Monsey Times - March 23, 2018

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The Fallacy, Delusion and Myth Of Tikkun Olam

By Rabbi Y.A. Korff It is so very difficult, indeed utterly unbearable, to sit silently by while Jews, and now the general religious and secular communities, completely misuse and distort the term Tikkun Olam– certainly not intentionally or out of any malice, but rather out of ignorance in the pursuit of virtuous goals and principles which may be applicable to general society and civilization but which have tragically become a poor substitute for authentic religious observance.

This repair rhetoric has become an obsession, a catch-all cre-

do. Everything today is Tikkun Olam.

Enough with the Tikkun Olam. It is a senseless and meaningless misconception, its true meaning nothing like it is commonly used and purported to be.

It is not at all a centuries-old tradition, it is not a call to action, and it is not a commandment. And to be clear, Tikkun Olam does not even mean repairing the world in the sense of social justice. Nor in traditional sources is Tikkun Olam in any way even a direct human imperative or action, but rather one that is left in G-d’s hands.

We cannot, and are not instructed to, save the world, or even to repair it.

Judaism teaches no such thing. Rather, we are instructed to conduct ourselves properly, to observe the Mitzvos, the Commandments (which are  CONTINUED ON P. 7

Understanding Israel’s Love Affair with Trump

By Evelyn Gordon If the U.S. president doesn’t do anything more than declare Jerusalem the capital of Israel and move the embassy, the Israelis would deem it sufficient.

Bipartisanship was the watchword at the recent AIPAC conference,

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but it’s no secret that pro-Israel Democrats have trouble swallowing Israelis’ enthusiasm for President Donald Trump, whose approval rating in Israel hit 67 percent even before he decided to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. They can understand Israel’s joy over that de-

cision. But they can’t understand its seeming disregard of Trump actions that harm Israel, like abandoning Syria to Iran and Russia or divulging classified Israeli intelligence to Russia’s president.  CONTINUED ON P. 11

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UAL 2ND ANN

Letters To The Editor Last Thursday night, March 15 2018, I attended a meeting of the Town of Ramapo Zoning Board of Appeals. The second item was a developer who wanted to put a larger multifamily house on a cul de sac that consists of single family homes.

Some of the neighbors on the street supported the developer because the values of their houses to sell will go up and they will move. Other residents, mainly Senior Citizens who want to

remain in their homes, opposed the developer and their neighbors.

This scenario of strife between those who want to remain in their homes and those who want to make as much they can selling their houses is being repeated throughout Monsey.

High density zoning has brought many new residents to Monsey who are not aware they have dragged down the quality of life of residents who bought

single family homes when they moved here. Traffic has not only become inconvenient it has also become more hazardous. Those homeowners who resided here before the developers, who seek to urbanize Ramapo, are being robbed of the peace, comfort, and safety they had when they moved to Rockland County.

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Asher Kaufman Monsey, NY

Publisher • Barry Mase Social Media/Distribution • Yosef Mase Contributors: Shmuel Abramson • Jeffrey Adams Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein • Rabbi Ephraim D. Becker Rabbi Etan Moshe Berman • Rabbi Josh Blass Rabbi Benjamin Blech • Emuna Braverman Bayla Sheva Brenner • Ben Cohen Solange DeFrancesco •Rabbi Doniel Frank Rabbi Eitan Eckstein • Reuven Epstein Elia and Eli Filhart • Chanalee Fisher Rabbi Emanuel Fishman • Rabbi Yissocher Frand Bassie Friedman • Boaz M. Golani Jonah Goldberg • by Rabbi Efrem Goldberg Evelyn Gordon • Michael Gross • Judy Gruen • Judah Harris • Rabbi Lawrence Hajioff Rabbi Eliyahu Hoffmann • Gavriel Jacobson Rabbi YY Jacobson • Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan Benjamin Kerstein • By Rabbi Y.A. Korff Rabbi Label Lam • Liel Leibovitz Yechiel Lekowitz • Akiva Mase • Dana Mase Rafael Medoff • Rabbi Yaakov Menken Rabbi Tzvi Nightingale • Mindy Oren Rabbi Shlomo Pearlstein • Joel Petlin • Dennis Prager Rabbi Netanel Reed • Rabbi Naftali Reich Yeshaya Rotbard • Alan Roth Judith Colp Rubin • Rabbi Yitschak Rudomin Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks • Sean Savage Rabbi Yaakov Yosef Schechter • Rabbi Nachum Scheiner • Rabbi Yosef Chaim Schwab Lee Smith • Aaron Subar Ed Yisroel Susskind, Ph.D. • Michelle and Yaakov Steinhart • Eliya Stromberg • Shoshana Schwartz Jonathan Tobin • Jonathan S. Tobin • Beth Warren Rabbi Berel Wein • Rabbi Tzvi Weinreb Farley Weiss • Lauren Wieder Rabbi Pinchas Winston • Slovie Jungreis-Wolff Shmuel Zitter • Alan Zoldan ••• MonseyTimes.com Phone: 845-579-5478 Email: editor@monseytimes.com Advertising: ads@monseytimes.com Subscriptions/Home Delivery: delivery@monseytimes.com ••• Monsey Times welcomes letters to the editor, which can be emailed to editor@monseytimes.com. Letters may be edited for length, clarity and appropriateness. Monsey Times, an independent publication, promotes honest and rigorous conversations about issues affecting our frum community. The opinions reflected in articles from our contributors do not necessarily reflect Monsey Time’s positions, and publishing them does not constitute an endorsement from Monsey Times. We reserve the right to accept or refuse submissions and edit for content and length. We also reserve the right to refuse advertising that in our opinion does not reflect the standards of the newspaper. We are not responsible for the kashrus of any product advertised in Monsey Times.

Table of Contents:

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American Jewry Is Disappearing 5 The Fallacy, Delusion and Myth Of Tikkun Olam 7 Dana Mase - Horse Time 8 Features 8-9 Understanding Israel’s Love Affair with Trump 11 Praying for the Government 13 Torah & Inspiration 14- 15 National Jewish News 16-17 Community News 18 The Secrets of Happiness (or Unhappiness) Revealed 19 Torah & Inspiration 22- 25 Opiod Crisis and Accountability 26 The Skulener Rebbe’s Matzos of Kindness 27 Rockland News 28 Orthodox Union 29 Jewish Genealogy: The Journey To Oneself 30 Israel News 31 Lessons of the Giving Tree 34 The Season of Giving 36 Mrs. Wesley 37 Musings From the Challah Fairy 38

March 21, 2018 / 5 Nissan, 5778

Op-Ed American Jewry Is Disappearing Patrilineal descent and intermarriage are the problem, not the solution.

by Rabbi Efrem Goldberg The Jewish People Policy Institute study found that outside of Orthodoxy, fewer Jews are getting married, those marrying are marrying later and having fewer children and intermarriage rates are increasing. The combination of these three factors raises the daunting question of the future of American non-Orthodox Jews.

Shockingly, the study shows that among all non-Orthodox Jews in the 25-54 age group, just 15% are married to a Jewish spouse and have Jewish children. An additional 8% have a Jewish spouse, but no children, 4% are single parents, 36% are single and have no children, 13% are intermarried and have Jewish children, 8% are intermarried and have non-Jewish children, and 17% are intermarried and have no children.

Among all nonOrthodox Jews in the 25-54 age group, just 15% are married to a Jewish spouse and have Jewish children.

Intermarriage rates increase the younger the generation. Among those aged 40-44, 60% are intermarried. Among those aged 35-39, it is 73%, and 75% of those aged 3034 have a non-Jewish spouse.

In contrast to the other denominations, studies show that the Orthodox community is on the rise and exhibit high levels of demographic stability. While that conclusion is gratifying and validating, it is absolutely no cause for celebration or triumphalism. Realize that the hemorrhaging of other denominations is not the result of Jews flocking to the Orthodox community.

Rav Aharon Lichtenstein zt”l wrote (Tradition, Spring 1982): Nor do I share the glee some feel

over the prospective demise of the competition. Surely, we have many sharp differences with the Conservative and Reform movements, and these should not be sloughed over or blurred. However, we also share many values with them – and this, too, should not be obscured. Their disappearance might strengthen us in some respects, but would unquestionably weaken us in others. And of course, if we transcend our own interests and think of the people currently served by these movements – many of them, both presently and potentially, well beyond our reach or ken – how would they, or klal Yisrael as a whole, be affected by such a change? Can anyone responsibly state that it is better for a marginal Jew in Dallas or Dubuque to lose his religious identity altogether rather than drive to his temple?

If the muscles of the left arm atrophy or the arm needs to be amputated, it is hardly a comfort that the right arm is strong and has larger muscles than ever. Sadly, rather than an honest review and return to tradition, ritual and halacha, there has been a doubling down of the policies and ideology that have brought these results to begin with.

Some have suggested an em-

brace of patrilineal descent as a solution. Others argue it is time for rabbis to officiate at intermarriages.

Aside from representing gross distortions of Jewish law, tradition and the will of the Almighty, these suggestions don’t actual address the core issues. They simply attempt to put a Band-Aid over a deeply infected wound that is gushing blood. Indeed, they are the equivalent of cooking the books or manipulating earnings so that they appear to report profit instead of loss. Recognizing patrilineal descent or accepting intermarriage just gives the illusion of addressing the problem; it doesn’t actually do anything to address the very real threat facing the future of American non-orthodox Jewry.

The antidote to these devastating demographic findings is not less adherence to Jewish law, but more.

If one thinks the Orthodox community is unaffected by these suggested monumental shifts in policy, they are grossly mistaken. In-

dividuals and families who will have grown up thinking they are Jewish will meet children from observant homes through NCSY or at their college Hillel and their Jewish status will come into question. Children who apply to attend day schools or families that will seek membership in Orthodox shuls may have questionable statuses. This potential shifts in policy and practice will not only fail to stem assimilation, but it will further divide our people.

This is not a hypothetical issue that may arise in the future. This is happening now in our own institutions and among families in our own community. I see these issues arise frequently – and tragically.

The antidote to these devastating demographic findings is not less adherence to halacha, Jewish law, but more. When talking about the mitzvah of tzitizit (fringes on a four-cornered garment), our rabbis (Bamidbar Rabbah 17:6) provide the following metaphor. A person was once cast into the sea and was drowning. The Coast Guard threw the person a rope and said grab on.

If you hold onto it, you will survive but if you let go, you will be swept away and disappear. Wearing tzitzitreminds us of our commitment and responsibility to a life of Torah and mitzvot. Grabbing on to those ropes and what they stand for gives us life.

Tzitzit themselves are not the solution, but they are symbol of a lifestyle of mitzvot. “The Torah is the tree of life for those who grab onto it.” Let it go and you will be swept away.

The storms of change are raging around us. The current is getting stronger and stronger and sweeping more and more people away.

The only way to stay safe, and remain true to our values, our traditions and our obligations, is to make a commitment to not only hold on to Torah, but to demonstrate a willingness to swim upstream at times, to go against the tide, to dare to be different and to be willing to stand out. This is no easy task and takes great courage, but we have it within our very DNA because our great patriarch Abraham planted it there.  CONTINUED ON P. 10

March 21, 2018 / 5 Nissan 5778

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Op-Ed The Fallacy, Delusion and Myth Of Tikkun Olam  CONTINUED FROM COVER

not good deeds, but rather commandments, required imperatives), and in that way to contribute to society and civilization both by example and through practice and action.

For Jews those Mitzvos include not simply socially or politically correct precepts such as giving charity and engaging in political action, but also observance of the Sabbath, dietary restrictions (Kashrus), daily prayer, and other commandments which seem to have fallen out of favor and are ignored, if not openly denigrated and violated, in some segments of the community, as they substitute the false panacea of something they call Tikkun Olam for the authenticity of true Judaism, clinging desperately to Tikkun Olam to avoid their actual responsibilities as Jews to observe the Torah and the commandments.

The term and concept Tikkun Olam appears nowhere in the Torah itself, but first appears only in the Mishna and Talmud in the context of the courts and halakhic (legal) regulations involving disputes and legal rights.

Subsequently in Kabbalah the term was used to refer to the upper worlds or to the repair of the individual soul damaged by the sin of violating or neglecting Jewish law. Following that, the only mention of Tikkun Olam in prayer is in the Aleinu prayer recited at the conclusion of every service, but even in that context it means either that G-d, not man, will ultimately repair the world, or, as others interpret, it does not mean repair of the world at all but rather is a prayer for the uprooting of idolatry, the rebuilding of the Temple and establishing G-d’s kingdom on earth, through the observance of the commandments and not through any separate social imperative.

Indeed, scholars from across the spectrum and diversity of the Jewish community have acknowledged and bemoan the misuse and distortion of the term Tikkun Olam by the community.

March 21, 2018 / 5 Nissan 5778

All illustration of Jews praying in synagogue on Yom Kippur.

Thus Rabbi Jacobs observed years ago (Zeek, July 2007) that, “In its current incarnation, Tikkun Olam can refer to anything from a direct service project such as working in a soup kitchen or shelter, to political action, to philanthropy. While once regarded as the property of the left, the term is now widely used by mainstream groups such as synagogues, camps, schools, and federations, as well as by more rightwing groups wishing to cast their own political agendas within the framework of Tikkun Olam.”

After quoting Arnold Jacob Wolf (“Repairing Tikkun Olam,” Judaism 50:4), who writes, “All this begins, I believe, with distorting tikkun olam. A teaching about compromise, sharpening, trimming and humanizing rabbinic law, a mystical doctrine about putting God’s world back together again, this strange and half-understood notion becomes a huge umbrella under which our petty moral concerns and political panaceas can come in out of the rain,” Jacobs points out that one of the key figures in the Kabbalistic school of thought which developed the concept of Tikkun Olam was the same person who codified Jewish law,

since it is individual observance of halakha, Jewish law, which is the way to repair the world.

Professor Steven Plaut of Haifa University wrote about “The Rise of Tikun Olam Paganism” (The Jewish Press, January 23, 2003), calling it a “pseudo-religion,” “social action fetishism” (The Jewish Press, November 19, 2008) and a “vulgar misuse and distortion by assimilationists.” He concludes that Tikkun Olam is quite clearly “a theological notion and not a trendy socioeconomic or political one,” observing that, “It would be an exaggeration, but only a small one, to say that

nothing in Judaism directs us to the pursuit of social (as opposed to judicial) justice.”

Most recently there was a publication by Oxford University Press of the scholarly book Faith Finding Meaning: A Theology of Judaism by Rabbi Byron L. Sherwin, which also highlights the current fallacy (pages 33-35). Calling it “a blatant distortion of the meaning of the term,” a “substitute faith” and a “shibboleth,” he writes that “the current [promiscuous] usage of this term represents a category mistake, is a blatant example of conversion by redefinition, and constitutes a paradigmatic example of the reductionist fallacy” which is merely “liberation theology without the theology.” He concludes, “Tikkun Olam means ‘for the proper order of the Jewish community.’ It is a long way from that definition to ‘build a better world.’”

