April 26, 2013 by The Jewish Star

Bookworm surveys the Ten Commandments Page 5 Who’s in the kitchen: pull apart cake Page 7 Rabbi Binny Freedman and the gift of time Page 8 A Labowitz story for Lag Ba’Omer Page 13

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VOL 12, NO 16 Q APRIL 26, 2013 / 16 IYAR 5773

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Great Neck listens to Geller By Malka Eisenberg A dust up over free speech arose in Great Neck when a controversial speaker was bounced from appearing at one Orthodox synagogue under threat of protest from a Reform temple and invited to speak at another Orthodox synagogue there. In a further development, a local newspaper is now being accused by supporters of the speaker of distorting an account of the event, with an inaccurate report and photographs. Pamela Geller was originally invited by the Men’s Club of Great Neck Synagogue to speak on April

14th. Her appearance was initially defended by Rabbi Dale Polakoff, but then canceled under pressure from Rabbi Jerome Davidson, Rabbi Emeritus of Great Neck’s Temple Beth-El and Rabbi Michael White, Senior Rabbi of Temple Sinai of Roslyn. Jeffrey Wiesenfeld, a member of great Neck Synagogue, Pamela noted in a letter that Davidson held events with members of a mosque that hosted a speaker who proclaimed 9/11 “a plot concocted by Israel and our CIA.” Geller is a blogger and commentator most known for

her campaigns against extremist Moslems. In an op-ed in the Jewish Week, on April 9, White and Davidson noted that they “cherish our relationships and friendships within the local Muslim community…. share deep and abiding connections with the Islamic Center of Geller Long Island. Our communities have broken bread together, studied together, engaged in social action projects together, and our children have Continued on page 3

5T5K ran without a hitch By Malka Eisenberg

Photo by Tauree Thompson

Flushing resident Tommy Pyon won the 5K with Dmitriy Krasny right behind him.

The cloud of the Boston Marathon terrorist attack not only did not deter runners from the FIDV5T5K but may have even given more attendees a reason to run and show their support. A clear, crisp, chilly Sunday brought hundreds of sneakered men, women and children, some in strollers, some in wheelchairs, to the entrance of North Woodmere Park on Branch Boulevard, quietly waiting to start. A sense of camaraderie and a sense of purpose gripped the participants. Two honks of a horn triggered the runners who took off down the route; others followed at a slower pace, some jogging, some walking briskly, and some strolling through the streets of North Woodmere. All intersections were guarded by either auxiliary police, Nassau County police or volunteers. Race organizer Dr. Isaac Seinuk

noted prior to the race that eight patrol cars, 15 auxiliary police and ﬁve regular Nassau County police were committed to insure the safety of the 5T5K, similar to years past. He expected tightened security in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings, but stressed that he, with the park director, does a “complete sweep” of the park every year prior to the run. There were “no security issues,” said Seinuk, “but the NCPD and Auxiliary police went over the complete race route, checking every trash bag that was on the route and anything that might have looked suspicious.” “I do it for the exercise and the cause, the tzedaka (charity),” said Joyce Klein, of Cedarhurst, of the race, who ran in the age 75 to 80 category. “It’s a lot of fun. I ran alone. I’m a self starter.” “It’s a great feeling,” said Daphne Stern, of Woodmere, who ran with her daughter Tamar, age 9. Continued on page 3

Yeshiva learns from bomb threat they passed them when returning to the yeshiva building and In the aftermath of Tuesday’s thanking Rabbi Yaffe for the bomb threat to Mesivta Ateres “free pizza lunch that day.” He Yakov by a student suspended noted that the students, for the for a disciplinary infraction most part, continued with their there, the Menahel (principal) school day and showed concern Rabbi Mordechai Yaffe issued a for the troubled 16-year-old student associated letter to parents with the disturcommending bance. “I speak the behavior of the true emof the student pathy so many body. of our children “I have to demonstrated admit that aftowards a chavter more than er who clearly 30 years in chiwas in need of nuch, (educait, constantly tion) I sort of asking about thought I had him and wantseen it all,” he ing to know wrote. “I am when it would speaking about be appropriate the sensitive, to contact him.” insightful boys Rabbi Yaffe who understood noted that the that informing police assured us about potenhim that the tial danger is school handled not to be conthe situation fused with “ratappropriately, ting someone RABBI MORDECHAI evacuating the out;” that there YAFFE building, conare times that Principal, Mesivta Ateres tacting the poone must go Yakov lice and the beyond tremenfamily of the dous discomboy, meeting fort and violate with the stuteenage social norms in order to ensure the dent body, maintaining a normal schedule and making the staff safety of all.” He continued to commend available to discuss any issues the students for evacuating the necessary with the students. building in an “orderly man- Rabbi Yaffe attended a Security ner,” for continuing to learn Seminar held by Nassau County while displaced to Beth Sha- Law Enforcement and analyzed lom, for thanking the police as Continued on page 2 By Malka Eisenberg

‘It was our children

who shined in this nisayon (test) and I learned that despite all the time we spend together, day in and day out, they can still continue to surprise me and bring my pride in them to new heights.

’

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Yeshiva handles bomb threat with sensitivity Continued from page 1 further safety and security possibilities to implement. The suspended student, who had apparently violated the school requirement to put away his cell phone during school hours, was arrested and arraigned and released on $50,000 bail. A threatening message allegedly posted by the student on a social network site included the words “explosives,” “blowing up” and “see you later in life” aimed at the Mesivta. Others noticed the posting and reported it to the school’s administration. In view of other similar threats in other locations unrelated to this, the school did not want to risk the well-being of the student body and staff and called the police. The building at 131 Washington Avenue was evacuated and the 200 inhabitants of the building walked to Congregation Beth Shalom where morning classes continued. The Mesivta was searched by the Nassau County police K-9 unit and was declared safe to reenter by 11:40 AM. The yeshiva is not pressing charges, but the case is now in the hands of State authorities. The threat, said Police Inspector Kenneth Lack, was “credible enough for him to be arrested” but they don’t think he had the means. He is “not charged with having a device. He is going through the court system. There is no reason to believe that this was anything other than a threat.” “He is due in court on May 9th for a conference,” said Chris Munzing of the District Attorney’s ofﬁce. “As educators we need to learn from every situation we encounter, and from this, there is much to learn,” noted Rabbi Yossie

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Bennett, the Mesivta’s assistant principal in an email. “Rabbi Yaffe held an assembly with the entire yeshiva addressing the day’s events, but instead of focusing on the details, he guided the talmidim in reflection on the incident. Students were advised and encouraged to speak with a rebbe or teacher if they felt the need and that it was normal to feel emotional, strained or concerned in the aftermath of an event of this sort. Some of the lessons gleaned and related to the students were: •The tremendous power of the spoken or written word. •The unlimited potential of one individual and its effect on others. •The importance of coming forward even when it may be difficult. •The fact that not everything reported by the media is true. •The value of life. Mesivta Ateres Yaakov expresses their deepest thanks and gratitude to the Nassau County Police Department for their swift and thorough assistance in this matter and to Congregation Beth Shalom for their hospitality.” “We continue to daven for the positive outcome for a family close to the heart of the Yeshiva,” stated Rabbi Yaffe in the letter to parents. “However, in the final analysis, it was our children who shined in this nisayon (test) and I learned that despite all the time we spend together, day in and day out, they can still continue to surprise me and bring my pride in them to new heights. May we be zocheh (merit) only to experience nachas (satisfaction, pride) from them in an environment of shalom (peace) and safety.”

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April 26, 2013 • 16 IYAR 5773 THE JEWISH STAR

Continued from page 1 learned from each other as well. “ At the same time they condemned Geller’s position as “inflammatory rhetoric,” stating that “the right of free speech is vitally important, but Geller crosses the line from political to hate speech.” Chabad of Great Neck then invited Geller to speak and an overflow crowd attended. She explained in her talk that she is called anti-Muslim but that she is “only anti-Jihadist,” said Dr. Paul Brody, who attended her talk and is a member of the Great Neck Synagogue and a close friend of Chabad as well as one of the organizers of the event. “They try to make her a hate monger, but she is only against those who want to kill us. She said that we have to wake up to the threat.” He pointed out that over 600 people attended the event at Chabad, “many from outside the community, many non-Jews. I gave a ride home to a guy and asked him which synagogue he belongs to and he said, ’I’m not Jewish.’ He said he wanted to hear, and make sure that she and all Americans have the right to free speech.” Brody noted that some American army veterans came, as well, holding American flags. Brody added that the Great Neck Record published a photo illustrating that there were

Overﬂow crowd at Great Neck Chabad watches Geller outside on Jumbotron. no crowds. “That was totally false,” he said. “There was a huge amount of people there and only one person protesting, giving out leaﬂets outside.” He said that the Great Neck Record printed “reprehensible lies and false statements” and that the Great Neck News is “even handed.” Brody and other supporters of Pamela Geller, including Phil Orenstein, Jeffrey Wiesenfeld, Dov Davidovics, Irene Alter, Ann Schokett and Debby Geller, are organizing a protest in front of the Great Neck Record on April 28th at 9:45 AM at 25 Cuttermill Road and will be holding a press conference there. At press time Davidson and the editor of the Great Neck Record were unavailable for comment.

