַלֵּךְ בְּקֶרֶב מַחֲנֶךָ לְהַצִּילְךָ וְלָתֵת אֹיְבֶיךָ לְפָנֶיךָ That Hashem will walk in the midst of our camp and save us from all of our enemies. וְהָיָ֥ה מַחֲנֶ֖יךָ קָד֑וֹשׁ וְלֹֽא־יִרְאֶ֤ה בְךָ֙ עֶרְוַ֣ת דָּבָ֔ר But first, our camp has to be holy and that comes about through dressing modestly. Anyone who has difficulty with this mitzvah can help bring about protection and salvation by accepting to do the mitzvah properly. And even if the person is not able to do it permanently, at least do it now . We have the greatest power of all- the One who created the world, the One who obliterated Mitzrayim , and the One who has defeated our enemies time and time again throughout the course of history. All we need to do is His will. The first thing we have to realize is that we have nothing other than Hashem. There is no army that can help us. There are no powerful countries that can help us. The pasuk says, אִם ה׳ לֹא־יִשְׁמׇר־עִ֝֗יר שָׁ֤וְא ׀ שָׁקַ֬ד שׁוֹמֵֽר If Hashem does not guard the city, then all the efforts of the guards will be in vain . We may have the best military personnel, the best strategies, the most sophisticated weapons and tanks, but if we don't have Hashem guarding, all of it is worthless. Chazal tell us, in the end of days, the days preceding Mashiach, we must come to the realization of אין לנו להשען אלא על אבינו שבשמים that we have nothing else to rely upon other than our Father in heaven. We could accomplish that right now, in our own minds. We need to work on ourselves not to feel confident in the powers of man, but rather to know that all of man's strengths only come from Hashem. Whatever He says goes. The armies will just be carrying out His will. If we really believe that, then we'll do our utmost to improve our deeds because that is what He wants. B'Ezrat Hashem , in that zechut , we should see the Geula Shelemah B'Karov, Amen! URGENT APPEAL From iTorah.com https://itorah.com/campaigns/ special "Kol Yisrael Arebim Zeh La'zeh" All Jews are responsible for one another. Please donate to and provide for your brothers and sisters in Israel who are suffering and need your help! Our campaign will be used to fund purchases of… • Providing 2,000 meals PER DAY to IDF Soldiers around the country • Sisiyot and Siddurim for the soldiers • Supplies for the displaced • Battle Gear for families for protection • Food & Necessities • Financial Aid to Families whose wage earners have been taken from work and deployed into battle.

Welcome to Embrace Shabbat. There is a special connection between Shabbat and Sukkot. The Midrash teaches that because Avraham Avinu enabled his guests to sit under the shade of a tree and be shielded from the sun's heat, we merited the mitzvah of sukkah , sitting under the shadow of the schach. Avraham Avinu had an eshel , a tree, where he gave his guests food and drinks. When his guests thanked him after the meal, he told them, “Don't thank me, thank the One that you ate from- the Creator.” Avraham Avinu understood the concept that we are at G-d's table. That is the lesson of the sukkah. We sit out in nature, rather than in our homes, showing that we are in G-d's home at the “table of nature.” Rav Meir Tzvi Bergman, son-in-law of Rav Shach and Rosh Yeshiva of Rashbi Yeshiva, teaches that after the war with the kings, Avraham Avinu refused to take any money from Sedom; he didn't want the king of Sedom to claim that he made Avraham Avinu wealthy. Avraham Avinu always viewed himself like he was at the king's table. If a person would be invited to the king's table, they would never bring their own doggy bag of food- that would be insulting to the king's kitchen! Similarly, Avraham Avinu said- “I cannot bring in something that looks like my own food. Everything that I have is from Hakadosh Baruch Hu- I cannot take anything from Sedom.” After the war, Malkei Tzedek gave Avraham Avinu a unique bracha- “ ברוך אברהם לקל עליון קונה שמים וארץ ,” blessed is Avraham to the G-d above, the One who acquires heaven and earth. This term was never previously used in the Torah. Rav Bergman highlights that on Friday nights, the Chazan uses a similar phrase in his repetition of מעין שבע . Why is this term from Avraham Avinu suddenly used? The Tur explains that the three prayers of Shabbat correspond to the three fundamentals of Emunah: Hakadosh Baruch Hu created the world, we received the Torah from Shamayim, and reward and punishment. The Rishonim teach that the three prayers of Shabbat also correspond to these three fundamentals of Emunah. On Friday nights, we say וַיְכֻלּוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ וְכָל־צְבָאָם , discussing the creation of the world. In our Shacharit prayers, we read: יִשמַח משֶׁה בְּמַתְּנַת חֶלְקו , corresponding to Matan Torah. At Mincha, we recite אַתָּה אֶחָד וְשִׁמְךָ אֶחָד , discussing the final reward and punishment. Rav Bergman further highlights this concept of Avraham Avinu with the connection between Shemirat Shabbat and Shabbat Beraishit. When a person is at a king's house, they “do as the Romans do.” If the king is taking a day off from work, then they will take a day off too! We are in Hashem house- Hashem created the world in six days and rested on the seventh, we rest too when we are in His house! This is the message of the sukkah. The mitzvah of Sukkah is a direct merit for Avraham Avinu's attitude toward the angels. We, too, are in the King's house and are His servants! We leave our permanent dwellings and go into G-d's dwelling. שם שמים שחל על הסוכה , G-d's name is on the sukkah . The more that we feel that we are in G-d's dwelling, the more that we can connect to Hakadosh Baruch Hu. We mention the Sukkah every Friday night with the words ופרוש עלינו סוכת שלומך because Shabbat is closely connected with the message of Sukkot. In fact, Rav Chaim Palagi asks why we don't we need to sit in the sukkah on every Friday night if there is a סוכת שלום ? I once asked Rav Yaakov Hillel whether this shaila was meant literally, and he said that if we understood what incredible things happen on a kabalistic level on Friday night, we would fully understand Rav Chaim Palagi's question. Of course we should be sitting in a sukkah! This year, Sukkot falls out on Shabbat. What a powerful time to drill in this lesson of קונה שמים וארץ . We are at G-d's table with the Avraham Avinu outlook. We are servants and we don't bring in doggy bags- we realize that everything is from the Boss. Have a wonderful day. Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach!