Please. Everyone. Enough with the Tikkun Olam. For Jews who truly do want to engage in Tikkun Olam, the only honest and authentic Jewish way to do that is to encourage observance of the Torah across the entire spectrum of the Jewish Community. That in fact is actually what our responsibility is, nothing more and nothing less, and the rest is up to G-d—if we do our part, so will G-d.

Rabbi Y. A. Korff, the Zvhil-Mezbuz Rebbe of Boston, is Chaplain of The City of Boston and spiritual leader of the Zvhil-Mezbuz Beis Medrash in downtown Boston and Newton.

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Philosophy of Life for the Non Equestrian

Horse Advice From Aiden

by Dana Mase Dear Aiden, When my human, Sarah, comes to visit me she always seems to be in such a rush. I wish she would slow down so she can spend time enjoying me! The time we spend together means so much to me. When she running around at top speed, it just can’t be healthy for her! Please can you give me advice how to slow my Sarah down?

Time for a change, Muffin Dear Muffin, Your question is a good one. Many times I have also asked myself “Why are those humans in such a rush?” I mean, look at us! We are never in a hurry. If we see a bright green patch of grass, we will definitely stop and to eat it - no matter what we are doing!

Muffin, my dear pony friend, You

need a plan to help your human slow down. And you have asked just the right horse because I have perfected the art of slowing down my human, Dana.

The best place to start slowing your Sarah down would be when she begins to groom and brush you. Grooming is mutually beneficial because Sarah will relax and unwind from the stresses of her day as you love being fussed over. So what you need to do is to go into your paddock and find the biggest, wettest mud puddle. Then lie down in the middle and enjoy a good roll. Make sure you get both sides of your body filthy. Then, when your Sarah comes, she will gasp at how dirty you are but will be forced to clean you before she rides. If done right, this will take a very long time. (Make sure you get mud in your ears as well) Believe me, she will thank you for it later.

The next step will be when she puts your saddle on. As soon as she

Aiden and Muffin discussing the philosophy of Life

gets it on your back, shake your whole body with enough umph so the saddle tumbles to the ground. Repeat at least three times.

(I know how fun this is but eventually please allow your Sarah to put on your saddle.)

When your Sarah begins to walk you into the riding arena TAKE YOUR TIME! Take a step, pause, take a step, pause, you get it now. Even if she pulls you harder, keep it slow. Eventually she will take a deep breath, sigh, and then slow down to match your pace.

Remember, we are ultimately wiser when it comes to time management. Teach your Sarah to stop rushing around. She will be happier and healthier if she stops to realize that

time is a gift to savor. It is our duty to show these silly humans, whom we love, the art of how to slow down and enjoy life.

Let me know how it goes, Aiden Dana Mase is the founder and executive director of Ride Kind Therapeutic Riding, and equestrian director for The Ranch at Bethel, a therapeutic boarding school for girls. Dana’s column, called “Horse Time,” teaches inspirational life lessons learned from working with horses and people.“ Horse Time” is featured in numerous worldwide publications. Dana can be reached at dana@danamase. com or at 845-356-1464.

Features There is a Rule in Marriage to “Never Say No”!

By Rabbi Doniel Frank What does that mean? If we can’t come through with a request, what else is there to say other than “no”?

Besides, why can’t we say “no”?

Don’t we have a right to our needs and our reality? Just because our spouse asks us for a favor, does it mean that we have to do it?! If it doesn’t work for us, why can’t we say no?

Sometimes we make problems when we take things too literally.

But in our case, it’s the opposite.

“Never say no” is meant to be taken literally—not to say the word “no.” We have the option to take

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the position that we can’t come through. We just can’t take it with the word “no.”

That’s because “no” is harsh. It spells rejection and can make other people feel like you’ve slammed a door on them and their needs.

They’re likely to interpret it as though their request has had no impact, and that it ultimately proves that they really aren’t that important to us.

It’s shocking what one little word can do. And it’s usually way beyond our intentions. But that’s how it can come across.

What’s the alternative?

Well, the complete rule is, “Say yes

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whenever you can… but when you can’t say yes, don’t say no.”

In other words, it’s great if we can say yes—even if it’s a stretch. In fact, relationships are built on stretches.

But “when we can’t say yes, we don’t say no.” We have to find some way to phrase our position so that the other party knows we’re acknowledging their need and that it bothers us that we can’t come through.

So here’s a scenario. Your spouse calls to ask you to pick up the kids from school in twenty minutes.

She—or he—must have forgotten

that you’re an hour away in a very important meeting. What do you say?

Well, you’d like to say yes, but you really can’t. But you also can’t say no.

Instead, we can try something like this: “Oh, boy. I wish I could help you.

The problem is that I’m an hour away in an important meeting and there’s no way I can get there in time.” And… for some bonus points: “Is there any other way I can help you get them there?”

As with so many of our relationship challenges, the key lies less in our position and more with how we express it. In our case, success is when we are able to flood our spouse with “yes” while keeping our marriages a no “no” zone.

Rabbi Doniel Frank currently directs M.A.P. (Motivation and Performance) Seminars, Inc. and maintains a private practice in dating, marriage, and family therapy.

March 21, 2018 / 5 Nissan, 5778

Features

by Judy Gruen

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March 21, 2018 / 5 Nissan 5778

CHALLENGE?

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If you’re a traditional Jewish mother like me, you will likely log a boatload of hours preparing for Passover – cleaning, planning, shopping, cooking, and serving. Yet when we sit down to reencounter our birth as a nation at the Seder, we read about Abraham, Nachor, and the rabbis of Bnei Brak, Yaakov and his deceitful father-in-law Laban, and of course the evil Pharaoh himself.

It’s easy to ask: Where are the women?

Ladies, don’t take it personally. There is also one man critical to the story who barely makes an appearance himself: Moses! The leader of the Jewish people is given only one speaking role in the entire narrative. The people mentioned in the Hagaddah narrative are tools to convey the story.

The primary focus of the Hagaddah is on God’s personal redemption of the Jewish people. This is a theme we honor every day in our prayers. Our connection to God, and His to us, isn’t based on His having created the universe and humankind.

It is His ongoing involvement in our lives, which is highlighted so dramatically in the story of the Exodus.

Women obviously played a pivotal role in Exodus story, as the Talmud states: “By merit of the righteous women of that generation, Israel was redeemed from Egypt” (Sota, 11B).

Here are five brave heroines against tyranny, without whom the Passover redemption would not have happened in the way that it did.

1. Yocheved – Moses’mother was willing to have a child in the face of Pharaoh’s death decree against every Jewish newborn boy. She hid her preemie son from the Egyptians – forerunners of the Nazis – having crafted a water-tight basket for him and placed him in the Nile. Who can imagine her agony and her faith, praying that her precious son would survive?

Could she have had the least spiritual hint that this child would change Jewish destiny?

2. Miriam – Moses’ sister certainly has partial credit for her brother’s birth. Miriam was a prophetess. She knew that there was a special role for a future brother. As a little girl, Miriam challenged her father, Amram, who planned to divorce his wife in order to prevent having future children – the children who would be subject to the death decree.

Miriam famously argued, “Father, your decree is worse than Pharaoh’s. He only decreed against the boys, but you are decreeing against the girls, too.” And it was Miriam who stood openly by the Nile, watching the fate of her baby brother as he floated in the river. Miriam seized the initiative and offered to summon a Jewish midwife – her own mother – when Pharaoh’s daughter rescued her baby brother.

3 & 4. Shifra and Puah – These midwives defied the death sentences against newborn Jewish boys by attending the births, saving innumerable lives. Who were these mysterious women? Some commentators believe they were none other than Yocheved and Miriam. In Hebrew they are called “Hamayaldot Ha’Ivrot, which means either“the Jewish midwives” or “the midwives to the Jews.” Whoever they were, these women were among the earliest practitioners of civil disobedience.

5. Batya – Pharaoh’s daughter saw through divine inspiration that she would be the one to raise the redeemer of Israel, and according to the Midrash, she walked along the Nile each day in hopes of discovering him. She rescued Moses, believing he was that chosen Jewish child, and daringly raised him in the palace, right under the cruel tyrant’s nose. What an amazing act of moral beauty and bravery. Her name means “daughter of God.” Yocheved, Miriam, Shifra, Puah and Batya helped “birth” one of the greatest stories ever told in history. And as it says, “Whoever elaborates on the story of the Exodus deserves praise.” Add color and depth to your Seder by remembering these amazing, history-changing women.

Source: Aish

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Women who played a pivotal role in Exodus story.

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Op-Ed American Jewry is Disappearing  CONTINUED FROM P. 5

Abraham was called Avraham Ha’Ivri meaning mei’eiver, on the other side.

When the whole world took one position and stood on one side, he had the courage to stand out, remain true to the vision and will of the Almighty and to stand on the other side, even when it meant standing by himself.

The great Piacetzner Rebbe, R’ Kalonymous Kalman Shapira writes in his spiritual diary, Tzav V’Ziruz: You cannot remain static in this torrent river just by standing firm in your place – you must actively swim against the flow. You may not be successful in swimming upstream, but at least you will not be swept down by the flow. So it is with spiritual life and the purity of spirit that you have attained. You cannot retain them against the flow unless you continue to struggle for spiritual growth. You must swim upstream

without respite – upward, onward against the flow. There may be a limit to how far you can go, but at least you will not be drawn down with the flow.

W.C. Fields once said, “Remember, a dead fish can float downstream, but it takes a live one to swim upstream.”

Those who are spiritually dead, cut off from our timeless and time tested traditions, are floating away. We, the community who are willing to swim upstream, must not only swim harder, but we must be willing to grab on to those around us and share our life preserver (the Torah).

A dead fish can float downstream, but it takes a live one to swim upstream.

The potential demise of other denominations is no cause for celebration. It is an opportunity – and an ob-

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ligation – to reach out and share the beauty, majesty, meaning and joy of a Torah lifestyle. These findings demand a mass movement of outreach. The needle won’t move and the problem won’t be solved by outreach professionals and rabbis alone.

A difference will only be made when every Torah shul, institution and individual sees as part of their core identity and personal mission to not only hold on to the sturdy tree of Torah to prevent being swept down the river, but to reach out and extend a hand to those floating by.

Milton Friedman, the great Nobel Prize-winning economist and professor at the University of Chicago, had a very simple suggestion for how to identify a person or institution’s priorities. Many people eloquently describe their beliefs, values, and principles and talk about what is most important to them. Friedman advised to ignore what they say. If you

want to truly know what someone’s priorities are, it is simple – Look at someone’s budget and you know what is important to him/her. See how someone prioritizes their money and you will know their priorities.

We claim to care about outreach but do our institutions, shul and schools have an outreach budget?

Do we have dedicated people working on this cause? Do we put our money where our mouth is?

This is our generation’s test; it is our challenge. It has been said that in Europe they killed us with hate and in America they are killing us with love. These statistics bear out that truth and challenge us to ask ourselves, will we rise to our generation’s test and care enough to not only be willing to swim upstream ourselves when necessary, but to extend our hand to those around us who are being swept away. If the answer is not a resounding “yes,” the consequences will be devastating.

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March 21, 2018 / 5 Nissan, 5778

Op-Ed Understanding Israel’s Love Affair with Trump  CONTINUED FROM P. 1

U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, May 23, 2017. Credit: U.S. Embassy Tel Aviv.

The explanation is simple, but unfortunately, Democrats won’t like it: Barack Obama set the bar for U.S-Israeli relations so low that there’s literally no Israel-related issue on which Trump has been worse than his predecessor. And there are many on which he’s been not just modestly better, but spectacularly so.

Subscribe to The JNS Daily Syndicate by email and never miss our top stories In Trump’s negative column, Syria is “Exhibit A.” Anyone who has heard Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lately knows that Iran’s growing presence there is a top security concern. Moreover, thanks to Russia’s presence in Syria, Israel can’t handle this problem alone; Russia is way out of its weight class. Consequently, it needs America’s help, which hasn’t always been so forthcoming.

Nevertheless, it’s not Trump who abandoned Syria to Iran and Russia; that was Obama’s decision. When Syria’s civil war first began, America could have prevented Tehran and Moscow from moving in at relatively low cost. But by the time Trump took office, both were well-entrenched; ousting them now would be far more difficult and costly.

Granted, there are still things America could do—and Israelis wish America would do them. But thanks to Obama’s choices, low-cost solutions no longer exist. In this situation, many U.S. presidents would have opted for inaction. Certainly, Trump’s Democratic rival would have; as Obama’s secretary of state, Hillary Clinton was party to his decisions. So despite their dismay about the current situation, Israelis can’t blame Trump for this.

Leaking Israeli intelligence to Vladimir Putin, in contrast, isn’t something Obama ever did (as far as anyone knows). But his administration did regularly leak classified IsMarch 21, 2018 / 5 Nissan 5778

U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, May 23, 2017. Credit: U.S. Embassy Tel Aviv.

raeli information to major media outlets. And judged by the all-important standard of how likely the information is to reach Israel’s enemies, that’s considered even worse.

With Putin, there’s at least a reasonable chance that Israeli secrets won’t be shared with enemy countries, as proven by Israel’s hundreds of airstrikes in Syria in recent years.

To avoid conflict with Russia, it gives Russia prior notice of all such strikes.

Yet there’s no indication that Russia ever shared this information with Syria and Iran; if it had, one would have expected Syria’s aerial defenses to be ready and waiting. Instead, most Israeli strikes encountered no Syrian resistance at all. (In the one major exception—Syria’s downing of an Israeli plane last month—the warning almost certainly came from Iran; it would have alerted Syria to expect retaliation after an Iranian drone launched from Syria was downed over Israel.)

In contrast, information leaked to the media goes straight to enemy intelligence agencies, which routinely scan open-source material. And some of that information was potentially deadly. For instance, when Israel first began airstrikes in Syria, it deliberately refrained from claiming responsibility; that let the regime of Assad save face by blaming Syrian rebels rather than Israel, thereby reducing the risk that it would feel

compelled to retaliate. Yet the Obama administration repeatedly told the media Israel was behind those strikes, raising the risk of a Syrian retaliation that could spiral into war.

Trump’s leaks haven’t been anywhere near that dangerous.

Now consider the positive side of the equation. The embassy move stands out by any standard; it’s something many presidents promised, but none before Trump ever delivered.

And many pro-Israel Democrats seem to underestimate just how important this is. The global refusal to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital is the starkest form of delegitimization. Not only is no other country in the world denied the right to choose its own capital, but if Jews have no right to their holiest city—to which they prayed to return for 2,000 years—what do they have a right to? For putting an end to this outrageous discrimination, and thereby encouraging other countries to follow suit, Trump would deserve the gratitude of Israelis even if he never did another thing.

His financial sanctions against the P.A. (for funding terrorists) and United Nations Relief and Works Agency (for perpetuating the conflict) are similarly unprecedented and welcome.

Other Trump moves, like Nikki Haley’s appointment as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, shine

brighter due to the contrast with Obama. Though Israelis would always have adored Haley, in 2008 she would have been just the latest in a long bipartisan tradition of outstanding pro-Israel U.N. ambassadors (think Daniel Patrick Moynihan or Jeanne Kirkpatrick). But Obama’s ambassadors were a different breed.