Record turnout at 5T5K Continued from page 1 “You’re doing a mitzvah at the same time. It’s a sense of accomplishment. We walked and ran the 5k for the first time.” “I’m very proud to see our community come out for an event like this to support Israel’s veterans,” said Josh Justic, “and I would like to congratulate Isaac on organizing this event and on the large turnout despite the chilly weather.” “I ran the race in support of Israel and the mitzvah,” explained Lynne Blander, “with the encouragement that it came after what happened at the Boston Marathon and in support of such an amazing community event.” The top overall male runner in the race was Tommy Pyon of Flushing, NY who came in with a time of 18 minutes and four seconds. The top overall female runner was Gina Prinzevalli from Rockville Centre with a time of 20 minutes 50 seconds. Participants from the Five Towns came in first in their various age categories. Results can be viewed at www.start2finish.com. Seinuk noted that Iris Maidenbaum, wife of the event sponsor Sholom Maidenbaum came in first place in her age group and Mindy Schwartzblatt won

Photo by Malka Eisenberg

Runners and walkers along the route of the 5T5K in North Woodmere. the flat screen TV raffle provided by Klearview Appliance. The final amount raised for Friends of Israel Disabled Veterans-Beit Halochem is not in yet, said Seinuk, but he estimated the total at about $30,000. There were 630 people who signed up with 581 finishing the race. Sixty children participated in the “fun run” for children preceding the race. This was the highest turnout yet, reported Seinuk. “Participants and volunteers had a great time. I am currently trying to decide on the date for next year.”

Photo by Tauree Thompson

Runners waited patiently for the start of the 5K race at North Woodmere County Park.

Photos courtesy of AtlasShrugs.com

Standing room only crowd ﬁlls Great Neck Chabad to hear Pamela Geller speak.

Local marathoner dodges Boston blast By Malka Eisenberg Atlantic Beach resident Jodi Brodsky ran the Five Towns 5K this past Sunday, winning first place in her category just days after completing the Boston Marathon two minutes before a bomb exploded at the finish line. “I’ve been running marathons since college,” said Brodsky. “I’m married 33 years, running 35 years. I ran the New York marathon when I was first married. Boston was my 41st marathon.” She said she’s been running her “whole life,” through law school; she runs everyday and she runs with her husband, Richard. She noted that to qualify for the Boston race she “ran something really hard to get the times she needed” to qualify. She did that on the Long Island Marathon. “I was pretty close to the finish line,” she said, recounting the events of that Monday at the Boston Marathon. “The whole town turns out. I wrote my mane on my shirt, people were screaming my name. It was so wonderful. I was exhilarated, happy, I had tears of joy.” Two minutes after she crossed the finish line it happened. “I heard a giant blast,” she recalled, speaking rapidly. “I looked at the girl next to me and we exchanged a look ‘what was that?’ I thought, maybe a gas main? People were looking shocked and then 12 seconds later a tremendous blast, a billow of smoke. I was right over the finish line, half way down the block. They were herding us the other way.” She said she couldn’t see what was happening at the bomb site, they were given water and they put a medal on her, and gave her a snack pack, standard post marathon procedure. “Then people started running, ambulances were coming in; there was hysteria there.” She couldn’t find her husband initially, the cell phones were not working, she overheard a police radio call to “get everyone out of the street.’ She stood in the middle of the street, praying and hoping--she felt calm in the middle of the chaos. She was not

Photo courtesy of Richard Brodsky

Jodi Brodsky crossing the ﬁnish line at the ING Miami Marathon. injured. When she got to the bus where she had left her belongings she saw that she had received a call from her husband; amazingly her phone worked and she was able to locate her husband. “Running is therapy for me,” she explained. She runs about 60 miles a week, running for an hour, six miles a day. “I’m not going to be afraid. I’m going to run in Boston next year. I ran in New York after September 11th. I won’t stay home; I’m not going to live in fear. Something could happen anywhere.” “Never say never,” she declared. “There is no ﬁnish line. Always look for some other challenge. It motivates me. There is nothing you can’t do. You can tackle a lot of other obstacles. It’s a part of my life.”

THE JEWISH STAR April 26, 2013 • 16 IYAR 5773

Great Neck hears Geller, ignores opponents

April 26, 2013 • 16 IYAR 5773 THE JEWISH STAR

Opinion The most idiotic statements about the Boston Marathon bombing!

ast week’s horrible bombing at the Boston Marathon brought out the best of people and the worst of people. Bostonians were incredible the way they helped the injured, cooperated with the police and united in spirit. The police, FBI and law enforcement were amazing the way they tracked down the two terrorists in just a few days. On the other side there was much stupidity. While it is very difficult to cover a story like this “on the fly,” some media outlets reported false information. And it wasn’t just CNN who bragged POLITICO about their exclusive TO GO that a suspect was under arrest which turned out to be false, other outlets gave false reports also. On the day of the attack, Fox first reported that there were twelve people dead, which (thankfully) was not true. The people who really failed us were not the reporters, who Jeff Dunetz were for the most part accurate, but it was some of our politicians and news commentators who twisted the story for their own ends. Almost immediately after the terrorist attack House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (DMI) turned the bombing into a political issue and blamed the terrorist attack on the recent sequester budget cuts. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) and former Congressman Barney Frank also made the false statement that cutting budgets led to the attack. Massachusetts Congressman William Keating speculated that the bombing might have been the work of a right wing terrorist protesting the fact that it was Tax Day. NBC’s Luke Russert, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer and Peter Bergen, and Mr. Tingles-- MSNBC’s Chris Matthews echoed the right-wing “tax day” theory. All the above comments were just “alsorans.” The most idiotic thing said about the horrible bombing in Boston was made by David Sirota in an article for the award-winning website Salon. The article was called (I kid you not),”Let’s Hope The Boston Marathon Bomber is a White American.” It was Mr. Sirota’s contention that when

an Islamist conducts an act of terror, people always blame crazy radical Islamists, but when white guys commit an act of terror people always say its a lone wolf. “This has been most obvious in the context of recent mass shootings. In those awful episodes, a religious or ethnic minority group lacking such privilege would likely be collectively slandered and/or targeted with surveillance or profiling (or worse) if some of its individuals comprised most of the mass shooters. However, white male privilege means white men are not collectively denigrated/targeted for those shootings — even though most come at the hands of white dudes.” Apparently Mr. Sirota lives in a cave without access to the rest of the liberal mainstream media. In most cases when a “White Guy” commits a mass shooting, the liberals find a way to blame conservatives. When Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was shot, they blamed Sarah Palin’s use of a bull’s-eye on a map of the U.S. The media said the nut job who did that shooting was a right-winger even though all evidence showed that Jared Loughner was a socialist. Michael Page who shot up the Sikh Temple was a Socialist (yes, Nazis are socialists—look it up). Mass shootings and attacks by Islamists and “White Guys” have been described as lone wolves including Theodore Kaczynski, Hesham Mohamed Hadayet (who shot up the EL Al ticket counter in 2002, or Mohammed Reza Taheri-azar (who drove his Jeep into a crowd of people in North Carolina 2006). Even Nidal Malik Hasan who shot and killed people at Fort Hood was called a lone wolf (although the Obama administration insists on calling that terrorist attack “work-place” violence). When people (like Hasan) scream Allah Akbar as they commit their act of terror, it is blamed on their radical Islamist ideology because it happens to be the truth. That certainly doesn’t mean ALL Muslims are radical Islamists. “Likewise, in the context of terrorist attacks, such privilege means white non-Islamic terrorists are typically portrayed not as representative of whole groups or ideologies, but as “lone wolf” threats to be dealt with as isolated law enforcement matters. Meanwhile, non-white or developing-world terrorism suspects are often reflexively portrayed as representative of larger conspiracies, ideologies and religions that must be dealt with as systemic threats — the kind potentially

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requiring everything from law enforcement action to military operations to civil liberties legislation to foreign policy shifts. “White privilege is knowing that even if the bomber turns out to be white, no one will call for your group to be proﬁled as terrorists as a result, subjected to special screening or threatened with deportation,” writes author Tim Wise. “White privilege is knowing that if this bomber turns out to be white, the United States government will not bomb whatever corn ﬁeld or mountain town or stale suburb from which said bomber came, just to ensure that others like him or her don’t get any ideas. And if he turns out to be a member of the Irish Republican Army we won’t bomb Dublin. And if he’s an Italian-American Catholic we won’t bomb the Vatican.” We don’t bomb the Vatican because Pope Francis as well as Benedict and John Paul before him are not state sponsors of terrorism. In a way Mr. Sirota and Salon got their wish. The Tsarnaev brothers who committed the heinous bombing were American “white dudes,” and as far as we know right now, they were lone wolves. Of course they were also Muslim and according to the surviving brother, they committed the crime because of their radical Islamist teachings. Here’s the real issue with David Sirota and progressives like him---he is a racist. Racism is part of the progressive philosophy that insists on throwing everybody into neat little categories so they can subjugate themselves for the greater good. All women are the same, so are all Jews, Latinos, etc.

