OU Israel Center Torah Tidbits - Parshat Ki Tavo 5784

Avot Chapter 3-4

Cradled in Trust

Rebbetzin Dr. Adina Shmidman Page 58

The Pain of Infertility

Rabbi Gideon Weitzman Page 66

United We Stand

Rabbi

Rabbi

Rabbi

Rabbi

Rabbi

Rabbi

Rabbi

This photo was taken by Lisa Aigen whilst visiting her daughter and family who live in Kfar Yechezkel. The photo was submitted by Deena Sattler of Jerusalem. Kfar Yechezkel is a moshav in northern Israel, in the Jezreel Valley, 6 km south east of Afula, in the Gilboa Regional Council. Founded in 1921 by Second Aliyah pioneers. Many young families have moved there to live.

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RABBI AVI BERMAN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, OU ISRAEL ABERMAN@OUISRAEL.ORG

Rabbi Avi Berman

Executive Director,

OU Israel

When my parents lived in Har Nof they davened at the Neveh Nof shul. Something I always loved about that shul is that the pasuk written on the beautiful stained glass Aharon Kodesh is from the opening of parshat Ki Tavo where we learn about the mitzvah of viduy maasrot. That is the pasuk: “Hashkifah MiMaon Kodshech Min HaShamayim U’varech et amcha et Yisrael”. (Gaze down from Your holy abode, from the heavens and bless Your people Israel).

Viduy maasrot is a “confession” made while bringing tithes every three years, but it is a confession unlike any other in Judaism. Instead of referring to our faults, our sins, and our regrets, as we would in a regular viduy, we talk about our goodness, our kindness and how we have followed Hashem’s commandments.

This time period, as we begin the recitation of selichot leading up to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, is one in which we are

In loving memory of Michaela Gorodetzer a”h

who passed away on the 18th of Av, a month before her 100th birthday. Our mother, grandmother and great grandmother read the TT weekly, generating deep Torah discussion at the Shabbat table. For this we wanted to express our gratitude.

The Rogers, Gorodetzers and Matzliah Families

familiar with the concept of viduy (confession). It should, therefore, strike us as quite strange that viduy maasrot should be called a viduy at all. It is less a confession and more a pat on the back, a declaration of encouragement. So why is it called a viduy?

This past Shabbat afternoon, I was preparing the leining for Mincha, Ki Tavo. This was a few days after the tragic news of a helicopter crash in Gaza, in which two of our soldiers died and several were wounded. These were soldiers from the 669 unit, a unit known to be extremely talented and capable. Their job outside of war is to rescue those who get injured on mountains during hikes, or stuck in a flash flood, and so on. In war time, they have an excellent reputation of getting soldiers out of horrible situations.

It seems likely, according to the reports, that the crash was caused by human error. I know many people were thinking how could this have happened, and how horrible it is to lose lives because of mistakes like these. Yet, while preparing the leining of Ki Tavo, I began to change my perspective on the crash. It is horrible we lost two soldiers. It is horrible that several others were injured, some in critical condition. We must pray every day for the memory of those who died, the recovery of those wounded and the safety of the IDF. However, this parsha taught me to look toward the positive. After Shabbat, I looked up the statistics of how many times the 669 unit

went into Gaza and extracted soldiers in harm’s way successfully. Almost always under enemy fire, in the thick of battle. My research indicated that we’re dealing with roughly 2,000 missions.

I asked myself, “Did we make sure to thank HaKadosh Baruch Hu for the approximately 1,999 times that these missions were successful? That the 669 unit helicopter went into Gaza, evaded enemy fire, touched down, evacuated an injured soldier, and brought him to safety? How many times did this unit save lives in incredibly dangerous circumstances and we didn’t even know? So many injured soldiers who have been released from the hospital have the 669 unit to thank for their lives. So many soldiers can go home to their families because of the 669 unit. In addition to the 669 unit there are several units of soldiers dedicated to get injured soldiers off the battlefield.

Where have we had more kavannah in our tefillot for the last eleven months? Was it by refa’einu, asking Hashem to heal our sick and injured, in re’eh be’anyeinu, asking Hashem to redeem us from pain and our enemies, or was it in modim , thanking Hashem for all He has given us?

It’s clear that we have so much to ask HaKadosh Baruch Hu for. Every one of us wants our soldiers to come home safely and families to be whole again. The reality is that we have been chosen as a nation to have this beautiful Land that unfortunately many are fighting over. We daven for Mashiach to come B’ezrat Hashem very soon and bring peace and tranquility.

That is why viduy maasrot is an important reminder that it is necessary to be thankful

for what we have. It is a chance to reorient ourselves and our perspective. Yes, sometimes it is necessary to focus on our “human error.” That is a regular viduy. But there are times it is necessary to declare, “HaKadosh Baruch Hu, look what we did. We fought and sacrificed so much to defend Your people and Your Land. Look how many soldiers went to battle for You. Look how many put their lives aside in order to be able to risk their lives for the Jewish people. Look how many wives and how many children have said goodbye to their husbands and fathers, knowing that they are fighting to defend the nation of Israel.”

According to the Chazal, David HaMelech instituted the requirement to recite at least one hundred berachot a day in response to a terrible plague raging in Klal Yisrael. The Jewish people took it upon themselves, and once they did, the plague stopped. The beauty of a beracha is the simple acknowledgment that someone is above us, the Ribono Shel Olam. It is saying in short that we recognize that He has given us so much, and continues to do so much for us. When we are able to acknowledge the fact that

We will mark the 8th yahrzeit of our dear husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather

Rabbi Joel Litke z”l

Tuesday afternoon, Sep. 24

We will meet in the main parking lot of Har Hamenuchot at 5:30pm Litke, Sorotzkin and Gruner Families

Hashem is the King of the world, and that He has the ability to help us overcome our enemies, that idea gives us the strength to overcome a plague, a war, and anything else thrown at us.

Our mission is to support our soldiers and continue doing all the chessed we can for families of soldiers, of evacuees, and all those affected by war, but we also must remember to thank Hashem for all the good that is happening and the positives all around us. The viduy maasrot teaches us that there is a value in working on our perspective toward the good. The more we see this good, the more we thank God, the more we’ll receive the good and the blessings we so desperately want, for ourselves and for all of Klal Yisrael.

I want to take this opportunity to thank my incredible staff who have been working around the clock on Torah Modiin and Torah Yerushalayim, two events that are happening between now and Rosh Hashanah. They are tremendous opportunities to hear wonderful shiurim, connect to our Father in Heaven, and learn Torah to prepare ourselves, our minds and our hearts, to be ready for these unique and powerful days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. I look forward to as many people as possible benefitting from these events, especially after the year we have been through. And may we only hear besorot tovot in Israel. Wishing you all an uplifting and inspiring Shabbat,

Rabbi Avi Berman

Executive

Director,

OU Israel aberman@ouisrael.org



Keren Malki

Honoring the memory of Malka Chana Roth ד”יה 1985-2001, killed in the Sbarro bombing.

FROM THE DESK OF RABBI MOSHE HAUER

OU EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT

A World of Kindness and Bracha

Imagine a world where everyone is taking care of each other and finding ways to deliver joy. Picture a situation where instead of worrying about what the next person would do to you or take from you, you could be confident that they are looking out for you.

Klal Yisrael had a taste of that every three years on Erev Pesach . That was the April 15th of Jewish life, when we all had to make sure that we had “paid our taxes” by separating and delivering all our accumulated tithes from the previous three years (Devarim 26:12-15). Unlike April 15th, however, this was a very happy time

because instead of the taxes being sent electronically or by mail to disappear into the government treasury, we were running around sharing substantial gifts with real people, Kohanim, Levi’im, and the needy. It was a time of generosity and of gratitude and it transformed our world into a very positive place.

That positivity affected everything, so much so that when we made our declaration, the viduy ma’aser, affirming that we had paid out those gifts, we invited God to look with His most critical eye at us and nevertheless bless us, “hashkifa mi’me-on kodsh’cha min hashamayim u’vareich et amcha et Yisrael.” (Devarim 26:15). As Rashi (Bereishis 18:16) notes in the name of the Midrash, the impact of the positive atmosphere created by those gifts was enough to transform what could have been a harsh and critical judgment into generous compassion.

Dedicated in loving memory of our dear Mother, Grandmother, and Great Grandmother

Helen (Honey) Newman z”l

On her 24th Yahrzeit - לולא

Judith Berger, Zale Newman,

Chaviva Braun and families

That is the wonderful cycle of kindness. Our goodness to each other creates mutual goodwill leading us to wish only the best for each other and to ask Hashem to shower the other with blessing. V’shachav b’salmato u’veracheka ul’cha tih’yeh tzedakah lifnei Hashem Elokecha (Devarim 24:13).

While we are unable to properly offer all the tithes and do not recite the formal declaration of viduy ma’aser (Shaarei Tzedek 11:23, Derech Emunah 11:27), we nevertheless have witnessed – especially over the

past year - a tidal wave of kindness being generated by very special people, Avraham Avinu’s children. Just as Avraham sat by the door of his tent scanning the horizon for the next opportunity to bring warmth to a stranger, his children do the same, filling our communities and the world with creative and sensitive efforts to make a difference to those experiencing difficulty. With all the tensions that have riven our people, we should not lose sight of the overwhelming amount of care and kindness that continues to be shared across oceans and communal lines. The appreciative expression, “ mi k’amcha Yisrael”, marveling at our people’s overwhelming generosity of treasure and spirit, is constantly repeated in appreciation of this exhibition of incomparable kindness. One day soon it will be this wave that will prevail, engulfing the world in loving kindness such that we will not have to imagine a world where everyone is taking care of each other and finding ways to deliver joy - because we will be living it. And in that world, all of us will wish only the best for each other and ask Hashem to shower others with blessing. “Hashkifa mi’me-on kodsh’cha min hashamayim u’vareich et amcha et Yisrael.”

has become one of the in Israel... Gaza no longer a threat... Far from Lebanon and the Houtis... Far from Judea and Samaria... Only in the city’s ...

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Ohr Meir & Bracha The Terror

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Please partner with us by making a donation for the families in need this Rosh Hashana.

and our next step will be to plant a fruit tree. I never thought of myself as being the agricultural type, but the feeling of settling and planting a portion of Eretz Yisrael, has been truly euphoric. Iy”H, when we plant our tree, and eat the fruits that will grow one day, I think we will be able to truly appreciate that unique Kedusha found in the fruit of Eretz Yisrael!

To conclude, when you buy your Tu B'shvat fruit this year, don’t search for those dried apricots and banana chips imported from Turkey. Rather, head over to the fresh produce and buy yourself some nice juicy Kedusha-filled Jaffa oranges and thank Hashem for bringing you to this land in order , imbibing that Kedusha in every bite that you take!!

RABBI REUVEN TRADBURKS

RCA ISRAEL REGION

Rabbi Reuven Tradburks RCA Israel Region ALIYA-BY-ALIYA

Aliya-by-Aliya Sedra Summary

SEDRA SUMMARY

PARSHAT KI TAVO

Our Parsha begins the concluding 5 parshiot of the Torah.

Parshat Ki Tavo is a normal length parsha, while the next 4 are very short. Meaning, we are barely a parsha length from the end of the Torah following Ki Tavo. This is the end of our Torah. And this section deals not with the present task at hand, the impending settling of the Land. It gazes into the future; the distant future, the exile that follows the successful settlement of the Land.

