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Dear Readers, At times it feels like someone popped an enormous balloon of anxiety and sprinkled it upon all of society. Wherever we turn we encounter anxious people, some more and some less. Where is this coming from? Is it the constant discussion of a virus? Is it the prevalent intolerance for people with opposing views? Is it illusional? One would think that living in times of super scientific know-how and availability of all types of comforts that our grandparents didn’t even dream of would lead to a life of inner peace and calm. But alas, reality shows that having more makes us want more, and then some more after that. Having money becomes an end in itself instead of a means to live life. The tastes, smells and activities that gave us joy when we were children is replaced by societies’ choices of what one ought to like and develop tastes for. The art of living life seems to have been forgotten. Rosh Hashanah is a reminder that Hashem creates and is the Source of life of this world. Fundamental concerns, most of which stem from forgetting that everything in this world is temporary, get turned on their head and instead one is led to be joyful, knowing that specifically in this temporary world one can connect to Hashem. Pikudei Hashem yesharim m’samche lev, learning Hashem’s Torah and fulfilling Mitzvos is the way we find joy in being alive. And once we’ve tapped in, even the mundane becomes infused with Kedusha. Perhaps the heightened anxiety is an expression of society’s subconscious sense of the upcoming Geula Shleima. Perhaps this is the last birur of the essence of the animal soul. Regardless, we need to be there for those around us suffering from emotional or mental anguish. Focusing on the essential connection every Yid has with Hashem and the joy this brings. Hopefully the joy itself will spring us out of Golus and into the Geula Shleima. Wishing you a wonderful Shabbos, and a Ksiva V’chasima Tova, L’shana Tova Umisuka,

Shalom

T H E P R E M I E R J E W I S H N E W S PA P E R H I G H L I G H T I N G L A’ S O R T H O D OX C O M M U N I T Y The Jewish Home is an independent bi-weekly newspaper. Opinions expressed by writers are not necessarily the opinions of the publisher or editor. The Jewish Home is not responsible for typographical errors, or for the kashrus of any product or business advertised within. The Jewish Home contains words of Torah. Please treat accordingly. FOR HOME DELIVERY, OR TO HAVE THE LATEST ISSUE EMAILED TO YOU FREE OF CHARGE, SEND A MESSAGE TO EDITOR@JEWISHHOMELA.COM

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Real-World YU Summer Programs Prepare Students for Future New York, N.Y., August 24, 2021 – A group of Yeshiva University students saw firsthand the impact Jewish values of compassion and working to redeem the world can have on others after spending four weeks leading a summer program for youth in Lod, a mixed Jewish-Arab city that experienced the most violent civil unrest in Israel during the Gaza conflict just a few weeks earlier. The 18 undergraduates not only ran English classes and fun recreational activities – from board games to sports – for more than 400 local Jewish, Arab and Christian elementary and high school students in the city, but they also acted as mentors, spirit-lifters and supports to the youth during an extremely difficult time in their lives. It was all part of YU’s popular Counterpoint Israel initiative, which for the last 15 summers has engaged YU undergraduate students to run day camps in underserved southern Israeli cities. Given the need following the recent Gaza conflict, plans were altered to move this year’s program to Lod. “Despite the tension and violence that took place just a few weeks before, I was amazed how these kids came together

through this program, regardless of their backgrounds,” said Noa Atar from Newton, Mass, a third-year psychology/biology student at YU’s Stern College for Women, and one of the program’s leaders. “Once in a while, they would talk about the ‘other side’ and how scary it was to leave their homes during the riots, but mostly, they just focused on being kids – having fun together, singing, dancing, playing sports and learning – and getting to know each other as individuals,” she said. After receiving extensive training from trauma experts, psychologists, Rab-

bis and other specialists about what to expect in the mixed community and how to sensitively approach the aftermath of the conflict, the YU students were placed in three different schools where they were tasked with building bridges. Atar credits the professional guidance for helping her overcome her initial hesitation of working with the children and build her confidence as a program leader. “The training was a good reminder about always putting yourself in someone else’s shoes and being there for others in need, even if it’s just listening to their stories.” “As Jewish people, we have an obligation to put aside our differences and help others, and the 2021 Counterpoint Israel program did just that,” said Stephanie Strauss, executive director of YU in Israel, who secured the City of Lod and World Zionist Organization (WZO) – under the direction of Chairman Yaakov Hagoel – as sponsors to make this year’s program possible. “It instilled a sense of civic responsibility and values-based leadership in our students and made an enduring impact on the hundreds of children with whom they engaged,” Strauss said. For program participant Meira Prager of Teaneck, N.J., a third-year student studying early childhood education at Stern College for Women, the Counterpoint experience was invaluable in boosting her skills for her future career path. “For someone like me who is studying to be an educator, that experience was inspiring and humbling,” she said. The summer experience also gave the YU students an opportunity to bond with each other as they enjoyed a range of offhours programming that featured evening guest lecturers – from YU President Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman and other esteemed Rabbis, to successful Israeli CEOs – Torah learning, Shabbatons and field trips, including a personal meeting with Lod Mayor Yair Revivo. “In addition to life and leadership lessons learned, the program deepened the students’ understanding of Jewish values and developed relationships that will last a lifetime,” Strauss said, adding that it also helped reinforce the value of YU’s presence in Israel. Range of unique summer programs The Counterpoint program is just one

of a range of opportunities YU offered undergraduates this summer to open their eyes to different career paths and help them polish their resumes, build their professional networks and be better positioned for future success. The YU-Orthodox Union Consulting Force initiative gave 21 YU undergraduates a deep dive into the world of business management consulting through internships at select Jewish nonprofits and Israeli startups. The program included a case study hackathon, interactive sessions with executives from top-tier firms such as McKinsey, KPMG, Boston Consulting, Deloitte and Morgan Stanley, and actual client projects. The YU Israel internship program connected 10 students with game-changing, high-tech startups – including Hometalk, CauseMatch, 200apps, Tunefork, MassChallenge Israel and Israeli think tank Kohelet Policy Forum – for eight weeks of on-the-job learning in Jerusalem. Twenty budding scientists participated in the Bar-Ilan University Yeshiva University Summer Science Research internship program, where they assisted with research in one of the school’s Life Sciences, Brain Research, Exact Sciences and Engineering labs under the direction of leading faculty members. The Archaeological Fieldwork initiative at Tell es-Safi/Gath Israel – the reputed home of Goliath – gave participating YU students the unique opportunity to join forces with an international team on an ongoing site excavation, recovering and analyzing remains, and learning new insights into ancient culture and biblical history. YU also offered 84 in-person and online summer courses – from science and history to religious studies – which attracted record enrolment. Two of these courses were offered in partnership with Camp HASC and Camp Morasha. At Camp HASC, undergraduates worked with those with special needs to better understand their complex challenges and improve their daily lives, while the Camp Morasha course examined the intersection between successful leadership and Jewish values.