Even when opposing anti-Israel resolutions, they lambasted Israel in harsh terms, rather than actually defending it. And though it hurt Israelis deeply to have America join the world body’s round-the-clock “Two Minutes Hate Against Israel,” this isn’t primarily about hurt feelings.

Such speeches signaled to other countries that America would be fine with any anti-Israel action they chose to take as long as Washington didn’t have to be complicit in it.

And that encouraged both the European Union and the United Nations to take steps towards anti-Israel boycotts (product labeling and compiling a corporate blacklist, respectively). Haley’s pro-Israel speeches send the opposite message: America has Israel’s back, and anti-Israel actions will rouse America’s wrath.

The same goes for Trump’s scrupulous avoidance of public spats with Israel. That, too, might have seemed unremarkable in 2008. But after eight years of Obama’s nonstop public feuding with Israel, which insinuated to other countries that Israel was fair game, Trump’s reversal of this behavioral message simply elates Israelis.

For most American Jews, Trump’s domestic policies are obviously more important than his Israel ones, and that’s legitimate; his domestic policies more directly affect their lives.

But Jewish Democrats ought to grant Israelis the same courtesy. Accept that they judge Trump on his Israel policies rather than his domestic ones, as the former are what directly affect their lives. And after eight years of Obama, Trump’s Israel policies have so far been a welcome relief.

Source: JNS Evelyn Gordon is a journalist and commentator living in Israel.

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Suggestions for leading a meaningful Seder

Features Praying for the Government

by Rabbi Benjamin Blech While politics have no place in a house of God, religion dare not be insensitive to the reality of the role of governmental leadership. A Mishnah in Ethics of the Fathers teaches the words of Rabbi Hanina, identified as the assistant to the high priests of his time: “Pray for the well-being of the government, for were it not for the fear of its authority a man would swallow his neighbor alive” (3:2).

Throughout the centuries in the many lands of our exile, synagogues faithfully followed this rabbinic injunction. It was no accident that a Jew, Irving Berlin, penned the lines of “God bless America”; he merely put into words what our people had religiously expressed for millennia. The places which afforded us a home deserved our gratitude, just as Jeremiah had in-

structed us on the eve of our first exile, to “seek the welfare of our government and to pray for it” (Jeremiah 29:7). Prayers for the government were on every Sabbath and holy day an integral part of a traditional Jewish service. The specific text may have varied in order to take into account the titles and names of government officials but every congregation understood that a moment of prayer needed to be set aside for the health and welfare of those responsible for the functioning of the social order.

But there was something far more profound in the formulation of this idea as expressed in the Talmud. It was an insight which only becomes clear when we know a bit more about its author, Rabbi Hanina. And it sheds light on the relevance of praying for the government and its leaders today when there are many whose disappointment with elected officials moves them to do away with continuing this age-old custom.

Rabbi Hanina was not the high priest.

He never achieved this lofty title, in spite of his obvious qualifications. He was passed over many times, doomed to remain deputy not to one but to numerous high priests. And we know why he was rejected, never to achieve his life’s dream of the high priesthood. It was all due to the corruption of the government of his time in the period of the Second Temple. Bribery paved the way for inferior candidates to be placed into a position meant for the most deserving spiritual aspirant.

Rabbi Hanina, perhaps more than anyone else, personally understood the potential for the corruption of politics, the failings of kingship in his days or even democracies in our days. Yet it was precisely Rabbi Hanina who is quoted as source for the religious imperative to pray on behalf of the well-being of governments – “for were it not for the fear of its authority man would swallow his neighbor alive.”

Governments, with their faults, are still preferable to anarchy, as Winston Churchill insightfully remarked, “Democracy is the worst form of government – except for all those which preceded it.”

Those who have chosen to cease to recite the ancient prayer for the government because they are not pleased by recent elections (i.e. Trump) are missing the very point of the custom’s origin.

We do not pray only on behalf of the very best leader. We pray because we value leadership, and we pray for God’s assistance to inspire those we have chosen to fulfill heavenly ideals. We pray not because we are certain we have found the perfect government but because we know it is only God who can help to perfect it.

Prayer needs to outlast the four-year changes of government – because prayer is nothing less than our earthly link with the Almighty’s prophetic vision of eternity.

Source: Aish Benjamin Blech, born in Zurich in 1933, is an Orthodox rabbi who now lives in New York City. Rabbi Blech has been a Professor of Talmud at Yeshiva University since 1966, and was the Rabbi of Young Israel of Oceanside for 37 years. In addition to his work in the rabbinate, Rabbi Blech has written many books on Judaism ...

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Features I Can’t Thank You Enough

By Rabbi Schechter ‫ – דיגמ‬We say the Hagadah from Ha Lachma Anya until Ga’al Yisroel.

There are a few main Mitzvos on the night of Pesach, one of them being reciting the Hagadah – Sipur Yetzias Mitzrayim. Chazal tell us that the more one tells over about Yetzias Mitzrayim, he is praiseworthy. Why don’t we make a Brocha on this great Mitzvah, and why don’t we make a Shehechiyanu, being that this is a Mitzvah performed only once a year?

Bereishis 29:35 “And she said, ‘This time let me gratefully thank Hashem’; therefore she called him Yehudah.” Chaz-

al tell us that Leah was the first one to praise Hashem. Could it be that the Avos didn’t praise Him? Leah did that which was not done before. She called her son Yehudah, so that each and every time that she would call his name, she would be thanking Hakodosh Boruch Hu. It would be a constant reminder to thank Hakodosh Boruch Hu again and again. Leah was saying, “‫“ – ”?’ד תא הדוא םעפה‬Is it enough to thank Hashem once?” (‫)קיש ם”רהמ‬ “The more one speaks about the miracles that happened for Klal Yisroel in their leaving Mitzrayim, and praises Hakodosh Boruch Hu, the more praiseworthy he is.”

This contradicts what it says in Brochos 33b – that one must use the Nusach provided

by Chazal when praising Hakodosh Boruch Hu. There is really no end to the praises of Hakodosh Boruch Hu, and doing less than you should is disrespectful. It would be like praising a king who has one billion dollars, and saying how great he is for he has a million dollars. For this reason we say the praises that Moshe said and no more. If so,

shouldn’t Chazal set specific praises on the night of Pesach the same way they did for Tefilah? In truth, one cannot possibly adequately praise Hashem, not in quantity nor in quality. The night of Pesach is not about praising Hakodosh Boruch Hu, rather it is about thanking Him. Although we cannot adequately thank Him either, we still must try. In the process of our thanking Him, we are also praising Him, but that is not a problem, for it is not disrespectful to Him, for the purpose is to try to thank Him as best as one can. (‫)’ד תורובג‬ Why don’t we say a Birchas Hamitzvah prior to performing the Mitzvah of Tzedakah? In order to fulfill the Mitzvah of Tzedakah, the receiver of the Tzedakah must be worthy of receiving it. If he is not, then one did not fulfill the Mitzvah. Being that one cannot be certain that the receiver is worthy, one does not make a Brocha for he may not be fulfilling the Mitzvah. (‫)א”בשרה ת”וש‬ Hakodosh Boruch Hu performed many miracles for us in Mitzrayim which we cannot understand the extent and breadth of what was actually done on our behalf. We owe Hakodosh Boruch Hu everything, and we can never truly thank Him properly –

that does not mean we should not try. Imagine if one gives another person a billion dollars, the receiver of the money says thank you to the giver and walks away. Would one call this person a Makir Tov? One needs to do much more than to say “thank you” to show true appreciation for this great gift he was given. While this person who said thank you will certainly not be called a Makir Tov, perhaps because he at least said thank you, he will not be called a ‫הבוט יופכ‬. We cannot adequately thank Hakodosh Boruch Hu for everything He did for us in Mitzrayim and everything He continues to do for us. On the night of Pesach, we must see ourselves as if we just left Mitzrayim, and try our best to thank Him. The more one tries, the more praiseworthy he is – but know, one will never be able to completely thank Him. To be called a Makir Tov for all of that Hakodosh Boruch Hu does for us is not attainable, but at the least we should say as much thanks and praise as we can, so that we should not be called a ‫הבוט יופכ‬. Being that we cannot complete this Mitzvah, we do not recite a Brocha, nor do we recite a Shehechiyanu.

May we be Zoche to be able to thank Him properly, so that we are not called a ‫הבוט יופכ‬.

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March 21, 2018 / 5 Nissan, 5778

Torah & Inspiration “Watching” the Matzos – Lishmah

By Rabbi Nachum Scheiner In connection to the upcoming yom tov of Peasch, we would like to continue to share with you some of the highlights of another shiur that was given by Rabbi Nachum Scheiner, at the Night Kollel of Ohr Chaim.

When baking matzos for the Pesach Seder one must take special precaution to oversee the baking and ensure that the dough does not become chometz. In addition, one must do this watching “lishma,” specifically for the matzos of Pesach.

There is a question if one needs to have in mind specifically for the matzos of the leil haseider or is having in mind that it should be for pesach sufficient. The Shulchan Aruch Harav and the Chazon Ish state that the latter is sufficient. However, the Mishna Berura – quoting the Pri Megadim – seems to require to have in mind specifically for the matzos of the leil haseider.

This intention is only a requirement for the matzos of the leil haseider. However, the Mishna Berura writes that klal yisroel go beyond the letter of the law and have in mind lishmah for the matzos of the entire pesach.

mah. This is, indeed, the opinion of the Levush and the Pri Chodosh. However the Chok Yaakov (and the Bach seems to concur) takes issue and asserts that it is only a rabbinical mandate (they add that the pasuk is only an asmachta – an allusion).

The Biur Halachah discusses this at length and concludes that it is indeed a Scriptural requirement. Consequently, he adds that one should not make use of a thirteen-year old for baking matzos.

This is because we can only assume that a thirteen-year old is halachically a bar-mitzvah (i.e., that he has the additional two hairs required to be considered a bar-mitzvah) for something which is only required m’d’rabanan (rabbinical requirement). Since this is a Scriptural requirement, one should not rely on a thirteen-year old.

the seder. However, others counter, that although the machine cannot have any kavanah, it is possible that a person standing on the side can have the proper intention of lishmah. The Divrei Malkiel makes a similar suggestion, allowing machine matzos.

A child rolling the dough An interesting story is recorded, where a child was found rolling the dough in the matzo bakery and the question arose as to the kashrus of those matzos. There were rabbonim who allowed the use of the matzos, because although a child cannot be used in the key actions of the preparation, the rolling of the dough is not an essential component and will not invalidate the

Rules and regulations of Lishmah The Biur Halachah quotes the Pri Megadim that it is better for one to verbalize the intention of “lishmah.”

However, having this in mind will also be sufficient.

Additionally, it is not necessary to express the intention for each matzo; it is enough if one pronounce this intention at the beginning of the work.

Scriptural or rabbinical requirement

Automatic Lishmah

The aforementioned Gemara quotes a pasuk for this requirement.

Therefore, it would seem to be a scriptural requirement to have in mind lish-

The Biur Halachah quotes a question discussed by the Acharonim as to why we do not assume that there is an automatic lishmah. We find this

March 21, 2018 / 5 Nissan 5778

concept in regards to korbanos. The rule is that even if one did not have the proper intention as he offered the korban, it is still valid, because we say that it is assumed to be brought lishmah. He quotes a Ritva, who seems to say that we can actually apply the rule of automatic lishmah, at least for the kneeding and baking which is patently obvious that it is for pesach. However, he explains that the other Rishonim did not concur, because they opine that this concept is only applicable for korbanos, where the person was makdish (sanctified) the korban; hence all further actions are a continuation of that sanctification. However, with regards to matzo, there is no sanctification and therefore there is no automatic pilot applicable.

Machine matzos It is beyond the scope of this article to discuss the different pros and cons of machine matzo, but we will mention one of the questions that come up in regards to using machine matzos.

One of the main issues of machine matzos is in regards to lishmah. As great as machines are, they cannot have any kavanah, and if there is no kavanah lishmah, then the matzos are not kosher. That is why some take issue with using machine matzos, especially for

matzos. However, the Mishna Berura seems to state otherwise, requiring all actions to be performed by someone who is a bar-mitzva.

This shiur, as well as many other shiurim, are available on the shul’s website 18Forshay.com. For more information or to get a free copy of the kuntres on matzos, For more info about our various learning programs, please contact Rabbi Scheiner @ 845.372.6618 or email a request to: ohrchaimmonsey@ gmail.com.

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National Jewish News Agudath Israel Commends House Passage of Anti-School Violence Legislation, Including Both Public and Private Schools Agudath Israel of America is applauding House passage of the STOP School Violence Act of 2018. The legislation, which is a response to the recent school shootings in Parkland, FL, and authorizes grants to improve school security through technology and other safety measures. The House measure includes both public and private schools within its benefits.

Over the decades, school security has been a priority issue for Agudath Israel, which has consistently argued to Administration officials and congressional leaders, past and present, that safety initiatives must encompass all schools and all schoolchildren. In the aftermath of Parkland, and in the subsequent legislative effort, Agudath Israel renewed its call to the White House and Capitol Hill for equity between public and private schools in both new and existing programs. One of the changes Agudath Israel and

other private school representatives have advocated for is incorporated in today’s House legislation.

“We are deeply gratified that the House has taken this step to better ensure the safety, through tangible means, of America’s schoolchildren,” noted Rabbi Abba Cohen, Agudath Israel’s Vice President for Federal Affairs and Washington Director. “It also makes an important statement that all children – regardless of the school they attend – are precious, and deserve a learning environment that enjoys the utmost protection of both mind and body.”

Agudath Israel is urging swift Senate passage.

Agudath Israel Submits Friend of Court Brief Defending Kaparos Agudath Israel of America has submitted an amicus curiae (friend of the court) brief asking New York State’s highest court, the Court of Appeals, to dismiss a legal challenge to the use of chickens for the pre-Yom Kippur ritual practice of Kaporos.

In the case, Alliance to End Chickens As Kaporos, et al, v.

New York City Police Department, et al., the Alliance asks the court to order New York City authorities, in particular the Police Department, to prohibit the use of chickens in the Kaporos ceremony. New York City has declined to prohibit the ceremony, and the lower court ruled that it was within the City’s legal discretion to allow the use of chickens for Kaporos.

One of the main arguments of the Alliance is that because many Jews use money rather than chickens for this ritual, it is therefore not religiously

IDF Develops New ‘Psychological Profiling’ Techniques for ‘Mapping’ Lone Wolf Terrorists

by Benjamin Kerstein The Israel Defense Forces is developing new sophisticated techniques, including extensive psychological profiling, in an effort to prevent “lone wolf” terror attacks, the Hebrew language daily Makor Rishon reported on Sunday.

According to the report, intelligence services in IDF Central Command have adopted a process of “mapping” potential terrorists. This allows the IDF to preempt possible attacks as well as capture terrorists who have already committed them.