Dive into the world of Torah giants on our podcast as we explore the life and profound impact of Rabbi Elazar Menachem Shach. In this captivating episode, we journey through the remarkable journey of Rav Shach, a towering figure of wisdom, scholarship, and leadership in the world of Orthodox Judaism. Discover his rise from humble beginnings to becoming a revered Rosh Yeshiva and spiritual guide, leading the Ponovezh Yeshiva and inspiring countless students worldwide. Join us as we delve into his unwavering commitment to Torah study, his unflinching stance on matters of Jewish law, and his role as a beacon of tradition amidst the challenges of modernity. Through captivating anecdotes and insightful analysis, we uncover the legacy of Rav Shach, a sage whose influence continues to shape the spiritual landscape to this day.Email me at gedolimstories@gmail.com

Retelling the story and perspective of Rav Shach unveils a profound strategy for navigating the unceasing challenges in our 'ruchniyus,' as he aptly termed them – these spiritual arrows we encounter on our life's journey. His story also connects to this weeks Parsha and sheds light on the invaluable power of teshuva, offering guidance on how to fully harness its potential.

This episode is Dedicated in honor of Rav Breitowitz, Yeshivas Ohr Somayach and its Talmidim. Dedication opportunities are available for episodes and series at  https://ohr.edu/donate/qa Questions? Comments? podcasts@ohr.edu Yeshivat Ohr Somayach located in the heart of Jerusalem, is an educational institution for young Jewish English-speaking men. We have a range of classes and programs designed for the intellectually curious and academically inclined - for those with no background in Jewish learning to those who are proficient in Gemara and other original source material. To find the perfect program for you, please visit our website https://ohr.edu/study_in_israel​ whatsapp us at https://bit.ly/OSREGISTER or call our placement specialist at 1-254-981-0133 today! Subscribe to the Rabbi Breitowitz Q&A Podcast at https://plnk.to/rbq&a Submit questions for the Q&A with Rabbi Breitowitz https://forms.gle/VCZSK3wQJJ4fSd3Q7 Subscribe to our YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/OhrSomayach/videos 00:00 Do the advances in agricultural technology make peah, leket, and other laws obsolete? 05:16 Why is there an association between the sky and Hashem's residence? 07:51 If a cohen with a defect got plastic surgery, would he be allowed to serve in the Temple? 11:14 Can one use a peeler or apple corer on Shabbos? 14:38 How could Shmaya and Avtalyon be on the Sanhedrin if they were converts? 19:07 Do those from chutz l'aretz in Israel read along with chutz l'aretz or along with Israel? 21:00 Chazal and even the Rambam assert the existence of an animal that grows from the ground. Does it still exist, or do we reject this instance of spontaneous generation? 32:13 Are demons a superstition or must we worry about them? 38:35 How can we reconcile Rav Shach and the Lubavitcher Rebbe? 42:12 Is there any way to drum on the table during Shabbos? 44:57 In Nishmas, does "kol yitzurim" imply that non-Jews should say tehillim? 49:40 How do gedolim have supernatural knowledge of secular subjects or personal affairs if there is no nevua today? 54:36 Why do those in chutz l'aretz keep two days of Shavuos? 1:00:06 Is there a problem with buying from Angel's Bakery? And is there a problem with using Sefaria since they just added a gender-neutral translation? 1:08:47 Why are the words for village and for heretic so similar? 1:12:42 Can one attend a wedding wherein one member converted via a non-halachic conversion? 1:18:10 How can one avoid being influenced by vitriolic discourse against secular Jews? What should one think about them instead? 1:23:51 There was an article using poskim to justify cross-dressing. How do we understand this possibility? 1:26:11 Is there an argument to convince a secular Jew that the actions of the ancestors obligate the descendants? 1:29:39 Can a cohen contract tumah via an organ transplant? 1:30:37 Can one make additions in the middle section of the Amidah? 1:36:02 How does one prevent oneself being influenced by repetitive espousals of anti-Jewish rhetoric? 1:39:13 By learning, could one be strengthening one's bad parts? 1:43:40 Would it be allowed for a religious Jew to join ARC, the new movement by Jordan Peterson? 1:46:34 How can we trust and learn from non-Jews if their goals are not aligned with ours? 1:48:42 How is the gadol hador chosen? You can listen to this and many other Ohr Somayach programs by downloading our app, on Apple and Google Play, ohr.edu and all major podcast platforms. Visit us @ https://ohr.edu  PRODUCED BY: CEDAR MEDIA STUDIOS