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“I Can’t Afford that Hotel!” Sarah Pachter

Rav Yisroel Salanter was known to share the following mashal. There was once an extremely expensive hotel that charged $120,000 per night. They offered proration per minute, and even the most affluent individuals often chose this option. A very wealthy man named Shalom came to enjoy the hotel for a few hours, and bumped into an old friend from school while he was there. Shalom asked him, “What are you doing here? How many minutes have you been here?” The friend replied, “I’ve stayed here for a few years now.” Shalom was shocked, and exclaimed, “What? I can’t even afford to stay more than 24 hours. How could you handle the expense of several years’ time?” His friend responded, “I’m the manager here, and I live onsite free of charge. In fact, I am even paid to live here!” The world is analogous to an expensive hotel. Rav Salanter explains that on Rosh Hashanah, the Book of Life is open before Hashem. However, if one works for Hashem as a manager, different rules apply. If someone gives tzedakah, operates in good faith, and brings joy to others, he gets to stay free of charge, and is even paid handsomely for living here! Rabbi Elimelech Biderman asserts that this story explains how tzedakah changes our decree.1 While of course tzedakah refers to money, it is not exclusive to monetary resources. Tzedakah can also refer to uplifting others with words. When doing so, we have the power to build the confidence and simchah of others. Although a simple act, it is a great zechut to bring with you into Rosh Hashanah. Someone once asked Rabbi Avigdor

Talmud Yerushalmi, Masechet Ta’anit 2

Miller how he could best prepare for Rosh Hashanah. He simply answered, “Smile.” He further explained with an analogy: A businessman owned a chain of stores with locations throughout the country. At the end of the year, he would conduct an annual review. He took count of his various locations’ stock and employee numbers. He would then hire, fire, or transfer people as needed. One branch needed to lay off employees. His CFO said, “This specific employee can’t be laid off—otherwise, you may as well close down the branch.” He explained, “He keeps the customers happy by creating a warm atmosphere, and greeting everyone with a smile and good word. People come back to shop here because of him. It’s not worth letting him go.” Rabbi Miller describes Rosh Hashanah as a yearly review, and we are Hashem’s employees. In past years, there were people who were “sent home” or “transferred to other locations.” Some people got “more stock” and some people got “less stock.” Perhaps certain individuals were meant to be sent home, but the angels defended them, saying, “We can’t send her home because we need her on Earth. She spreads happiness and makes people smile.” There are many avenues to creating a pleasant atmosphere for others. Here are a few practical examples. Lighten Another’s Load Easing someone else’s burden is so important to Hashem that it even trumps His kavod. When it came to the building of the Mishkan, Moshe commanded the Jewish nation to stop donating, and actually had to restrain the nation from bringing more money and raw goods. Hashem stated the exact amount of materials that were needed, and Moshe was not allowed to accept even an iota more. The Seforno points out that this was

not the case for the first and the second Beit Hamikdash. In both instances, they collected more money than they needed and had an excess of materials. In fact, the second Beit Hamikdash had almost three times the amount of vessels than were necessary. Just like a caterer has multiple sets of dishes in case they break, so too did the Beit Hamikdash need additional resources for inevitable wear and tear. Why would this not apply to the Mishkan, as well? The answer lies in the fact that the Mishkan and all the relevant items were transported by the Leviim. They carried it all on their shoulders, and in order to make their load lighter, Hashem commanded that Moshe not accept too much from the Jewish nation, and that the ark and mizbeach be constructed inwardly from wooden materials, with only a gold overlay. Hashem did not want the Leviim to become burdened, and therefore was willing to forgo His honor in order to lighten their load. While it’s important to be sensitive to the physical burden of others, this concept applies equally to another’s emotional burdens. Many of us walk around with a heavy load of worries, troubles, sadness, and nisayonot in various forms. We can make each other’s burden lighter by offering a shoulder to lean on, or a listening ear. When we create light and a happy atmosphere for others, in turn Hashem promises reward. Saying Hello Two weeks after delivering my fifth child, our family went on a small outing to a local pond. It was secluded, and because I was still recuperating from birth, I enjoyed the quiet atmosphere. We saw someone we knew there, and because I was not feeling well, I barely managed a smile. Months later, this person asked me if there was something she had done to offend me. She assumed that I

was angry with her, because of our previous encounter, and I felt terrible. All of my negativity was internal, and had nothing to do with her. I apologized, and learned that day how important our greetings are. Even when we don’t feel up to it, we can stretch ourselves to smile for the sake of others. It takes minimal effort and no financial strain to greet others with a smile. Our facial expressions are contagious, and whether we are cognizant or not, others notice. Not Embarrassing Others A Chassidish master and his followers were staying at an inn for Shabbat. The innkeeper brought out cholent for the group. It was customary for the rebbe to taste it, and then divy out portions to everyone else. The rebbe tasted the cholent and exuberantly exclaimed, “Geshmak!” He then continued eating until every last drop was consumed. The Chassidim stared in shock. One student entered the kitchen to look for additional cholent, but unfortunately there was nothing left to serve. The student peered into the pot, and found a small amount left. He ate a spoonful, and to his dismay, it tasted vile and he quickly spat it out. The innkeeper had mistakenly used kerosene instead of oil. The rebbe had feigned enjoyment, forgoing his honor in order not to hurt the pride of another person. It is written that the korban olah emits a pleasant odor for Hashem. The commentaries note, the korban olah offered by paupers is a small bird, and the entire bird, feathers included, is burned. The feathers have a foul odor when burnt. How could this be “sweet-smelling” to Hashem? They explain that this is an offering given by the pauper. The feathers remain on the bird because the innards are not allowed to be used. In order not to embarrass the poor, Hashem wanted to use the feathers. Sparing the embarrassment of the pauper creates the sweetest smell to Hashem. May we all learn to create a pleasant atmosphere for others, and ourselves. We can do this by easing another’s burden, greeting everyone with a smile, and making sure to maintain another’s pride. May we all merit to be written and sealed in the book of life so we can enjoy many more years of living at the luxurious hotel called Planet Earth.

SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | The Jewish Home

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By Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz

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Wake Up

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There are various reactions to the sound of the shofar’s cry. The sensitive soul hears several messages as the plaintive sound forms a song like no other. It is a tune of triumph mixed with recollection and tones of introspection. The Rambam, who compiled and clarified so many of the halachos that govern our lives, heard a unique message in the sound of the shofar and, deviating from his usual practice, provided a reason for the mitzvah. He writes in Hilchos Teshuvah (3:4), “Even though [the commandment to blow the shofar] is a gezeiras hakosuv, there is a hint to the reason, for it is as if the shofar is saying, ‘Uru yesheinim misheinaschem. Wake up you who are asleep from your slumber. Search through your actions, repent, and remember your Creator.’” The Rambam then quotes from the Pesikta: “These are the people who get caught up in the frivolities of the period - havlei hazeman - and forget the truth, spending their time with silliness and emptiness. The shofar calls out to them and says, ‘Look inside your souls and improve your ways, and let each one of you leave behind his bad ways and improper thoughts.’” Then the Rambam writes the eternal words that Jews have in their DNA: “Lefichoch, therefore, all people should see themselves during the entire year as if they are evenly divided between being zakai, innocent, and chayov, guilty. Every person should view the world the same way.” Meaning, if he commits one sin, he will have caused for himself and for the entire world to be guilty. If he does one mitzvah, he will have ensured that he and the entire world are found innocent and he will bring about salvation for everyone. “This is what it means when it says, ‘Tzaddik yesod olam.’ The tzaddik himself is the foundation of the world, because he has caused the entire world to be judged positively and to be saved.” The Rambam’s words are often repeated and analyzed, especially at this time of year, by people seeking to do teshuvah. His teachings are so direct and touching, deeply affecting every person who studies them. But more than that, he codifies and organizes for us the teshuvah process so that we are able to progress along the path to achieve absolution of our sins, refinement of our neshamos, improvement of our character, and, most all, perfection of our shemiras hamitzvos. It would behoove any of us who has not done so to read through the words of the Rambam, softly and slowly, absorbing them and us-

ing them as an impetus to proper teshuvah. While studying these perokim, I was pondering why the Rambam uses the metaphor of sleep for people whose time is consumed with trivialities. These people are far removed from asleep. In fact, they appear to be very much awake and occupied with fulfilling their various desires. Perhaps he should have referred to them as wayward, lost, or confused people who are wasting their lives away. Why is their condition referred to as slumber? Furthermore, how does the second part of the halacha follow the first? Why does he say that lefichoch, because people waste their time, man should therefore view himself and the world as having an equal number of merits and sins - chatzi chayov and chatzi zakai - and thus seek to perform a mitzvah in whose merit he will

The captain finds him and is incensed. He calls out to Yonah, “Mah lecha nirdom? What are you doing, sleeper?” How can a person be calm enough to lie down when the boat he is on, with all of its passengers, is at risk of sinking? The waves are lapping at the ship, threatening to rip it apart. How could a person rest comfortably when his life is in jeopardy? The captain was thus infuriated at Yonah. “Mah lecha nirdom?” he said. “What is with you, apathetic person? How can you be so indifferent to reality? How can you ignore what is transpiring around you? Kum kera el Elokecha. Quickly, pray to Hashem that He save us all from certain death.” The posuk in Shir Hashirim (5:2) states, “Ani yesheinah velibi eir…” Rashi explains that the posuk is referring to the era

You have the power to tilt the balance of the world.

tip the scale towards zakai and bring salvation to himself and to the world? How does the way we view the world follow the admonition regarding those who are asleep behavlei hazeman? The transitional word, lefichoch, indicates that there is a connection between the call to arise from our slumber and the mandate to see ourselves as chatzi chayov and chatzi zakai, perched on the dividing line between the abyss of evil and the path leading to eternal life. What is the connection? The words of the Rambam, whose every nuance and hint reflect truth and Divine inspiration, require explanation. Are we, in fact, asleep? What is the meaning of the repeated references to slumber? The story of Yonah Hanovi, which we lain on Yom Kippur, provides us with a strong allusion of what the Rambam means when he uses the word slumber, nirdom. Yonah sought to escape from following Hashem’s directive. He fled to a ship that was to take him to a far-off land. But Hashem caused a stormy tempest at sea, and the ship was rocked about and threatened to break apart. Everyone aboard began to panic, throwing all non-essential items overboard as they fought for survival. With the ship rocking and commotion all around him, Yonah went to his room to take a nap, as if nothing was happening.

of the first Bais Hamikdosh, when Knesses Yisroel, sedate and serene, became lax in their avodas Hashem. They no longer felt that they were under pressure to perform properly. Everything was going well for them and they became like a sleeping person who slowly relaxes his limbs. We see from these pesukim, and others, that when the metaphor of sleep is used, it is indicative of a person who is apathetic and has ceased to feel the pressure to do and to be, to produce and to accomplish. To be asleep means to be oblivious to what is going on around you. It means to be blind and deaf to the realities and opportunities inherent in every moment and, most of all, to the potential that lies dormant within. The famed Yerushalmi baal mussar and darshan, Rav Shalom Shvadron, was visiting Rav Eizek Sher, the Slabodka rosh yeshiva, in Bnei Brak, when Rav Sher said to him, “Let’s go to the window. I want to show you the cemetery.” Rav Shvadron was wondering how he would be able to see the far-off cemetery from Rav Sher’s window, but he followed. Rav Sher began gazing out the window and pointing to the street below. I’m paraphrasing what he said to bring out my point, but he said something like this: “Do you see those people down there? They are wasting their time with the havlei