1ST ALIYA (DEVARIM26:1-11)

When settled in the Land, bring your first fruits as an offering. When offered, declare the following: My forefathers descended to Egypt, were enslaved, called out and You redeemed them with a strong arm, bringing them to this Land of milk and honey. And I am acknowledging that I have benefitted from all that, rejoicing in all the good I have been given.

The mitzvah of bikkurim, of bringing the first fruits to the Temple is unique because of its speech. The successful farmer gives a full-throated expression of how fortunate

In loving memory of my mother

On her 23rd Yahrtzeit - 18 Elul

he is to be where he is. But not just that he has been blessed with success. But he makes a short story long. He goes way, way back in history, standing on the shoulders of our history. We went down to Egypt, suffered, were redeemed, got to the Land and now little me is enjoying bounty in the Land. It is a beautiful mitzvah of gratitude and appreciation. But gratitude stretched; from my little life into a sweep of history.

Moshe is foreshadowing the blessings and curses that are the most dramatic part of the parsha. Know, my people, Moshe is saying, know that this is the way you should live. Appreciative, aware, a sense of history, placing G-d at the core of your success. The exile I am going to outline later – it need not be. Live a life aware of the sweep of our history, with appreciation for His Role in it and that exile need not be. Here is the way it should be. And could be.

2ND ALIYA (26:12-15)

In the 3rd year, declare that all tithes have been given: I have given the holy tithes as well as those to the Levi and the needy. I have done all that I have been commanded to do. Gaze down from Your holy place in the heavens and bless us in this Land flowing with milk and honey.

The mitzvah outlined here is the audit. At the end of 3 years, take an audit and ensure that all the proper gifts have been done. But, the audit is not enough. This mitzvah, like bikkurim, has a speech. The

audit is of gifts. You have commanded me to take care of Your people. I have done my part. But, rather than look behind, to history, as did the farmer with bikkurim, I am looking forward, to the future. As if to say: You commanded me to take care of others, which I did. Now, You take care of me. Bless me from Your Holy abode.

The 2 mitzvot are complementary; one views past history, one, a peer into the future. But they frame our parsha. We live in 2 worlds. Our private religious lives. And our large historical life. Jewish life in the Land of Israel is not just a good life of bounty; it is an historical life, a covenantal life of the Jewish people and G-d, walking hand in hand. That is what is expressed by the speeches in these two mitzvot. And that is the message Moshe wants to convey, his parting message.

3RD ALIYA (26:16-19)

Today G-d is commanding you to keep His laws with all your heart. You declare today that He will be your G-d and you will keep His laws. And He declares that you will be a treasured nation, to elevate you, to be a glorious and holy people.

A brief statement but a powerful one. We are both committed: we to Him, He to us. This is our noble calling. The entire Torah has been this story; we are His people, He is our G-d.

4TH ALIYA (27:1-10)

Moshe with the elders commanded the people: upon entering the Land, establish a monument of stones with this entire Torah written upon it. Build an altar in front of it, offer offerings and rejoice before your G-d. Moshe,

the Khanim and the Leviim spoke: know that today you are G-d’s people. Monuments, stone, permanence. What do nations express by the monuments they make? Generals on horseback. Arches of Triumph. Busts of Emperors. In a word; power.

What do we etch in stone on our entry to the land? The Torah.

And the word Hayom, today, occurs 3 times in just 4 verses in the previous aliya and 3 times in just 10 verses in this aliya. Rashi comments that the mitzvot should feel to us as if they were given to us today; fresh, exciting, relevant. But the other side of this reciprocal relationship should also be fresh daily; that we should feel daily, all the time, that G-d views us as a treasured nation. The mitzvot should be fresh; but so too, the majesty of our station should be fresh daily as well.

5TH ALIYA (27:11-28:6)

Moshe commanded the people: 6 tribes shall be on Har Gerizim, 6 on Har Eval. The Leviim shall be between the mountains, pronouncing the following, affirmed with Amen by the people. Cursed is the one who: makes idols in private, curses parents, alters the land demarcations with his neighbor, deceives the blind, manipulates justice of the weak, commits incest, strikes another privately, takes a bribe resulting in corporal punishment, or fails to keep the Torah. The Blessings and Curses: If you keep the mitzvot, you will

be a glorious nation. You will be blessed with children, with produce, and flocks. The dramatic presentation of who is cursed is conspicuous; all things done in private. Though we appreciate the importance and the need for communal leadership, the core of our religious life is our personal relationship with G-d. It is the things done in private that truly convey our allegiance. When no one is looking, He is. And this is foreshadowing of the upcoming blessings and curses. The spiritual state of our people is not something we can ever know, for who can see into the hearts of human beings? Only He Who Sees the heart of man truly knows the state of our people. And whether our people is deserving of blessing or of curse.

6TH ALIYA (28:7-69)

You will be blessed with military success, with an abundance of G-d’s treasury, and excelling over others. But if you do not do the mitzvot : you will be cursed. In offspring, produce, flocks, illness. Enemies will chase you. You will be carrion in the field. Illness, blindness, dementia, wandering without direction. You will not enjoy the fruits of your labor; they will be snatched from you. This will all drive you mad. You will be carried off to other nations, serving idols there. Your efforts there will not be successful. You will sink, other nations rise. You will be derided as one who abandoned G-d, refusing to serve Him in your success. All will disintegrate; your family, your social structure, those dear to you. Illnesses will decimate you. In lieu of being as the stars of the heavens, you will be miniscule. You will be thrown around the world, serving

idols, finding no solace, fearful day and night. You will even end up back in Egypt, the place you were to never return. This is the covenant of the plains of Moav.

This aliya is the aliya of the curses; what will occur due to our abandonment of G-d and of mitzvot. And it is long; at 63 verses, one of the longest in the entire Torah. In this, Moshe moves well beyond the present. He has been preoccupied, understandably, with what is necessary to build the Jewish nation successfully. He has described what we can anticipate in life in the Land; its challenges, like idol worship, and its glory, its bounty. Now, he peers into the distant future. There will be a time of exile. I know, we haven’t even entered the Land, but there will be a time when we will lose this Land. We will lack gratitude, lack allegiance and be exiled. Our experience in exile will be horrible; illness, failure, insecurity, total societal breakdown.

And how does it all end? Uh, well, it doesn’t. There is no happy ending. We are left hanging; wandering, suffering, decimated. Oh, but that is this parsha. In the most beautiful of parshiot of the Torah, Moshe returns to pick up the future next week, the parsha of Teshuva. But ending this description of the curses with no conclusion is powerfully poetic, leaving us with a feeling of terrible dread.

7TH ALIYA (29:1-8)

Moshe called the people and spoke: You saw all the wonders of Egypt, but it has taken to this day to understand its meaning. He guided you, defeated nations, and gave you their lands. So keep this covenant, to live insightfully.

This short aliya has a surprising and profound albeit brief statement. “It has taken until today to understand our history”. We shall never allow ourselves to be facile, to be presumptuous, to feel we understand history and G-d’s ways. It took those in the desert 40 years to fully appreciate their history, the dynamic of G-d in their history. Understanding His ways is no easy matter.

YESHAYAHU 60:1-22

This week’s haftorah is the sixth of a series of seven “Haftarot of Consolation.” In exhilarating terms the navi describes what will unfold during the Redemption. Beginning with the resurrection of the dead and the ingathering of the exiles, continuing with the joy and abundance the Jewish people will then experience. The navi also spotlights the gifts that will be brought to G - d from all of the nations of the world.

In the end, the Jewish nation will no longer experience the hatred of the other nations, be despised and derided. The day will come when there will no longer be

A SHORT VORT

violence nor mourning, Hashem will shine His eternal light on His beloved people.

STATS

50th of the 54 sedras; 7th of the 11 in Devarim.

Written on 233 lines (rank: 13th).

21 Parshiyot; 5 open, 16 closed.

122 pesukim - rank: 17 (2nd in Devarim).

1747 words - rank: 16 (2nd in Devarim).

6811 letters - rank: 15 (4th in Devarim).

Pesukim are longer than average for the Torah, but short for Devarim.

MITZVOT

6 of the 613; 3 positive and 3 prohibitions.

Under 75?

054-4258671 | NormanZ@shaham

BY RABBI CHANOCH YERES

“And it shall be on the day when you shall pass over the Jordan..that you shall set up great stones. And you shall write upon them all the words of this law.” (27:2-3)

The Abravanel (Don Isaac Abravanel 1437-1509) asks why is there the need to document that the Israelites wrote down the words of the Torah on stone immediately after crossing into the Land?

He answers that we can detect the difference between the Israelites and other nations. Where other nations would commemorate their victories by erecting monuments for their heroes and courageous military acts, the Israelites give special tribute to the Torah and of all that it represents. We recognize that our strength is not anchored only in military might but in our Torah and our faith in G-d.

Onkelos (First Century, Roman Empire) in his commentary and translation on the Torah claims there is a deeper meaning by etching words on stone-”Even”. The word stone in Hebrew consists of two words “Av” and “Ben” -father and son (Berieshit 49:24). Perhaps, the Israelites were emphasizing the continued chain of generations of passing the Torah from old to new, from father to son, as per the etching on stone the words of the Torah upon entering the Land of Israel. - Shabbat Shalom

been memorialized in a

Doris Weinberger a"h

Max Weinberger z”l

Patience is necessary for those who follow Isaac's way. But a wise woman taught us that patience is but another name for hope. That woman was Jane Austen, who put these words into the mouth of one of the characters in her great novel, Sense and : "Know your own happiness. You want nothing but patience—or give it a more fascinating name: call it hope."

Greatly missed by their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren

only mobility scooter with a 3-year warranty!

Rav Aryeh and Dvora Weinberger

Bernie and Leah Weinberger

Menachem and Hannah Katten

In observance of the Shloshim of our friend Yehuda Leib Berren z"l

Rav Menachem Weinberg will give a shiur in his memory "Heroic Joy"

With the ATTO SPORT mobility scooter, nothing will stand between you and your dreams. This scooter is designed for maximum comfort when traveling, splits into two parts for easy storage in the car, and is approved for flight.

Monday evening, 23 November/ 8 Kislev 7:30pm

Zoom Meeting: 853 8980 1519

Password: Yehuda

shmuelnathan4@gmail.com

THE PERSON in the parsha

BY RABBI DR. TZVI HERSH WEINREB OU EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, EMERITUS THE

PERSON IN THE PARSHA

BY RABBI DR. TZVI HERSH WEINREB OU EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, EMERITUS

Didn’t You See Them?

It is a question that I learned never to ask. I first learned this lesson in my training as a psychotherapist, long ago. I was seeing a gentleman for a number of problems, including his marital difficulties.

Despite the passage of the years, I still vividly remember the evening in which he came to my office extremely distraught. He couldn’t contain his torment, even for a moment. Before he sat down opposite me, he blurted out, “She is cheating on me!”

He had discovered incontrovertible evidence of his wife’s infidelity. He continued to disclose the fact that bits and pieces of the evidence were available to him for more than a year. Letters, phone messages, unexplained absences, and unusual expenditures from their joint checking account had accumulated and he had been aware of all of them. Yet it was not until that morning that he actually saw what was in front of his eyes all the time.

Strangely, and I only later learned this, he typically shared none of these hints

Mazal Tov to Meyer Goodstein and family on the marriage of his grandson

and clues with me during the course of our numerous counseling sessions prior to the day of the big “discovery.”