Rav Shach explains that when Moshe wrote the word Vayikra, he used a small aleph as part of the word. He explains that this was to teach us an important lesson. By making the aleph smaller than the other letters, Rav Shach shows us that we must be humble and realize our smallness in relation to Hashem. This is why it is written "Vayikra" with a small Aleph - Hashem called unto Moses" - because even though Moshe was on a very high spiritual level, he still employed new tactics to fight the Yetzer Hara every single day. By emphasizing this humbleness through the size of the letter, Moshe teaches us all a timeless lesson.Support the showJoin the WhatsApp community for daily motivational Torah content! JOIN HERE ---------------- SUBSCRIBE to The Weekly Parsha for an insightful weekly shiur on the Parsha of the week. Listen on Spotify or the new Jewish music and Podcast streaming platform 24six! Access all Torah talks and listen to featured episodes on our new website, themotivationcongregation.org ---------------- Questions or Comments? Please email me @ michaelbrooke97@gmail.com#parsha #shortdvartorah #thetorahpodcast #motivationalmussar

Why does Hashem show  no mercy to Amalek by commanding uus  to completely eradicate their memory? What is Amalek's modus operandi ? What is  the best method to destroy the Amalek within you. A story with Rav Shach's advice on how  to overcome the evil Israeli adoption law of 1960. Two amazing stories with the Chasam Sofer's Battles  against the Enlightement / Amalek.

The pasuk at the end of Sefer Shemuel א, describes how the people of Yavesh Gilad went and saved the remains of Shaul and his sons from the hands of The Plishtim . It says there in the Radak , because Shaul did a chesed for them years before, they came and did a chesed for him now. And the Midrash says in the Yalkut Shimoni , because they had hakarat hatov and did a chesed for Shaul and his children, Hashem is going to do a chesed for their children. In the future, when Hashem gathers all the Jewish People to come back to live in Eretz Yisrael with the Mashiach , He is first going to bring back their children, chatzi Shevet Menashe , as it says לי גלעד ולי מנשה . To teach us the power of even one chesed , how it leads to many more chasadim and rewards from Hashem. A friend of mine told me that because of a chesed his father did over 32 years ago, his son who carries his father's name just found his zivug and recently got married. My friend's father passed away 17 years ago, yet he was instrumental in the shidduch of his grandson now. How so? Thirty-two years ago, a rabbi from Israel who was trying to collect for his yeshiva was walking the streets of Manhattan, going from office to office in the hope of businessmen supporting his yeshiva. At the end of the day, the rabbi was trying to get back to Brooklyn where he was staying. He saw my friend's father on the street and asked him which train to take to get there. My friend's father started to explain it to him, but seeing how complicated it was and how he wasn't understanding, he decided to take another course of action. He flagged down a taxi cab, pulled $50 out of his pocket, paid the driver in full and then told the rabbi this man was going to take him home. The next day, when the rabbi was back in the city, he made sure to find and visit this man's office to personally thank him for the chesed that he did for him the day before. The rabbi couldn't believe that a total stranger would take money out of his pocket and help him like that. The rabbi then told him his purpose for coming to America. He said he was looking for someone to sponsor the new building he was constructing for his large yeshiva. He had someone in mind, but when he saw what a special man this person was, he wanted to give him the zechut to do it. He said he had called Rav Shach that morning asking who he should give the zechut to and he told him about the chesed he did and Rav Shach agreed it should be this man. The man said he was honored, however, donating enough money to sponsor an entire building was beyond what he could afford. He did say, however, that he is a good fundraiser and, if the rabbi wanted, he would help him fundraise. That was good enough for the rabbi and, on that day, a partnership was formed. This man went on to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for this rabbi's yeshiva and they named the building in memory of his father. They established a lifelong friendship, until the man passed away 17 years ago. This past summer, the rabbi flew in from Israel, once again raising money for his yeshiva, and he was eating one Shabbat by a certain man's house. That man mentioned his daughter was starting shidduchim . The rabbi immediately thought of his late friend's grandson who was also beginning shidduchim . He praised my friend's family to his host and then, after Shabbat, he called my friend to tell him about the shidduch . My friend looked into it and found out that this girl seemed perfect in every way for his son. The shidduch was made and the couple got married. My friend told me, “My father did a small act of kindness, helping this Rabbi get a taxi to his destination. That enabled him to become the main fundraiser of this rabbi's yeshiva. And now, that led my own son, who carries his name, to find his shidduch .” Look at the power of one chesed . It leads to more chasadim and great rewards from Hashem.