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Independent and original reporting from the Orthodox communities of Long Island and New York City All opinions expressed are solely those of The Jewish Star’s editorial staff or contributing writers Editor Account Executives Contributors

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Malka Eisenberg Helene Parsons Rabbi Avi Billet Jeff Dunetz Juda Engelmayer Rabbi Binny Freedman Alan Jay Gerber Rabbi Noam Himelstein Judy Joszef Kristen Edelman Christina Daly

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When someone is called an illegal immigrant, the progressive will say that is an example of hate against Latinos (even though all illegal immigrants are not Latino-but all illegal immigrants are breaking the law by coming/staying in this country without permission). Conservative philosophy celebrates the individual as opposed to a group. When a terrorist is described as a radical Islamist, a progressive cannot segregate that individual from all Muslims, so they believe it is xenophobia. It’s what the ADL did when commenting on Pamela Geller’s invitation to speak in Great Neck, and it was behind David Sirota’s article in Salon. The truth is, while they were on the loose, most Americans both progressive and conservative didn’t care about their background… they just wanted them captured. Now that one is dead and the other in custody, the authorities need to ﬁnd out their motivation… not so all Muslims can be blamed, but to help ﬁgure out a strategy to prevent future bombings. The real xenophobes are the progressives whose philosophy, celebrating the collective rather than the individual, blinds them to the difference between a radical Islamist terrorist and all Muslims. Jeff Dunetz is the Editor/Publisher of the political blog “The Lid” (www.jeffdunetz.com). Jeff contributes to some of the largest political sites on the internet including American Thinker, Big Government, and more.

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The Ten Commandments in history and commentary

ith last week’s Torah reading encompassing a summary of the essence of the Ten Commandments and with Lag Ba’omer this coming Sunday, we are each day becoming ever more mindful of the oncoming of the festival of Shavuot, the holiday commemorating the giving of the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai. This week’s essay is themed to this event that deﬁnes the core of our faith and very existence. In his essay entitled, “How to Divide the Ten Commandments” [vbm-torah.org/Shavuot] Jerusalem’s distinguished Rabbi Alex Israel teaches us, through internal investigation, the unusual format and unique message that is seen through the Torah’s method of presentment of the format of the Ten Commandments. “The Ten Commandments are maybe the best-known of all Jewish laws. They are perceived widely as a universal code of ethAlan Jay Gerber ics. Within Judaism, they are one of the most prominent symbols of faith, with the two tablets engraved with the Ten Commandments adorning synagogues and other Jewish ritual objects. Clearly, the Decalogue has a very central role.” In discussing the Ten Commandments, Rabbi Israel goes into great detail concerning the internal organization of the text of these commandments by describing stylis-

tic differences, citing the Sefer Hachinuch’s teachings, the creation role of one’s mother and father, a centerpiece of teaching within the heart of the commandment’s text. As to its placement within the text, Rabbi Israel explains to us the following: “Respect for parents is a commandment which naturally leads us to revere G-d. If respect for parents is based on the enormous unrepayable debt that we owe them – for our very existence, for all their worry and care – then we owe G-d all of that and more. The command of reverence for parents sits well in the ﬁrst section [bain adam l’makom]. It relates more to G-d than to man.” The essay’s narrative further elucidates the rationale of the Biblical text’s organization, its thematic unity, social laws, the contrasting roles of G-d and Moshe, the drama of the revelation, and the role that love and fear play in this whole episode. Rabbi Israel concludes his teaching with the following extended observation: “The revelation at Sinai is THE encounter with G-d. It is there that we begin a covenant which has lasted to this day. It would make sense if that covenant were a true reﬂection of the realities of faith. In our relationships with G-d we experience something of a dialectic between the love and fear of G-d. At times we experience a fear, an apprehension about religion, and we run away, only to look back from a distance. At times we are attracted to G-d and all that is holy. We wish only to bask in the light of the Divine and connect with His path. This existential reality is also the story of the Revelation at Sinai. On one

hand, there is a barrier to retain the excited crowds, there are demands to ‘see’ G-d, to experience Him in a direct way. And then, there is the fright of His enormous power.” With the above as prologue, we now come to the main literary event for this week, “The Ten Commandments,” a comprehensive and in-depth presentation of this sacred text. Published in Israel in 2005 by the Taryag Legacy Foundation, this work is edited by Rabbi David Wax. This work of 400 pages consists of one of the most detailed English commentaries of the text of the Ten Commandments that is endorsed by some of the leading Jewish educators, among them, Rabbi Charles Abramchik, Rabbi Yaakov Bender, Rabbi Mordechai Besser, Rabbi Oscar Ehenreich, Rabbi Joseph Elias, and Rabbi Jonathan Rietti. Among a few of the leading rabbinical leaders who have given their endorsements to this sacred work are Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein, Rabbi Eli Mansour, Rabbi Herschel Billet, Rabbi David Weinberger, Rabbi Moshe Weinberger, Rabbi Mordechai Willig, Rabbi Yisrael Belsky, Rabbi Reuven Feinstein and Rabbi David Cohen. The content of this sacred text consist of the following structure of organization: 1.The basic mitzvah, followed by a broader look at the laws; 2.A broader look at the laws involved; 3.Situation in Halachah; 4.The blessings for the mitzvah; 5.Suggested reasons for the mitzvah; 6.Stories, parables and insights; 7.The count of the mitzvahs

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THE JEWISH STAR April 26, 2013 • 16 IYAR 5773

The Kosher Bookworm

Among the rabbis and works referenced for this book are: Sefer Hachinuch, Rambam’s Sefer Hamitzvot, R. Saadiah Gaon, Sefer Mitzvoth Gadol, Baal Halachot Gedolot and Sefer Yereim. When taken together with all the other unnamed works, we have a total of over 1000 years of scholarship represented within this work. It is truly sophisticated, well written, and detailed, having a depth of content that will just about satisfy anyone seeking a good teaching of the Ten Commandments. In his introduction, the editor stated the following as his goal: “A solid knowledge of the Taryag Mitzvot provides a grasp of the entire Torah. The study of the suggested reasons for the mitzvoth and their deeper meanings imbues their performance with a richness of understanding and feeling that enables the performer to reach new heights of commitment and devotion with each repeated performance. Just about everyone can learn the Taryag Mitzvot with relative ease over a reasonably short time and thereby gain a panoramic view of the Torah as a whole.” I conclude with the following teachings from Parashat Kedoshim by Rabbi Alex Israel, entitled, “G-d in the Real World” [vbm-torah.org] where he asks, “Why repeat the Ten Commandments in a new expanded form?” The rabbi answers: “Because the great principles which were given amidst ﬁre and cloud must translate themselves into regulations which guide our every step in the prosaic rhythm of the everyday. We do not require a Sinai to experience the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments are for life. We experience them on a regular basis through our dedicated adherence to Jewish law, an entire code for living which touches every sphere of human activity….Judaism celebrates life. It inﬁltrates and regulates the way that the ordinary person lives.”

April 26, 2013 • 16 IYAR 5773 THE JEWISH STAR

Parshat Emor: Tumah and Shema

Hebrew only please!

Proper education

Rashbi and the message of Lag Ba`omer

“And G-d said to Moshe, ‘Say to the Kohanim, the sons of Aharon, and say to them, they should not become ‘tameh’ to people of the nation.’” (Vayikra 23:1) The opening instruction in our parsha is for the kohanim to learn that they must follow a strict behavior, in which under ordinary circumstances they can only become “tameh” to a dead body if the deceased is one of seven close relatives. But the language utilized to relay this rule is strange. Instead of informing us that “G-d spoke (Vay’daber) to Moshe to say” the Torah says, “G-d said (Vayomer) to Moshe, “Say…” (Emor) And then it repeats the root word meaning “say” with the instruction of “V’amarta” – you will say to them. Ramban says there is nothing special to be learned from this language. Emor is the same as Daber – it’s a call to gather, listen and pay attention. Yet one wonders, since there is a difference between the word “Daber” – Speak! and “Emor” – Say. “Speak” means you will address them saying the following idea, perhaps in your own words. “Say” means, “Here is a script you must follow.” The out-of-the-ordiRabbi Avi Billet nary repetition of the root “Emor” is brought to our attention by Rashi, who, quoting a gemara (end of Yevamot 114a), says “’Emor... V’Amarta’ comes to tell the big people (adults) to teach the little people (children) about the laws of tumah.” The midrashic book compiled in the Geonic period, Pitron Torah, explains that the first “say” teaches kohanim not to become tameh. The second “say” teaches kohanim the exception: if a kohen happens to come across a “met mitzvah” – a corpse on the road – he is to bury the body. When Maimonides discusses the teaching of the Gemara (Hilchot Eivel 3:12), he says that a kohen-minor is to be taught not to become tameh. And while if he chooses to become tameh himself, the court is not commanded to have him desist from being in a tameh arena, his father must educate him in the ways of “kedushah” – the holiness and sanctity that he must maintain as a kohen. The Ta”z makes a similar point in Y”D 373, when he pinpoints the word “chinukh” as being the primary mode of operation determining the adult’s responsibility to each child. The Pischei Teshuvah defines “chinukh” in his own comment on the Shulchan Arukh there as teaching so that “he can be punctilious in his fulfillment of the mitzvah when he reaches majority.” (“she’yizaher l’kayem hamitzvah k’she’yagdil”) The kohen certainly has a job to educate his son in the ways of kohen responsibilities - in addition to the laws of tumah. For example, kohen children should be taught by their fathers how to duchen, and all kohanim must be sure that when they duchen, they do so correctly. But “chinukh” is not confined to kohanim and their children. It is within the purview of all parents to properly educate their children, so that when their children reach majority, they will know how to fulfill their mitzvah responsibilities properly.