hazeman. Instead of learning Torah and being productive, they are engaging in triviality, in matters of little importance. They are alive, but they are burying themselves with the havlei hazeman.” Those people are nirdomim. They may be alive and awake, but their souls are dead. They are aimless. They don’t think about the preciousness of time and the many opportunities Hakadosh Boruch Hu gives them to spend their time productively, benefiting themselves, their families, their communities, and the world. Says the Rambam, we cry out to them during these precious days and say, “Mah lochem nirdomim! Wake up! Uru yesheinim misheinaschem!” The shofar is the vehicle we use to convey that message. A person’s potential is immeasurable, limited only by his lack of ambition, effort and belief in himself. The worst thing that we can do is rob people of their self-esteem, because that inhibits them from seeking to grow and excel. Our yeitzer hora excels at telling us that we cannot succeed in pursuing a goal. He convinces us that it is not even worth making the attempt. When we allow him to convince us, we fail. A beautiful photograph of two young boys in a Shuvu school in Lod in Eretz Yisroel was taken this week. A boy is seen holding a siddur and davening. He is tugging at the tzitzis strings of the boy in the seat in front of him and kissing them as he recites Shema. His parents have not yet come to appreciate the mitzvos with which we are blessed and have not yet purchased for this boy a pair of tzitzis. But he doesn’t let that hold him back. He wants to grow, he wants to lead a full Jewish life, and he wants to be productive and do mitzvos, so he reaches for the closest pair of tzitzis and grabs on to them and kisses them. He doesn’t listen to his yeitzer hora. He doesn’t accept his fate and console himself with his situation. His soul is awake. He yearns to grow and do mitzvos properly. He doesn’t just shrug his shoulders and move on apathetically. He stretches, going beyond his comfort zone. He shows that he appreciates that Hashem has blessed him to be in this school, where he will receive a proper chinuch and be guided and nurtured toward becoming a proper ben aliyah. We are all that boy. We all have excuses and reasons why not to, why we can’t, why it isn’t for us. But we need to be like him in the other way as well, ignoring the negativity of the yeitzer hora and responding to the tug of our neshamos and the shofar, which call on us to propel ourselves further, doing better, working harder, and

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leading a meaningful and productive life. The greatest tragedy is when a person becomes unaware of, or indifferent to, his own abilities and begins to believe that he won’t realize his dreams and doesn’t even bother to make the attempt. The Daf Yomi cycle starts a new masechta and he really wants to try to get on the bandwagon and begin learning masechtos as he sees others doing, but he gives in to the yeitzer hora’s arguments that he won’t understand it anyway, and even if he does, he will soon forget it, so why bother expending the effort? Meanwhile, his friends are marching through Shas and he is checking out everyone’s status pictures. He is a nirdom. The shofar tells us that we need to extricate ourselves from floundering in apathy and cold indifference. The Rambam says that this is accomplished by each person realizing how much latent strength he possesses and the difference he can make. Lefichoch. Therefore, says the Rambam, when the shofar awakens you from your apathy and you realize what you can accomplish if you would only try, you have the power to tilt the balance of the world and bring it to its tikkun. Lefichoch is a call to us to exit our bubbles and shelters of selfishness and indifference and to make a difference. The beginning of teshuvah is for a person to accept that what he does makes a difference. A person must realize that Hashem created him with a purpose and a plan. Until man accepts that he has a calling, he cannot truly serve Hashem. This may be the depth of the reason why the two days of Rosh Hashanah are counted among the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah, even though on Rosh Hashanah we do not stress teshuvah, but rather the malchus of Hakadosh Boruch Hu. On Rosh Hashanah, we do not recite viduy, but reassert the fact that the world has a Creator and He is the world’s King ruling over all. Since He placed us in His world, there must be a reason and a purpose to our existence. Recognizing that is the first step of teshuvah. The posuk in Tehillim (89:15) that we recite prior to tekias shofar on Rosh Hashanah states, “Ashrei ha’am yode’ei seruah, Hashem be’Ohr Ponecha yehaleichun.” Dovid Hamelech praises the nation that knows the teruah of the shofar. The Medrash (Vayikra Rabbah 29:4) asks why Am Yisroel is deserving of that praise. After all, the nations of the world also know how to blow a shofar. Perhaps we can explain that while the nations of the world are capable of emitting sounds from the shofar, the second part of the posuk, “Hashem b’Ohr Ponecha ye-

haleichun,” does not apply to them. They are able to emit sounds from a shofar, but because they don’t follow in the light of Hashem, those sounds don’t provoke them to shake off their sheinah and tardeimah. Thus, they continue being swept along and swallowed up by the havlei hazeman. Lefichoch. We who follow the “Ohr Ponecha,” the Light of Hashem, are referred to as yode’ei seruah, because the sound of the shofar touches our neshamos and awakens us to follow that light. When the havlei hazeman draw the shades that block the light from reaching us, we become yesheinim. The shofar causes us to roll up those shades and allow the light to shine through. We are then awakened to fulfill our purpose in life. The Zohar (3:18b) speaks of the merit of the yode’ei seruah, those who know the secret of tekias shofar: “Zaka’ah chulkhon detzadikiya deyadin lekavnah reusah lekamei mareihon veyadin lesaknah alma behai yoma bekol shufrah. Praised are the pious ones who know how to channel the awesome power of the shofar and to rectify the universe on the day of Rosh Hashanah through the sound of the shofar.” Tzaddikim, the righteous ones among us, hear and understand the message of the shofar and utilize that knowledge to bring merit to the entire world, because that is the purpose of blowing the shofar. The shofar reminds us of who we are and what we can accomplish. Each one of us has the ability to tip the balance of the cosmos and change the course of the world. The shofar tells a person that he is also a tzaddik, and all are looking to him to utilize his potential to attain greatness and bring salvation to the world. A person who hears this message is a tzaddik in din. The Heavenly tribunal will pronounce him as zakai, and in his merit, those around him and the world will be saved. After Yonah was brought out of his tardeimah, the winds continued blowing and the deadly waves crashed against the ship. The other passengers huddled together to figure out why they were being punished so. They asked, “Shel mi hara’ah hazos lonu? Who is the cause of these conditions that are affecting us so terribly?” Yonah immediately responded, “Ki yodeia ani ki besheli hasa’ar hagadol hazeh aleichem. I know that I am to blame for what is happening to you.” Yonah was a novi, surrounded by ovdei avodah zarah. Why did he so quickly conclude that he was the cause of the raging storm? There were no doubt other sinners on board. Why was he so sure that it was