I was a fledgling psychotherapist back then, and I could not suppress exclaiming the question, “Didn’t you see it coming? Didn’t you notice what was in front of your eyes?” I was not prepared for his tearful but angry response.

“Of course I saw it coming, you dummy!” He was furious with me for my total lack of empathy. He clearly saw it coming, but he did not want to see it. One does not see what one does not want to see, no matter how blatant and obvious the facts are.

The lesson I learned from this interchange was not limited to the field of marital counseling. It is a lesson that I have tried to remember throughout my personal, professional and religious life from that time forward.

I learned that all the evidence in the world will not convince someone who prefers to be blind to that evidence. All the arguments in the world, however rational and forceful they may be, cannot persuade a person who is clinging to his preferred beliefs and who is not open to logic and reason.

In truth, I should have learned this lesson long before I embarked upon a career in psychology. I should have learned it when I first studied this week’s Torah portion, Ki Tavo (Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8). I should have given more serious thought

to the following passage:

“Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, ‘You have seen all that the Lord did before your very eyes in the land of Egypt...The wondrous feats that you saw with your own eyes, those prodigious signs and marvels. Yet to this day the Lord has not given you a mind to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear.’” (Deuteronomy 29:1-3)

To paraphrase: “You saw, but you did not see. You heard, but you did not hear. All that you needed to know was before you, but did not have the mind to understand.”

At about the same time that I sat face to face with the betrayed husband who struggled so hard not to see what should have been apparent to him, I became introduced to the writings of a great Rabbi in Israel, who died tragically very young, more than fifty years ago. His name was Rabbi Elimelech Bar-Shaul, and a posthumously published collection of his writings on the Torah portions of the week was issued shortly after his death.

The name of this collection is Min HaBe’er (From the Well), which is a very apt title for a book full of insights drawn from the deepest sources of our faith. Rabbi Bar-Shaul reflects upon these verses and upon the phenomenon of blindness and deafness to the sights and sounds which are prominent in our surroundings. Let me translate some of his reflections for you.

“There is a magnificent teaching here in these verses for all generations and all situations. A person can see wondrous things, true revelations, and yet, paradoxically, not see them...The Almighty, blessed be

he, gives the person eyes to see and ears to hear and a heart to understand, but it is the person who must choose to see and hear and understand. It is the person who must open his eyes well to see, and even then he cannot see unless he also opens his heart to understand. For if a person just sees with his eyes alone, he may react emotionally. But as long he does not direct his mind to what he has seen, his emotional reactions will fall short of understanding, of knowing...

“It is not for us to have critical thoughts about our ancestors who failed to see. But the Torah here is giving us both a guideline and a warning signal. When Moses tells the people of Israel, ‘You have seen...But you were not given a mind to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear,’ he is calling upon us, today, to think deeply and well about these words and to apply them to our own circumstances.”

So many times in our history, we have failed to see facts that were apparent to those who possessed understanding hearts. Most tragically, all of us who read about the events leading up to the Holocaust find ourselves asking the questions, “Did they not see what was coming? Did our enemies not warn us very clearly about their intentions to destroy us? Were the signals not sufficiently obvious? Why did so few take advantage of opportunities to escape years before escape became impossible?”

Mazal Tov to Herby & Debbie Dan and family on the marriage of their grandson

These questions haunt us today and will continue to do so forever. Perhaps, these questions are beyond our capacity. They are over our heads.

But what we can learn, in less terrible and less tragic circumstances, is to do our utmost to understand what the Almighty has allowed us to see.

He has allowed us to see, for example, a thriving Jewish state. We must understand its significance.

He has allowed us to hear the voices of children studying His Torah, and the sounds of yeshivot greater in size than ever before in history. Our hearts must celebrate these achievements.

We will soon see throngs of Jews all over the world participating in services in our synagogues, and we will hear the sounds of the shofar calling upon us to become

better Jews and better human beings.

The Almighty will let us see these sights and hear these sounds. We must open our hearts and minds not just to see and hear them but to understand them, appreciate them, and grow from them.

Let us not permit these blessed sights and sounds to be ignored. Let others not be able to ask of us, “How could you not see them? How could you not hear them?”

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Covenant & Conversation

COVENANT & CONVERSATION

THOUGHTS ON THE WEEKLY PARSHA

RABBI LORD JONATHAN SACKS ZT"L

RABBI LORD JONATHAN SACKS ZT"L

FORMER CHIEF RABBI OF THE UNITED HEBREW CONGREGATIONS OF THE COMMONWEALTH

FORMER CHIEF RABBI OF THE UNITED HEBREW CONGREGATIONS OF THE COMMONWEALTH

A little way away is the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial with its quotations from each period of the President’s life as leader, most famously:

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

May the learning of these Divrei Torah be תמשנ יוליעל

HaRav Ya'akov Zvi ben David Arieh zt"l

Freedom Means Telling the Story

Here’s an experiment. Walk around the great monuments of Washington D.C. There, at the far end, is the figure of Abraham Lincoln, four times life-size. Around him on the walls of the memorial are the texts of two of the greatest speeches of history, the Gettysburg Address and Lincoln’s second Inaugural:

“With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right. . .”

Mazal Tov to Stefan & Rochelle Somogyi and family on the marriage of their grandson

Keep walking along the Potomac and you come to the Jefferson Memorial, modelled on the Pantheon at Rome. There too you will find, around the dome and on the interior walls, quotations from the great man, most famously from the Declaration of Independence:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident . . .”

Now visit London. You will find many memorials and statues of great people. But you will find no quotations. The base of the statue will tell you who it represents, when they lived, and the position they occupied or the work they did, but no narrative, no quotation, no memorable phrases or defining words.

Take the statue of Winston Churchill in Parliament Square. Churchill was one of the greatest orators of all time. His wartime speeches and broadcasts are part of British history. But no words of his are inscribed on the monument, and the same applies to almost everyone else publicly memorialised.

It’s a striking difference. One society – the United States of America – tells a story on its monuments, a story woven out of the speeches of its greatest leaders. The other, England, does not. It builds memorials but it doesn’t tell a story. This is one of the deep

differences between a covenant society and a tradition-based society.

In a tradition-based society like England, things are as they are because that is how they were. England, writes Roger Scruton, “was not a nation or a creed or a language or a state but a home. Things at home don’t need an explanation. They are there because they are there.”

Covenant societies are different. They don’t worship tradition for tradition’s sake. They do not value the past because it’s old. They remember the past because it was events in the past that led to the collective determination that moved people to create the society in the first place. The Pilgrim Fathers of America were fleeing religious persecution in search of religious freedom. Their society was born in an act of moral commitment, handed on to successive generations.

Covenant societies exist not because they have been there a long time, nor because of some act of conquest, nor for the sake of some economic or military advantage. They exist to honour a pledge, a moral bond, an ethical undertaking. That is why telling the story is essential to a covenant society. It reminds all citizens of why they are there.

The classic example of telling the story occurs in this week’s parsha, in the context of bringing first-fruits to Jerusalem.

The Priest shall take the basket from your hands and set it down in front of the altar of the Lord your God. Then you shall declare before the Lord your God: “My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down into Egypt with a few people and lived there and became a great nation, powerful and numerous . . . So the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm,

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with great terror and with signs and wonders. He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey; and now I bring the first-fruits of the soil that You, Lord, have given me.” (Deut. 26:4-10)

We all know the passage. Instead of saying it on Shavuot when bringing first-fruits, we now say it on Pesach as the central part of the Haggadah. What remains remarkable is that, even in biblical times, every member of the nation was expected to know the story of the nation, and recite it annually, and make it part of his or her personal memory and identity – “My father… so the Lord brought us out.”

A covenant is more than a myth of origin –like the Roman story of Romulus and Remus, or the English story of King Arthur and his knights. Unlike a myth, which merely claims to say what happened, a covenant always

contains a specific set of undertakings that bind its citizens in the present and into the future.

Here for example is Lyndon Baines Johnson talking about the American covenant:

“They came here - the exile and the stranger… They made a covenant with this land. Conceived in justice, written in liberty, bound in union, it was meant one day to inspire the hopes of all mankind; and it binds us still. If we keep its terms, we shall flourish.”

Covenant societies – of which the USA is the supreme contemporary example – are moral societies, meaning not that their members are more righteous than others but that they see themselves as publicly accountable to certain moral standards that are part of the text and texture of their national identity. They are honouring the obligations imposed upon them by the founders.

Indeed, as the Johnson quotation makes clear, covenant societies see their very fate as tied up with the way they meet or fail to meet those obligations. “If we keep its terms, we shall flourish” – implying that if we don’t, we won’t. This is a way of thinking the West owes entirely to the book of Devarim, most famously in the second paragraph of the Shema:

If you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today . . . then I will send rain on your land in its season . . . I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied.

Be careful, lest you are enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them. Then the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and He will shut up the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no

produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the Lord is giving you. (Deut. 11:13-17)

Covenant societies are not ethnic nations bound by common racial origin. They make room for outsiders – immigrants, asylum seekers, resident aliens – who become part of the society by taking its story and making it their own, as Ruth did in the biblical book that bears her name (“Your people will be my people, and your God, my God”) or as successive waves of immigrants did when they came to the United States. Indeed conversion in Judaism is best understood not on the model of conversion to another religion - such as Christianity or Islam - but as the acquisition of citizenship in a nation like the USA.

It is utterly astonishing that the mere act of telling the story, regularly, as a religious duty, sustained Jewish identity across the centuries, even in the absence of all the normal accompaniments of nationhood – land, geographical proximity, independence, self-determination – and never allowed the people to forget its ideals, its aspirations, its collective project of building a society that would be the opposite of Egypt, a place of freedom and justice and human dignity, in which no human being is sovereign; in which God alone is King.

One of the most profound truths about the politics of covenant – the message of the firstfruits’ declaration in this week’s parsha – is: If you want to sustain freedom, never stop telling the story.

These weekly teachings from Rabbi Sacks zt”l are part of his ‘Covenant & Conversation’ series on the weekly Torah teaching. With thanks to the Schimmel Family for their generous sponsorship, dedicated in loving memory of Harry (Chaim) Schimmel. Visit www.RabbiSacks.org for more.

PROBING THE PROPHETS

BY RABBI NACHMAN (NEIL) WINKLER FACULTY, OU ISRAEL CENTER

The Light is Coming

This week’s haftarah, a selection from the sixtieth chapter of Sefer Yishayahu, opens with the prophet’s call to Israel to “Rise and Shine” (“Kumi Ori”). The navi’s encouraging call stands in stark contrast to the peoples’ cries in the previous chapter: “Nekaveh la’or v’hinei choshech”, “We hope for light but, behold, there is but darkness.” In that chapter (59), Yishayahu reveals to the nation why their prayers for “light” and joy have remained unanswered, leaving them in “darkness” and gloom.

The prophet opens that perek by telling the masses “Lo katzra yad Hashem meihoshe’a” – G-d is not “incapable” of saving you, “V’lo kovda ozno msh’mo’a” – nor unable to hear your cries. Rather, Yishayahu explains, G-d’s lack of response to your prayers is a result of a corrupt and insensitive culture that He has seen spreading over the past generations. It is due to those trespasses, he reassures the nation that, despite their sins, Hashem desires to remain close to them. And he then goes on to detail the people’s sins, confessing that those trespasses - primary among them being the lack of justice – that has kept the nation in exile and prevented G-d from redeeming them, and had kept them in “darkness” and distanced from G-d.