Let us take a look at one of the first mitzvot we train our children to fulfill. While there are no official statistics, in my own work with children, I have found approximately 85% are being trained incorrectly. The flaw may lie in teachers, schools, parents or children. Or, perhaps, a combination of all four. Some people may follow the Shulchan Arukh Orach Chaim 62:1, who says that even though it is a mitzvah to be exact in the reading of the Shema, if one is not perfectly exact, one fulfills one’s obligation. But the Mishnah Brurah there says this is referring to all the subtleties that are raised in the entire Siman 61 about how to read the Shema punctiliously, precisely, and perfectly. However, if words or letters are outright misread, the Shema is being read improperly and the mitzvah is not fulfilled. The problem is so pervasive that I even heard it on the “Shema @ Bed” app I have my daughter use to help her with the evening Shema. In the first paragraph alone, most people make at least one mistake, and most children make at least two others. After the opening two sentences, the first word is “v’ahavTA,” with the accent on the last syllable. Reading it this way means, “You shall love Hashem your G-d.” When the accent is placed on the second to last syllable (“v’aHAVta”) the words means “and you loved Hashem your G-d” in the past tense. This is one of many accent errors people make in reading Shema. The other two very common mistakes are on words that are learned through listening and repeating, sounding out what (kids think) they hear, and not reading the words they are saying. The second to last word of the phrase “B’shiv’tkha B’veitekha uv’lekh’t’kha baderekh u’v’shokh’b’kha uv’kumekha” is so commonly read as “B’shov’t’kha” one can likely attribute it to confusion with the first word of the phrase as quoted as they now sound so similar. But there is a big difference between saying that you must review the words of the Shema “when you are laying down” (b’shokh’b’kha = the correct way) than “when you are returning” (B’shov’t’kha = the incorrect way). The last very common mistake is made when the first word of the last sentence of the first paragraph (and again when it appears in the second paragraph) is read as if it’s the same as the first word of the previous sentence. We are told to tie the tefillin (u’k’shartam) and to write the mezuzah (u’kh’tavtam). Despite what many kids say when they read the Shema, we are not commanded to tie the mezuzah to the doorpost – u’k’shartam al mezuzot beitekha… Perhaps all the emphasis on the root “Emor” (to say) at the opening of the parsha stands as a reminder that proper chinukh takes place when we take the time to say what needs to be said and to be heard. And, perhaps, in the case where the mitzvah is fulfilled through saying something, and following a script exactly, making sure it is said correctly. Test your children. Be shocked or pleasantly surprised. Complain to the school or do not. Fix the problem if you can. (Shulchan Arukh 61:24 recommends leining the Shema every time!) Do proper Chinukh, making sure they read the words from the siddur so that when they reach the age of mitzvot, they can fulfill the mitzvah of reading the Shema properly.

On Lag Ba`omer we mark the Yahrtzeit of Rashbi (Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai). Although his gravesite is in Meiron, the cave in which he hid from the Romans is in Peki`in, and according to tradition, can still be seen there today. But there’s a very important message to be learnt from Rashbi and his sojourn - and exit - from the cave ...

By Rabbi Noam Himelstein

Rabbi Noam Himelstein studied in Yeshivat Har Etzion and served in the Tanks Corps of the IDF. He has taught in yeshiva high schools, post-high school women’s seminaries, and headed the Torah MiTzion Kollel in Melbourne, Australia. He currently teaches at Yeshivat Orayta in Jerusalem, and lives with his wife and six children in Neve Daniel, Gush Etzion.

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve come, to eeeeat yourrrr cake! ing no Romanian and she speaking no English made for a game of charades. Finally she smiled and motioned for him to follow her. The next area was just as dimly lit, and looked like it hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been in use for months. Just as he was thinking he was in the wrong part of the airport three men excitedly came running in. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re on the connecting ďŹ&#x201A;ight to Israel?â&#x20AC;? Jerry replied, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yes, where are all the other passengers?â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re the only one, the others are ďŹ&#x201A;ying directly from Romania,â&#x20AC;? they replied. One agent checked his papers, the second checked his baggage and the third checked Jerry. Of course Jerry had to make conversation with them. He is a people person and can talk to anyone about anything. Take for instance the El-AL agents that ask questions, in an attempt to weed out passengers who seem like terrorists. Jerry discusses his parents surviving the Holocaust and their dream of traveling to Israel becoming a reality, and a myriad of other Israeli topics. I have to gently (ok I admit, I actually stomp on his foot) remind him that they really donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t care, and they are just checking out his appearance and demeanor as he speaks. Not to mention that hundreds of people on line behind him are impatient. That day in Romania, though, the three agents were only too happy to discuss his dadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s storiesâ&#x20AC;Ś.being born in Transylvania and having been a soccer star there. They insisted that he come back at a later date to visit his historic homeland in Transylvania. Jerry was actually excited that the ďŹ&#x201A;ight was delayed for over an hour as he was able to browse (and unfortunately buy) the many Dracula gift items they had in the

gift shop. As an extra bonus the store owner loved listening to Jerryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stories. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mention the Dracula coasters, decorative plates and other items he bought all with Transylvania stamped on them. I have them stored away, somewhere safe. He hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t asked about them lately; I would like to keep it that way. Jerry was the only American passenger. There was group of over a 100 Christian Romanian Pilgrims on a crusade to their holy sights. This was Jerryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lucky day. The stewardess told Jerry they had an extra seat in ďŹ rst class for him. They led him to the front row of what seemed the coach area and then drew a curtain behind him. All of a sudden it turned into ďŹ rst class â&#x20AC;&#x153;Romanian style.â&#x20AC;? So there he was, in â&#x20AC;&#x153;ďŹ rst classâ&#x20AC;? behind a curtain and a large group of Christian Romanian pilgrims behind him. For a moment, in his imagination, he was in the Holy Land (ďŹ rst class) and the Christian pilgrims were crusaders, preparing to free the Romanian plane from the American Jewish inďŹ del. On that note, I bring you a wonderful Romanian recipe for Aranygaluska. Non dairy creamer or soy milk can be substituted for the milk.

ARANYGALUSKA (the real version of the pull apart cake many of us bake) Ingredients for the dough: - 2.2 lbs ďŹ&#x201A;our -1 1/2 C sugar -7 ďŹ&#x201A; oz cooking oil - 4 egg yolks - Â˝ tsp salt

- 2 oz cake of yeast - grated rind of 1 lemon - milk as needed Ingredients for the coating: - 10 oz ground walnuts - 5 oz sugar 1. Dissolve the yeast in lukewarm milk. (Make sure itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not hot, or else it will kill the yeast.) Add 8 tablespoons of ďŹ&#x201A;our. Set the mix aside in a warm place until it doubles its volume. 2. Dissolve the 1 1/2 cups of sugar and salt in lukewarm milk. Place the remaining ďŹ&#x201A;our in a mixing bowl, and add the yeast mix, the milk with the sugar and salt, the egg yolks, and the lemon rind. 3. Knead the dough until it forms bubbles. Add the lukewarm cooking oil and knead the dough till it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stick to your hands. 4. Grease the bottom and sides of a springform pan. 5. Dip a tablespoon in cooking oil and then scoop out balls from the dough. Roll the balls in the ground walnut and sugar mixture. 6. Place the balls into the spring form pan till pan is full with one layer. (You might have left over balls which you can bake in a separate disposable tin, that you can test right out of the oven). Sprinkle the remaining ground walnut and sugar mix. Bake at a 325 for approximately one hour.