his fault that the boat was being destroyed? It was because Yonah understood the lefichoch of the Rambam. He was a recovering nirdom. After accepting the mussar of the captain, he went further, as the Rambam prescribes, and looked at what was going on, as if he himself could bring about the necessary change and the yeshuah to the people on the boat, to Am Yisroel as a whole, and to the entire world. This Rosh Hashanah, as we hear the song of the shofar, we can think of many role models, human beings who are attempting to realize their potential, rising up to confront the new challenges that keep coming our way. We should all take a moment to look deep within our own hearts and determine if perhaps we are asleep, oblivious to the great things we could be doing, leaving our talents untapped. Too often, we concentrate on the negatives, on the problems in our world, on the things going wrong and being done

wrong. Yet, despite all that, there are so many good people, so much good being done, so many learning and supporting Torah at unprecedented levels. There are so many baalei chesed and baalei tzedakah, people who change lives because they are not asleep to what is going on and to their abilities. They appreciate the gifts Hashem has given them and entrusted them with, and they utilize them for the purposes for which they were intended, to help others and improve the world, preparing themselves and others for the great day we are all waiting for. May our tefillos be answered and may this be a year of yeshuos, brachos, hatzlocha, gezunt, parnossah, and nachas, and may the great light finally shine over the yode’ei seruah, as the great shofar is sounded and we will all be gathered to Yerushalayim. Amein.

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Centerfold

Let’s Brush Up on Math Trivia (No. 2 pencils only)

1. What is the fear of numbers called? a. Numbphobia b. Mathaphobia c. Arithmophobia d. Gocrzyfromnumbersphobia 2. You are offered a job as a school janitor for the month of September. The school administrator offers to pay you $73 a day, or if you want, he will put you on the penny plan, which is: he will pay you one penny the first day and double your salary for each subsequent day for the entire month. What should you do? a. You’ll take the $73 a day because if you go on the penny plan you wouldn’t even make that amount the whole month b. You’ll take the penny plan c. The Trivia Commissioner is trying to be tricky because it’s obvious that I’d be better off with $73 a day but the Trivia Commissioner is trying to trip me up with a silly question! d. You don’t want to work for a boss who is trying to get you to work for pennies…good luck finding someone!

3. The school candy machine sells only 2 things: Reisman cookies and potato chips, which together cost $1.20. We know that the cookie costs $1 more than the potato chips. How much does the bag of chips cost? a. $0.50 b. 0.25 c. $0.20 d. $0.10 4. I am a three-digit odd palindromic number that ends in 9. The sum of my individual digits is 24. Which number am I (hint: I am the age of the oldest person in the Torah, Mesushelach, when he died)? a. Sorry, can’t make this question multiple choice…If you don’t like it, go complain to the Trivia Commissioner, which happens to be me…

Answers: 1. C- The fear of numbers is called arithmophobia. The only times I get it is when I go on the scale. 2. B- If you took the $73 a day plan, you lost your chance to become a millionaire. If you took the penny plan, then you would have made $5,368,709.12 by the thirtieth day (that’s right over $5 million!!) Oh, and by the way, if it was a 31 day month, then you would have walked home with a total of $10,737,418.24 (because remember: your salary doubles every day). So you $73-dollar-a-day guys, you ought to brush up on your math or go buy a lotto ticket! 3. D-The cookie costs $1.10 and the potato chips costs $0.10. That is the only way there is a dollar difference between the price of the 2 items. 4. The number is in the form of 9_9. So we will just have to fill in the blank. 24 - 9 - 9 = 6. So, 969 is the number we are looking for. Report Card 4 correct - The Trivia Commissioner thinks you’re a wacky genius, are you? 2 - 3 correct - You may be smart, but if you took the $73 a day plan, then your smarts were useless when they were needed most. 1 correct - Not bad. The school year is starting. Just pay attention in math class and things will start to add up. 0 correct - Maybe my arithmophobia is kicking in but what percentage did you get right? I am having a hard time wrapping my head around all the zeros.

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t n e m n ig s s A g in it r W Cheat Sheet ant) are unnecessary. An ev rel er ev ow (h ks ar rem l ca eti th Paren an understatement. One an th rse wo es tim n lio bil a is n exaggeratio Eliminate. Who needs ? ces ten sen ord e-w On e. liz ra ne should never ge sentence and remember always ery ev ze ali pit ca s? ion est qu al rhetoric the negative form. Proofread in ts en tem sta t pu t no Do t in po end it with gation. And don’t ne le ub do a e us ver ne t n’ Do es. carefully for typo parisons are as bad as clichés. m Co . on cti un nj co a th wi ce ten start a sen n’t overuse exclamation Do . os rop ap t no e ar ses ra ph d an Foreign words ng metaphors. Also ixi m oid av d an nd ha e th by ll marks!!!! Take the bu . If you reread your work, ies nc da un red e tiv eti rep e us er ev too, never, tion can be avoided by eti rep of al de t ea gr a ng di ea rer you can find on you words out. Last if see to ly ul ref ca ad fre oo Pr . rereading and editing e plague! but not least, avoid cliches like th

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You Gotta be Kidding Me! “Dad,” said Little Johnny, “I want to play with my friends outside. Would you please do my homework for me?” Little Johnny’s father said irately, “Son, it just wouldn’t be right.” “That’s OK,” replied Little Johnny, “but you could at least give it a try, couldn’t you?”