Nonetheless, Yishayahu reassures the nation that, due to the serious danger in which the nation found herself and the fact that there was no one who would lead the people back to Hashem, G-d pledges that He Himself would step into the breach “Vayilbash Tz’daka Kashiryon” “And clothe Himself in justice like armor” to save His children. It would be this victory over the enemy that would bring the people back to the land…and to G-d.

And NOW, we can begin to understand our haftarah for NOW the prophet can begin his message by declaring: “Kumi Ori”. After revealing G-d’s pledge to lead the people and mete out justice to her enemies, Yishayahu could inspire the nation to “rise and shine” and finally realize that Hashem’s light will, indeed, shine upon you for, as that first pasuk goes on to explain, “ki k’od Hashem alayich zarach”, G-d’s glory will now shine upon you. No longer enveloped by the darkness of injustice, the future will be a time of divine light that will lead the way for Israel. The haftarah underscores the contrast of the world of gloom described in the previous chapter with the bright world illuminated by G-d’s salvation. The light of which Yishayahu speaks would be a spiritual glow, reflecting the justice and righteousness that would fill the land.

For us, perhaps the focus of the divine message is that prophecy to which we ourselves can attest. “Banayich merachok yavo’u…”, “your children will come from afar”; there will be an influx of Jews returning to the land.

There will be children nestled in the arms of their parents, young men and women coming to defend the Jewish State and older couples with wizened faces coming to live out their life-long dream.

As we approach the Yamim Nora’im and plead with HaKadosh Baruch Hu to grant us a year of much-needed comfort for so many, of vital repair for devastated families and of His shining light for a nation thrown into darkness, our haftarah reminds us that “lo kovda ozno msh’mo’a –G-d DOES listen and, if we are but deserving, He WILL answer

We need not to “Probe the words of the Prophet”. We need only to read them…and believe!

Rabbi Winkler’s popular Jewish History lectures can be viewed by visiting the OU Israel Video archive: https://www.ouisrael.org/video-l ibrary

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May the Blessings Reach Us

And all these blessings will come upon you and cleave to you.. (Devarim 28:2).

We are told that if we fulfill the mitzvot, then all of the blessings listed in the parsha will come upon us and “vehisigucha” – “cleave to you.” Many commentaries are bothered by this extra word. The Torah tells us that the blessings will come upon us. What does “vehisigukha” add? We have offered several explanations in the past (See Shalom Rav on the Parsha). This year we will explore the explanation offered by Rav Zevin in L’Torah V’LaMoadim.

FATE DETERMINED ON ROSH HASHANA?

We recite the following of Rosh Hashana:

throughout the year if they are determined on the first day of the year?

Rav Zevin explains that on Rosh Hashana the potential blessing that we are to receive is determined, but the individual still has to “earn it” in order for the complete blessing to “fall” upon an individual. In order to bring the bracha down to earth, we have to do our hishtadlut and fulfill the mitzvot.

This is the meaning of the term

The bracha that shall befall upon us may be determined up above but we have to act properly in order to deserve being the recipient of all the good that was declared above. It is not enough to be blessed – the blessing has to reach us!

HASAGOT HARAAVAD -

דבארה תגשה

A student once asked the Kotzker Rebbe the meaning of the term “vehisgigucha”. The Rebbe replied – it is similar to the meaning of דבְּאֵרָהִ

. The Raavad wrote a commentary on the Rambam and it is called “Hasagot HaRaavad” highlighting the questions the Raavad raised on the Rambam in Yad Hazaka.

What relevance does Hasagot HaRaavad have to the pasuk in our parsha? Is it just a play on words –

). Why include these requests

- On Rosh Hashana our decree is written and on Yom Kippur it is sealed. The Gemara tells us that a person’s sustenance is determined on Rosh Hashana (Beitza 16a). If our future is determined on Rosh Hashana then why bother including certain requests in our davening the rest of the year? Daily we ask for health (וְניאֵפרָ), and sustenance (

? Rav Zevin offers an intriguing explanation. Once we are blessed with sustenance and wealth, we will then be questioned – and now why are you not strengthening your commitment to Torah and mitzvot? When one is poor, often they have to work hard and are challenged with finding time to

descendants dwell from Egypt to Assyria. Yishmael’s story is brief. He has numerous and powerful offspring. The brevity

engage in the study of Torah. Once we are blessed with wealth, we will be questioned - תוְגֻשִּׂהִ - now that we have money, why are we not spending more time learning and engaging in chesed?

A SHORT VORT

Adoniyahu convinces two very significant personalities - the High Priest and the commander of King David’s armies - to

BY RABBI CHANOCH YERES R av, Beit Knesset Beit Yisrael, Yemin Moshe

When Avraham addresses the people of Cheit, trying to acquire a burial spot for his wife, he says “Ger V’Toshav Anochi Eimachem” (23:4) “A Stranger and a Resident am I with you”

If there is a question, then there is also an answer. That answer is that we ought to appreciate the blessings we receive and rather than seek additional material wealth, be satisfied with our lot and use it properly. Seek to increase our charitable donations and to enhance our Torah learning and the performance of mitzvot.

This seems to be a contradiction. If one is a stranger than he is not a resident, if he is a resident than he is no longer a stranger. What did Avraham mean?

The Magid of Dubno (Jacob ben Wolf Kranz 1741-1804) explains that Avraham watched how he spoke in this tense situation in order to, both, state his truth and be able to keep the peace -Shalom Bayit. Avraham said, on the one hand, “I am a Resident’ due to G-d’s promise to receive this Land and on the other hand, I still need your agreement to purchase a plot. In other words, Avraham implied “I am the resident” and you are the “strangers”, while they understood him as saying that “they” are the residents and Avraham is the stranger. The peace was kept, and Avraham remained true to his ideals.

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Culmination Crescendo

We find two sets of tochachah, rebuke, so to speak, in the Torah, one account is in Parashat Bechukotai, the other is in our parashah, Ki Tavo. These are harsh warnings of exile, persecution and calamity that could befall Am Yisrael if we abandon Hashem and His Torah. If we take note, there is a glaring disparity between the end of the section in Parashat Bechukotai and the closing verse of the Ki Tavo section. In Bechukotai, Hashem promises that He will never despise us or completely destroy us, even in the galut. However, in our parashah, the harsh account of catastrophic disasters doesn’t end with such a promise, rather, with foretelling that Am Yisrael will be sold as servants to our enemies but there will be no buyers. Why such dismal foreboding, why not end with more positive encouragement?

In the responsa of Radbaz zt”l, he offers two answers. First, our parashah is followed

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by Netzavim, in which the Torah describes a time when challenges will come upon us and the Jewish people will return wholeheartedly to Hashem who will bring us back to Eretz Yisrael. Here, then is the positive conclusion to all the tragedy and misfortune that we will endure. “Eleh divrei habrit asher tziva Hashem et Moshe lechrot et benai Israel be’ertz Moav – These are the words of the covenant which Hashem commanded Moshe to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moav.” (Devarim 28:69) Here the narrative is summarized as a brit, a covenant binding us to Hashem; parashat Netzavim revolves around the very theme of this covenant.

The second explanation offered by the Radbaz is further reassuring. Throughout the section of terrible troubles, the Torah continuously refers to God with the name “Hashem,” the name that reflects benevolence and kindness. Knowing that the Source of everything that looks depressing and painful is actually rooted in boundless love and grace, is itself the greatest comfort. Rav Shalom Bodenheimer adds that the Torah only uses the name “Hashem” here and not “Hashem Elokecha,” to express pure unadulterated kindness.

Ohr Hachayim Hakadosh zt”l notes a further fundamental difference between the two parshiyot. The account of klalot in parashat Bechukotai is written in the plural, indicating that it refers to the collective Jewish people. Thus, Hashem promises that as a nation, we will never be completely obliterated.

However, our parashah , written in the singular, teaches that no individual can be guaranteed survival. The greatest brachah for a Jew, adds Rav Kahaneman, the Ponevezher Rav zt”l, is to be part of a tzibur and therefore may merit being saved with a group. He comments that we can see words of comfort in the final verse (Devarim 28:69) as well. Since no one will want to acquire Jews as slaves they will remain solely loyal servants of Hashem.

Parashat Ki Tavo is always read around the time we begin to recite Selichot. As we approach the new year, we must be mindful that although Hashem will always save us as a people, we each have to work on our personal growth to merit an individual yeshuah. Let us recognize the balance between the individual and the collective, focusing on ourselves and not only being part of the tzibur, but being one whom the tzibur needs.

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Reb Yosef Friedensohn, z’l, was a man of faith, Jewish hero and a Holocaust survivor. Literally embodying the indestructibility of Klal Yisrael, he had “earned seven diplomas from seven German universities of murder and atrocity” — by surviving seven death camps. As the editor of “Dos Yiddishe Vort ”, a publication of Agudas Yisroel, Reb Yosef represented Torah values and Yidishkeit to the world for close to 70 years.

Reb Yosef once recounted a memory from Auschwitz-Birkenau, where he was assigned to transporting refuse from the kitchen depository, emptying latrines around the camp, and carting them to the dump. Though repulsive work and difficult to bear the overwhelming stench, the job was considered a privilege, as it provided access to kitchen scraps, the warehouse, and a certain sense of freedom of movement. He was paired on this work

detail with a friend, a talmid of Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin named Aviezer.

One autumn day, the temperatures were already freezing and the wind was blowing wildly. While pushing the cart of refuse past the area that separated the men’s and women’s compounds, Yosef and Aviezer noticed a young girl waving, frantically trying to catch their attention. Pale and contracting from the cold, she kept calling out to them, but the howling wind and the distance made it hard to hear. Straining to understand, Aviezer asked Yosef, “Did she say, Kent yir mir kriggen a ... vetter?” She must be asking for a sweater!” The request was unrealistic; where would they get a sweater in Birkenau?

A few days later, while the two were passing by a warehouse, Aviezer snuck in through a side door. A minute later he rejoined his partner and with hushed excitement announced, “Yossel, I found a sweater! It’s under my uniform.” They had become so emaciated that even a wool sweater underneath was virtually undetectable.

Throughout the day, each time they passed by the area adjacent to the women’s compound they would check to see if they could spot the girl. Sure enough, they eventually saw her, again waving urgently at them. Elated, Aviezer ran over and removed his thin prisoner’s jacket, revealing the sweater. He quickly took it off and tossed it over the fence to the young woman. She

picked it up, and looked at it quizzically. Vus iz dos, “What’s this?”

“It’s a sweater,” replied Aviezer, stunned, “what you asked us for, to keep you warm!”

“A sweater? No, no, I don’t need a sweater! Please, I need ‘a siddur’! It’s almost Rosh Hashanah and I need a siddur so I can daven!”

The young men were speechless. Natu rally, they were so occupied with physical warmth and survival that it never crossed their minds that anyone would need a dur to warm their soul.

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“You have ‘he’emarta’ Hashem this day, to be your God, and to walk in His ways, and to observe His statutes, His commandments and His ordinances, and to obey Him. And Hashem has ‘he’emirecha’ selected you this day to be His treasured people, as He spoke to you, and so that you shall observe all His commandments; and to make you supreme, above all the nations that He made, (so that you will have) praise, a (distinguished) name and glory; and so that you will be a holy people to Hashem, your God, as He spoke.” (Devarim, 26:17-19)

The exact definitions and translations of תרָמאֵהִ and ךָרָימאֵהִ, are uncertain, and this is a topic debated among commentators and philologists. “You have selected, affirmed or declared… Hashem has

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selected, affirmed you...”