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his Monday I will be ďŹ&#x201A;ying to England to embark on a transatlantic inaugural cruise on NCLâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Breakaway, their newest ship, that will be following the path of the Titanic. Of course we got a great deal and we are being ďŹ&#x201A;own to England at no additional charge. Our ďŹ&#x201A;ight probably wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be as interesting as the last time my husband Jerry ďŹ&#x201A;ew to Europe. His daughter gave birth in Israel and because the baby was jaundiced, he had to wait till the last minute till he knew when the bris would take place. The prices were very expensive as it was right after Tisha Bâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;av and it was very last minute. Not wanting to spend $6,500 he decided to book a ďŹ&#x201A;ight with a stopoverâ&#x20AC;Ś or two. Now you know there is going to be a story of some sort when Jerry Joszef ďŹ&#x201A;ies Judy Joszef from JFK to Paris, then to Romania on his way to Israel. He was actually excited, since his father was born in Transylvania. The ďŹ&#x201A;ight to Paris was uneventful and the transfer to the second plane smooth. Once in Romania, it seemed he was the only person transferring to a connecting ďŹ&#x201A;ight. There he was in a small area that was dimly lit and the other person in the room was a woman polishing the ďŹ&#x201A;oor. He tried to inquire if he was indeed in the right location. Jerry speak-

THE JEWISH STAR April 26, 2013 â&#x20AC;˘ 16 IYAR 5773

Whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in the kitchen

Freedom, Shabbat, and the gift of time

once received a story via email from an anonymous author: Moses Mendelssohn, the grandfather of the well-known German composer, was far FROM THE HEART from being handsome. OF JERUSALEM Along with a rather short stature, he had a grotesque hunchback. One day he visited a merchant in Hamburg who had a lovely daughter named Frumtje. Moses fell helplessly in love with her. But Frumtje was repulsed by his misshapen appearance. When it came time for him to leave, Moses Rabbi Binny gathered his courage Freedman and climbed the stairs to her room to take one last opportunity to speak with her. She was a vision of heavenly beauty, but caused him deep sadness by her refusal to even look at him. After several attempts at conversation,

Moses shyly asked, “Do you believe marriages are made in heaven?” “Yes,” she answered, still looking at the ﬂoor. “And do you?” “Yes, I do,” he replied. “You see, in heaven at the birth of each boy, G-d announces which girl he will marry. When I was born, my future bride was pointed out to me. Then G-d added, ‘But your wife will be humpbacked.’ “Right then and there I called out, ‘Oh G-d, a humpbacked woman would be a tragedy. Please, give me the hump and let her be beautiful.’ “ Then Frumtje looked up into his eyes and was stirred by some deep memory. She reached out and gave Mendelssohn her hand and later became his devoted wife. Sometimes, we have a sense that we have been there before. On our journey through life, we often experience the feeling that we are not traveling a new undiscovered path, but rather coming back to where we have somehow been. And often it is the little things, the seemingly mundane occurrences all around us, that can give life its deeper meaning. This week’s portion, Emor, amongst other things, contains a listing and description

of the major festivals of the Jewish people, including a process we ﬁnd ourselves in the midst of: the period beginning with the Exodus from Egypt and the festival of Pesach (Passover), and culminating in the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai on Shavuot. So often in life, we try to set goals for ourselves, and then seem to lose track of how to get where we thought we were headed, wondering what our goals really are, why we bother setting them, and whether the ones we have are really so worthwhile after all? Does Judaism offer a recipe for how to keep life on track, and ensure we don’t lose sight of living in the midst of the struggle we call life? There is a particular Jewish ritual in the Jewish calendar known as the counting of the Omer. Beginning with the second night (the beginning of the Jewish day) of Passover, we begin to count the days leading up to the Jewish festival of Shavuot, which commemorates the receiving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. For seven weeks (49 days), every evening between Passover and Shavuot, we recite the blessing thanking G-d for the mitzvah (com-

mandment) of the counting of the Omer, and proceed to count the first night of the Omer, and then the second night of the Omer, and so forth. What is this ‘counting of the Omer’? What exactly is it we are trying to achieve? Sadly, for many Jews, this nightly ritual has become a detail focused on recalling which particular night of the Omer it is, and has lost any of the meaning the mitzvah was meant to inspire. The Omer was actually a sacrifice of barley (the beginning of the harvest of the grain) offered up in the Temple on the second day of Passover. And it is from the time of this offering that we begin to count the days until the festival of Shavuot, seven weeks later. But even putting aside what the actual significance of the Omer offering was, why do we count the days of the Omer? If we are counting the days till Shavuot, why don’t we just count the days? Why not just count the first day till Shavuot, and the second day till Shavuot, etc.? What is the meaning of counting the days of the Omer, an offering that by the time we are counting the last day of the Omer, had been offered seven weeks earlier? Continued on page 11

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April 26, 2013 • 16 IYAR 5773 THE JEWISH STAR

9 THE JEWISH STAR April 26, 2013 • 16 IYAR 5773

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10 April 26, 2013 • 16 IYAR 5773 THE JEWISH STAR

DIRECTOR OF ONLINE MEDIA Richner Communications, Long Island's largest publisher of community news, is looking for an innovative, strategic and business-minded individual to lead our efforts as we transition from traditional newspaper publishing to interactive electronic media. (Visit our main website at www.LIHerald.com.) We need someone with an entrepreneurial mindset to help us develop a viable business model that allows us to monetize our web presence while attracting and delighting readers and advertisers with compelling content and features, coordinate our social media presence and formulate and execute our mobile strategy. You will be building our digital department from the ground up. Qualiﬁed candidates should have the following experience/skills: • 2+ years of hands-on experience in online/interactive/digital media • 2+ years of management and sales experience • Knowledge of social media, mobile and email marketing • Ability to work in a fast-paced, deadline driven environment • Outstanding presentation and negotiation skills

HATZALAH’S 32ND ANNIVERSARY BARBECUE DINNER Hatzalah’s 32nd anniversary barbecue dinner was held this past Sunday April 21 at the Sands in Atlantic Beach. Many community members attended to show gratitude to the Hatzalah volunteers and for the help the volunteer ambulance and emergency medical service provides for the Five Towns and Rockaway area. Above, Avi Davis who received the award for excellence in responding & dispatching to emergency calls. (L to R) Coordinators Mark Gross, Louis Wolucitz & Rabbi Elozer Kanner.

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The alienation of Rabbi Ya’akov Yosef from his father, Rabbi Ovadya Yosef, abated partially only at the end of the former’s life. The son, who passed away the Friday evening before Yom Ha’atzma’ut, had a profound respect for his father but differed with him on a long list of questions of public policy and halacha. Just an hour ahead of time, it was announced via text message and radio that the funeral procession would begin at five o’clock in the afternoon, slightly more than an hour before the beginning of Shabbat. Rabbi Ya’akov Yosef, who lived to age 67, developed pancreatic cancer a year-and-ahalf ago. The doctors gave him three months to live, but he held on much longer. His followers understood how severe his condition was only when he cancelled a class at Borochov Synagogue in the Bucharan Quarter of Jerusalem, where he delivered a class daily, without fail, over the course of 45 years. It was there that the funeral procession began. By five o’clock, tends of thousands of mourners had arrived at the synagogue. “If the funeral had been held two hours earlier, five times as many would have come,” said participants. “People wanted to come from the communities of Judea and Samaria, from Beit Shemesh, from the Judean Foothills, but they were afraid they wouldn’t arrive home before Shabbat, and of course ‘Chacham Yosef’ would not have wanted anyone to violate Shabbat on his account.” The days following his diagnosis were a never-ending race to spread Torah to the masses. Someone did the math and found that he managed 1,600 public Torah classes in that time. Sometimes he raced from treatment at the hospital to a Jerusalem synagogue, and sometimes he raced from his four

o’clock AM class at the Cave of the Patriarchs straight to the hospital for treatment. “I’ve got swords in my stomach,” he once said to Baruch Marzel in Hevron prior to a class— then immediately began lecturing in his unique way as if feeling no pain. The man was a Torah phenomenon. He was not only the spitting image of his father, not only the eldest and most knowledgeable of his sons, but also blessed with his father’s giftedness, with an encyclopedic memory of all Talmudic and halachic sources, which he quoted with precision. His voice also was the most smiliar to his father’s, and sometimes you didn’t know whether you were hearing his father, Rabbi Ovadya, or Rabbi Ya’akov. He also learned from his father how to speak to his audience in a simple, colloquial manner, not only in his addresses at Borochov Synagogue, but also in his classes for scholars, including even complicated topics. He had a special talent for explaining deep, intricate matters with very simple words. Paradoxically, it was the intellecual honesty and methodological stubborness that he learned in his father’s home that brought about his opposition to certain of his father’s halachic decisions. Rabbi Ya’akov was the eldest child of Rabbi Ovadya after his elder sister, Adina. At ﬁrst he was considered his father’s natural successor, but then he became the rebellious son of the generation’s greatest rabbi, went his own way, disobeyed his father, and even was dubbed “the rebel.” The rebellion began at the beginning of 1984. Rabbi Ovadya put his son at the top of Shas’ list of Knesset candidates. But then his son decided that being present at the Knesset would constitute a waste of time that