I read a story about a man named Reuven who is a singer who leads a band and plays at semachot for a livelihood. On one occasion, he was hired by the mother of the bride to play at her daughter's wedding. As they were setting up their equipment at the wedding hall, another band came in lugging all their equipment. Reuven asked them what they were doing there. And they replied they were hired to play there. Reuven asked who hired them and they said, the baal hasimcha , the father of the bride. What happened was, the father told his wife to take care of the music but he had forgotten about that, so he hired someone as well. Now they were at a standstill. The baal hasimcha apologized and asked if one of them would give in and let the other play, and he would give a small compensation to the one who gave in for their troubles. The two singers agreed to work it out on their own. Reuven told the other group he was there first and therefore they should leave. The other group said in response, they came there to play, and they were not leaving. One of the people from Reuven's group pulled Reuven over to the side and said he knows the singer of the other group has a daughter in the hospital and their medical bills are very high. “Maybe we should let them play because he needs the money more,” he said. Reuven was moved and immediately told the other group he wanted them to play and they were going to leave. The other group then changed their tune and said, “No, we want you to play.” They also knew that Reuven had a large family and needed the parnasa very much. They proceeded to go back and forth, each telling the other group that they wanted to give in. Then they decided they would all play together and just split the money in half. So instead of a four or five piece band, they now formed a nine piece band. When the baal hasimcha saw what they were doing, he said, “I'm sorry, I can't afford to pay both groups.” They said, “Don't worry about it, we're going to play anyway.” The music that night was on another level. There was such joy in the hall and everyone was commenting on how great the band was. They played as though they had been practicing together for years. One man in the crowd said out loud, “What a waste of money it is to get such a large band,” but he had no idea of all the self-sacrifice that was involved in that group standing up there that night. The music went up to Shamayim and gave so much nachat ruach to Hashem because of the great sacrifice that each side was willing to give in. The zechut of giving in and avoiding machloket is very big. A man once went to Rav Shteinman complaining about his neighbor. Rav Shteinman told him, “Turn away and give in.” The man came back another time and said, “It's getting much worse.” Rav Shteinman then told this man, “Give in again. There is no limit to giving in.” And the Rabbi proceeded to tell him a story to give him chizuk . He said when Rav Itzele from Ponovitch left the Slobodka Yeshiva, the Saba from Slobodka began looking for a replacement to be the Rosh Yeshiva. He asked Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer if he would take the position, although at that time he was very young. Rav Isser Zalman was worried that his widowed mother-in-law would feel bad if her son, who was much older and qualified, didn't get this job. So he asked if both he and his brother-in-law, Rebbe Moshe Mordechai Epstein could both take the position together. And his request was accepted. After a few years, it was clear that these two great Rabbis had very different styles of learning and it wasn't good for the yeshiva at large to have them both be serving as the Rosh Yeshiva. So, Rav Isser Zalman gave the position over totally to his brother-in-law and he ended up starting a new yeshiva elsewhere. That yeshiva eventually moved to what today is known as the famed Lakewood Yeshiva. Rav Isser Zalman went on to become a towering Torah scholar and every bet midrash in the world uses his masterpiece on shas called Even HaEzel . In his new yeshiva's location, he merited to find Rav Aharon Kotler as his son-in-law. Rav Shach also learned in that yeshiva and developed a close connection to Rav Isser Zalman. A major part of the Torah world that exists today emanated from Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer. He gave up a very prestigious position to honor someone else and he only gained as a result. We never lose by being mivater .

Shiur given by Rabbi Bezalel Rudinsky on a special topic of a Kiddush Hashem through Rav Shach in the Knesset this week. Shiur recorded in Yeshivas Ohr Reuven, Monsey, NY.

רב אלעזר מנחם מן ב״ר עזריאל שך אבי עזרי (1894 - 2001) Friends, in honor of Rav Shach ZTL's 21st Yahrtzeit we have the unparalleled zechus to hear from HaRav Avrohom Zelig Krohn Shlita, noted Maggid Shiur in Waterbury CT!! In the following דברי זכרון, (which Rav Krohn Shlita delivered on behalf of Yahrtzeit Yomi on the occasion of Rav Shach's 20th Yahrtzeit last year), Rav Krohn masterfully and pithily describes the mantra of Rav Shach ZTL's 107-year-long mission, in a mere three minutes!!