A senior officer involved in the program told Ma-

16

An IDF soldier standing guard at a military base. Photo: IDF.

kor Rishon, “In this work we search for direct connections to terror or attempts to create connections like this. An index system classifies who is likely to get involved in terror.

Bottom line, we thwart dozens of attacks before they are

carried out thanks to intelligence work and operational actions.”

The main problem, however, is attacks committed by those with no previous connection to terrorism or terrorist organizations.

The IDF is seeking to combat this problem through the psychological profiling. Another officer involved in the project explained, “To understand who their friends are, who influences them, what their psychological state is, and even signs they leave in the field, can teach us about their intentions.”

Source: Algemeiner

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required to use chickens. Accordingly, they argue, the use of chickens is not protected as a matter of freedom of religion. Indeed, one of the judges in the lower court, in his dissent, specifically stated that because “other Orthodox Jewish communities use coins in place of live chickens,” the slaughter of chickens was not “necessary to carry out the religious ritual.”

Agudath Israel takes strong issue with this contention in its brief.

The brief argues that the Free Exercise Clause of the United States Constitution (and the Free Exercise Clause of the New York State Constitution), which protects freedom of religion, is “not limited to beliefs which are shared by all of the members of a religious sect.” Citing numerous Supreme Court cases on this point, Agudath Israel maintains that it is simply not for the courts to determine whether the practitioners of Kaporos should use money or chickens, and that those who wish to use chickens have the constitutionally protected right to do so.

Sen. Marco Rubio ‘Disturbed’ by Facebook’s DataSharing Ethics Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., does not believe Facebook has fully disclosed to the Senate Intelligence Committee the full extent of what the social media giant does with information from its vast roster of users.

In an interview with NBC News’ “Meet The Press” aired Sunday, Rubio, a member of the panel, said he was “disturbed” by news Facebook might have known in the summer of 2016 that profiles of users were in the hands of political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica without the users’ knowledge.

“I’m disturbed by that,” he said, adding “I’m disturbed by the fact that Facebook has created filters to help the Chinese government censor. And they’re begging to get back into China. There’s a lot I’m disturbed about these things.”  CONTINUED ON P. 30

March 21, 2018 / 5 Nissan, 5778

National Jewish News MORE THAN 2,000 EXPECTED AT ORTHODOX UNION’S TORAH NEW YORK, INDOORS AT CITI FIELD, APRIL 29, 2018 DAY OF LEARNING WILL OFFER TOP SCHOLARS ADDRESSING ISSUES LIKE #METOO, ADDICTION, POLITICS AND LAW & JUSTICE NEW YORK – Leading rabbinic scholars, educators and Jewish communal leaders will be featured at the Orthodox Union’s (OU) second annual Torah New York on Sunday, April 29, 2018. The event, hosted by the nation’s oldest and largest umbrella organization for the North American Orthodox Jewish community, is expected to draw more than 2,000 men and women to Citi Field in Queens, N.Y. for a day of Torah study and to address topics and questions facing the Jewish world today from the perspective of Jewish law and thought.

Torah New York, the largest event of its kind in North America, will feature 25 shiurim that are divided into five main categories: Tanach, Halacha, Hashkafa, Israel (in honor of its 70th birthday) and Rav Y.B. Soloveitchik, z’l (in commemoration of his 25th yahrzheit). There will be sessions appropriate for individuals of all

backgrounds, from beginner to scholar and every level in between.

“Learning Torah has always defined and shaped our community, giving meaning and context to everything, from how we pray, to how we conduct our business affairs, to how we interact with our family and with society, at large,” said Orthodox Union President Moishe Bane.

“What better way to shine a beacon on the importance of Torah study than by coming together as a community to hear from some of the world’s leading Jewish teachers, all in one place.”

The blue-ribbon list of scholars teaching sessions throughout the day includes: Rabbi Hershel Schacter, Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, Rabbi Mordechai Willig, Rabbi Dr. Abraham Steinberg, Rabbi Elazar Muskin, Rabbi Efrem Goldberg, Rabbi Yosef Tzvi Rimon, Rabbi Eli Mansour, Mrs. Sivan

Rahav Meir, Rabbi Judah Mischel and Rebbetzin Dr. Adina Shmidman. Former U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman will also deliver a session together with Rabbi Menachem Genack.

Topics addressed will include: Jewish Politics – Moral Concerns vs. National Interests Addictions in today’s world – Halachic & Hashkafic perspectives Quality of Life as a consideration in Halachic determination at the end of life #MeToo through the prism of Megillat Esther Perfecting or Transcending Humanity – a Debate in Jewish Thought Liberty & Justice between Pesach and Shavuos The convergence of Sefardi and Ashkenazi traditions in contemporary Israel In addition to the main program, there will be an NCSY program for teenagers that

will feature inspiring discussions and a Torah trivia game; a networking event for college students that will be sponsored by the OU’s JLIC program; and an evening event in partnership with YUConnects for singles with a shiur by Rabbi Steven Weil, along with dinner and socializing.

“This event highlights the rich diversity of the Orthodox community,” said Orthodox Union Executive Vice President Allen Fagin. “We are thrilled to welcome speakers and guests from near and far, bringing different points of view and new perspectives on the most pressing issues of our time.”

The will be FREE parking at Citi Field. Entry fee: $25 early bird pricing until March 18, $36 until April 19, then $50 through April 29. For more information about Torah New York, and to register, please visit https://www.ou.org/torahny/.

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March 21, 2018 / 5 Nissan 5778

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17

Community News From Mishloach Manos to Matzah at the JEP Hebrew School!

Hamentashen 5th grade 2018

It’s merely a month between Purim and Pesach but for the families and staff of JEP Rockland, it is very likely the busiest time of the entire school year.

Purim itself was preceded by “Prep for Purim” classes for parents, given by Rabbi Jared Viders. JEP teens participated in a workshop,“Cultivating Inner Joy” given by Rabbi Dov Oliver, followed by a holiday hour for special needs children during which the teens helped the children bake hamentashen, do Purim crafts and play Purim games. A professional artist, Mrs. Anat Mizrachi, entertained all the Hebrew School students with Purim face and hand painting. The culmination of it all, of course, came on Purim night at the Crowne Plaza, where

Aside from the Kolel Choshen Mishpat and the Beis Horaah, the Halacha Institute of Monsey hosts shiurim and symposiums on Jewish and legal holidays. Consequently, B’ezer Hashem this Chol Hamoed Pesach the Halacha Institute of Monsey will be hosting a series of exciting shiurim on halachic topics relating to inyana d’yoma. The shiurim will take place at Kehillas Barov, Rabbi Moskowitz’s

Teens davening 2018

Daniel levy model seder video

everyone gathered for a festive evening of Megilah reading, music and dancing, along with great entertainment provided by The Gizmo Guys.

As the month of Adar was coming to a close, JEP Rockland teen girls joined BATYA for an uplifting Shabbaton at the Hilton in Parsippany. A spirit of Jewish pride and unity permeated the weekend as Jewish teens from Hebrew Schools in Maryland, New Jersey, and New York bonded around a theme of “The Fire Within.” Inspiring workshops and activities encouraged developing one’s potential and creating inner joy.

All the girls look forward to their next BATYA Shabbaton. In the meantime, they can keep those inner fires burn-

18

ing by attending the BATYA workshops that are held at the JEP office in Monsey, every Thursday night.

Pesach, of course, is just around the corner, and JEP’s focus is clearly on the holiday in every class, as the children make their own personal Haggadot, rehearse the Mah Nishtanah, and create Pesach pillows, afikomen bags and bedikat chametz kits. The teens are helping at Kosher Troops to pack Pesach supplies for Jewish American soldiers, as well as helping out at the Hebrew School to prepare for the Model Seder. The annual JEP Model Seder is held one week before the holiday. All of the Hebrew School families participate in this fun and lively mock seder expe-

shul, at 4 Parker Blvd., which is one of the sites of the Kolel Choshen Mishpat throughout the year.

One of the shiurim will be given IY”H by Hagaon HaRav Eliyahu Levin Shlit”a, Rosh Kolel Choshen Mishpat in Lakewood. The shiurim will be given on Monday (1 st day) and Wednesday (3 rd day) of Chol Hamoed, at 30 minutes before shkia at approximately 6:50pm.

There will be a mincha after the shiurim, 25 minutes after shkia.

The beis horaah will be available to answer sheilos before Pesach from 3pm until 7pm and from 9pm until 11pm. The number is 845-379- 4849. On Erev Shabbos and on Erev Pesach from 1:30pm until an hour before hadlakas neiros.

Weekend Medical Receptionist Looking for a P/T responsible worker with personality and good phone manners as a front desk medical receptionist.

Good Pay - Medical Experience a plus (Potential for F/T) Please email your resume to medicalreceptionist0@gmail.com Join our Email Notification list - subscribe@monseytimes.com

Evan model seder video

Jenna hamentashen 2018

rience. Mr. Dovid Nulman provides music and directs the Pesach singing at the seder, so everyone can learn the songs and thereby get excited to produce their own seder at home.. This year, the Hebrew School students and teens are producing a Model Seder video. It is a creative, hands-on, enjoyable learning experience for all the students, and a useful guide as everyone prepares for their own Seder.

For more information about JEP, visit the website jeprockland.org and find us on Facebook JEP Bobbi Lewis Hebrew School. To obtain JEP services or to support JEP programs, please email jepofrockland@aol.com.

The Simply Jewish Haggadah

There are many wonderful Haggadahs (or Haggadot), but now, for the first time, there is a new Haggadah that explains what to do at the Seder, how to do it, and why we do it! The Simply Jewish Haggadah, a beautiful, color Haggadah, is your guide to the Passover Seder, and it will help you and your family have a more meaningful Seder. But, The Simply Jewish Haggadah is so much more than just a Haggadah! Other chap-

ters will help you prepare for the Seder; suggest how to lead a meaningful Seder; tell inspiring Passover-related stories (including three from Yaffa Eliach’s classic, Hasidic Tales from the Holocaust); provide an in-depth look at the Ten Plagues and the Exodus; and share recipes from the ward winning author Jamie Geller, at Jamie Geller.com.

Available where all fine Jewish books are sold.

March 21, 2018 / 5 Nissan, 5778

Israel News The Secrets of Happiness (or Unhappiness) Revealed Israel just misses making the top 10, but still ranks an impressive No. 11 out of 156 nations rated on the annual World Happiness Report, a testament to its internal spirit.

By Ben Cohen What makes us happy—or unhappy?

The 2018 edition of the World Happiness Report, published annually by a group of United Nations-linked development experts, asserts that a country’s happiness can be quantified based upon six variables. These are: “levels of GDP, life expectancy, generosity, social support, freedom and corruption.” To determine how happy a nation is, data from the Gallup World Poll—in which respondents evaluate their life quality on a scale of 0 (worst) to 10 (best)—is combined with these six variables to produce a happiness ranking of the 156 countries where enough overall data is available.

Subscribe to The JNS Daily Syndicate by email and never miss our top stories This year’s report was released on March 14 at a launch event at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences in the Vatican. A subsequent event will occur on March 20, celebrating the “International Day of Happiness” at the United Nations.

Other than perhaps proving that the coldness of country’s climate does not determine its happiness level—in order, the happiness list is led by Finland, Norway, Denmark and Iceland— there is very little in these rankings that could not have been guessed with simple common sense. The world’s happiest countries are almost exclusively de-

mocracies where the rule of law prevails, with free markets, a free press, and freedom of worship and conscience. Among the generally happy countries above No. 30, those that spend more on social welfare are, by the measures used here, arguably a little happier than those that spend less. Most significantly, the overwhelming majority of countries ranked below 100 in terms of their happiness levels overlap with those classified as either “not free” or “partly free” in the annual Freedom House global survey.

Israel is, according to the report, a deeply contented country, ranked at No. 11 in the world. It ranks higher than fellow democracies, including the United States (No. 18), the United Kingdom (No. 19) and France (No. 23), and well above brash, self-satisfied Qatar (No. 32) and dangerously aggressive Russia (No. 59). When Israel is compared with those countries facing broadly similar existential risks from rogue state neighbors and similar actors, it is striking that they—Japan (No. 54), South Korea (No. 57), Jordan (No. 90)— are considerably less happy. That, in itself, is an extraordinary testament to Israel’s internal spirit.

Meanwhile, the Palestinians living under the rule of the Palestinian Authority rank at No. 104—confirmation that while Palestinian life is generally unhappy, it’s not as miserable as some Palestinian advocates willfully make it out to be, even if you place the entire responsibility for the current Palestinian predicament on the

shoulders of Israel. For example, in terms of life expectancy, at 73 years residents of the Palestinian territories live eight years less than the average Israeli, but three to four years more than the average Syrian, Egyptian or Sudanese.

On the other hand, Palestinian GDP at $3,000 per capita is at the lower end of the scale for the Middle East, though things aren’t much better on that score in Egypt, Algeria, Jordan and Iran, all of which are fully-fledged sovereign states. Most notably, there are 52 other fully-fledged sovereign states whose populations are more unhappy than the Palestinians (data is not available for other stateless nations, like the Kurds, Tibetans and Sahrawis).

One of those countries happens to be South Africa, which comes in one place below the Palestinian territories, at No. 105. Anyone who has tracked the campaign to boycott the world’s 11th-happiest nation will notice the bitter irony here.

Many of South Africa’s leaders and key influencers have fronted the charge that Israel should be shunned as the reincarnation of apartheid, yet their own people, almost 25 years after the end of white minority rule, remain more unhappy than the Palestinians with whom they proclaim solidarity.

And yet, when you examine the variables used by the happiness report in the South African context, it’s not hard to see why this is. According to the World Health Organization, the country’s AIDS crisis is one key reason why life expectancy is a

shockingly low 62 years. At the same time, GDP per capita is under $6,000, corruption among the police and in many areas of the public sector runs rampant, and more than half of the country has been denied the basic education that is essential for the maintenance of a free and flourishing society. Despite, or maybe because of, all this, South Africa’s ruling party, the African National Congress, still trumpets the boycott of Israel as an essential element of the “politics of resistance” that has similarly blighted other countries sitting well beneath the top 50, such as Lebanon (No. 88), Venezuela (No. 102), Iran (No. 106), and Zimbabwe (No. 144).

The report also demonstrates that those nations in which happiness is on the rise are places where life expectancy is increasing and a growing range of support (medical, psychological, financial) is available to the public. For the Palestinians, it is instructive to see that the dial has barely moved on these fronts since the last global happiness survey was released.

Given that talks with Israel are not expected soon, the P.A., its key donor countries, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency and other institutions purportedly involved with Palestinian welfare have plenty of time on their hands to ask themselves why that is and how their own policies are reinforcing the problem.

Ben Cohen writes a weekly column for JNS on Jewish affairs and Middle Eastern politics. His writings have been published in Commentary, the New York Post, Haaretz, The Wall Street Journal and many other publications.

News and Views From Bais Medrash Ohr Chaim AKA SCHEINER'S YESHIVAS BEIN HAZMANIM Once again, Ohr Chaim will be hosting another YESHIVAS BEIN HAZMANIM with Matan Schara B’tzida.