he otherwise could spend studying Torah. Those in Shas know well the story of the day of the first meeting of that Knesset session, when Rabbi Ovadya decided to go to Borochov Synagogue to teach a class in his son’s stead. He arrived to find Rabbi Ya’akov in the middle of a class. As the Knesset comptroller wrote with some humor, “Over the course of four years, Knesset Member Ya’akov Yosef drank one cup of tea in the cafeteria before refusing to serve another term.” “The Army Brass Said So. So What?” Rabbi Ya’akov Yosef did not agree with his father’s political stances. He opposed the halachic ruling that it is permissible to exchange land for peace. He also did not refrain from issuing harsh criticism of his father within their party. After he left, or was made to leave, the Knesset, he created not a little consternation with a strident attack on the leaders of Shas for “misusing public funds, failing to report and forging checks.” Rabbi Ovadya, the party’s founder, was quickly called in: “Everything that was said is an absolute lie.” The son, meanwhile, did not change his opinion of Shas to the day he died, and his followers still interpret the party’s name as an acronym for “Quiet, we’re counting …” Nevertheless, Chacham Ya’akov respected his father, both as a son and as one personally familiar with his greatness, and stated in a famous address that “little foxes” had misled his father about key information. They brought his father generals and security brass such as ISA head Ya’akov Peri, and these figures convinced him that Oslo Accords were vital and would contribute to security—and a judge knows only what is evidence is brought before him. Security personnel who disagreed were barred from meeting with Rabbi

Freedom, Shabbat, and the gift of time Continued from page 8 In fact, the source for this mitzvah appears in the portion of Emor, and it is worth taking a closer look at the way in which the Torah gives us this particular commandment. “U’Se’fartem Lachem, Mi’Macharat HaShabbat, Mi’Yom Havi’achem Et Omer Ha’Te’nufah, Shevah Shabatot Temimot…” (Leviticus 23:15) “And you shall count for yourselves, from the day after Shabbat, from the day you bring the waved Omer offering, seven complete weeks…” It is interesting to note that the day we bring (and wave before the altar) the Omer sacrifice is called here Macharat HaShabbat, the day after Shabbat. Our oral tradition teaches, however, that Shabbat here refers not to the seventh day of the week, but rather to the first day of Pesach, also called Shabbat. This is an important point, which was the source of great controversy in Jewish history. Over two thousand years ago, a sect of Jews who believed only in the literal translation of the Bible, known as the Sadducees, understood this verse to mean that the counting of the Omer always began on the first Sunday after Passover, a point bitterly contested by the Rabbis of the time. So if this wording became the source of such controversy, one wonders why the Torah chose to use such ambiguous terminology? Why not just say that the counting of the Omer begins on the day after Passover? Obviously there must be some connection between this mitzvah of the Omer and the theme of Shabbat. So what does Shabbat have to do with the Omer, and for that mat-

ter with Pesach (Passover)? The mitzvah of the Omer is all about counting. We are counting days and weeks; but we are really counting time. There is an expression that has found its way into our lexicon today: ‘time is money.’ Is this really what a day is? Is it just a unit of potential for more things, and more money? Judaism suggests that nothing could be further from the truth. That is not at all what time really is. The Lubavitcher Rebbe once said that time is life. A day is a piece of life, but do we really see this? When we fall into bed at the end of another long day, do we really feel we have lived a piece of life, or have life’s endless trivialities and mundane details actually prevented us from really living? Where, indeed does life seem to disappear? We long for purpose and meaning in our lives, and yet life somehow seems to get in the way of living! How do I achieve my goals, remaining certain that those goals are good, without getting lost in the details? In truth, changing our children’s diapers, doing the laundry, and cooking dinner are not chores that prevent me from living; they are gifts, which are an essential part of the beauty of life. And this is the secret of the Omer. The Omer offering is an offering of barley, the coarsest of grains. Raw barley is actually animal fodder, and it is symbolic of all the seemingly mundane parts of daily living, which seem, at ﬁrst glance, to be a distraction from the joy of life. The challenge of the Omer, is to learn how to see all of my ‘barley,’

all the chores and details which seem so insigniﬁcant, as much a part of the meaning of life, as the mountain views we love to escape to. Imagine how different my day becomes, if, in the midst of changing my children’s diapers, I consider how many families in Israel, with an empty crib where a baby, now a victim of terror, once slept wish only for the joy and the gift of bonding with a child who needs their diaper changed. How many wives, longing for the husband who isn’t coming home anymore; wish they could be doing his laundry again, with only the dreariness of such a chore on their minds. In fact, this may well be the meaning of the reference to Passover as the day after Shabbat. Because when, in the midst of leaving Egypt we became a free nation, the gift we were really given, was the gift of time. A slave has no concept of the true value of time, because his time is not his own. Only when they became free did the Jewish people re-discover the gift of time. But time is not an achievement, it is a responsibility. The question, now that we were given the gift of time, was what we were going to do with it. Freedom was not the goal, it was a challenge, and the festival of Pesach represents that challenge. It was not the end of the journey; it was, rather, a beginning. Hence, the day after Pesach, we begin counting the Omer. As if to say, in the midst of the headiness that must have accompanied the incredible events surrounding the Exodus from Egypt, understand that life is not just the splitting of the Red Sea. It is also all the

seemingly insigniﬁcant details represented by the barley; the animal fodder the Jews had to feed their cattle, even in the midst of the Exodus from Egypt. Shabbat, more than any other part of the Jewish experience, represents the gift of time; of transforming every given moment in to the beauty of life. Shabbat is the opportunity, every week, to look back at my week, my life, and appreciate all the details. So what is the counting of the Omer all about? I am offering up my barley, the most mundane aspects of my life, and I am marking life as a whole new experience, (a “Minchah Chadashah,” v. 16, a “New offering”) which is the result of appreciating the gift of the Omer. For one week every year I desist from chametz, but only so as to re-discover how much that very same chametz can be a gift to elevate my life. And eventually, after forty-nine days, I am ready to turn this chametz into loaves of bread on the altar of life. Counting the Omer every night is really an enormous opportunity, to consider all the different pieces of ‘barley’ in our lives, and how much these things that seem to distract us from life, are really the essence of the beauty of every single day and every single moment. Shabbat Shalom, Binny Freedman Rav Binny Freedman, Rosh Yeshivat Orayta in Jerusalem’s Old City is a Company Commander in the IDF reserves, and lives in Efrat with his wife Doreet and their four children. His weekly Internet ‘Parsha Bytes’ can be found at www.orayta.org

11 THE JEWISH STAR April 26, 2013 • 16 IYAR 5773

Meir Indor: Against the Current

Ovadya by his attendants. Unlike his father, Rabbi Ya’akov avoided serving in official state capacities. He regarded the government with suspicion, if not with a total lack of trust. “The army brass said so. So what?” he said to his listeners. “They couldn’t possibly have ulterior motives? Political motives?” Although he was Haredi, he developed a spiritual connection with the knit kipawearing settlers who burst into Judea and Samaria, suddenly establishing new points of settlement. Possibly he felt such a connection with them specifically because they did not belong to the establishment. “Orange” rebels, from members of Tekuma all the way to members of Kach and the hilltop youth, found in him an enthusiastic supporter. He loved them because of the daring with which they settled the land, even when they stood to suffer personally from arrest or insult. For him, daring and willingness to be pushed to the margins and swim against the current were an expression of truth and sacrifice. Baruch Marzel says of him: “If he had gone along with the Shas line, he would have been his father’s successor; he would have been chief rabbi before Rabbi Amar; and he would have had unlimited wealth, honor, and status in Jerusalem. But he gave it all up for the sake of his own truth, he didn’t give in, and so he was persecuted his whole life.” As tribute to him, Shmuel Eliyahu, the municipal rabbi of Tsefat, quotes the verse “Give truth to Ya’akov” (Micah 7:20), and bears witness that his way was always to insist on the truth, without personal considerations and without any political calculations. As we were leaving the cemetery that Friday after the burial, Chacham Ya’akov’s dear friend Rabbi Yarchi of Jerusalem told of the last words in Rabbi Ya’akov’s will: “Beware of people who are not straight. In his very last days, Rabbi Ya’akov and his father become closer. “You are a source of merit to the masses” the elder rabbi said.

April 26, 2013 • 16 IYAR 5773 THE JEWISH STAR

Apr 26

NYS Senator Dean Skelos’ Career Fair Rockville Centre Recreation Center 111 N. Oceanside Road, 9 AM –1 PM For more information call: 516 766-8383

Circus in-a- Suitcase at Kulanu

ON THE

Calendar Submit your shul or organization’s events or shiurim to jscalendar@thejewishstar.com. Deadline is Wednesday of the week prior to publication.