Rashi makes note of this unique terminology: “אֵרָקִמבְּ

ןיאֵ, We do not find any equivalent expression in the Scriptures (which might give us a clue to the exact meaning of these words). However,

it appears to me that (the expression רָימאֵהִ denotes sep - ) aration and distinction…” In other words, the Ribbono Shel Olam “sets us aside”. We reserve ourselves for Him and He reserves Himself for us. Rashi interprets:

, “From all the pagan deities, you have set apart Hashem for yourself to be your God, and He separated you to Him from all the peoples on earth to be His treasured people.”

The verbs used to express this reciprocal, covenantal relationship are both rooted

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in the shoresh of רָ’’מאֵ, literally ‘say’ or ‘is said’. Unlike elsewhere in Torah, here in our sedra, רָ’’מאֵ is employed in a transitive form: ךָרָימאֵהִ / תרָמאֵהִ — God “says”, affirms or designates, us — and we do the same. We are ‘spoken for’, and through our indestructible commitment, Hashem is spoken for.

Targum Onkelos, whose authoritative Second Century Aramaic translation of Chumash is almost entirely a wordby-word, literal peirush or explanation, translates both words using the Aramaic verbs rooted in the letters בְּ’’טָח. Literally, this suggests ‘to choose’ or ‘be chosen’, ‘to be hewn from’, formed or chiseled from. However, this root can also imply ‘to design’ or embroider, related to the Aramaic word chutvah, an embroidered garment, from a Hebrew word for thread.

, To go in His ways and guard His supra-rational laws and His mitzvos, and to hear His voice…” (Devarim, ibid.)

Emulating the midos of Hashem, walking in His paths by observing His mitzvos and heeding His will “affirms and declares” our choosing and being chosen. Furthermore, the Talmidei haBaal Shem Tov suggest that in our fulfillment of the ratzon Hashem, we are weaving together words of Torah and tefillah, and we are surrounding and dressing ourselves in Divine Royalty, as if enrobed in God Himself.

When we manifest the privilege and responsibility of living Jewishly, Hashem “declares and affirms” us as “supreme, above all the nations.. distinguished in name and glory”. Hashem ‘dresses himself’ in us; we are ‘woven together’ so that we

form a garment worthy of adorning the Master of the World:

“And Hashem passed by before him, and proclaimed…” (Shemos, 34:6). Rebbi Yochanan said: Were this not written in the Torah, it would be impossible to say this (as it would be insulting to God’s honor).

(The pasuk) teaches us that the Hadosh Baruch Hu wrapped Himself in a garment like a prayer leader and showed Moshe the structure of the order of the tefilah and said: Whenever the Jewish people sin, let them act before Me in accordance with this order (put on a tallis and recite the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy), and I will forgive them...(Rosh Hashanah, 17b)

As we approach the Yamim Nora’im, no matter our outer circumstances, let us take our siddurim in hand, and recommit ourselves to aligning our lives and choices with Hashem’s will. And may we prepare a holy ‘sweater’ of merits and praises worthy of the King.

We are Your designated one, And You are our Designated One! (Musaf of Yom Kippur)

SIMCHAT SHMUEL

BY RABBI SAM SHOR

Program Director, OU Israel Center

BY RABBI SAM SHOR PROGRAM DIRECTOR, OU ISRAEL CENTER

Our Sedra this week, Parshat Ki Tavo, contains within it the second formal pesukim of tochacha- of warning and admonition given to the Jewish people should they fail in their fidelity to Hashem, His Torah and mitzvot.

In the midst of this extended expression of caution, we read the verse:

Tachat asher lo avadata et Hashem Elokecha B’Simcha UvTuv Leivov meirov kol-

Since you did not serve Hashem your G-d with joy and a glad heart,for the abundance of all things...

How exactly are we to understand this verse?

Rabbeinu Bechaya offers a unique reading of our verse, tachat asher lo avadata et Hashem Elokecha, B’Simcha- that not only did we fail in our Avodat Hashem, but that we were b’simcha -we were happy and glad with that failure.

Rebbe Tzvi Elimelech of Dinov zy’a, the Bnai Yissascher, offers a very different but inspirational interpretation of our verse: ‘tachat asher- is a reference to Shabbat- the letters which follow the letters alef shin and

reish are the letters bet, tav and shin, the letters which comprise the word Shabbat. When a Jew fails to experience the joy and fulfillment of Shabbat, when the beauty of Shabbat is missing from one’s life, then that is when we begin to feel lost and lose our way.

Reb Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk zy’a, in his sefer, Pri Haaretz offers a slightly different take on our verse. The Rebbe cites the well known Talmudic teaching that the transgressors among Israel are full of mitzvot like the rimon- the pomegranate. (Chagiga 26a)..

What exactly are we meant to learn from this teaching likening those who transgress to a pomegranate, and how are we to understand that despite the fact that they are labeled as transgressors, they are still full of mitzvot like the rimon?

The Rebbe explains that a pomegranate is indeed full of seeds, in fact the actual fruit components of the pomegranate are the many individual, compartmentalized, isolated seeds. The pomegranate’s fruit is a stark contrast to almost any other fruit, such as an apple or an orange, where the seeds are minute, but the fruit is one big continuous fleshy object.

Our approach to mitzvot says the Rebbe must be one where each mitzva is not a random isolated sweet little kernel, but rather that each and every mitzva brings more and more sweetness and happiness, that each individual mitzva is a portion of an overall collective whole of sweetness and happiness. When that is achieved,explains the Rebbe then we will merit to experience brachot. However, if each mitzva remains an isolated seedling and doesn’t join together with an overall sweet holistic collective “fruit”, then our avodat Hashem is both devoid of vitality and joy and thus lacking, and we are therefore susceptible to stumble and to the harm of outside influence.

May each of us be blessed to heed this powerful message from the Rebbe of Vitebsk, and to live a life of simcha, of joy and vitality in our Avodat Hashem, and may we merit to experience the blessings that come through avodat Hashem b’Simcha.

Shabbat Shalom

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GEULAS YISRAEL

BY RABBI MOSHE TARAGIN YISRAEL

BY RABBI MOSHE TARAGIN RAM, YESHIVAT HAR ETZION

You Will Become an “Embodiment”

The Tochachah sections of the Torah paint a harrowing picture of the suffering of galut. While much of this bleak prophecy speaks to physical torment, Parshat Ki Tavo delves into something even more unsettling—our existential despair. It captures not only brutality, violence, and destruction but deep, gnawing anguish:”Your life will hang in doubt before you; you will fear night and day, and you will not believe in your life. In the morning, you will say, ‘If only it were evening!’ and in the evening, you will say, ‘If only it were morning!’—because of the dread in your heart that you will fear and the sight of your eyes that you will see.”

The Ramban asserts that this second Tochachah of Ki Tavo corresponds to the second galut, a time marked by a darkness so profound that we suffer existential doubt and hopelessness. Beyond the grim details of our physical suffering and of our tormented responses, one pasuk in this Tochachah depicts how we will be seen through the eyes of the nations:

nations among whom we would dwell. We will become both a “mashal” —a metaphor, and a “shenina” —a byword, symbols of derision and contempt.

What do these terms, “mashal” and “shenina”, mean, and how have these bleak prophecies been realized throughout our history? How have these terms evolved as the tides of history have shifted? And perhaps most importantly, is this suffering merely punitive, or does it reflect a larger historical reality?

A METAPHOR

“You will become a horror, a proverb, and a byword among all the peoples.” During our prolonged exile, we will suffer relentless branding and unending stereotyping by the

The term “mashal” means a metaphor. Shlomo Hamelech wrote an entire sefer of metaphors known as Sefer Mishlei in which he delineated various objects and items as embodiments of various traits. Ants epitomize industriousness and foresight, embodying the virtues of diligence and planning. Locusts, with their synchronized swarming, exemplify coordinated effort achieved not through coercion but through intrinsic harmony. Lions, with their majestic strength, symbolize power and courage. Dogs “returning to their vomit” serve as a potent metaphor for folly, heedlessness, and the inability to learn from past errors.

A metaphor captures or illustrates a particular concept, quality, or characteristic. By embodying an idea in a familiar or

concrete metaphor an abstract or complex idea becomes more tangible and relatable. When the Torah foretells that the Jewish people will become a degraded “mashal”, or a disgraced metaphor, it ominously predicts that we will be cast as the embodiment of all that is lowly and disparaged.

UNDERCLASS

Tragically, this prophecy has unfolded with painful accuracy. Across the centuries, Jews have been depicted as a lower-class people, burdened with poor hygiene, seen as a source of pestilence and contamination, and blamed for plagues like the Black Death. Furthermore, we were mocked because we clung to “outdated and superstitious beliefs”, and engaged in peculiar and primitive rituals. Moreover, we were scorned as an insular, clannish cult, hesitant to assimilate into broader society. Accusations of greed and financial misconduct, dishonesty in business, further tarnished our image.

Voltaire the 18th century philosopher, with venomous disdain, encapsulated these horrific stereotypes: “The Jews are a people who have not changed since their first appearance on the stage of history... they are stubborn, deceitful, and often dangerous. Their religious customs appear more as relics of ancient superstitions than rational beliefs.”

Thus, we became the embodiment or “mashal” of every societal ill, every vice, every horrid character trait. Our existence was reduced to a repulsive and toxic symbol of all that is condemned. Tragically our expulsion from Yerushalayim wasn’t just the cause of this scapegoating, it also served as the logical foundation for these odious stigmas. We were cursed, the creed suggested, because of our betrayal of God. As a well-known Christian

work articulated: “The Jews, being a people accursed, have lost the favor of God and are made a spectacle for all other nations.”. The word “spectacle” is a loathsome adaptation of the Torah’s term of “mashal”.

OBSESSED WITH JEW-HATRED

We became not just a “mashal”, but also a “shenina.” The term “shenina” is etymologically related to the word “Veshinantam” which translates into “speaking frequently” or “repeating often.” Hence, the term “shenina” reflects the obsessive fanatical nature of anti-Jewish sentiments.

The demonization of Jews became not merely prevalent but an all-consuming fixation, disproportionate to our actual role and numbers within any given society. For example, the Crusaders, initially driven by their mission to reclaim Jerusalem, channeled their fervor into massacring Jews, blaming them for the world’s ills. Similarly, Tsarist Russia in the 19th century devoted an excessive amount of time and resources to dealing with its so-called “Jewish problem.”

The intensity of this demonization often far surpassed the actual influence Jews had on the broader society. We became a symbol not just of disdain but of an exaggerated and relentless animosity, a “shenina” as well as a “mashal”. We became the embodiment of contempt and an object of obsessive fears and anxiety.

THE “MASHAL” SHIFT

Antisemitism is intricately woven into the tapestry of human history, evolving as history itself unfolds. As we approach the culmination of history, the Jewish people, having emerged from their suffering, are once again ascending the stage of history. With this resurgence, the nature of our role as a

“mashal” and “shenina” is also transforming.

In the shadowy nights of exile, we were a “mashal” of derision—depicted as inferior, unsanitary, and obstinate. As the verse in Ki Tavo ominously declares, we became הִמשִּׂלֶּ

: a symbol of scorn and denigration. The word “shamah” which prefaces the terms “mashal” and “shenina” means forlorn and degraded. It captures the type of “mashal” we became throughout most of our galut. Denigrated, disdained, and defamed.