SCHEDULE: Sunday March 25/ 9 Nisan – Tuesday April 10/ 25 Nisan.

The learning will take place from 10:00am-1:00pm. Shiurim B’inyanei D’Yoma from Featured Rabbanim & Roshei Yeshiva Shlita and a 30-min daily Chabura (optional).

March 21, 2018 / 5 Nissan 5778

There will be a Minyan for Shacharis @ 8:30am (Chol Hamoed @ 8:00am). Mincha @ 1:30pm. Breakfast 9:15-10am // Lunch 1:00pm. For more information please call: 845-293-0670 or email: bmocnk@gmail.com.

Although the YBH is only starting officially next week, there is already a full house of people who have being come to enjoy the invigorating atmosphere of learning, every day this week – with breakfast and lunch being served.

KEILIM KASHERING: As in previous years, Ohr Chaim will be having KEILIM KASHERING, on Sunday, March 25th, from 3:00-10:00pm, located in the tent behind 20 Forshay Rd. A mashgiach will be on premises. Items must be completely clean and not used for 24 hours before. This service is free of charge. For more information, please contact the Shul Manager @ 845-5873462// Bmocmanager@gmail.com In conjunction with the Kollel Bok-

er, who have been studying the topic of “Selling the Chometz,” Rabbi Scheiner gave a number of shiurim on this topic. This includes: “Introduction to Selling the Chometz – How is it sold if it is still in my house?” He also gave a shiur on Wed. night on the topic of “3 methods of getting rid of the Chometz: Bedika, Bitul & Selling the Chometz.” As always, the shiurim are available on the shul’s website, 18Forshay.com, on MP3 in the shul, as well as on Torahanytime.

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19

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Torah & Inspiration “Shabbat HaGadol as Independence Day”

By Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb I remember well when the age at which one could vote or drink was 21. From my perspective when I was a child, and frankly eager to do these things, it seemed to be an injustice to set the age bar so high.

21 seemed a long way off.

As time progressed, the age for all of these things became lower and lower. By that time, I was well past the age of 21 and was critical of allowing children these privileges prematurely.

That's just one example of how our perspective changes with regard to the age-old question of who is a child and who is an adult.

At what age does one pass from the status of a minor into majority?

From the point of view of Jewish religion things seem quite clear. Traditionally, boys become men at age 13. Recognizing that females mature earlier, our rabbis defined age 12 as the age of majority for a girl.

So it is with regard to the performance of mitzvot and other re-

22

ligious functions. A girl celebrates her bat mitzvah at age 12, and boys wear tefillin and are counted as part of a minyan at age 13. Before the age of 13 he is a katan, a minor. Afterwards, he is a gadol.

Gadol can mean adult, or it can mean large or great.

This Shabbat, the last one preceding Passover, is known as Shabbat HaGadol. How are we to translate it? Is it the adult Shabbat, the large Shabbat, or perhaps the great Shabbat? Or does the word gadol mean something entirely different in this context?

Many have a custom to do a preliminary reading of the Passover Haggadah on this Shabbat. Those of us who do so, and I count myself among them, will have an opportunity not just to read the ancient words but to study some commentary upon them. Thus, we will have the opportunity to familiarize ourselves with one of the dozens of haggadot on the market.

I would like to recommend one in particular, called The Royal Table, written by Rabbi Norman Lamm. I recommend this work in its entirety, but I would like to draw your attention to his creative approach to the meaning of the word gadol, and not just in the context of Shabbat HaGadol.

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Rabbi Lamm points out that in the Talmud, katan does not always mean minor, nor does gadol invariably connote an adult. In certain contexts, Rabbi Lamm informs us, a person's status is not a question of age but a question of independence. In the words of the Talmud, "A katan who does not rely upon his father's table is a gadol. A gadol who is dependent upon his father is a katan."

This piece of Talmudic wisdom allows us a definition of gadol with entirely new vistas of insight and understanding. A gadol is someone who is self-reliant, who can stand on his own two feet, not just intellectually but in every other sense as well.

Thus, Rabbi Lamm teaches us that this Shabbat is called HaGadol because it marks our independence as a people. It was on this day that we were able to demonstrate to our Egyptian slave masters that we no longer feared them and were about to declare ourselves religiously, culturally, and physically independent.

I find myself taking the implications of Rabbi Lamm's insights much further than he does. Nowadays, we refer to those Torah sages whose authority we revere and to whom we look for guidance as gedolim," the plural of gadol.

I have often struggled with the question, as I am sure many of you do, as to what makes a gadol. Is it just his piety and erudition? Surely these are the necessary prerequisites for the status of gadol.

But reflection upon the great sages of Jewish history reveals that the outstanding Gedolim of the generations had streaks of independence, which they asserted in unique and often courageous ways.

Take Maimonides, the Rambam.

His Torah scholarship and personal spirituality were unparalleled.

Yet he embarked, quite intentionally, upon many new paths in his life. He undertook significant positions of community leadership, delved into areas of study of which his own teachers never knew, and did not fear to express his independence of thought even when he differed from some of his predecessors.

Or consider Rabbi Moshe Sofer, known as the Chatam Sofer, who is generally thought to have been an ardent traditionalist. Yet he too demonstrated great independence when he formulated his own approach to combating the heretical movements of his time. He invented new ways to fight old battles.

The Chofetz Chaim and Rav Moshe Feinstein, to take two twentieth century gedolim, did not merely mimic their teachers and peers but undertook new approaches, new emphases, and dealt with unprecedented issues relying upon their profound scholarship for sure, but also were confident in their independent judgment. Rav Moshe even committed to writing some of his thoughts about the necessity of a posek, a halachic decisor, not to fear to express his independent thoughts when he was confident that they were correct.

Shabbat HaGadol gives us the opportunity to cherish our independence in so many ways. We must never abandon our Torah and tradition, but we must realize that there is a place for independence when it is appropriate.

Passover is the holiday of freedom and independence. Our sages teach us that no one is as free as he who studies Torah deeply. Independence of thought and creativity are values which are cherished by our tradition, and Passover is the time for us to celebrate those values.

March 21, 2018 / 5 Nissan, 5778

Features Is the Messiah a Christian Concept?

Why you should care about the Messiah.

by Rabbi Lawrence Hajioff When I was a teenager I was asked a question that shocked me. I was student at a Jewish high school in London and I had a strong Jewish identity, even if Jewish learning was not my top priority.

I was at shabbaton with a bunch of my friends and 200 other Jewish teenagers, and naturally we all thought we knew everything there is to know about being Jewish. A speaker stood up in front of us and asked, “You guys think you know a lot about Judaism. Well, let me ask you a simple question: what’s the name of Jesus’s mother?”

Without missing a beat a chorus of, “Mary!” rang out in the crowd.

“Okay,” he said, “What’s the name of Moses’s mother?”

Silence hung in the air until someone finally shouted out, “Miriam” and another “Tzipora!”

Both were wrong. None of us knew. (It’s Yocheved, in case you’re wondering.) How could I know more about Jesus than Moses? Furthermore I knew Judaism rejected Jesus as the Messiah, but I had no idea what the Jewish view of the Messiah was at all.

Fast forward many years and I now teach courses and seminars on the Jewish view of the Messiah. And it’s not surprising to me to hear that many Jews mistakenly believe the entire concept of a Messiah to be a Christian one.

It’s not. Here’s why.

Jewish history has a beginning, middle and end. Every challenge that has happened to the Jewish people throughout our history, every exile, crusade, pogrom and Holocaust, is leading us to what the Torah calls, “The End of Days”. It refers to a time when the Jewish people will return March 21, 2018 / 5 Nissan 5778

safely to our homeland Israel and be able to live in peace without being attacked for who we are and what we believe.

This final redemption will not only affect the Jews, but the entire world. The prophet Isaiah describes a vision of the peaceful world awaiting us; his words are etched into the wall outside the United Nations where it says, “They shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.” The world will come to recognize the reality of God and the truth of Torah, and war will finally be lifted from the face of world.

Think of it as the final page of a gripping novel or the last moments of an intense movie when the climax brings everything together and the arc of the story is completely revealed. Every episode of world history will finally make sense.

The Hebrew term for the Messiah is Mashiach. Jewish tradition teaches us that the Mashiach will be a normal human being, born of human parents. He will also be a great leader and an extremely wise Torah scholar. He will put these talents to use to precipitate a worldwide upheaval

which will bring perfect social justice to all of humanity. The Mashiach will also be a great prophet, second only to Moses in his level of prophecy. He will need all of these powers in order to fulfill his mission.

As a Jewish king and redeemer he will have a number of tasks. Here are a few of them: (see Maimonides, the last two chapters of the Book of Laws for details) Spread Torah knowledge to all Jewish people Inspire Jews to return to their Jewish faith.

Return the Jews scattered throughout the world to their homeland Israel Teach the entire world of the One true God. Build the third and final Temple on Temple Mount in Jerusalem Each one of these tasks and many more will establish a new world of peace over all of humanity and bring an end to all war and bloodshed, which will be the advent of a new era of peace and prosperity to all mankind.

The fact that none of these tasks have happened completely until now means that the final Messiah has not yet arrived on the stage of world history. But with everything we are seeing in the world today, from the return of the Jewish people to Israel, the city of Jerusalem being rec-

ognized as the eternal capital of the Jewish people in the Land of Israel, as well Jews from all over the world returning and reconnecting to their Jewish faith, all these are signs that the final Messiah is close to coming.

In the words of Maimonides, “The Messiah, who will be a king descended from King David, will be even wiser than King Shlomo. He will instruct the entire Jewish people in the way of God. Furthermore, the world’s nations will come to hear him speak, as predicted by the prophet (Isaiah 2:23), “At the End of Days the mountain of God’s house [the Temple in Jerusalem] shall be set over all other mountains and lifted high above the hills and all nations will come streaming to it. Many shall come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to God’s mountain, to the house of Israel’s God. He, the Messiah, will teach us his way, and we will walk in His paths.”

May we all see and feel this final redemption very soon and enjoy the peace we pray and long for every day.

Source: Aish.com Rabbi Lawrence Hajioff ’s new book “The Future - A Guide to the Jewish Messiah, Israel and the End of Days” is available in Jewish bookstores worldwide and online at www.amazon.com/author/rabbilawrence

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23

Torah & Inspiration

By Rabbi Pearlstein Ques. I started preparing meals for Pesach and I mistakenly used canola oil to make an apple kugel. What is the halacha regarding the kugel and the keilim I used to bake it in?

Ans. The reason one may not use canola oil on Pesach is because it’s kitniyos. Kitniyos (literally defined leg-

umes, but the issur includes other similar foods – e.g. rice, corn, beans, sesame seeds, etc.) are forbidden for Ashkenazim to eat on Pesach. The issur is only a minhag that Ashkenazim accepted upon themselves and not Sefardim.

There are several reasons mentioned for this minhag - some say because wheat grains that could become chometz were usually found amongst the other grains, and thus the kitniyot after being ground up and mixed with water could become chometz. Another reason offered is because some people won’t know the difference between flour made of grains that could become chometz (e.g. wheat, barley, etc.) and

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flour made of kitniyos, and if they saw kitniyos flour being mixed with water and eaten on Pesach they would come to be lenient with other types of flour that can become chometz.

Nevertheless, the prohibition of kitniyos is much less severe than chometz.

Therefore, if one actually used a kitniyos derivative to prepare a food, even if the taste of the kitniyos product is evident, as long as the kitniyos in that dish is not the majority of the dish, and the kitniyos is not b’ein (tangible by itself), rather it’s mixed into the food and one cannot discern it by itself, that dish is muttar to be consumed on Pesach, and most certainly the keilim are fine and do not need kashering. (See Orach Chaim 453:1) Ques. I’m going away to my in laws for Pesach. I’m selling (all the chometz in) my house. Do I need to do anything in regards to bedikas Chometz?

Ans. Technically, if you’re selling all of the chometz in your house to a goy, there’s nothing for you to check. Still, some shittos maintain that if you leave your house within 30 days of Pesach, there’s a chiyuv on the homeowner to actually do a bedika, even if the house and the chometz inside is being transferred to a goy, if you’re not going to do a bedika where you will be staying (OC 436:3). Although one may rely on the opinion that does not require bedika in such a case, l’katchila, if one can, one should try to do a bedika. In your case you could simply exclude one room in your house from being sold, thus allowing / requiring you to do a bedika in that room. If you’re leaving before the night of erev pesach, since there is a machlokes if one recites a bracha on a bedika done early, don’t make a bracha, as the rule is safek brachos l’hakel.

If by your in laws you’ll have a room exclusively to yourself, and you acquire that room with a formal kinyan, if you come before the night of bedikas chometz, and that area is a place where chometz is normally brought to, you can fulfill your obligation of bedika over there. In that case, you can sell your entire house without excluding any room.

[Still, it’s preferable to hear the bracha from the host and not make your own bracha as some shittos maintain that your room in this case is still considered

your host’s responsibility even if you made a kinyan – see Shevet Halevi 4:44] Ques. May I use products such as cosmetics, perfume, creams, soaps, etc. on Pesach, that may contain chometz?

Ans. As a rule, chometz that’s nifsal m’achilas kelev (ruined that a dog would not eat it) before pesach, is muttar to be kept on pesach. If it’s taruvos chometz as long as it’s not at all edible, it’s muttar to be kept. Not only is it muttar to be retained, one may actually derive benefit from it, as well. Hence, soaps, cosmetics, shoe polish, etc., which are for external use, as long as they’re produced before pesach (thus ensuring the chometz is spoiled before pesach), are muttar to be used on pesach. (OC 442:1,2) Although many poskim maintain that if the chometz in the product can be returned to an edible state (i.e. by adding chemicals, or separating the chometz in the product from the rest) the product is assur, nevertheless, Reb Nissim Karelitz Shlit”a (Chut Hashani Hil. Pesach) writes that such a concern is not applicable to today’s products.

Therefore, technically, one may be lenient in using products on pesach that may contain chometz, for non-eating use, as long as the chometz is nifsal before pesach. Notwithstanding there are shittos who are machmir, (for various reasons) and therefore it’s commendable to be stringent and use non chometz items. Anything that may be considered edible, i.e. flavored lipstick, definitely needs pesach certification.

Rabbi Shlomo Perlstein in an alumnus of Yeshivas and Kolel Ponovezh; he is a musmach of Rav Shlomo Zalman Ullman, and a talmid of Rav Dovid Feinstein shlit”a of Bnei Brak. He studied Choshen Mishpat under several of today’s premier dayanim, including Rav Mendel Shafran Shlit”a, and eventually joined the Beis Din of Rav Nissim Karelitz Shlit”a.

After moving to Yerushalayim, he served there as a rav and rosh kolel. He recently moved to Monsey, and currently serves as a dayan, moreh horaah, and is Rosh Kolel of the Kolel Choshen Mishpat of the Halacha Institue of Monsey.

For more info: halachainstituteofmonsey@gmail.com

March 21, 2018 / 5 Nissan, 5778

Torah & Inspiration The Fi h Son

life and its events and the non-Jewish world will eventually help explain the matter to him.