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Shofar: The Call of Love Rabbi Dov Heller, LMFT

One of the greatest indications that someone loves and cares about us is that they give us the feeling that we are always on their mind. They check in with us on a regular basis to see how we’re doing and how our life is going. The call of the shofar reminds us that the King of the universe loves us, is thinking about us, and cares about our lives. He is judging us because He loves us, like a mother who “judges” her children to make sure they are on track for living a quality life. On Rosh Hashanah we proclaim that God is King and we invite Him to rule over us. Not like a tyrant who threatens us with punishments if we don’t obey His every whim and desire; it means that we invite Him to rule over us because we know He loves us and wants everything good for us. The essential message of Rosh Hashanah is that God wants a relationship with us. The shofar is a call of love. This is the time to honestly examine your relationship with God. How badly do you want a

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“Extreme Overtime Work” in China

relationship with Him? What can you do to improve it? Intimacy requires emotional honesty. If I am not able to tell you how I truly feel, than we can never get close. If I pretend everything is ok when it’s not, then I rob us of the opportunity to be intimate. To improve our relationship with God, we must be vulnerable and tell Him how we truly feel. And that requires being honest with ourselves. What is it that prevents me from feeling closer to The King? He wants to know the truth about how we really feel about Him. Some possible examples might be: I feel abandoned by You and alone Sometime I’m not sure you exist I feel afraid of You I’m angry at You I feel guilt-ridden and never good enough I feel you demand too much of me On Rosh Hashanah God says to us, “Come talk to me. Be honest with me. Be honest with yourself. I want to know how you really feel. It’s ok to feel what-

ever you feel. I love you. I can handle it. Just come and be honest with me and talk to me. We can work things out and build a better, stronger, and closer relationship. It’s so important to me. You’re so important to me. Please, won’t you give it a try?” Here are some possible action steps to take: Identify what your biggest struggle is with God. Identify what is bothering you most. Once you’ve identified what’s bothering you, make a commitment to address this issue. Don’t accept that this is just the way it is and nothing can be done to change the way you feel. Talk to someone about your struggle to see how you might work on changing the way you feel. Make an action plan to continue working on this after the holidays are over. Remember, our greatest struggle is where our greatest potential for transformation lies. As we work through our struggles

“rest and vacation” and that “adhering to the national working hour system is the legal obligation of employers.” Insisting that employees work “996” hours “has seriously violated the law on extending the upper limit of working hours and should be deemed invalid,” the court added. “There is nothing wrong with advocating working hard, but it cannot be a shield for employers to evade [their] legal responsibilities.”

airport] are with us and in control. Hopefully, we will be announcing our Cabinet. Everything is peaceful. Everything is safe,” Wasiq said. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid reportedly told the group at the airport that they should be “very cautious in dealing with the nation.” “Our nation has suffered war and invasion and the people do not have more tolerance,” Mujahid said. America’s longest war came to an end on Monday after the last C-17 left Hamid Karzai International Airport at roughly 3:30 p.m. ET. The Pentagon released a photo of the last American solider boarding the flight, identified as Army Maj. Chris Donahue. The U.S. had helped evacuate 123,000 people including U.S citizens and Afghans since July. Still, almost 200 Americans remain in Afghanistan. The Taliban took control of Kabul on August 15 after quickly laying siege to strategic areas of the country.

Taliban Declares Victory

China is putting companies which overwork their employees on notice. On Thursday, China’s Supreme Court issued a lengthy condemnation of “996,” China’s codeword for working from 9:00a.m. to 9:00p.m., six days a week. The practice is common among China’s startups, big tech companies, and other private businesses. In their ruling issued with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the Supreme People’s Court wrote, “Recently, extreme overtime work in some industries has received widespread attention.” It added that employees deserve

“Afghanistan is finally free,” Hekmatuhha Wasiq, a Taliban official, exulted on Tuesday after the terror group declared victory after the last U.S. troops left Afghanistan. The Taliban marched onto Kabul’s international airport on Tuesday, dressed in camouflage and posing for photos.

U.S. Equipment Left for Taliban

“The military and civilian side [of the

According to the head of the U.S. Central Command, the U.S. left military equipment behind in Afghanistan but made sure to “demilitarize” the equipment before leaving the country. The last manned U.S. military aircraft

with God, it is crucial to remember that no matter how we feel about Him, His love for us is unwavering. Like a child who runs away from home, his parents have only one thing on their mind – the hope that their precious child will come home as they wait with open arms. So stop. Take a deep breath. Focus right now on the truth that it’s so good to be alive. With all the pain and struggle of life, deep down we treasure the gift of being a conscious, feeling, thinking being. Look around and remember Who loves you and Who gives you this awesome experience of being alive. The ultimate growth opportunity of Rosh Hashanah is to work on understanding and improving our relationship with God. When the holiday is over, we should feel that our relationship with God has changed. Let’s use these two days well. If we do, we may truly understand why these days are called the “Days of Awe.”

departed Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, on Monday, ending nearly two decades of war in Afghanistan. Asked about military equipment left behind at the airport, Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie said that some was brought out. Other systems, he said, were “demilitarized,” meaning U.S. forces purposely broke them to prevent them from being used. The counter rocket, artillery, and mortar (C-RAM) systems, which were used to fend off a rocket attack on the airport on Monday, were kept online until the last minute and then demilitarized.

“We demilitarized those systems so that they’ll never be used again,” McKenzie said. “We felt it more important to protect our forces than to bring those systems back.” The general further explained that demilitarized equipment included 70 mine-resistant ambush protected (MRAP) vehicles that he said “will never again be

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The Week In News used by anyone,” 27 Humvees “that will never be driven again,” and 73 aircraft that “will never fly again.” Some systems, such as fire trucks and front-end loaders, were left operational so that the airport could restart operations as soon as possible. Even if the Taliban, which rapidly seized control of Afghanistan earlier this month in a sweeping offensive, is unable to use any of the systems the U.S. military did not take with it when it departed the Kabul airport, the group has been able to get its hands on plenty of other working systems. The Taliban managed to capture a substantial arsenal of American-made weapons, from rifles to military vehicles, when it overran the country and defeated the Afghan armed forces, which the U.S. has spent billions of dollars arming and equipping. The Biden administration, which has faced criticism for its handling of the withdrawal from Afghanistan, has acknowledged that U.S.-funded combat capabilities fell to the Taliban. “We don’t have a complete picture, obviously, of where every article of defense materials has gone, but certainly a fair amount of it has fallen into the hands of the Taliban,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan admitted a few days after the fall of the Afghan capital.