Learning from Rav Shach what it means to care about another yid

This is (perhaps) our final class before Rosh Hashana, with a message based on the Parasha, and a general lesson about Rosh Hashana. How does Bitachon fit in with Rosh Hashana? On one hand, there are signs that Rosh Hashana is not a regular holiday. We don't say Moadim L'Simcha/ Times of happiness . We don't say Hallel because the books of the living and the dead are open…so it's not your regular happy holiday. On the other hand, it says that we're not supposed to fast; We have to eat and drink like a regular Yom Tom, and there are other indicators of happiness. So are we supposed to be afraid or are we supposed to be happy? One of the approaches is that you're supposed to be afraid, but then you're supposed to rely on Hashem and be happy. So there's a struggle, so to say. It starts off with concern and ends with happiness. So, you might ask, why do we have to go through the process? Why can't we just go straight to happy? The answer is based on a story about the great Brisker Rav and Rav Shach. Rav Shach went to visit the Brisker Rav on the final Erev Rosh Hashana of his life. The Brisker Rav was quite sick, and he looked very concerned and nervous. Rav Shach asked, “ Why is the Rabbi so nervous and concerned? It says that on Rosh Hashana we are supposed to rely on Hashem to make miracles for us.” That's why we take haircuts and we make ourselves clean and get prepared, whereas normally, when a person's going for a severe judgment, they're not concerned with how they look. And it says, it's because we're relying on God that He's going to make a miracle for us. Rav Shach was telling the Rabbi to cheer up, and the Brisker Rav answered with the following important Bitachon principle: Wherever you are at this moment, you don't have Bitachon that there is not going be an earthquake, or that there isn't going to be a volcano. On the other hand, if you were sitting next to the edge of a volcano that has erupted in the past, you might be having bitachon that it won't erupt. But in Brooklyn, New York, there's no thought of ever having a volcano erupt, so therefore there's no bitachon for that. By definition, Bitachon means you're aware of the severity situation, and with all the facts on the table, you are relying on Hashem to save you. But if you have no concern at all and you're totally indifferent, that's not called bitachon. That's called ignorance is bliss. That's not relying on God. Hence the Brisker Rav's reply, “ I'm not concerned enough, and therefore, I don't have bitachon yet.” Of course, he was saying that in his humility, but this is the important point: We have to be concerned before we go into Rosh Hashana. And we read this lesson in Nisavim. Last week, we read the curses, “Let the year and the curses end.” And it says, Atem Nisavim/ You're standing tall. Why do you have to be standing tall? Rashi says that the Jewish people's faces turned green after they heard all the curses. Then Moshe Rabbenu said, “ Don't worry. You've been through a lot. And you're still standing. You'll make it, have no fear.” So what are we doing? Why are we getting scared but then saying there's nothing to worry about? Is it a tease? And the rabbis explain that after you become scared, then there's nothing to worry about, because then you can rely on God because you realize what's going on. But if you're not concerned at all, then you have a problem. That's the biggest problem. There is a saying, “ There's nothing to fear but fear itself,” but here we say, “ There's nothing to fear but the lack of fear itself.” It actually comes up again in our Perasha, where it discusses the man who hears the curses and blesses himself in his heart saying, “ I'll be fine.” What happens to that guy? The next pasuk says, “ God is not going to forgive that man ,” and we won't continue with the horrible things it says about him. But where does this man start from? I saw a beautiful thought from Rabbi Wolfson. It says, “ Lest you have in yourself, a root that's growing two bitter herbs. ” That means inside the man, there's a bad root, and from that root, improper thoughts grow. If you take the first letter of each of the words in that pasuk, and scramble them, it spells, “ Shofar .” The power of the shofar is such that when you hear the shofar and you become scared and concerned, that will uproot that bitter root. Once you're scared and concerned, then you have hope. That's our job. But to go in scared doesn't mean being petrified and shaking. Scared means you know what's going on. This is serious. Rosh Hashana is a serious day. Of course, we're going to have a meal, and we'll be happy that God is King and that we are coronating Him. But it's a day of judgment. It's a serious day. We must first be aware of the day, in order to rely on Hashem, and then, B'Ezrat Hashem, we will see miracles. Tizku L'Shanim Rabot, Shabbat Shalom and Shana Tova.