And finally the son who knows nothing, not even what to ask can also be salvaged by education, warmth, direction, role mod-

Pesach

By Rabbi Berel Wein Many of us are aware that there is a detailed discussion amongst the commentators to the Seder night Hagadah regarding the possibility of a fifth cup of wine as part of the Seder service. Some are of the opinion that the cup of wine that is designated as the Cup of Eliyahu serves as this fifth cup. Be that as it may, I wish to discuss another foursome that in our time may have developed into a fivesome.

We are taught in the Hagadah that there are four categories of children in the Jewish world. They are: the wise son, the wicked son, the naïve and simple son and the son who knows nothing and cannot even begin to ask anything intelligently.

We are all acquainted with the wise son. He has had a thorough Jewish education and is intelligently loy-

al to the Torah and its values system and traditional way of life. We unfortunately are able to clearly identify the evil child amongst us – the apostate, the self-hater, the one who is addicted to anti-Jewish ideologies and practices.

The simple son is also known to us. He has no real animus towards God and Torah though he certainly may be repelled by the behavior and statements of those of us who arrogantly claim to represent Him and His Torah. He only asks: “What is this all about?” It is a legitimate if somewhat depressing question. After all, after 3500 years of Jewish life and history, that son should, by now, have an inkling of what it is all about. Nevertheless there is still hope for this son –

els and proper mentoring. Even the evil son can be corrected and redeemed but apparently not without pain and discomfort. After all it was Stalin that basically cured the Jewish communists of their malignant Marxist disease and made them Jews once again.

But there is a fifth child that sits at the Jewish Seder table in our time.

He has no qualms about marrying a non-Jew, he is probably liberally pro-Palestinian, he has never visited Israel, though he knows it to be a racist and apartheid place, he considers himself to be part of the intellectual elite, he has no real knowledge of Torah or Judaism and yet considers himself an expert on these matters.

He knows the best policy for Jews and Israel to follow and he is so convinced of his rectitude and astuteness that he is willing, nay even demanding, to use all types of force to coerce the Jewish people and its small national state to  CONTINUED ON P. 29

March 21, 2018 / 5 Nissan 5778

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25

Features Opiod Crisis and Accountability

by Jeff Adams Deaths due to opioids spiral out of control. According to Time magazine in 2016 nearly 64,000 Americans died from drug overdoses – “roughly as many as were lost in the entire Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan wars combined.” So just how did we get here?

An Explosion of Pills and Prescriptions Last year, 236 million opioid prescriptions were doled out in the U.S. The amount of prescription opioids sold to pharmacies, hospitals and doctors’ offices nearly quadrupled from 1999 to 2010, as did deaths from prescription opioids – drugs like oxycodone, hydrocodone, and methadone.

Until the mid-1990s, opioids were only prescribed for pain from severe injuries or to cancer patients. That

The original marketing for OxyContin as providing long-lasting and non-addictive pain relief was based on questionable research.

all changed in 1996 with the introduction of OxyContin. As prescription opioids became a cash cow for many pharmaceutical companies, they continued to trivialize the risks while overstating the benefits of opioid usage.

Battling the Big Pharma Goliath Addiction prevention and recovery organizations, law enforcement and health care advocates are trying to combat the many-headed monster of opioid abuse. Now, multiple states, counties, cities and other jurisdictions are banding together and filing lawsuits to hold opioid companies responsible for the consequences of the crisis.

In so doing, they are borrowing a page from the playbook of Mike

Moore, a lawyer and former attorney general for Mississippi. In 1994, Moore was the first state AG to sue the tobacco industry for lying about nicotine addiction and to hold them accountable for the cost to the public of treating sick smokers. This resulted in the largest corporate legal settlement in history, with 50 states participating and an enormous $246 billion agreement. This money funds smoking cessation and prevention programs to this day.

Personal Responsibility and Activism What can you do to help stem the growth of opioid addiction and create a future with fewer overdoses? One way is to support lawmakers who are taking on Big Pharma and holding them accountable. The other is by exercising extreme caution when coming in contact with prescription opioids in your life. If your doctor prescribes one of these drugs for you or a family member, ask about and seriously consider less addictive medications, appropriate therapies and other ways to manage pain. If you do decide to go with opiates, consider these tips:

Why is the Check Engine Light On?

By Eli and Elia Filhart We can compare the engine of a vehicle to the human brain. There are many wires that connect the engine to essential parts in a car. When the check engine light in our vehicle comes on we don't need to be alarmed and think that this is the end of our vehicle, however, it is highly recommended to have the vehicle checked out.

Some common reasons the check engine light comes on.

When the check engine light comes on we first check the gas cap.

Often when we gas up, the cap is not tightene4d and this could cause the check engine light to come on. A loose or damaged or a missing gas cap will let the gas evaporate.

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Next we check the various sensors in the car. There are several sensors and according to our diagnostic computer we check step by step which sensor is needed. It could be the oxygen sensor, which measures the amount of air that does through the engine. It also determines that correct amount of fuel that the engine needs. If the oxygen sensor is bad it will give inaccurate information to the vehicles computer and this is not good fort the efficiency

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of the vehicle. Another sensor that is checked is the mass aiflow sensor.

The mass airflow sensor reports the amount of air that enters the engine .

There are several issues that can arise if this sensor is not working.

If it is not the gas cap or the sensors, we check the spark plugs and plug wires of the vehicle.These parts ignite the oxygen and the fuel in the car.

Another reason for the check engine light being on is a bad ignition coil The ignition coil is part of the car

• Make sure you are getting the right medication.

• Stay in touch with your doctor to make sure that the medication you are taking is working and that the dose is appropriate.

• Follow directions carefully. Use your medication the way it was prescribed.

• When you are nearing the end of your prescription, discuss the safest way to discontinue use and prevent withdrawal.

• Never use someone else’s prescription.

• Secure your prescription drugs.

• Properly dispose of medications.

Don’t keep unused or expired drugs. Check the label or patient information guide for disposal instructions, or ask your pharmacist for advice.

Jeffrey Adams, Esq. and Reuven Epstein, Esq. For more information See our website: www.rocklandinjurylaw.com Attorney, admitted New York, New Jersey; Member Rockland County Bar Association; New York State Trial Lawyers Association; New York State Trial Lawyers Academy; American Association for Justice

that takes power from the generator and transfers it to the spark plugs or igniting the fuel. This makes the car start. There are several symptoms that occur when the ignition coil is bad.

Some of them are backfiring, trouble, starting the car, having a misfire or stalling and poor gas mileage.

By ignoring the check engine light we can cause a small problem to become a bigger one. Sometimes a catalytic convertor can fail. This part controlls the vehicle's emissions and could be a costly fix if not attended to.

To sum up, don't be afraid when you see the check engine light on, however, do take the vehicle to the mechanic and have it checked out.

Have a safe drive, Elia and Eliezer SHOHAM CAR REPAIR 845-352-5553

March 21, 2018 / 5 Nissan, 5778

Torah & Inspiration The Skulener Rebbe’s Matzos of Kindness

Dr. Yisroel Susskind In March of 1945, the war in Europe was coming to an end.

The Skulener Rebbe zt”l, Harav Eliezer Zusha Portugal (18961982), found himself, along with other displaced persons, in the Russian-governed town of Czernovitz, Bukovina.

Pesach would begin that year on March 29, and some Pesach foodstuffs would certainly be provided to the survivors by charitable organizations. Nonetheless, the Skulener Rebbe sought to obtain wheat that he could bake into properly supervised shmurah matzah. Despite the oppressive economic situation, he was able to bake a limited number of matzos. He sent word to other Rabbis in the area, offering each of them three (but only three) matzos.

One week before Pesach, Rabbi Moshe Hager zt”l, son of the Seret-Vizhnitzer Rebbe zt”l, came for the matzos that had been offered.

After being handed the allotted three matzos, he said to the Skulener Rebbe, “I know that you sent word that you could give only three matzos, but nonetheless, my father, the Seret-Vizhnitzer Rebbe, told me to tell you that he must have six matzos.” The Skulener Rebbe felt that he had no choice but to honor the request.

On the day before Pesach, Rabbi Moshe Hager returned to the Skulener Rebbe. “What can I do for you?” asked the Skulener Rebbe.

Rabbi Moshe answered, “I want to return three of the matzos to you.”

“I don’t understand,” replied the Skulener Rebbe, “I thought your father absolutely had to have six matzos.”

“My father told me to ask whether you had saved any of the shmurah matzah for yourself.”

March 21, 2018 / 5 Nissan 5778

The Skulener Rebbe sighed, “How could I, when so many others needed?”

“My father assumed that this is what you would do,” explained Rabbi Hager. “These three matzos are for you.”

This story reflects the great caring epitomized by both the Skulener Rebbe and the Seret-Vizhnitzer Rebbe.

that many orphaned Jewish children were being placed by the Soviet authorities in orphanages that forbad religion and preached communism.

The Skulener Rebbe gathered up the orphans and placed them with Jewish families.

In 1959, the Skulener Rebbe’s suspiciously large number of adop-

******** I first heard this story at the Pesach table of a passionate and brilliant chosid, Dr. Tzvi Yehuda Saks of Pittsburgh a”h. Tzvi Yehuda had heard the story from Baltimore’s Rabbi Yissocher Frand. Parts of the story appear in Rabbi Paysach Krohn’s book, Echoes of the Maggid (p. 50).

Hearing this story made me want to learn more about the Skulener Rebbe.

People who had met the Skulener Rebbe told me that they immediately sensed that he was a deeply caring tzaddik.

In Romania, the Skulener Rebbe was known as “the father of orphans.”

He provided for hundreds of Jewish children who were orphaned by the war. He raised many of them in his own home.

Furthermore, after the war was over, the Skulener Rebbe learned

tions was uncovered, as well as the fact that he had sent many of “his children” to Eretz Yisroel. He was accused by Romania’s communist government of spying for Israel and the United States. He was imprisoned and brutally beaten, together with his only son, Harav Yisroel Avrohom Portugal .

An international outcry ensued.

Russia was pressured by American Jewish leaders ( from Rabbi Eliezer Silver President of the Union of Orthodox Rabbis to the Lubavitcher Rebbe) and political figures (such as Ohio’s Senator Robert Taft and U.N. Secretary General Dag Hammarskjöld ). The Skulener Rebe was released in the Spring of 1960 and came to America.

He continued to be known as a person committed to the mitzvah of pidyon shevuyim, saving imprisoned Jews.

In 1960, communist Romania did not permit emigration. The Skulener Rebbe learned that for a well-placed bribe of $2,000, a Jewish prisoner could be released and permitted to emigrate from Romania secretly with his family. He enlisted the help of American Jewish charities to free such Jews.

Because his work in the early ‘60s, four hundred families, comprised of more than 2,000 individuals, were saved. These numbers became more real for me when I met a son of one of those families, Mr. Zishe Guttman, manager of the kosher supermarket in Pittsburgh.

Upon arriving in the United States, the Skulener Rebbefirst settled in Crown Heights. The Skulener Rebbe was beloved by the Lubavitcher Rebbe. The Skulener Rebbe often davened at the Lubavitch center .

When came for Shacharis, the Lubavitcher Rebbe relinquished his usual aliyah to the Torah, wanting the aliyah to be given to the Skulener Rebbe. I have heard of no one else to whom the Rebbe gave that honor. However, subsequently, the Skulener Rebbe’s own modesty stopped him from coming to daven at that minyan, for he did not want the Lubavitcher Rebbe to give up his aliyah.

On Erev Rosh Chodesh Elul 5742 (1982), his holy neshomoh returned to Hashem. He was given an honored place of burial in the Vizhnitz cemetery in Monsey.

May we use the example of such devoted leaders of Am Yisroel to be inspired to grow in our capacity to care and do for others. May it be in the merit of such caring that Hashem blesses us with the Redemption, immediately, now.

Dr. Yisroel Susskind is a clinical psychologist who practices locally in Monsey, New York, and internationally over the telephone. Reach him at: dr@susspsyc.com

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Rockland News Orange & Rockland Customers May Be Able To Receive Reimbursement The thousands of Orange & Rockland customers who lost electricity during the recent Nor'easters for at least three days can apply to receive a reimbursement for food and prescription medicine spoilage.

O&R said Friday that customers may receive reimbursements for up to $225, or up to $515 with receipts. Business owners are eligible for food spoilage reimbursements of up to $10,200 with receipts, said company Spokesman Mike Donovan.

"While recognizing the efforts of hundreds of employees and mutual aid workers to restore power safely to over 140,000 customers, the company acknowledges that it was unable to provide reliable restoration times for some customers," said the company.

Changes to RocklandGov.Com New City, NY – On National Freedom of Information Day, Rockland County Government announced changes to the Rocklandgov.com website to make it easier for residents to access information about public hearings and legal announcements. A link to the “Legal Announcements” page is now included under the “Find” Tab on the frontpage of the website and is also now at the bottom of every page of the site.

“This update to the county website will make it easier for our residents to find information and get involved with the issues that matter to them most,” said County Executive Ed Day. “Having these notices available electronically provides greater public access and is yet another way we are making Rockland County government more transparent. It is my belief that the more involved our citizens are in the processes of government, the more we can all accomplish.” http://rocklandgov.com/ http://rocklandgov.com/departments/law/legal-announcements/

Rockland Ranks No. 1 Statewide In County Health Rankings Rockland County is ranked as New York state's top county in providing health services, according to a 2018 ranking of counties statewide.

County Executive Ed Day said, "The County Health Rankings show yet another reason why Rockland is one of the best places to live and work in the state."

Day said, "We use the data from the rankings to continue to develop strategies that create a culture of health and wellness that benefits all residents. I extend my congratulations on another year of extremely positive outcomes."

PTA Apologizes For Keeping Ramapo Police From Speaking At Event RAMAPO, N.Y. -- Ramapo police and the local PTA have made up after the parents group stopped the chief and a lieutenant from speaking at a breakfast with the state education commissioner because they were carrying their service weapons.

The Central Hudson Region Parent Teacher Association (PTA) apologized after police called out the association for the Saturday morning incident.

NYS PTA Executive Director Kyle Belokopitsky and PTA President Gracemarie Rozea called the incident “absolutely not acceptable, not PTA policy, and contrary to our instructions to our regions.”

“Please accept our humble apology [and] know that this will be handled with the seriousness it deserves,” the pair wrote in a letter to the department, adding that PTA members “welcome police officers to attend any of our events.”

Police Chief Brad Weidel, in turn, said he looked forward to speaking with them

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about the matter as soon as possible. He also pledged to let the public know “how the meeting turns out.”

It began after the chief spotted an ad for a “legislation/education” breakfast, hosted by the PTA, featuring state Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia.

The event would be an “opportunity to have a direct conversation about our children’s education and safety with [the New York State] Education leadership and legislators,” according to a post on the PTA’s Facebook page.

Weidel and a lieutenant who heads school-based policing in town registered for the event and paid $50 at the door, police said in a Facebook post.