Yet, as history shifts, so too does our “mashal” representation. We are no longer the embodiment of misery and inferiority. Today, we remain a “mashal” and “shenina”, but now as the personification of an array of contemporary fears and anxieties. In the modern world, we are cast as too powerful, or as the dark forces which shape governments and policies. Instead of being viewed as inferior we are falsely cast as secret conspirators. We are depicted as global capitalists, wielding undue influence over economies and governments, a paradigm of unchecked power. Conversely, we were also accused of being Communists, threatening world order with our alleged subversive ideologies. Furthermore, as the world grapples with the aftermath of colonial exploitation and struggles with the corrosive effects of

imperialism, we are regrettably woven into these narratives of oppression and exploitation. Additionally, and despite our establishing the only democracy in the Middle East, we are unjustly labeled as proponents of apartheid.

Finally, and most hypocritically, we have become entangled in the horrors of the past century. The shadows of 20th-century genocides loom large, and the specter of modern butchers exploiting technology for mass extermination haunts our collective consciousness. This grim legacy now fuels the current spurious accusations of genocide. We continue to be a “mashal,” yet the symbolism has shifted from one of degradation to our embodying larger, formidable forces that people feel helpless to oppose.

RESISTING HASHEM

Of course, our becoming the embodiment of disdain or the epitome of conspiratorial forces is not merely a punishment of exile; it is also a byproduct of our historical role. As representatives of Hashem, our existence and lifestyles implicitly call the world to a higher moral and religious ground. Faced with this moral challenge, those who resist the authority of Hashem find it easier to wage war against His proxy nation on earth rather than embrace Hashem’s authority. The most effective way to deflect the moral and religious challenge that we convey is to debase and stereotype the people of God.

Once we are deemed an underclass, our message is rendered irrelevant or even devilish. Alternatively, if we are seen as orchestrators behind the scenes of capitalism, culture, and colonialism, then we must be exposed and vilified rather than respected or tolerated. This dynamic is a byproduct

of our exile, not only as a punishment but as a manifestation of resistance to Hashem Himself.

Yet, a day will come when our exile will end, and with it, the resistance to Hashem. The hatred toward His people will dissipate. Hashem’s presence will be so undeniable and inspiring that all will surrender to His will, and enmity toward those who bear His message will cease. We will transition from being a “mashal” of scorn to the messengers of a Hashem. We will no longer be a “mashal” or a “shenina”. We will simply be “to Hashem”.

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HAFTORAH

INSIGHTS

Cradled in Trust

Raise your eyes and look about, they have all gathered and are going home to you. Your sons will come home from afar and your daughters will be nurtured at your side.

This expressive pasuk describes the arrival home of the myriads of people, the sons and daughters of our nation. Gathered from afar, the estranged children will be embraced as they gather into the apron folds of their mother nation, Yisrael.

Rav Shimon Schwab, in his commentary on Yeshayahu, explores the root of the word Emunah, faith. He shares an insight proffered by Rav Shamshon Rafael Hirsch, who suggests that Emunah comes from the

BY REBBETZIN DR. ADINA SHMIDMAN

DIRECTOR, OU WOMEN’S INITIATIVE

word ןמאֵ, a nurse or nurturer, as seen in the Purim megillah when Mordechai is described as,

, and he nurtured Hadassah.

This image evokes the trust of a young child, cradled in his mother’s arms. A child held close never doubts the parent’s ability to protect. Rav Hirsch explains that this trust is the essence of Emunah . Just as a child relies on a caregiver, we seek to develop that same unwavering reliance on Hashem throughout our lives. This profound bond of dependency is the foundation of our faith.

In our Haftorah, this pasuk describes the return of the Jewish people, that we will be nurtured at the side of Hashem when we return from exile. As we approach Elul, we aim to tap into this kind of faith - a faith that is grounded in Emunah - as we embark on our Yamim Noraim journey. Just as children are cradled close, secure in their protector’s arms, we yearn to return to Hashem with the same unwavering trust.

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Editor, Torah Tidbits

Confessing One’s Good Deeds

Vidui (confession) is so integral to the process of teshuvah (repentance), to the breast-beating and soul-searching that commences in Elul and culminates in Yom Kippur, that we tend to associate it with that and that alone. But Parashat Ki Tavo features a vidui of an utterly different kind: vidui ma’aser. In the fourth and seventh years of the sabbatical cycle, we make a declaration that we have properly fulfilled the mitzvot of taking and apportioning tithes:

I have removed all of the holy from the house, and I have also given it to the Levite, the stranger, the orphan, and the widow. In accord with all of Your commandments that you have commanded me, I have neither transgressed any of Your commandments nor forgotten. …I have hearkened to the voice of the Lord, my God; I have done according to all You commanded me. (Deuteronomy 26:13-14)

The Sages called this declaration a vidui. 1 What does that mean in a context where there is specifically no wrongdoing?

Rav Avraham Yitzchak Hakohen Kook offered a beautiful answer. Confession, 1. Mishnah, Ma’aser Sheni, 5:10.

at its heart, is self-appraisal. Any honest assessment includes the good and the bad, the pros and the cons. Often we err in laying too much emphasis on our misdeeds and too little on our good deeds, which can ruin our mental and spiritual health. To avoid over-criticism, we must also recognize our positive acts and choices. Our relationship with God revolves as much around virtue as it does sin.2

When Rav Kook was still an adolescent prodigy of eighteen, he heard that Rabbi Yisrael Salanter, founder of the Musar movement had died. He immediately carried out the rituals of mourning that apply when a great Torah figure passes. Although Rav Kook had the greatest admiration for Rabbi Salanter’s program of Musar, he voiced concerns. He felt that policing one’s actions and thoughts on a constant basis and thinking lowly of oneself could be too emotionally taxing and stunt, or even reverse, spiritual growth. Torah study and mitzvah observance, Rav Kook firmly believed, should be pursued with good cheer and equanimity.3

Rav Kook was deeply drawn to the teachings of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, for whom self-worth and hope were central. In a celebrated discourse, Azamerah lelohai be-odi, based on the verse, “I shall sing to my God as long as I am” (

) (Psalm 146:2), the rebbe urged his

2. Ein Ayah, Ma’aser Sheni, §15.

3. Kook, Legends, 214.

readers to find the good in themselves:

“Just as we must judge others favorably, even the wicked, to find in them good elements… so must a person do for himself, to judge himself favorably, and to find some element of good, in order to strengthen himself so he does not completely collapse. On the contrary, he will revive himself, and gladden his soul with the modicum of good that he finds in himself.” 4

Rebbe Nachman read the verse to mean “I shall sing to my God with my od,” my little ounce of goodness. He compared this to a song that joins notes to create a tune. We, too, should put together our points of goodness to produce our very own song for God. Feelings of pride and self-worth propel us forward in our spiritual life, and are essential for our own happiness.5

We must believe in ourselves, for God has faith in us as well. Rabbi Zalman Sorotzkin cited the Rizhiner Rebbe, who commented on a line we say on Rosh Hashanah: “You remember everything forgotten (

).” While most of us think the forgotten deeds are our sins, the rebbe suggested that it refers to our good deeds. We might tend to minimize these and forget all about them, but God remembers “everything forgotten.”6

The parashah that contains the vidui ma’aser is always read in the run-up to the Days of Awe. It is an important reminder that in the same way God does not forget any of our bad deeds, so too he does not forget or underplay a single good deed. As our next year hangs in the balance, we ourselves must preserve an internal

4. Likutei Moharan, 1:282.

5. Likutei Moharan, I:232.

6. Sorotzkin, Insights, 5:311.

balance, keenly pained by our shortcomings while healthily aware of our strong points.

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Yoni thanks Hashem for having the opportunity of having Tziporah in his life, to learn of her caring, patience and happiness, to overcome her challenges. May Tziporah's Neshama be a light onto the world, in a time of darkness, and may her Neshama shine to Gan Eden. Yoni misses Tziporah with tears in his eyes, as Hashem gave him a gift, a crown jewel, now he returns her to Hashem. With thanks and Toda. Love, Yoni

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OU VEBBE REBBE

RAV DANIEL MANN

Rav Daniel Mann

Things that End the Meal and Ramifications

Question: When do we say that thinking or doing things that indicate the end of a bread meal make it necessary to make a beracha before eating more?

Answer: There are many permutations to this question. We will deal with the basic understanding and some of the more practical and instructive cases.

The gemara (Berachot 42a) cites varied opinions as to whether after reaching the end of a meal one is allowed to eat and concludes that only if one washes mayim acharonim must one proceed directly to Birkat Hamazon. The logic it provides for this conclusion is that we say: “Immediately after netilat yadayim (Rashi – i.e., mayim acharonim) must come a beracha (ibid. – Birkat Hamazon).” A different gemara (Pesachim 103a) says that if one says “Hav lan v’nivrich,” it becomes forbidden to drink because “they have taken their mind off” of eating. “Hav lan v’nivrich” means to bring wine to use for Birkat Hamazon but includes equivalent statements of imminent bentching (see Mishna Berura 179:3), but not preliminary statements like “It’s getting late; it’s time to

bentch” (see Piskei Teshuvot 179:(4)). It must be said by someone who is “authorized” to end the meal, so that if there is a host, it must have been said by him (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 179:2).

Rashi (ad loc.) says that after “Hav lan v’nivrich” he mustn’t eat until after Birkat Hamazon, while others (see Beit Yosef, OC 179) say that taking the mind off eating only makes it necessary to make a beracha rishona before continuing eating, but that this can be done before Birkat Hamazon. The Shulchan Aruch (OC 179:1) accepts the opinion that distinguishes between mayim acharonim and prompting Birkat Hamazon verbally. If one does mayim acharonim, he must bentch before eating any more. If he verbally announces Birkat Hamazon, he can eat before it, but he has to make a new beracha rishona beforehand. This might be true of a clear decision to not eat anymore before Birkat Hamazon (Mishna Berura 179:3; see Be’ur Halacha ad loc.).

The problem in implementing these halachot (other than that of mayim acharonim) is that there are both machlokot and gray areas. First, the Shulchan Aruch (ibid.) cites a machloket whether the requirement of a new beracha is only for drinking or even for

Eretz Hemdah, the Institute for Advanced Jewish Studies, Jerusalem, is headed by Rav Yosef Carmel and Rav Moshe Ehrenreich, founded by Rav Shaul Yisraeli, zt”l, to prepare rabbanim and dayanim to serve the National Religious community in the Israel and abroad. Ask the Rabbi is a joint venture of the OU, Eretz Hemdah, and OU Israel’s Torah Tidbits.

eating. It is not fully clear how the Acharonim decide the matter, and the matter is complicated by the rule of safek berachot l’hakel (Bi’ur Halacha ad loc.). In other words, there are enough opinions that an additional beracha is not needed for us to want to avoid the berachot. On the other hand, it is not a simple matter to eat without a beracha that is likely called for. Therefore, the most recommended thing to do is to refrain from eating additional foods from the time that is apparently considered hesech hada’at from the meal until after Birkat Hamazon. One might claim that this waiting until after Birkat Hamazon, when a beracha is definitely needed, creates a beracha she’eina tzricha (an appropriate beracha under the circumstances, but the situation was created artificially). However, it is a legitimate step to set up the situation to avoid a doubt on berachot, so that the beracha is fine (Pri Megadim, Pticha L’hilchot Berachot 10).

A decision to stop without action/verbalization is not only questionable halachically, but it is also difficult to determine when a decision is resolute (see Dirshu 179:6 in the name of Rav Elyashiv). Therefore, if one likes eating with discipline, he should avoid changing his mind, but it is wiser to train himself that his thought process is not binding until he bentches.