The pasuk says in this week's Parasha, Ki Tavo , ושמחת בכל הטוב – we are to rejoice with all of the good that Hashem gives us. In this world, when a person appreciates what others do for him, those people are happy to give him more. But when a person denies the good, it makes others turn away from giving him. At the end of the year, when we are going to request of Hashem to give us a new year of blessing, the best thing we could do is to first appreciate how much He has given us already. One of the reasons people don't appreciate is because they feel that everyone else has more than them and everyone else is happier than them. But they are very mistaken. The sefer Orchot HaYeshiva tells the story of a young man who went to see Rav Shach, zatzal , and lamented that it seemed to him that his friend, who had gotten engaged at the same time as he did, seemed to be happier than him. He was asking the Rabbi if he should perhaps break off his engagement. Rav Shach replied, “The boy you are talking about was here before and he had the exact same complaint. He thought that you seemed happier than him.” This is the nature of man, to always think that others are happier than he, but in actuality, Hashem gives each person exactly what he needs to be happy, to do his job. If we could only focus on what we do have rather than on what everyone else seems to have, we would be so much happier. Just saying the Birkot HaShachar in the morning with kavana can bring a person such an appreciation for Hashem. The Chochma U'Musar writes, before we say each beracha , we should think about what exactly we are about to thank Hashem for and then appreciate it to the fullest. For example, he said, one of the berachot is פוקח עיוורים – that Hashem gives eyesight to the blind. Simply, we are saying when we go to sleep we can't see and each day when we wake up, Hashem gives up the ability to see once again. We are supposed to imagine the feelings of a blind man, lo alenu , and then imagine that all of a sudden, a doctor came up with a medication that could cure the blind. How much joy would a blind man have finally being able to see? That is the amount of appreciation that we are supposed to show Hashem every single day because nothing is a given and just because a person has something today doesn't necessarily mean he'll have it tomorrow. It is only because of the chesed of Hashem that we are able to enjoy the blessings He gives us each and every day. We also have to feel so fortunate that we have the zechut to serve the Melech Malchei HaMelachim HaKadosh Baruch Hu . The sefer Mizmor L'Asaf writes, when a person enters the shul in the morning, he should be overcome with hakarat hatov that Hashem gave him the privilege of entering His home to come and speak to Him. The more we appreciate, the better our avodat Hashem will be, the happier we will be and the happier Hashem will be to give us even more.

We have spoken in the past about the concept that we have to love the Ger/ convert. The convert does not just refer to someone who converted to Judaism. The con vert is anybody who is not from our inner circle, whether they be a foreigner or immigrant . A nyone who doesn't belong in the inner clique is considered a Ger, and we have an added responsibility to love them. As we discussed, the Pele Yoetz says that this refers to Sepharadim amongst Ashkenazim, Hasidim amongst Litaim and the like. There's a beautiful story brought down by Rabbi Yair Hoffman: There was a married couple with children that had moved from the United States to Bnei Brak. The couple had converted to Torah Judaism while yet in America, and had sought a more spiritual environment. Their daughter attended a Bet Yaakov in Bnei Brak. Unfortunately, she was teased by some of the other girls in her school. As a result, she did not wish to go back to school. The parents were at wits' end and did not know what to do. It was suggested that they go to Rav Shach zt”l for advice. After presenting the problem to Rav Shach, he requested that they bring their daughter to him. Rav Shach asked the young girl. “Do you know who I am?” The girl responded, “Of course, you are Rav Shach.” Rav Shach responded, “Yes, but I am also going to tell you something else.” He continued, “Do you know that I too am a Ger? And not only that, but many teachers in your Bet Yaakov are also Gerim. There is nothing wrong with being a Ger – in fact, it is a very precious things and something of which to be very proud. So, if anyone ever says anything negative – smile to yourself and be very proud.” Rav Shach was widely known for his absolute devotion to Emet/Truth. After, the meeting with the young girl, someone who was present asked Rav Shach how he could have left the young girl with the impression that he was actually a Ger. Rav Shach explained: "In order to remove tzaar/anguish from someone – it is permitted to lie. Chazal tell us that for someone who is careful to be meticulous in only saying the emet, it is“mutar l'shanon mipnei hashalom/ in order to promote peace and harmony, it is permitted to “veer.” This also includes trying to alleviate someone's tzaar – anguish.Nonetheless, it is still preferable, if possible, to use an expression that is still technically true – even if the person you are speaking to may interpret it differently. It states in Parshas Aikev (Dvarim 10:19). “You must love the Ger, for you were Gerim in Mitzrayim.” Technically we are all Gerim (and/or descendants thereof). The young lady went back to school and adjusted quite well, having been inspired by Rav Shach zt”l This is an example of a Gadol who t ook th is lesson to the point that he felt it was honest to say, “ I am a G er. ” God made it that way, that we are all Gerim , in order that no one should feel uncomfortable for feeling different or strange. We are all Gerim . We are all Conver ts . We are all foreigners We all don't necessarily fit in. This is true for all Jewish people. As David Hamelech says in Tehili m 39,13 “ God, listen to my prayers. Don't be quiet, כִּ֤י גֵ֣ר אָנֹכִ֣י עִמָּ֑ךְ תּ֝וֹשָׁ֗ב כְּכׇל־אֲבוֹתָֽי Because I am a convert with you. What does he mean?The Radak says that a person in this world, is like an immigrant. He goes from place to place, he does not last here . Every day we are traveling, we don't know where we are going. Therefore, we are all converts. In Tehilim 119, 19 David Hamelech says, “ גר אנכי בארץ I am a convert/foreigner/transient in this land. David Hamelech calls himself a Ger , Rav Shach called himself a Ger , and therefore we cannot look down on anyone that is different- a foreigner, an immigrant, or the like. Have a wonderful day.