Apr 28

Chabad’s 18th Annual Lag B’Omer festivities in Andrew J. Parise Park (formerly Cedarhurst Park), corner of Cedarhurst and Summit Avenues. On Sunday, April 28, from 5:30-8:00 pm, celebrate the break from Omer restrictions as a community. Chabad brings out all the stops each year to bring everyone together for a day of unity. Archery, bonfire, races, bubble bonanza will all surely delight young and old. Meanwhile, they have added more attractions. The Amazing Skywriters Trampoline Show will amaze and delight audiences of all ages with their mind-boggling artistry and athleticism. This show will have you sitting on the edge of your seat. Food will be available for purchase. There will be a recitation of Torah verses by the children and a prayer dedicated to peace and harmony in Israel and the world at large. Thank you to our sponsors Azamra DJ, Carlos and Gabby’s, Gourmet Glatt, Haskel Trading (in the merit of a speedy recovery for Binyomin Zeev HaKohen ben Sharrone Rivka) and Party Source, for sponsoring this year’s extravaganza. Additional sponsorship opportunities are available. Please call (516) 295-2478 Thank you to the Lawrence-Cedarhurst volunteer firefighters, the auxiliary police, the Village of Cedarhurst and Mayor Andrew J. Parise for all their help with the Lag B’Omer festivities.

A Magic Carpet Ride: Celebrating the Jews of Yemen at the Museum of Jewish Heritage—A Living Memorial to the Holocaust New York, NY— On Sunday, April 28, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust will present A Magic Carpet Ride: Celebrating the Jews of Yemen, an afternoon that will feature the Sephardic rhythms of the band Asefa and a taste of the distinctive cuisine of the Jews of Yemen. A century ago, approximately 50,000 Jews lived and thrived in Yemen. While that population has all but vanished, the Jews of Yemen were well known for their special traditions, customs, ceremonies, art, music, and dance. Many of these unique traditions are still celebrated and practiced today in Israel and the United States. Tickets are $18, $15 for students/seniors, $12 for members. Tickets are available online at www.mjhnyc.org or by calling the Museum box ofﬁce at 646.437.4202.

May 1

Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS),

Courtesy of Shulamith

Kulanu students Ralph and Matis baking puzzle cookies that were later sold along with autism puzzle ribbons. Students attached a puzzle label explaining what autism is in front of the Kulanu Center for Special Services. Puzzle pieces, the symbol adopted by the autism awareness month project. an afﬁliate of Yeshiva University, will honor dedicated leaders and educators of the Jewish community at its Annual Gala Evening of Tribute on Wednesday, May 1, 2013 at The Grand Hyatt in New York City. Honorees include Rabbi Hyman (Hy) and Ann Arbesfeld, Etz Chaim Award; Rabbi Hershel Schachter, Guest of Honor; and Rabbi Eliezer Zwickler, Distinguished Rabbinic Leadership Award.

JCC of Greater Five Towns Annual Dinner at Sephardic Temple in Cedarhurst at 6:30 PM. Contact Debbie Averbach at 516 569-6733

Movie Night, Wednesday, May 1st, 8 PM Elmont Jewish Center, 500 Elmont Road “Broadway Musicals. A Jewish Legacy”—The unique role of Jewish composers and lyricists in the creation of the modern American musical. Free. For more information call: 516 488-1616 or 437-6950.

South Nassau Hospital Offers Parent-Child Education Classes and Support Groups The following classes will be held in May 2013: Wednesday, May 1 Prepared Childbirth Class, 7-9pm All classes unless otherwise noted, will be held at the Parent/Child Education Classroom located at 2277 Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor in Baldwin. For more information, or to register for classes please call (516) 377-5310.

May 2

North Shore Hebrew Academy Annual Journal Dinner at Citi Field. 6:15 PM. Contact: Mr. Arnie Flatow 516 4878687 x2

May 5

Five Towns Community Chest and friends brings the Circus to The Five Towns! Take a break from your usual routine and come out and see Kevin O’ Keefe’s One-Man Circus in-a- Suitcase, an enthralling whimsical celebration of the imagination sure to please the entire family. Can you imagine an entire circus appearing out of a small suitcase? Kevin’s marvelous story about a man who wants to run away to the circus and ability to include the audience in his show makes this one unique and outstanding performance! One critic says, “I can’t recall when I last saw so many beaming faces lighting up!” Kevin’s “Circus Minimums” has appeared on NBC, ABC, Fox and hundreds of stages around the world. This production is brought to you by several service agencies of your community: The Peninsula Counseling Center Children’s Services, Let all the Children Play, and The Five Towns Community Chest. On Sunday Kulanu and The Jewish Community Center of the Greater Five Towns are also joining in on the fun. Our children will enjoy the laughter thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, The Altheim Family, The Dime Bank, Gourmet Glatt, The Kellner Family, The Scharf Family, The Zisman Family, Warren Levi Karate, Rolling River Day Camp, The Nassau Herald and The Jewish Star. Show times are: Sunday, May 5th at 11am and 1pm at Kulanu Advanced tickets: $5 per child/ $10 per adult Tickets at the Door: $10 per child/ $15 per adult. For reservations and to purchase tickets please call 516-374-5800 All proceeds will beneﬁt the participating service organizations serving our community.

May 12

Young Israel of Woodmere 53rd Anniversary Dinner The Sands in Atlantic Beach Buffet Dinner at 6:30 PM Program followed by dessert at 8:15 PM

May 21

The Circle of Life: considering the ethical and Midreshet Shalhevet High School for Girls 4th Anhalakhic parameters of Scholarship Dinner caring for aging parents. nual Tuesday, May 21st, 12th of Sivan Panel discussion with questions and answers. Light refreshments. Sunday, May 5th, 10 AM to noon. Young Israel of Woodmere, 859 Peninsula Boulevard, Woodmere. Panelists: Rabbi Dr. Aaron Glatt, Rabbi Dr. Richard Weiss. For more information contact: yulongisland@ yu.edu.

Temple Hillel, 1000 Rosedale Road, North Woodmere Reception 7 PM, Dinner 7:30 PM For more information call: 516 234-3233 or email: Eyegent@optonline.net

91st Annual Dinner of Agudath Israel of America

Friends of the IDF Long Island Chapter

on Sunday, May 5, 2013 at the Hilton New York. For more information contact the dinner ofﬁce at: 212 797-8177.

Kevin O’ Keefe’s One-Man

May 22

2nd Annual Five Towns and Greater South Shore Community Event, The Sephardic Temple – 775 Branch Boulevard – Cedarhurst, NY 7:00pm – Buffet Dinner 8:15pm – Program Business Casual Attire Tickets and Sponsorship opportunities available at www.ﬁdf.org/FTGSS

13 THE JEWISH STAR April 26, 2013 • 16 IYAR 5773

Boys’ choirs compete for charity By Malka Eisenberg Four high school yeshiva boys choirs will face off this Sunday, April 28th at 1 p.m. Lag Ba’omer at Rambam Mesivta in the fourth annual choir competition to beneﬁt the Koby Mandell Foundation. The Rambam choir, now called the Harmonidies, was founded by then Rambam students Yossi Szpigiel and Jacob Bernstein. They both graduated from Rambam in 2010, attended Yeshivat Har Etzion in Israel and are both now in college. They founded it because “we simply enjoyed music and singing, neither of us had any formal musical background—and we basically just created it for fun,” said Bernstein. After many conversations with fellow student Gaby Novick regarding running a chesed project, they selected the Koby Mandell Foundation as the place to donate funds raised from a choir competition. Bernstein noted that he has been involved in chesed projects since 4th grade. He continues to try to assist with the choir competition. The choir sang in Israel for the Foundation once. Chesed, he said, is “one of the most successful things a child could do along with studying - leadership in chesed helps children recognize the responsibility they have for others - which contributes to why the competition still exists today.” “Gaby came to me a couple of years ago with the idea of having the competition as a way of raising money for our camp,” said Roy Angstreich, Executive Director The Koby Mandell Foundation. He said that Novick participated in their “Camp Koby Experience in Israel” a few years ago. The ﬁve and a half week summer program brings about 50 high school teens from North America to serve as counselors at their camp for Israeli victims of terror, Camp Koby. “We were and are thrilled .. Serving as a counselor at our Israeli camp has a tremendous impact on the teens who work with our kids and we were honored that Gaby felt the importance of helping us provide the camp experience for even more kids. The competition not only raises funds for our camp but also raises awareness of the work that we do on behalf of the victims of