Arguably, reciting Shir Hama’alot is a clear sign of an imminent Birkat Hamazon. However, several poskim do not think Shir Hama’alot precludes eating without a new beracha (see B’tzel Hachochma VI:68;

Dirshu 179:4). The fact that its recitation is a relatively recent minhag (see Mishna Berura 1:11) as opposed to a Talmudic pre- Birkat-Hamazon halacha of mayim acharonim, may strengthen the view that it is not a binding commitment to an immediate Birkat Hamazon.

Debbie asks: What do you look for when matching people and how do you determine if two individuals are truly compatible beyond basic criteria? So many resumes look and sound the same that it can be hard to distinguish between them and choose the one that has the potential to be a good match…

Aleeza answers: This is an excellent question, and you’re right - distinguishing between profiles can be challenging at times. I like to approach this in two parts: First, we examine the dating profiles themselves, and second, we engage in the personal conversation that is essential to truly understanding if two people might be a good match.

The dating profile is the initial layer of information we have about someone, and its primary function is to act as a filter that helps us sift through potential matches and identify those who are most likely to be relevant. A strong profile strikes a balance between being unique and clear. However, when profiles begin to look similar, I focus on the basics - age, location, and ideally, a meaningful commonality such as a shared value or interest.

Profiles that exhibit negativity, such as bitterness toward past relationships, unrealistic expectations about a future spouse, or immaturity may indicate that the individual is not in the right emotional space for dating. These are red flags I take into consideration when reviewing potential matches.

Keep in mind that as a representative, you have an opportunity to represent your single in a way that reflects their authentic

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Just like in the job market, where resumes lead to interviews before hiring, a dating profile opens the door, but personal conversation is where you gather the real insights. It is critical that you talk to the representative of the single you are considering as a potential match in order to get a better sense of their values, middot, and long-term goals, as well as their interests and hobbies.

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{Atara Suna } Selichot In Beit Knesset Beit Yisrael

Beit Knesset Beit Yisrael in Yemin Moshe Rechov Pele Yoetz 2, Yemin Moshe Selichot

The Pain of Infertility

In our column we often discuss the medical aspects of fertility treatment and the interface with the halacha. There are significant advances and changes in fertility research and practice that raise certain dilemmas and personal and halachic questions.

There is another aspect of fertility treatment that is less discussed and is no less important; the personal, psychological and emotional facet of facing fertility challenges.

Couples get married and have the hope and dream of starting a family of their own. Whether they get married at a young age or a more advanced one, whether they want to start a family immediately or to wait for some time before starting to do so, whether they want to have a large family or a small one, even to have one child, the aspiration is the same. The couple believe that when they want to have children they will be able to do so.

For the majority of couples this will be the case and they will be able to start the family that they wanted. But, for a significant number, about one in six couples will face some fertility challenge.

It must be pointed out that not all of these will need to resort to in-vitro fertilization, or even more invasive treatments, and most of

them will be able to get pregnant with some treatment. But they will all be affected by the challenges of infertility which can leave a lasting impression on them and their family.

Fertility challenges have an impact on the couple involved, as individuals and as a couple. The pain of failed cycles and the months passing without a pregnancy, the self-image of my role as a father or a mother, but also as a spouse, questions about our place in society if we have no children. Couples can find it difficult to relate to their siblings who are having children and raising them. Family meals, Shabbat and Chagim, become excruciating for them as they sit listening to discussions of schools, carpools, children’s activities and more.

I recently spoke with a couple who faced fertility challenges themselves and one of their children is now facing their own challenges. They told me about how their child feels so disconnected from the society around them and how people do not really understand what they are going through. This couple are in a somewhat unique position to relate to their own child’s pain and anguish. But most people are not. What can be done?

More on this next time.

Real Life Rescues

1221

Real Life Rescues

Toddler Resuscitated By EMTs After Being Hit By a Car

EMT Saves Baby from Severe Allergic Reaction

Following First Taste of Tahini

On a recent Tuesday morning in Jerusalem, parents were feeding their 6-month-old baby and introduced him to tahini for the first time. Within minutes, the baby developed a severe allergic reaction. The infant's parents immediately called emergency services, seeking urgent help.

On Wednesday evening in Jerusalem, a twoyear-old boy ran onto the road and was hit by a car. Passersby immediately alerted emergency services.

United Hatzalah volunteer EMT Shalom Klein, alerted to the emergency through his proximity alert system, sprang into action as the first responder on the scene. Arriving promptly, Shalom was confronted with a distressing sight - a baby boy with swollen lips and tongue, struggling to breathe, and covered in a worrisome rash.

United Hatzalah volunteer EMT Moshe Paskesz was nearby when he received the alert on his communications device. He immediately flipped on the lights and sirens of his ambucycle and rushed to the scene.

Recognizing the symptoms as indicative of an anaphylactic shock, the volunteer knew immediate intervention was crucial. Without hesitation, he administered a life-saving EpiPen injection, delivering a dose of epinephrine to counteract the severe allergic reaction. The powerful medication quickly took effect, and the infant's breathing became less labored. The swelling in the lips and tongue began to subside, providing much-needed relief to the child.

Riding on the sidewalk, Paskesz reached the scene just as a first responder was loading the patient into an ambulance that had pulled up. The ambulance driver urgently shouted at him to enter the ambulance so Paskesz quickly parked his ambucycle and jumped in.

As the symptoms continued to recede, the EMT monitored his condition while awaiting the arrival of a mobile intensive care ambulance. Several minutes later, the ambulance team arrived and transported the infant to the nearest hospital for further treatment and observation.

The child was lying on a stretcher, apparently lifeless. “He’s without a pulse or breathing, we’re initiating CPR,” shouted United Hatzalah volunteer EMT Naftali Shmerler, who had jumped into the ambulance right before Paskesz.

While Shmerler initiated chest compressions, Paskesz took out a bag valve mask and provided assisted ventilation. After about three minutes of tireless efforts, while the ambulance driver was attempting to navigate the chaos and congestion of the area to head to the hospital, the child began to make noises. Paskesz ordered Shmerler to stop CPR and checked for a pulse. Thankfully, the toddler’s pulse had returned.

Reflecting on the incident, Shalom emphasized the importance of having an EpiPen readily available. "It's a great thing I had an EpiPen in my medical kit," he stated. "An EpiPen can save a person's life within minutes and is a huge help for both EMTs and patients."

A paramedic and another United Hatzalah EMT who were heading to the scene met the ambulance as it was navigating through the traffic. The driver slowed down, and they jumped into the ambulance. The team continued treating the toddler until they met up with an intensive care ambulance nearby at the Chords Bridge. The patient was handed off to the advanced life support ambulance and was transported to Shaarei Zedek Hospital in serious condition. Thankfully, the toddler's condition improved, and he is now in stable condition.

“As a father, when I see a small child like that, lifeless on the stretcher, it shakes me to my core. It gives me even more motivation to do everything I can to save the child,” said Paskesz after the incident. “I’m so grateful that he is doing okay.”

THE PERSON in the parsha

GUEST DVAR TORAH

BY RABBI DR. TZVI HERSH WEINREB OU EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, EMERITUS RABBI ELIYAHU SAFRAN GUEST CONTRIBUTOR

“I’m Sorry”

Forty years. That’s a long time to wander in the wilderness. Imagine it taking that long before two brothers reconcile? In her June 29th, 2013 article on Aish.com, Debbie Gutfreund wrote about forgiveness and about how her grandfather and great-uncle, for a transgression unknown to the rest of the family, did not speak for over forty years. Reconciliation finally came, but so very late. And at what cost?

A moment of anger or misunderstanding; of selfishness or thoughtlessness. As a result, neighbors erect fences, friend turns away from friend, brother cuts off brother. Why? Not because of the wrong itself but because of a failure to acknowledge that wrong; because of a failure to say, simply and sincerely, “I’m sorry.”

We are human. We feel vulnerable. We get angry. We make mistakes. Some trivial. Some significant. Some deeply hurtful. Still, it is almost never the mistake itself which damages a relationship. It is the failure to honestly acknowledge and apologize for it. To make amends.

“I’m sorry.”

Why is it so hard to face our parents, our spouses, our friends, and God and utter those words? We know we have fallen short. We know the one we’ve wronged deserves our apology. Yet, we delay. And with each

passing second, minute, day and month, the emotional callous thickens and those words become harder to say.

“Tomorrow” sometimes turns into years. And sometimes “tomorrow” never comes. It is sometimes too late, but it is never “too soon”, never too early to own up to one’s failings and errors.

We begin reciting Selichot on the motzaei Shabbat before Rosh Hashana (Sefardim begin Selichot on Rosh Chodesh Elul). What’s the rush? Isn’t the awesome period between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur enough for facing our shortcomings, for owning up to our weaknesses and asking God for mercy and compassion? Ten days of demanding introspection. Isn’t that enough?

The short answer is, No.

The sooner we are able to apologize, the more at peace we are with ourselves. An apology lightens one’s conscience and allows one to be at peace. The psychic weight of our wrongs grows with each passing day with time deadening our feelings. Pride nor willful ignorance can relieve the burden. There is only one way to ease it.

“I’m sorry.”

The highlight of the very first Selichos service is undoubtedly the pizmon with its beautiful refrain – lishmoa el ha’rina v’el ha’tefila (O that You listen to [their] song and to [their] prayer!) The pizmon opens by announcing that we are coming before HaShem as the day of rest departs [b’motzaei menucah], asking of Him that He “…bend Your ear from on high,

Who sits to hear Israel praise Him.”

The pizmon’s author uses the word kidamnucha to ask God to “tune in to” our pleas and prayers. Kidamnucha is related to the word mukdam (early). We declare before God that now that Shabbos has gone out, we are rushing in; we are arriving early before Rosh Hashana, to tell You we are sorry, that we fell short and we need You to forgive and be merciful.

We want God to know that we know it’s never too early to say, I’m sorry; that we know that we have the Ten Days of Awe, but we’re here now, mukdam, to ask God to listen to our prayers and song. We know the sooner we start the more successful we will be. To delay is to fall short. Time will defeat us. Whatever needs to be done, must be done now. Procrastination only leads to failure. When my children were younger, they laughed at Abba for always insisting on arriving early. Perhaps subconsciously I wanted to convey that kidamnucha is the way to go! Start early, finish successfully. Start late … who knows?

We get started with Selichos mukdam. The sooner we ask HaShem for forgiveness, the sooner we’ll know the grace of our burdens lifted.

Rabbi Frand cites the Izbitzer Rebbe as having illuminated this truth by drawing from one of the saddest episodes in all of Tanach – the tragi-drama that plays out in four harrowing chapters of Shmuel II [15-19]. In them, Absalom sought to usurp his father, King David’s, throne, perhaps even kill him. King David fled Jerusalem with his family and entourage, having to escape his own son!

Pouring salt into this wound, Shimei ben Gerah tore into King David with insults,

assuming King David’s rule was finished. Having a personal grudge against David HaMelech, he mercilessly cursed the king on the run, while pelting him with stones.

But King David did return to Jerusalem and did regain his throne. Imagine then the fear and trembling of those who had opposed him, particularly Shimei ben Gerah and his men! According to Halacha, these were now deserving of death for being mored b’malchus.