Today we have another lesson from the great Rabbi of Brisk, from volume 4 of his book (page 219): A young man was imprisoned, not because he committed a crime but due to a technicality- he did not fill out a certain form that was required of him. It was Erev Kippur, and when the Brisker Rav found out about it, he sent a message to someone who could get him out before Kippur. The man said that he couldn't do anything at that hour on Erev Kippur. The Brisker Rav replied, “Don't tell me you can't . Tell me you don't want to.” The man started giving excuses, and again the Brisker Rav said the same thing, “ Don't tell me you can't. Tell me you don't want to.” Eventually, the man got the young man out before Yom Kippur, and he he came back to the Brisker Rav, literally moments before Yom Kippur, to notify him of the news. The Brisker Rav then said, “ Now I will tell you my source for the concept of when a person says ‘I can't,' it really means, ‘I don't want to.' The Gemara in Baba Matzia (86b) talks about the third day of Avraham Avinu's Brit Milah, when Hashem made it extremely hot in order not to trouble Avraham Avinu with guests. Avraham sent Eliezer out to look for guests, but he didn't find any. When he came back and said he couldn't find any, Avraham said, “ I don't believe you, There is no trust in slaves.” Avraham Avinu then went out on his own, and Hashem sent the three angels. The Brisker Rav questions how this could be said about Eliezer, who was considered Avraham's trusted servant- How could it be that there was no loyalty or trust? The answer, he says, is that Eliezer went out, searched and didn't find. Avraham Avinu then said, “ Don't say that there are no people. Say you don't want to bring people (in order not to trouble me).” Of course, in the end, there were people. Avraham Avinu wanted, and therefore he found. The one who told this story is Rav Meir Tzvi Bergman, the son-in-law of Rav Shach. He added an additional point, based on the Rama M'Pano, a great mekubal. The pasuk says, Poteach Et Yadecha Umasbia Bchol Chai Ratzon…” God opens up his hands and gives everyone what they want .” But the obvious question is, does God really give everyone what they want? Not everyone gets what they want. The Rama M'Pano said that Ratzon doesn't mean that God gives what you want, rather, it refers to what God wants. God wants to give. What causes the whole word to get is God's will, which is to benefit others. God's will is to do good for creation. That's why He created the world. He continues and says that we, too, have to follow the ways of God. On God it says, “ God is merciful, you have to be merciful ,” and just like God has an absolute will to do good to others, and nothing stops God from that, so too, a person has to be like that. That was Abraham Avinu's level of Hessed. His Hessed was that of, “ Don't say you can't , say you don't want .” There is a pasuk in Shir Hashirim ( perek ד pasuk ט ) where it says, לִבַּבְתִּ֙נִי֙ (באחד) [בְּאַחַ֣ת] מֵעֵינַ֔יִךְ בְּאַחַ֥ד עֲנָ֖ק מִצַּוְּרֹנָֽיִךְ׃ You have pulled on my heart strings, with one of your eyes, and with the Anak around your neck. Rash says that Anak refers to one of the giants, Avraham. He was special amongst our Avot. Why was Avraham called a giant ? Rashi refers us to a pasuk in Yehoshua (14,15) where it refers to Hebron as the place where הָאָדָ֧ם הַגָּד֛וֹל בָּעֲנָקִ֖ים The great man amongst the giants lived. Simply, this refers to the giants, but the Midrash says (and Rashi in Yehoshua quotes it as well) that this giant amongst men refers to Avraham Avinu. Why was he a Gadol ? Because a Gadol is someone who, as Rav Yerucham Levovitz says, gives to those who are small. A great man is a man who takes care of smaller people. Avraham Avinu was a giant of a man, possibly because Avraham Avinu had an absolute Ratzon, to the level of God ( as much as we can say that) in the area of Hessed. The ultimate Hessed comes from the ultimate Ratzon. That's why the story of Abraham Avinu's Hessed is the story that shows us his Ratzon. It was not there were no guests, it was that Eliezer didn't want there to be guests. Do say you can't, say you don't want. Have a wonderful day.