Mexico Suing U.S. Gunmakers

Mexican attorneys earlier this month filed a lawsuit in a Boston federal court suing seven U.S. gunmakers and one gun wholesaler for their part in the flow of weapons into criminal hands in Mexico. The suit accuses the companies of “actively facilitating” gun trafficking to “drug cartels and other criminals in Mexico.” It also claims that the 2004 expiration of a U.S. ban on assault weapons correlated with an increase in homicides in Mexico. According to Mexican officials, some half million U.S. guns find their way to Mexico each year. The U.S. Department of Justice found that between 2014-2018, approximately 70% of firearms recovered in Mexico and submitted for tracing originated in the U.S. Alejandro Hope, a Mexico City-based security expert, noted, “Several academic papers have found a strong statistical correlation between the end of the assault weapons ban and increased availability of weapons and a rise in homicides connected to firearms in Mexico. Is that the sole reason why violence in Mexico increased?

SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | The Jewish Home

No, certainly not. But it is one of the many drivers.” Mexico has only one gun shop, which is run by the country’s military. Prospective buyers must pass strict background checks. At the same time, over 25,000 Mexicans were killed by firearms in 2020. Steve Shadowen, one of the plaintiff’s lead attorneys, said, “We are particularly interested in getting the manufacturers going forward to change the way they do business, to tighten up their distribution systems so that they don’t continue to supply unlimited amounts of guns to gun dealers who are systematically selling them to straw purchasers and others who are engaged in trafficking into Mexico.” He did not say how much he was seeking in damages. The manufacturers named in the litigation are Smith & Wesson, Barrett, Beretta, Century Arms, Colt, Glock, Ruger, and the gun wholesaler Witmer Public Safety group. Lawyers representing the gun manufacturers claim the companies are being “scapegoated.”

Did U.S. Provide Taliban with “Kill List”? US officials provided the Taliban with a list of people who should be granted entry to Hamid Karzai International Airport, Politico reported. The Taliban had been controlling outer security of the airport, and therefore received a list of U.S. citizens, Green Card holders, and Afghan allies approved for evacuation. This meant that the terror organization was essentially given a list of those who had been helping their American enemies. The stated goal of sharing the information, though, was to expedite the evacuation process at the airport.

The Pentagon has declined comment. The Taliban has a history of murdering Afghans who have worked with the U.S. and other Western countries and has already begun going door-to-door searching for such people. One defense official said, “Basically, they just put all those Afghans on a kill list. It’s just appalling and shocking and makes you feel unclean.” Last Sunday, U.S. President Joe Biden

was asked if he trusts the Taliban. “I don’t trust anybody,” Biden responded. “So far, the Taliban has not taken action against U.S. forces. So far, they have, by and large, followed through what they said, in terms of allowing Americans to pass through, and the like. We’ll see whether or not what they say turns out to be true.” Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Bob Menendez said, “As we wait for more details to come in, one thing is clear: We can’t trust the Taliban with Americans’ security. This is a full-fledged humanitarian crisis, and the U.S. government personnel, already working under extreme circumstances, must secure the airport and complete the massive evacuation of American citizens and vulnerable Afghans desperately trying to leave the country.” U.S. troops officially completely withdrew from Afghanistan this week.

Sri Lanka Food Emergency

Sri Lanka increased interest rates in a bid to shore up the local currency. Energy minister Udaya Gammanpila has appealed to motorists to use fuel sparingly so that the country can use its foreign exchange to buy essential medicines and vaccines. A presidential aide has warned that fuel rationing may be introduced by the end of the year unless consumption was reduced. Meanwhile, there has been a rapid increase in COVID-19 deaths in Sri Lanka in the past few weeks, with more than 200 deaths a day and more than 4,500 daily cases reported for the past 10 days. Sri Lanka has recorded 8,991 COVID-related deaths since the start of the pandemic, according to official figures.

India Facing Floodwaters

Sri Lanka has declared a state of emergency over food shortages as private banks run out of foreign exchange to finance imports.

With the country suffering a hard-hitting economic crisis, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Tuesday said he has ordered emergency regulations to counter the hoarding of sugar, rice, and other essential foods. The regulations give wide powers to officials to seize food stocks held by traders, arrest people who hoard essential food, and for the government to fix controlled prices. Rajapaksa has named a top army officer as Commissioner General of Essential Services to coordinate the supply of paddy, rice, sugar, and other consumer goods. The move followed sharp price rises for sugar, rice, onions and potatoes. Long lines have formed outside stores because of shortages of milk powder, kerosene oil, and cooking gas despite the country being under a 16-day curfew until next Monday due to the increase in COVID-19 cases. The economy shrank by a record 3.6 percent in 2020 because of the pandemic, and in March last year, the government banned imports of vehicles and other items, including edible oils and turmeric, an essential spice in local cooking, in a bid to save foreign exchange. Two weeks ago, the Central Bank of

Hundreds of thousands of people are stranded on the roofs of their homes due to rising floodwaters or have fled to higher ground as more torrential rain fell in eastern India this week. Incessant downpours for more than a week made the Brahmaputra and other rivers burst their banks across Assam and Bihar states. Some villages saw more than 6 feet of water submerge homes and structures. Tens of thousands of people are stuck in villages cut off by the floods, and the Assam governments said more than 400,000 had been moved to higher ground. Sixteen-year-old Anuwara Khatun told that AFP that she and her family have spent nearly a week on the roof of their home at Ghasbari in the state’s Morigaon district. “The water level has been rising for five days now,” she said. “A lot of families are stuck on their roofs. There is a shortage of essential supplies so we only eat once a day. There is no hygiene here.” The Bihar government opened up the Valmiki Gandak dam, warning people in nearby villages to move away, after six inches of rain fell in 24 hours. The floods have also threatened the Kaziranga National Park in Assam, a UNESCO World Heritage-listed reserve that is home to the largest concentration of rare one-horned rhinoceroses. About 70 percent of the 430sq km park is underwater.