What did Shimei ben Gerah do? “Shimei son of Gerah, the Benjamite who was from Bahurim, hastened and went down with the men of Yehudah to greet King David…” He reached the King and told him, “…For your servant knows that I have sinned, and here I have come today, first among all the House of Joseph, to come down and greet my master the king.”

Thousands needed to ask David for forgiveness, but Shimei emphasized that he was among the very first, he was mukdam. Shimei knows that he sinned and that he deserves to lose his life for it. He confesses to King David. He is determined to apologize and makes clear he is not waiting in line to do so!

The Izbitzer insightfully explains that this is what we do showing up early – kidamnucha – before everyone gets to God on Rosh Hashanah and certainly by Yom Kippur. We want to be there first, at the head of the line, to ask for mercy and forgiveness. Yes, God is merciful. Yes, we can wait until Rosh Hashanah, even until Yom Kippur. We can procrastinate. But we are wise to remember, as Rabbi Tarfon does in another context, “… the day is short…”

The day is short. Our time is not guaranteed. One day can turn to years in the blink

of an eye and then it is too late. Let us be mukdam. Let us seize the moment. Let us relieve our burden of guilt while we can. The benefit of doing so is great.

Remember Shimei ben Gerah! He had been so deep in sin that he was deserving of death. Understanding and acknowledging the grievous nature of his sin, he rushed to make amends early (mukdam); indeed, he rushed to get there first. His determination to find forgiveness paid off. He was spared. Neither King David nor his son, King Solomon, had him killed.

Was his salvation the grace of the kings or of his kidamnucha? Or both?

B’motzaei menucha, kidamnucha techila –“As the day of rest departs, we come before You first…”

We come before Him after our Shabbos rest, relaxation and tranquility; we are at peace, focused on our ability to get to Him first. We want to be relieved of the burden of our iniquities, relieved of our guilt. We do not want to stand in line. We want to be first. El Melech – we acknowledge You as King without doubt or reservations. We know that You, “…sit on the throne of mercy…pardons the iniquities of His people…increasingly grants pardon to careless sinners…”

Forgive us, we came early. One more day waiting is like forty years, wandering.

Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu Safran spent many years in the rabbinate as well as in educational leadership positions. He also served as Vice President of Communications and Marketing of OU Kosher. His most recent volume is “Something Old, Something New–Pearls From the Torah”

Yosef Ezriel ben Chaya Michal

Chana bat Bruriah

Benzion Simcha Mendel Ben Chana Rachel

Feyge Sara bas Chaya Peshe Nechama Charna bat Feigel

Leah Naomi bat Tova Pesach ben Sarah Frieda

Rina Feigle bat Rivka Elianna Esther bat Channa Ada

THE DAILY PORTION

THE DAILY PORTION

BY SIVAN RAHAV-MEIR

BY SIVAN RAHAV-MEIR

Blessings

International Bible Quiz Champions Speak

International Bible Quiz Champions Speak

Much excitement has surrounded Emunah Cohen and Neta Lax, the two fresh winners of the annual International Bible Quiz. Yesterday I interviewed them and heard their story.

One of the most famous greetings when two Jews meet is a verse from this week’s parashah: “Blessed are you when you come, and blessed are you when you depart.” In its simplest meaning, we wish that someone be blessed when they leave home in the morning and return in the evening.

Much excitement has surrounded Emunah Cohen and Neta Lax, the two fresh winners of the annual International Bible Quiz. Yesterday I interviewed them and heard their story.

It turns out that they studied long hours together and were confident they would be the leading competitors. "We planned on winning together," Emunah revealed. "We thought both of us would answer every question correctly so that we would both be champions, tied for first place.

the first time?' Yet I simply forgot it. I thought afterwards that HaShem caused me to forget the answer in order to remind me that I do not know everything, that I am human and not perfect."

the first time?' Yet I simply forgot it. I thought afterwards that HaShem caused me to forget the answer in order to remind me that I do not know everything, that I am human and not perfect."

as clean as possible throughout our lives. We are blessed when we come into the world; let us try to leave in the same manner.

We also read in this week’s parashah, “This day you have become a nation.” What “day” was Moses referring to? He wasn’t speaking about the day of the Exodus, nor about the day that the Torah was given.

"The more you learn," Neta said, "the easier it gets. When you learn a lot of Tanach (Bible) you simply see how everything connects to your life. I truly felt that what I learned accompanied me wherever I went. It made my heart feel good."

"The more you learn," Neta said, "the easier it gets. When you learn a lot of Tanach (Bible) you simply see how everything connects to your life. I truly felt that what I learned accompanied me wherever I went. It made my heart feel good."

Our Sages give two additional explanations: On the personal level, the verse wishes a blessing upon one who comes to learn Torah in the beit midrash and one who leaves to go to work; on the national level we should be blessed when we enter the Land of Israel, and also when we leave it and go into exile. This is a blessing to the Jewish nation to help it survive all the exiles and diasporas throughout its history.

It turns out that they studied long hours together and were confident they would be the leading competitors. "We planned on winning together," Emunah revealed. "We thought both of us would answer every question correctly so that we would both be champions, tied for first place.

But in the end Emunah won. "They made a big deal about our big hug after I lost," Neta said. "But it was the easiest thing to share in her happiness. Besides, we were just relieved that the competition was finally over."

In closing, Neta declared: "The two of us will continue to study the Tanach. There were parts of the Tanach that were not in the material covered by the quiz, and it's important for us to learn them too."

And Emunah had this recommendation: "Study the Bible for 5 minutes every day. Not for school, not for the Bible quiz, but just for how much fun it will be."

But in the end Emunah won. "They made a big deal about our big hug after I lost," Neta said. "But it was the easiest thing to share in her happiness. Besides, we were just relieved that the competition was finally over."

In the course of the entire contest, Emunah made only one error. "I knew the answer to the question: 'When did King David cry for

In the course of the entire contest, Emunah made only one error. "I knew the answer to the question: 'When did King David cry for

Rashi gives a different explanation and says that this verse refers to a person’s entry into and exit from life. We should try to remain complete throughout the entire journey: “Your exit from the world should be the same as your entry, without sin.” Just as an infant is pure and has not sinned, so we should try to keep the slate

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In closing, Neta declared: "The two of us will continue to study the Tanach. There were parts of the Tanach that were not in the material covered by the quiz, and it's important for us to learn them too."

And Emunah had this recommendation: "Study the Bible for 5 minutes every day. Not for school, not for the Bible quiz, but just for how much fun it will be."

Rashi explains that Moshe was saying his farewells to the people just before his death. He handed over his sefer Torah to the tribe of Levi, which caused major discontentment among the Jewish people. They all went to Moshe to say that they had also received the Torah at Mount Sinai and that it belonged to them just as much as to the tribe of Levi, and asked Moshe why he had only charged the Levites with keeping the Torah after his death.

Sivan Rahav-Meir is a media personality and lecturer. Married to Yedidya, the mother of five. Lives in Jerusalem, and formerly served as the World Mizrachi Shlicha to North America. Sivan lectures in Israel and overseas about the media, Judaism, Zionism and new media. She was voted by Globes newspaper as most popular female media personality in Israel and by the Jerusalem Post as one of the 50 most influential Jews in the world.

Sivan Rahav-Meir is a media personality and lecturer. Married to Yedidya, the mother of five. Lives in Jerusalem, and formerly served as the World Mizrachi Shlicha to North America. Sivan lectures in Israel and overseas about the media, Judaism, Zionism and new media. She was voted by Globes newspaper as most popular female media personality in Israel and by the Jerusalem Post as one of the 50 most influential Jews in the world.

Thrilled with this complaint, Moshe responded, “This day you have become a nation.” Rashi explains, “Today I have understood that you really wish to cling to God.”

Remember, Moshe had heard many complaints from the Jewish people throughout their forty-year sojourn in the wilderness — about food, water, and the route to the Land of Israel. Now they came with a completely different kind of complaint; they too want to be a link in the chain of passing on the Torah to the next generation. They

also want to keep its commandments and be actively involved in the Torah. Moshe was so moved by their concern and sense of responsibility to the Torah that he was essentially saying, “Now I know, this entire journey has been worthwhile, and we have succeeded. You are now a nation.”

Sivan Rahav-Meir is a media personality and lecturer. Married to Yedidya, the mother of five. Lives in Jerusalem, and formerly served as the World Mizrachi Shlicha to North America. Sivan lectures in Israel and overseas about the media, Judaism, Zionism and new media. She was voted by Globes newspaper as most popular female media personality in Israel and by the Jerusalem Post as one of the 50 most influential Jews in the world.

Netanya

Ramat Beit Shemesh

TORAH 4 TEENS

BY TEENS NCSY ISRAEL

RABBI YOSEF GINSBERG REGIONAL DIRECTOR NCSY ISRAEL

SIMCHA LE’ARTZECHA

Parshat Ki Tavo opens with the words היהו״

לא

יכ “And it will be when you enter the Land (of Israel).” Many commentaries discuss why we need the extra word vehaya, “and it will be.” In my love for Israel, the Ohr Hachayim Hakadosh spoke to me. He says that ‘Vehaya’ is a lashon of Simcha and there is no greater Simcha than that of the mitzvah of dwelling in the Land of Israel. The Rambam tells us that for a Mitzvah to be done properly it needs the proper Kavanah. Furthermore, in order to have the proper Kavanah the mitzvah needs to be done with Simcha. The question then begs to be asked, how about the mitzvot where you are commanded to be sad like that of mourning? How are you supposed to have Simcha? Unfortunately, this is a question

every Jew faced this year.

I’d like to suggest that Simcha does not only mean happiness. It could mean happiness, but first and foremost I would define it as content. Not everything in Israel is easy or makes one happy. Not everything tastes as good as where one used to live or runs as smoothly as things used to. Coming to the Land of Israel is a sacrifice and won’t always make one happy. But knowing that you’re in the right place, where you belong, with your people and being content with that knowledge can trump any level of happiness. It gives one the ability to smile when they are sad and laugh when they are happy. We should be content and confident in knowing that as hard as it may be and with all its challenges, we are living the word of Hashem.

Shabbat Shalom!

SHMAYA PESKIN

10TH GRADE

GEVA BINYAMIN

GRATITUDE IN EVERY STEP

(This week’s Parsha, Parshat Ki Tavo, is my bar mitzvah Parsha, and the dvar torah is in honor of my late grandfather, Yehuda Peksin, who passed away shortly before my bar mitzvah.)

Parshat Ki Tavo begins with the mitzvah of Bikkurim, the first fruits brought to the Temple as an offering to God. But this

mitzvah is more than just a basic offering of fruit. It’s accompanied by a declaration that recounts the history of the Jewish people, from slavery in Egypt to redemption and then later the journey to the Land of Israel. This mitzvah of Bikkurim emphasizes that gratitude isn’t just about acknowledging the immediate miracles like the fruits, but also recognizing the entire process and journey that led to those miracles.

By mentioning the Exodus story right after Bikkurim, the Torah is teaching us to appreciate not just the small things but the larger miracles and challenges that allowed them to happen. In ancient times, it was the exodus from Egypt that led to us being in Israel. Today, this gratitude could symbolize the modern day return to the land through Aliyah and the survival of Israel, which shows Hashem never left and the journey never ended.

Offering a portion of fruit seems small, but it shows a large gratitude for the large blessings God has granted us. Similarly, in our own lives, we should try to be thankful not just for the big moments but for the small normal ones. Gratitude isn’t just a feeling, it’s an action, one we can try and do not only with Hashem, but with others as well. Shabbat Shalom!

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