There is a beautiful story about Rav Shach that we heard from Rabbi Matisyahu Deutsch, the Rav of Ramat Shlomo, in Eretz Yisrael. All his life, Rav Shach did kaparot using money (others do it with chickens). One year, his student, Rabbi Dovid Frankel, brazenly decided to offer Rav Shach to do kaparot with chickens. It was Erev Yom Kippur, at three or 4 o'clock in the morning and the lights were on in Rav Shach's house. Rav Frankel knocked on the door with a chicken in hand, and told the rabbi he wanted to do kaparot with him. Rav Shach agreed and asked Rabbi Frankel what to do, as he'd never done kaparot with a chicken before. Rav Frankel showed him how to put it around his head three times and read from the Machzor. When Rav Shach asked what was next, Rav Frankel took him to the shochet to slaughter the chicken. Rav Shach asked again, what to do next, and his student showed him to do kissoy hadam/ throwing dirt on the blood … When the rabbi asked what was next, he said they would go give the meat to a poor family… After they finally finished the whole process, it was 4:30am, and they went back to Rav Shach's apartment, Rav Shach said, “ Thank you very much. But do me a favor. Next year, I think I am going to do it with money .” Rabbi Matisyahu Deutsch asked us what we would have done if someone knocked on our door at 3am, when we were learning, asking us to do kaparot with a chicken when we've done it all our lives with money. We'd slam the door in his face right then and there. But Rav Shach had the patience to go through the process, step-by-step, and go along with the man the whole way. He said that is the sign of the Gedolim . Gedolim have patience. They don't get easily upset or angry with people who nag or nudge them. There are many stories of great rabbis who have patience for all kinds of things, and it all goes back to the Gemara's famous story of Hillel. Two people had a bet about whether they could get Hillel upset. The Gemara asks, “ Who is humble like Hillel?” Rabbi Ades says that we see from that Gemara that when people get upset from those that nag them, or otherwise, it inherently comes from a certain level of arrogance, from feeling a certain level of importance and that this person is bothering them. Sometimes, if a great or very important man asks you for something, it doesn't bother you. You are very happy to do it. But when someone on a lower level than you ask for things, that's when you start getting upset. Our great rabbis, as great as they are, have the trait of humility. That is why they don't get angry easily. In the days of Sefirat HaOmer, our rabbis say that humility is one of the key things to work on. How do you know if you have humility or not? We have the answer here. See what your level of patience is, for the nudniks in your life. Have a wonderful day.

Rabbi Yehoshua Liff's weekly zoom Shmooze 2/16/22 Visit our website  Follow us on Facebook  Subscribe to our YouTube channel  If you would like to sponsor an episode Email info@jfoundations.com. Contact JFoundations: Email info@jfoundations.com WhatsApp +972 55-711-6220

Rabbi Yehoshua Liff's weekly zoom Shmooze 1/27/22 Visit our website  Follow us on Facebook  Subscribe to our YouTube channel  If you would like to sponsor an episode Email info@jfoundations.com. Contact JFoundations: Email info@jfoundations.com WhatsApp +972 55-711-6220

Found this fascinating Medrash about the מיתה of Moshe. Why would he want to continue life as a bird or an animal? Amazing insight of Rav Shach.

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Born into a chassidic home in Ukraine, Rav Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky (1899-1985) subsequently studied in the Novardok Yeshiva later becoming a Rebbi at the Pinsk branch of the network. Upon his move to Israel in 1934, he joined his famed brother in law the Chazon Ish and also assumed a position in the Novardok branch in Bnei Brak. In his later years he assumed a position of leadership in the Torah world alongside Rav Shach. At the same time he authored his magnum opus Kehillas Yaakov, while also becoming renowned for his sage advice in all contemporary matters in the Jewish world.   Subscribe To Our Podcast on:   PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/   Follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites You can email Yehuda at yehuda@yehudageberer.com

Dedicated to theRefuah Shleimahof Tamar Elisheva Bas DevorahRabbi Kivelevitz leads the Shiur in an examination of the Hanhagos and Pesakim of the Posek HaDor Rav Elyashiv Zt"l, as they relate to the saying of Kinus on Tisha B'Av.Kivelevitz delineates the important subtle disagreement that existed between Rav Elyashiv and Rav Shach concerning the composing and institutionalizing a Kinah for the Six Million to be said on Tisha B'Av.Rabbi Avraham Kivelevitz has spent the last eight years writing and teaching for Dirshu International'sDaf Yomi B'Halacha,In general,every episode ofFine Tuned Halachadelves into an important Halachic textand extracts important nuggets of direction,history and most importantly,an understanding of how the Jewish legal system developed and continues to guide the lives of a committed people.While the learning tends to align with the seasons we find ourselves in,we are confident it will resonate well beyond the calendar into your consciousness.Please leave us a review or email us at ravkiv@gmail.comfind out more about this podcast fromyeshivaofnewark.jewishpodcasts.org See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast is powered by JewishPodcasts.org. Start your own podcast today and share your content with the world. Click jewishpodcasts.fm/signup to get started.

The rise of Rav Shach as the Premier spokesman for Charedi JudaismFor more information on our podcast please visityeshivaofnewark.jewishpodcasts.org See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast is powered by JewishPodcasts.org. Start your own podcast today and share your content with the world. Click jewishpodcasts.fm/signup to get started.

Asher Reich is a rabbi, teacher, and Talmudic scholar. He studied in Ponevezh Yeshiva under Rav Shach and received his rabbinical ordination from Rav Yitzchok Weiss, the Av Beth Din of Jerusalem.