When they arrived, they said, they were told by a teacher that armed police officers were prohibited because it would make people uncomfortable at an educational event.

The chief “was taken back by what he was told and made it clear that RPD would

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not disarm to attend this event,” his department wrote in the post.

He eventually was told that they’d be allowed in – but prohibited from speaking, the post read. “[I]t was obvious that RPD was not welcome at the event,” it continued. “Five minutes after paying, we simply asked for our registration fee back, and the moderator would not refund it.”

So they left.

“RPD is extremely disappointed how we were treated as police officers attending a forum expected to include issues relating to student safety,” the department wrote. “We expect that our individual local PTAs do not feel the same way about us and will denounce what occurred.

“We want to be very clear to our community: The Ramapo Police Department is committed to the safety of your children in school. We will not let this incident dissuade us from forging forward in

every possible way to enhance the safety Ramapo Police Chief Brad Weidel, NYS PTA Executive Director Kyle Belokopitsky (inset) Photo Credit: COURTESY: Ramapo Police Department, Central Hudson Region Parent Teacher Association

of your children.

“RPD has spent the last 30 years working to keep our schools safe,” the post added. “From our Adopt-a-Cop program.

D.A.R.E, Youth Academy, Youth Court, Intern Program and School Resource Officers, RPD has demonstrated our commitment to the children of the Town of Ramapo.”

The department also thanked the Ramapo Town Board, East Ramapo Central School District and Suffern Central School District “for their unwavering support of our agency in this regard.”

March 21, 2018 / 5 Nissan, 5778

Torah & Inspiration

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The Fi h Son  CONTINUED FROM P. 25

adopt his will. He is out to fix the world and is willing to sacrifice Israel, Judaism and Jews in the process. He sits on boards of Jewish organizations, he chooses rabbis and proclaims himself to be a faithful Jew. Yet he will contribute generously to general non-Jewish charities but gives only a pittance towards Jewish educational projects. He is not an evil son nor is he a wise one.

He certainly will deny that he is somehow simple or naïve and he certainly claims that he knows what questions to pose. Yet he my be the most tragic of all of the sons, for though he is able to pose the questions he is unwilling to hear the answers. In the words of the prophet Isaiah “the heart of the people is overladen with fat and their ears are stopped up.”

It is this hedonistic, intelligent, but very deaf son that troubles us so deeply. For we have developed no plan or method to deal with him – either to exclude him from the Jewish society completely or to somehow redeem him and bring him closer to Jewish reality and positive participation in Jewish life. It is certainly not clear to us how to accomplish this second option.

So perhaps we will have to rely on the inspiration represented by the fifth cup of wine – on the miraculous powers of the prophet Eliyahu and on his unfailing faith in the restoration of Jews and the Jewish people generally. Pesach teaches us never to say never. It is the holiday of rebirth and constant renewal. So will it be for all of our different children all of whom we gather and embrace around our Pesach Seder table.

Chag kasher v’sameach, Rabbi Berel Wein

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National Jewish News ORTHODOX UNION LAUNCHES FIRST IMPACT ACCELERATOR PROGRAM TO INVEST IN NEXT GENERATION OF JEWISH NONPROFIT ENTREPRENEURS UP TO $25,000 IN SEED FUNDING TO BE AWARDED TO EACH WINNING PROJECT NEW YORK – The Orthodox Union (OU) has launched the OU Impact Accelerator to rapidly identify and invest in solutions for current and future Jewish communal needs.

The program will run over 18-months and is built on mentorship-based growth and early-stage funding for Jewish nonprofit entrepreneurs. Between four and six projects will be awarded up to $25,000 each.

“The Torah teaches us that we have a shared responsibility for each other, kol yisrael areivim zeh lazeh, and that the needs of others should always be our own concern,” said OU President Moishe Bane. “Orthodox Jewish social entrepreneurs all over the country are finding innovative March 21, 2018 / 5 Nissan 5778

ways to address the needs and challenges in our communities. With the OU Impact Accelerator, we can now help scale these important projects to have greater impact and positive change.”

The Impact Accelerator will pair members of the selected cohort with experienced professional mentors and supply them with OU resources, network and knowledge base.

Winning entrepreneurs will take part in a customized curriculum of business skills, coaching, funding and implementation strategies to accelerate their ventures that are solving the community’s most significant needs. They will participate in virtual training and group town-halls every other week, with in-person retreats

and programming every six to nine months.

Candidates for the program will be Orthodox nonprofit entrepreneurs that live in and cater to the North American Jewish Community. Ideally, applicants will have been operating their ventures for one to four years, and service critical needs of America’s Orthodox community through innovative solutions.

The application process includes completing an online form, an interview with the OU innovations team and pitching your venture to the OU Innovations Board. Selected ventures will begin learning with a cohort of social entrepreneurs in August-September 2018.

The OU Innovations team is comprised of Chief Innovation Officer Rabbi David Felsenthal, Assistant Director of Innovation Jenna Beltser and Chair of Impact Accelerator Charlie Harary.

“Since its inception, the OU has accelerated programs that address the needs of the Jewish people,” said OU Assistant Director of Innovation Jenna Beltser. “The mission of this program is to transform the landscape of the Jewish future, by building on our history of innovation and leveraging the entrepreneurial nature of this generation.”

Applications are due by May 6, 2018. For more information, or to apply, please visit: https://www.ou.org/accelerator/.

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29

Features Jewish Genealogy: The Journey To Oneself Installment #2 “I looked at his eyes and saw mine,” says Kurzweil. “‘You have a past,’ [the photo] said, ‘a past and a history, and you can discover it if you want.’ The discovery opened up the door to a search that has taken me many years and that, I am happy to say, offers no end in sight,” he says.

He contacted every family member he knew; he made phone calls, wrote letters, paid visits—all the while asking questions, gathering information.

He sent out questionnaires with return envelopes. He scoured phone directories as well as census and immigration records. After seven years of grueling detective work, he had built a substantial family tree including great-greatgreat-grandparents with close to 500 of their descendants.

Kurzweil found himself steadily drawn into the world of his ancestors.

He began dreaming about them. “I felt as if I was living in a different place and time,” he says. Newspapers interested him less than the historical accounts of Galicia. He collected old photographs of his ancestors in the shtetl, making their experiences his own. Behind many of the people posing in photographs, there were shelves of books.

When he learned that these books were the Talmud, the central text of the Jewish people, it struck a deep chord.

The feeling only intensified while researching his mother’s family history. A childhood memory relayed by his mother’s Slovakian cousin forever transformed how Kurzweil would see himself. The cousin told him, “Every time I didn’t behave, the adults would yell, ‘This is no way for the einekel of the Stropkover Rebbe to act!’” Kurzweil asked him who this rebbe was. The

cousin didn’t know. “I only know they said it every time.”

He discovered that the rebbe, Rabbi Chaim Yosef Gottlieb of Stropkov, born in 1794, was his mother’s great-great-grandfather, and a descendant of the Shelah HaKadosh (Rabbi Yeshaya Horowitz), the revered sixteenth-century scholar of kabbalah.

“Here’s an assimilated kid, growing up in East Meadow, New York, going to public schools and knowing more about Buddha than the Torah,” says Kurzweil. “I didn’t know it when I began my research, but . . . my search for information about my family history was really, at its core, a yearning for Jewish identity.”

For ba’alei teshuvah like myself, the search for one’s ancestors offers

a gratifying sense of connection and validation that we can’t experience with our living relatives who are secular. Learning about the challenges of assimilation in our families’ pasts also drives home how our return to Torah impacts Jewish history and the Jewish future.

Salvaging Lost Links Jeanie Silver’s genealogical pursuit began in the late 1980s. Upon returning to the States after two years of study at Neve Yerushalayim, a women’s kiruv institution for Jewish studies in Jerusalem, Silver, who lives in Brooklyn, New York, received a photo from her cousin. The photo, which the cousin obtained after attending a family reunion, featured a very religious-looking

couple: her great-great-grandparents.

It spurred Silver to start investigating where she came from.

Silver familiarized herself with public archives and records, finding clues to her great-grandparents’ countries of residence via their American descendants’ death and draft board records.

“There was something very comforting to me in connecting to my roots,” says Silver. “I found little bits and pieces that led me to people in the family I never knew. I don’t have a big close family; they became my family. For me, every little bit [of family] I discover is like a gem.”

At the next family reunion in 1997 at a hotel in Skokie, Illinois, Silver asked relative after relative if he or she knew where her great-grandparents were buried. Her cousin Jack handed her a piece of paper; it included the name of the cemetery, the words “Shavel-Yanover” and her great-grandfather’s grave number. She shared her find with the Orthodox rabbi with whom she spent that Shabbat, who told her that Shavel and Yanover are names of Lithuanian towns. He offered to take her to the cemetery the following day.

The next day, she stood before her great-grandfather’s gravestone in the Shavel-Yanover section of the cemetery and recited Tehillim. The rabbi recited Keil Malei Rachamim. “It was captivating,” she says. “We felt like we had a foot in another world.” (To be continued iy”H in the next issue of Monsey Times.)

Bayla Sheva Brenner is an award-winning freelance writer living in Pomona. She can be reached at baylashevabrenner@outlook.com.

Reprinted with permission from the Winter 2014 issue of Jewish Action.

National Jewish News  CONTINUED FROM P. 16

Pressed on whether Facebook has been forthcoming about everything it has done with its users, Rubio responded, “No I don’t.”

30

“And I think we’ve learned that the hard way,” he said. “Every time that we’ve spoken to them it’s kind of rolled out as more coming out.

Look, these companies have grown very fast within the span of less than 10 years they’ve gone from

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being a novel idea to a major corporation.

“And I’m not sure if the sort of institutional knowledge about the responsibilities both legal and ethical that come with that have kept pace with their growth.”

He said the growth spurt and “so much good press” has made the social media company “get up high on themselves that they start to think that perhaps they’re above sort of the rules that apply to everybody else.”

Source: NewsMax March 21, 2018 / 5 Nissan, 5778

Israel News Facebook Decides on Israel’s Permanent Borders The social network blocked ads to Israelis living east of the Green Line

By Liel Leibovitz Earlier this year, an Israeli site wanted to advertise its offerings to readers in Jerusalem. This being 2018, and all of advertising now held exclusively in Facebook’s claws, the site contacted the social media behemoth and paid for a campaign.

When the time came to drill down on the ads’ geo-targeting, however, something strange happened: Facebook wouldn’t let them select any Jerusalem neighborhood east of the Green Line.

“Whoever is living in Jerusalem’s Arnona neighborhood has definitely seen our ads,” a spokesperson for the site told the Israeli press this week, “but anyone living in Har Homa, right next

March 21, 2018 / 5 Nissan 5778

door, has never come across them.”

Puzzled by Facebook’s decision to define Israel’s borders, Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Tzipi Hotovely, wrote to the company demanding an explanation. “It’s inconceivable that Facebook takes neighborhoods in eastern Jerusalem off the map,” she wrote. “We cannot consent to a situation in which a commercial corporation determines the borders of the state of Israel.”

Facebook was quick to reply, apologize, and correct the mistake. Still, according to the Israeli newspaper Yisrael Ha’Yom, Facebook still refuses to place ads targeting Israelis living in Judea, Samaria, or the Golan Heights.

Source: Tablet Magazine

Prenatal Vitamins Markedly Lower Autism Risk, Israeli Researchers Find A four-year study of tens of thousands of Israeli children has concluded that mothers who take folic acid and multivitamins prior to and during pregnancy are at a significantly lower risk of giving birth to children with autism than women who do not.

Professor Stephen Levine of the University of Haifa’s community mental health department led the study from 2003 to 2007 investigating the prescription data for the mothers of 45,300 Israeli children. By 2015, 572 of these children were diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Mothers who took folic acid, multivitamins, or both prior to pregnancy were 61 percent less likely to give birth to an autistic child, according to the study. When women took the supple-

ments during pregnancy, that number jumped to 73 percent. The results were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Psychiatry.

Vitamin deficiencies in mothers have long been associated with neural defects, with pregnant women advised to take folic acid and multivitamins. But research has not been conclusive as to whether the supplements can affect autism risk. In an interview with Reuters Health, Levine emphasized that “factors before pregnancy may be a target for further scrutiny to reduce the likelihood of autism.”

Autism currently affects one out of every 160 children in the world, according to the World Health Organization.

Source: JNS

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31

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Dear Basya Dear Basya, Do you recommend regular matza, whole wheat matza, or spelt Matza this Pesach? I am hearing conflicting reports about each, and I am now completely confused.

Signed Matza Meshugga Dear Matza Meshugga, Let’s put matza aside for a moment and just discuss these three as grain options. During the year we recommend our clients stick to whole

32

grain flours and breads over “regular” breads. This is because whole grain stabilizes the blood sugar and keeps you fuller for longer due to the higher fiber and other factors. Therefore, even though calorie - wise “regular” bread and whole grain breads are similar, whole grain bread is a better choice.

For regualr Shabbos meals we often tell our clients to choose whichever Matza they prefer, as any

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matza is better than challa, and we want our clients to enjoy choosing matza over challa! But on Pesach, when we are washing over and over and over again all week long, it is important to choose whole grain just as we would for our bread during the week.

Spelt is a grain that has no gluten, so it is preferable for people with sensitive stomachs or who are gluten intolerant. For people without diges-

tion issues spelt has no advantage over whole wheat. This is the case for spelt matza, spelt bread, and spelt challah.

So, in short, definitely go for whole wheat matza this Pesach. Just keep in mind that one round matza is equivalent to three or four slices of bread, so try to stick to half a matza per meal at most!

Good Luck!

March 21, 2018 / 5 Nissan, 5778

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Features Lessons of the Giving Tree

By Rabbi Eitan Eckstein with Shoshana Schwartz It’s a fascinating sight: Around 150 individuals, mostly from religious homes, men and teenage boys on one side, women and teenage girls on the other. Most come from religious homes, but today they range from chasidish and yeshivish to entirely irreligious. I speak often to this entire community, and though the topic varies, the central components do not: How is the Torah relevant in addiction recovery?

Once while discussing a Parsha, we made reference to perhaps one of the most famous pesukim in Tanach: Ve’ahavta l’reyacha kamocha—Love your neighbor as yourself (Vayikra 18:19). Rabbi Akiva famously said that this is a “fundamental tenet of the Torah” (Yerushalmi Nedarim 30b, Bereishis Raba 24:7). The Rambam writes, “It is incumbent upon everyone to love each and every one of Israel as he loves himself” (Hilchos De’os). On this many

ask: how can you love someone else as much as you love yourself?

After this classic opening, I read aloud “The Giving Tree” by Shel Silverstein. Despite the illustrations and childlike style of the book, it seems to be written for adults, as his message is somewhat problematic. The story concerns a tree that loved a child so much that he gave the child everything he had—his fruit, his branches even his trunk—to make the child happy. It was only this giving that made the tree happy.

When I finished reading the story, I asked my audience: is this love?

Is this what it means to love another person as much as we love ourselves?