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China Limiting Online Gaming for Kids Children living in China are now banned from playing online games for more than three hours a week, the harshest restriction so far on the game industry as Chinese regulators continue cracking down on the technology sector. Minors in China can only play games between 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays, weekends and on public holidays starting Sept. 1, according to a notice from the National Press and Publication Administration. That limits gaming to three hours a week for most weeks of the year, down from a previous restriction set in 2019 that allowed minors play games for an hour and a half per day and three hours on public holidays.

The new regulation affects some of China’s largest technology companies. The gaming restrictions are part of an ongoing crackdown on technology companies, amid concerns that technology firms – many of which provide ubiquitous messaging, payments and gaming services – may have an outsized influence on society. Earlier this month, Tencent said it would limit gaming time for minors to an hour a day and two hours during holidays, as well as ban children under the age of 12 from making in-game purchases. The company issued the curbs hours after a state-affiliated newspaper criticized the gaming industry and called games “spiritual opium.” Regulators said in Monday’s notice that they would increase supervision and increase the frequency of inspections of online game companies to ensure that they follow the regulations closely. Chinese authorities in recent months have targeted e-commerce and online education and have implemented new regulations to curb anti-competitive behavior after years of rapid growth in the technology sector. Last month, authorities banned companies that provide tutoring in core school subjects from making a profit, wiping out billions in market value from online education companies such as TAL Education and Gaotu Techedu.

SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | The Jewish Home

Schoolchildren Freed in Nigeria

Scores of Nigeria schoolchildren who were abducted at gunpoint in the country’s Niger State have been freed and handed over to their families. The students’ release cost their parents a total of $140,000 (70 million naira) in ransom, and the parents were required to give motorbikes to the kidnappers as well, school headmaster Abubakar Alhassan said. According to Alhassan, the money was raised after Nigerians from different sectors contributed funds to secure the children’s freedom. “The government contributed, individuals have contributed, the imams, pastors have also contributed. Even I received a call from TB Joshua, he is a Christian, but he contributed,” Alhassan told journalists. Niger State government spokeswoman Mary Noel-Berje clarified, “The parents [of the abducted students] negotiated with the kidnappers -- knowing that the government was not ready to be part of the ransom [negotiations].” In May, the headteacher of the school said that approximately 136 students of the Salihu Tanko Islamic School Tegina were taken at gunpoint. However, the Niger State government clarified in a Friday statement that a “total of 91 children and two passers-by were kidnapped, out of which 92 regained their freedom but unfortunately lost one of the children.” The released students looked “feeble and malnourished,” the statement added, noting that some will “require more medical attention” before being reunited with their families. Since December, hundreds of students have been abducted in different incidents in the northern part of Nigeria. According to the Niger State government, this string of kidnappings has “in no small measure discouraged parents from sending their children to school.” At the same time, dozens of schools in northern Nigeria have been closed down to prevent further attacks.

China to Surpass Russia as Top Nuclear Threat China will soon surpass Russia as the top nuclear threat to the U.S., Reuters

quoted a senior U.S. military official as saying on Friday. According to the official, the two countries have no mechanisms to avert miscommunication. U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General Thomas Bussiere, deputy commander of the U.S. Strategic Command, which oversees the country’s nuclear arsenal, said that China’s nuclear capabilities “can no longer be aligned” with a claim that it is only interested in maintaining a nuclear detriment.

cial said that the individual targeted in the strike was believed to be “associated with potential future attacks at the airport” but emphasized that the U.S. is not calling him a “senior” ISIS-K operative. Thursday’s airport attack, carried out by a suicide bomber, killed 169 Afghans and 13 U.S. troops, marking the bloodiest day for U.S. forces in Afghanistan since 2011. The U.S. casualties included 11 Marines, a Navy sailor, and an Army soldier.

U.S.: Covid Origins Need China’s Input

Speaking to an online forum, Bussiere said, “There’s going to be a point, a crossover point, where the number of threats presented by China will exceed the number of threats that currently Russia presents.” He added that how the nuclear warheads are “operationally fielded” is important and emphasized that he believes the crossover point will come “in the next few years.” But unlike with Russia, the U.S. does not have any treaties or dialogue with China that might help “alleviate any misperceptions or confusion” on the matter. China, for its part, has said that it is willing to talk with the U.S., but only if Washington reduces its nuclear stockpile to China’s level.

Drone Strike Kills Airport Bomber Mastermind A U.S. drone strike on Saturday killed an ISIS-K terrorist believed to have been involved in planning the Kabul, Afghanistan, airport attack. According to the U.S. Central Command, the eastern Afghanistan drone strike killed the terrorist but no civilians. An official familiar with the matter said the strike had been approved by US President Joe Biden.

Surveillance continued on the compound until the target’s wife and children left the area, after which the strike was carried out, a U.S. defense official said. On Saturday, another US defense offi-

The U.S. intelligence community does not believe it is possible to resolve the debate over the origins of COVID-19 without China’s cooperation, U.S. officials said on Friday in a declassified summary. According to Reuters, U.S. officials said only China can provide the necessary information about the virus which has killed 4.6 million worldwide. “China’s cooperation most likely would be needed to reach a conclusive assessment of the origins of COVID-19,” the site quoted the officials as saying. In a statement following the summary’s release, U.S. President Joe Biden said, “Critical information about the origins of this pandemic exists in the People’s Republic of China, yet from the beginning, government officials in China have worked to prevent international investigators and members of the global public health community from accessing it.” China’s embassy in Washington issued a statement saying the report “wrongly” claimed that China continued to hinder the investigation and that “a report fabricated by the U.S. intelligence community is not scientifically credible.” “The origin-tracing is a matter of science; it should and can only be left to scientists, not intelligence experts,” the statement said, adding that the report was aimed at “scapegoating China” and that such actions would “disturb and sabotage international cooperation on origin-tracing and on fighting the pandemic.” The Chinese Embassy also claimed that Washington “has been shying away from tracing the origin in the United States and closing the door on any such possibility” and suggested that the U.S. invite the World Health Organization to Fort Detrick to investigate.

SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 | The Jewish Home

The Week In News

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