One of the teenagers raised his hand and said, “Rabbi, that’s not love, it’s codependence.” I asked, “What’s the difference between the two?” He said, “Love is when you give to another person. Codependence is when you give to yourself but make it look like you’re giving to another.”

In other words, codependence is an addiction. With addiction, the substance I use or the behavior I engage in helps me feel better. With codependence, it seems on the outside like love, but in reality I am using these behaviors in order to feel, to experience something exciting.

“Then, how,” I asked, “can I know which is which?”

Without hesitation the youth said, “It’s quite simple. Love is when you give of yourself. Codependence is when you give away yourself.”

This is the Rambam’s explanation.

It’s generally thought that the Rambam is stringent in his expectation of love, that it is incumbent upon us to love others as we love ourselves. But perhaps the Rambam means just the opposite, and instead of offering an unlimited definition of love he is actually establishing for us boundaries so that we don’t downslide from love into codependence.

Perhaps this is what Rabbi Akiva meant regarding the two travelers who had only enough water for one to survive (Bava Metzia 62:1). Ben-Ptora insists that it’s better for both of them to share the drink, so that neither one would have to see his friend die. But Rabbi Akiva teaches that chayecha kodmim—your life takes precedence.

The same Rabbi Akiva who stated that loving others is a fundamental tenet of the Torah establishes boundaries to what love means—that loving another does not mean at the expense of your own life. The tree, in our story, was giv CONTINUED ON P. 35

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Features  CONTINUED FROM P. 34

ing, it was loving, but it was also codependent.

In Retorno, we often find that youth, and sometimes even adults, have great difficulty loving the parents who have hurt them (of course, we are speaking about serious injury or abuse. They face a dilemma: should I love someone who has hurt me? Will this undermine my integrity? In all the years I’ve been working with addicts, I have never tried to influence anyone’s decision.

Last week, a radio interview offered an interesting perspective. A survivor of the Birkenau concentration camp publicly declared that she forgave the Nazis.

“I know it sounds terrible,” she explained, “but it’s not for their sake, it’s for mine. I need to get them off my back! For too many years I’ve carried them already….”

Rabbi Akiva said that loving your neighbor is a fundamental tenet of the Torah. Why did he choose love as the fundamental value and not some other value?

For 33 days, Rabbi Akiva’s talmidim died in a plague because they did not

respect one another (Yevamos 71, 72).

It seems strange that they were singled out, because if there was an atmosphere of disrespect for one talmid by another, it would not have affected only Rabbi Akiva’s talmidim; it would have been a widespread problem. Why were only they punished?

Rabbi Akiva’s history is well known. Rachel, the daughter of Kalba Savua, agreed to marry Rabbi Akiva, a simple shepherd, on condition that he study Torah. After 12 years of study he returned home, and yet before he entered his house he heard his wife being teased by one of the neighbors because her husband abandoned her for the sake of Torah. He then heard her answer—that if it were up to her she’d send him for another 12 years. When he heard that, he turned on his heels and left for another 12 years of Torah study.

After 24 years, Rabbi Akiva returned home accompanied by his 24,000 talmidim. Amongst those who greeted him was Rachel. She was pushed along in the crowd until she fell to his feet and hugged his legs. Those who did not recognize her tried to pull her away, but he

stopped them, saying, “What’s mine and what’s yours, is really hers” (Kesubos 9).

What did Rabbi Akiva mean?

Rav Dessler explains in Michtav Me’Eliyahu that loving is giving. The greater the act of giving, the harder the sacrifice, the more love that is created by that giving. Rabbi Akiva knew full well what a sacrifice Rachel made for the sake of his limud Torah. By saying, “What’s mine and what’s yours, is really hers” he was explaining that his love of Torah and his love of Hashem, which he bequeathed to his talmidim, was only possible because of Rachel’s lesson to him about what love really is.

How do we know that her sacrifice was really out of love and not codependence? Because of her answer— that she would gladly send him away again for the sake of Torah. Her love for Torah was so great that she chose to let him go away for so many years. She didn’t know her husband was standing outside; she was not trying to impress him or people-please him; she was speaking from an honest place within, in line with her values.

Rabbi Akiva’s statement “What’s mine and what’s yours, is really hers” might explain why it was only his talmidim who were punished for their lack of love for one another. They, more than anyone, had an ongoing example of what love is.

Unconditional love is one of the most powerful tools, not only in addiction recovery, but in our families and communities. By giving of ourselves (while not giving ourselves away!) we become connected to the people around us. By experiencing love for another we can begin to understand, appreciate and develop a love of Torah and a love of Hashem.

Rabbi Eitan Eckstein is the founder and CEO of Retorno and one of the world’s most foremost experts on addiction. Shoshana Schwartz is an addictions counselor and therapeutic riding instructor in Retorno, and has published four books including “Three Steps,” a novel about addiction and codependence.

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35

Features The Season of Giving

By Eliya Stromberg, PhD Four days ago marked rosh chodesh (the new month named) Nissan. Officially still winter, but here in Jerusalem spring has sprung. Bees are buzzing the freshly budded blossoms on the pomegranate tree along the walkway. The icons online forecasting the weather have changed from coats to short sleeves.

Spring heralds changes in behavior. Nature contracts in the winter and expands in the spring. Bears and people come out of winter hibernation. Colors radiate from bud-

ding flowers; fragrances sweeten the air; emerging fruits and vegetables promise nourishment for body and soul.

Spring bids us to go out, to engage with others, to join nature in the season of giving.

Yesterday midmorning I was sitting with someone getting treatment at an outpatient clinic in the

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cancer center at Hadassah Hospital.

A woman in her early 30’s suddenly pulled back the curtain separating us from the patient in the next chair.

She had short blond hair that hadn’t been combed since much earlier in the day, and was wearing jeans and a blouse. She beamed a warm joyous smile. “I am getting married today,” she exclaimed. “Eight years ago I was a patient in this ward. I had lymphoma (a cancer of the blood). I got over it. I want to give you a blessing that you, too, will be well. Please give me your name so I can daven (pray) for you when I’m standing under the chuppa (wedding canopy).” As the kallah (bride-to-be) gave her blessing my friend didn’t even try to hold back the tears.

This kallah’s behavior is not typical of young women on their wedding day. Maybe she had to go through a serious illness to be able to give the way she did. Maybe because of her hakores hatov (gratitude) to her doctors and nurses she wanted to do whatever she could to relieve the fear and pain and discomfort that other cancer patients feel.

Perhaps surviving her illness taught her how to give.

Fortunately, not everyone has to go through a serious illness to become a giver. But we do have to learn how to give from somewhere.

Giving doesn’t come automatically. Every human on the planet starts life as a taker. If infants cannot take they do not survive. Children who do not learn how to give will be takers their entire lives. They will have dys-

functional relationships. And their lives will be empty of the joy that giving offers.

For those of us with children with special needs we must consciously teach our children to be givers. Because of all their requirements and their delay in developing independence they remain takers so much longer than typical children. We parents have to encourage our children’s school to make giving a goal. (Put it in the IEP.) When my son, Ariel, was eight years old he entered Sadnat Shiluv, a school for children with special needs, in Gush Etzion outside Jerusalem. Ariel has Down syndrome.

The founder of Sadnat Shiluv, Noa Mandelbaum, requires every student in her school to have designated opportunities to give to others. Ariel was first assigned to care for the rabbits in the school’s petting zoo. When visitors came to zoo Ariel showed them how to hold and pet and feed the rabbits. Being good at sports, he was assigned to teach first graders how to dribble and shoot baskets. In his late teens, the school arranged for him to volunteer for a year at a local army base.

Ariel has continued having opportunities to give both at school and at home. Ariel is now twenty-seven.

I can say proudly that while he will always need to take from others my son is also a giver.

Make a plan to teach your children how to give.

Shake off winter. And begin the season of spring giving.

March 21, 2018 / 5 Nissan, 5778

Food & Wine

Hi Everybody! Every week, I want to publish a new recipe from one of our readers. I know there are a lot of great cooks in our special town so let's share our yummy recipes with each other!

Here is the place to do it. You can send in your fav recipe to editor@monseytimes.com.

Hope to hear from you soon!

*PASSOVER Cauliflower Sushi Recipe (pareve – yields 4-5 rolls)

Cauliflower Rice from Heaven & Earth is the perfect rice substitute for Passover, and it has the added benefit of making the sushi low-carb.

Method Open up two bags of Heaven & Earth Passover Cauliflower Rice.

Make sure the cauliflower is very dry. Place the cauliflower into a bowl; add sugar, salt, imitation soy sauce, and vinegar. Mix well; set aside.

Prepare the filling: Cut the fillings of your choice into long, thin

Don’t overstuff with filling or the nori won’t seal when you roll it. Roll the nori, using the bamboo mat as a guide, pressing forward to shape into a cylinder. Press firmly to seal the roll. You may want to dampen the edge of the nori with water to help seal the roll. Use a damp knife to cut sushi roll into 1-inch slices.

strips. Place each filling component into a separate bowl. Assemble the sushi rolls: Place a nori sheet onto a bamboo mat. Spread the “rice” over the nori, forming into a thin layer and leaving a ½-inch border at the top edge.

Place the filling lengthwise along the center of the sheet.

Ingredients 2 (32-ounce) bags Heaven & Earth Cauliflower Rice 1 teaspoon sugar ½ teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon imitation soy sauce 1 teaspoon vinegar Filling Options • avocado • carrot • cucumber • mango

• kani sticks, if available • raw salmon, sushi-grade • raw tuna, sushi-grade • smoked salmon Assembly 4-5 nori (seaweed) sheets Prepare ahead: You can make the cauliflower rice 1 day in advance. Store in the fridge in an airtight container. Cook’s tip: • Serve this sushi with imitation soy sauce or prepare Spicy Mayo: Mix ¼ cup mayo with sriracha to taste.

• You can use cooked quinoa instead of cauliflower rice in this recipe.

Adapted from PERFECT FOR PESACH, Naomi Nachman, ArtScroll Mesorah Publications, Ltd.

LOOKING FOR NEW RECIPES? HAVE RECIPES YOU WANT TO SHARE?

Submit your favorite recipe by emailing

editor@monseytimes.com March 21, 2018 / 5 Nissan 5778

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37

Features Musings From the Challah Fairy

With special permission from myself, this week I am reprinting a Dear Mom letter that I wrote two years ago as a surprise to my fantastic MOM,which was submitted and printed in the Flatbush Jewish Journal, better known as the FJJ. My mother, a diligent reader of the Letters to the Editor was so excited to find the letter. Here goes....I hope you enjoy it as much as my mom did. This is the letter that many daughters would want to write but don’t get around to it.

Dear Mom, As I begin preparations hosting my 28th Pesach, we..... (me and my sisters) want to thank you Mom. You worked full time in Miamonides Hospital. After my little sister was born, you decided that you wanted to go back to school. What? Go back to school? But it was your educational choice and Dad was totally in cahoots with this decision and the necessary familial adjustments . You traveled to NYC every single day and went to Mandl’s School of Nursing to become a lab technician. This was your dream and no one was going to stop you!

You wanted to work in Miamonides Hospital in the worst way and stayed on as a per diem worker until they gave you a regular job. (Mom - when you’re reading this, I can already see your smiling facial expressions, saying....chanalee.....this isn’t exactly the way it happened and that isn’t exactly true - who cares Mom....... and this is how I remem-

38

ber it!) You left early in the morning and always with a smile on your face, You loved what you were doing and it showed. Every week, you and the other frum ladies in your department would chip in and dream, like all of us, of winning the lottery and having different lives, but, you all agreed on one thing, working at the hospital would remain your common denominator.

Your job, Mom, breathed life into an already hectic schedule of running a household and raising five kids.

Life was certainly not as it is today. And yet, you taught us the pleasures, art and ease of preparing Yom Tov. Any Yom Tov! Lists were abound, organization was the name of the game......and fun….it was always fun! Mom, how did you always manage to make it fun?

Excitement permeated our entire home, as we prepared for Pesach.

Shelves that never saw the light of day had to be taken apart and cleaned. Mommy thought this was spring cleaning!

It was a holiday to spend with family and to invite those who didn’t have children or a lively seder to attend…..and OH, our Seder was lively. We all pined for Daddy’s attention and had to wait our turn to repeat the Divrei Torah on the Hagaddah that we learned in school. It was the same ones year after year, but Dad listened each time, as if he had never heard them before. I am laughing now reminiscing those times.

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Of course Daddy used the Lehmann Hagaddah with German commentary from his great grandfather, Rav Meir Lehmann, the hagaddah that Daddy carried with him throughout his “travels”...if you can call it that...from the night they were rounded up and sent to various concentration camps, until liberation from Bergen Belsen.

Our cousins from Elizabeth, New Jersey spent most Chagim with us, as they had no children. Thea was with Daddy in Bergen Belsen. She had been brought to Amsterdam, Holland to live with the Lehmann family, while her parents were moving back to England, after which they were going to come and “fetch her”. She was rounded up together with my father and his family and she was liberated from Bergen Belsen together with my father, who, together with his two sisters, had become orphans.

My earliest childhood memories was of you, Mom, hiding the afikomen both nights. One night you asked for bicycles for the older children and the next night you asked for bicycles for the younger ones. On Chol Hamoed, like the miracle of Yitzee-ass Mitzrayim, brand new red bicycles appeared in our driveway on 48th street in Boro Park. Three 2-wheelers and one tricycle!

As we sat spellbound, Daddy shared with us stories of Pesach in Amsterdam and the tragedy of losing his parents at such a young age. How

could we even fathom these thoughts, while sitting in freedom at our family Seder? And yet Daddy enjoyed every moment and never complained once about his life. Such Hakarat Hatov to the RIbono shel Olam for the miracle of having a table surrounded by his beautiful family. Our Pesach seder table was beautifully adorned with silver kossote (cups) which were kept hidden during the war and only with huge miracles were retrieved from their former home, which was by now occupied by looters.

On those very special Pesach Seder occasions, Opely and Omely joined us for one seder. Weeks before, we were already bursting with excitement .

Preparations for Pesach were started months in advance; it was a family activity. Mom, you made this time of year one that we will never forget. Moving the chometz to the basement and changing over the kitchen was exciting, fun, adventurous and at the same time tedious, but we never felt it!

We covered everything! Pesach kitchen? What was that?!

Going through the “allowed” foods on our Pesach list was a joke! Today, there is almost nothing we cannot purchase. As Mom was working until Erev Yom Tov, food shopping was done at the crack of dawn and one of us was “privileged” to join you. You actually made fruit and vegetable shopping fun! Those were the days….

We baked the same cakes over and over and we loved it! By the time Pesach arrived, there was little left, but who cared? We had so much fun. Omely bought us special selections from Schicks Bakery and I remember ogling the yummy creamy cakes and the special cookies.

Everything has changed, and yet nothing has changed! In our minds, Pesach will always be like it was when we were kids…..we have the same excitement and the same enthusiasm…..and this is all thanks to you Mom and of course Dad. Much love and admiration, Chanalee, Soro-Lee, Tirza & Chamudalee Lehmann (our family name) March 21, 2018 / 5 Nissan, 5778

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