Photos courtesy of Gaby Novick

The Rambam choir, the Harmonidies, performs at the V’ata Banim Shiru boys choir competition at Congregation Beth Shalom in 2010. terror. Our camp in Israel has about 400 kids. This coming summer we have about 12 – Five Towns kids participating in the program.” According to the website: “Rabbi Seth and Sherri Mandell established the Koby Mandell Foundation in 2001 after their 13-year-old son Koby and his friend Yosef Ishran were brutally murdered by terrorists near their home in Israel. In the past ten years in Israel, terrorism has claimed over 1,300 lives and has left over 6,000 people wounded, many of them severely. The number of extended family members of victims—those who have lost grandparents, uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews or cousins — exceeds 12,000. Additionally, an estimated 50,000 Israelis have directly experienced a terrorist bombing; its horrors, carnage, and aftermath.” The camp and foundation seek to help this population. Rebecca Rubin-Seligson has been involved with the Foundation since she had a chesed project at her bat mitzvah—assembling packages for campers at the recently opened Camp Koby. Her family has also been active in the Foundation since then. She is the treasurer of the event committee, she said, and has been involved in that aspect of the choir competition for three years. “I basically do the fundraising, trying to get people to sponsor the event so that 100% of the funds raised at the competition can go to The Koby Mandell Foundation. Besides raising over $1,500 for the Koby Mandell Foundation, the event has allowed us to raise awareness about the foundation. At the last choir competition, I spoke on behalf of the foundation, informing the choir participants, judges, and audience

members exactly where their money was going. It helped people learn more about the foundation and all of the amazing work that they do.” Rubin-Seligson attended HAFTR High School, Midreshet Moriah and is currently a senior at Stern College. Harmonidies choir captain Eric Grossman enjoys music, especially acapella. The choir practices often during the run up to the event. “I like being in the choir because it allows me to be part of a group where we can use our talents to inspire people around the world. My co-captain Tani Martin and I decide on the songs and come up with the arrangements. My plans for the choir is to try to get everyone in the choir to reach their greatest potential and to inspire people with their G-d given gifts and to take that gift and use it whether in the choir or anywhere else their lives take them.” He noted that the choir posted a you tube video cover called “Some Nights Jewish lyrics,” currently with over 20,000 views. He said that they also led the davening and singing on Shabbos Chanuka at a synagogue in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania and will be performing with Aryeh Kunstler at a Belle Harbor Sandy relief concert on Sunday June 23rd. Grossman is now a senior at Rambam and lives in West Hempstead. Novick said that they enlisted other schools to enter the competition starting in 2010. They signed up sponsors to defray the cost and contacted performers to perform at the competition and sit on a panel as judges. He noted that in the past they had about 300 in the audience and have raised about

Singer Eitan Katz was a guest performer at the 2010 choir competition. $3,000. They have received a lot of positive feedback. “Rabbi Friedman was at the ﬁrst competition and loved it, as well as many other Rambam teachers. And the choirs that have participated regardless of if they won or not have all loved it and the choirs that were not able to participate have told me that they have regretted it. Audience members have also told me it was a great event.” Novick, a resident of West Hempstead, said “To me it has all been amazing, seeing how many people actually came and how great the whole event was, but I think the most amazing part for me was sending the check to the Koby Mandell Foundation after the whole thing was over and receiving their thank you.” “We are pleased to host the upcoming choir competition on behalf of the Koby Mandell Foundation,” wrote Rabbi Zev Friedman, Rosh Mesivta at Rambam. “The students in our Harmonidies group have lifted the spirits of so many who have heard them and look forward to doing whatever they can to help the remarkable efforts of the Koby Mandell foundation.”

Be careful how you speak:

A Sacred Trust: Stories of Our Heritage and History” By Rabbi Eugene Labovitz Z”L and Dr. Annette Labowitz Note from Dr. Labowitz: “This story teaches about lashon ha-rah, which according to chazal was one of the reasons why the talmidim died, they did not give respect one to another. “ The Baal Shem Tov set out for Eretz Yisrael many times, but each time, his plans were thwarted by some unforeseen circumstance. Once the axle of his carriage cracked, once the boat upon which he traveled encountered terrible storms on the high seas and the captain refused to continue the voyage until the weather subsided. Eventually, he came to the realization that it was not destined for him to see the Holy Land. Nevertheless, he encouraged his disciples to make the trip, so they might be privileged to walk where Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, and Jacob and Leah had walked. [Ed. Rachel died as Jacob and his family

returned to Eretz Yisrael from Laban’s house in Padan Aram. She was buried on the border, in Bethlehem. B’rayshit, 35:19] The Baal Shem Tov had a special blessing for each of his students who journeyed to Eretz Yisrael. Once, Zalman approached the Baal Shem Tov. “Rebbe,” he announced, “I have decided to go to Eretz Yisrael. I have come for your blessing.” The Baal Shem Tov responded: “My blessing to you is: be careful to whom you speak and what you say!” Zalman thought this blessing a little bit strange, for he knew that one of his friends was blessed with an easy journey, another was blessed to be able to pray fervently at the holy wall, a third was blessed to pray for the barren women at matriarch Rachel’s grave. But he knew that he couldn’t question his rebbe, so he set off still wondering the meaning of the blessing. On the long and hazardous route between Medziboz and Eretz Yisrael, Zalman met

many interesting people, among who were pilgrims, merchants, and beggars. Before he spoke to any of his traveling companions, he whispered the words to himself, to be sure that he followed his rebbe’s instructions. Once he arrived in Eretz Yisrael, he immediately went up to Yerushalayim, to the Kotel, the remaining western wall of the Temple Mount, where he prayed with fervent devotion. He was overwhelmed with the beauty of the living stones that were a visible remnant of Israel’s ancient glory. During many months in Eretz Yisrael, he walked the length and breadth of the land, comparing it to biblical and prophetic passages. He visited Be’er Sheva, where Abraham planted his famous ayshel (tamarisk) trees; Beth El, where Jacob anointed with holy oil the stone upon which he had slept after his dream of angels ascending and descending the ladder; Shechem, where Joseph was sold; Anatot, the suburban area just north of Yerushalayim, which Jeremiah purchased before the destruction of the ﬁrst Holy Temple;

Tiberias, the gravesites of Rabbi Akiva, Rabbi Mayer, and Rambam (Maimonides); ﬁnally ending his pilgrimage back in Yerushalayim, to bid farewell to the holy city. Wherever he went, to whomever he spoke, he consciously heeded the instructions of the Baal Shem Tov. While he was standing in front of the Kotel, he noticed a white-robed, bearded, gentle eyed old man scavenging around the ruins of the Holy Temple. He followed him for a time, fascinated with the agility with which he climbed up and around, in and out of all the ruins. Suddenly, their eyes met. The old man beckoned to Zalman. Unhesitatingly, Zalman walked over to where he stood. He spoke: “It seems to me that you are from chutz la’aretz (the diaspora), aren’t you?” “Yes,” responded Zalman, carefully. “I am from Medziboz, the city of the Baal Shem Tov. “Tell me,” insisted the old man, “how are Continued on page 14

Be careful how you speak Continued from page 13 my people faring in the diaspora?” Wanting to be very careful how he answered, Zalman said slowly: “Life is very difficult for our people in the diaspora. We live in shtetlachs, scattered throughout the Pale of Settlement. Because it is very difficult to earn a livelihood, most of us are very poor. The government enacts many harsh decrees against our people. However, we are managing to survive.” “Tell me more,” persisted the old man. “Are my people studying much Torah?” Zalman still felt a little uncomfortable speaking to him, so he answered cautiously: “We have a few rebbes who teach us, and a few batay midrash (plural of bayt midrash) scattered throughout the Pale of Settlement. Some Jews set aside specific time to study before going to work or in the evening when they return from work. However, most Jews do not have time to study, because it takes so many hours to earn money to put bread on the table. Truthfully, under the circumstances, we are doing the best that we can. [Ed. In the year 1792, in an official act of the Russian government, Tzarina Catherine the Great decreed that the former Polish kingdom, which Russia annexed, be called the Pale of Settlement. She prohibited Jews from venturing forth from this territory. It was located between the Baltic and Black Sea from north to south, and by Russia, Prussia, and Austria on the east and west sides. The Jews were confined to small villages in the Pale of Settlement, to limit their living in other parts of Russia. They were treated as a hostile population, different from other Russian citizens, unworthy of equal citizenship.] “And,” the old man whispered, “are my people yearning for redemption?” “We yearned so much after the Chmielnicki pogroms, that many Jews followed Shabbetai Zevi, the false messiah. They wondered how long this bitter exile would continue, how long their prayers would go unanswered. But when he converted to Islam, we knew we had been disillusioned, that he had perpetrated a hoax upon us. So we continue to yearn and to pray, and in the meantime, we are managing to survive.” Then the old man disappeared. Zalman did not think this meeting had any special significance, for he had met many people in the course of his travels. He returned to Medziboz. As soon as he arrived home, the Baal Shem Tov summoned him. Zalman could tell from the tone of his rebbe’s voice that he was deeply perturbed. “Tell me, Zalman, did anything unusual happen to you while you were in Eretz Yisrael?” asked the Baal Shem Tov in an anguished voice. Zalman thought a minute, and then answered carefully. “No, I don’t think anything unusual happened. I met some very interesting people,

some scholars, some beggars; I visited the gravesites of some of our great teachers; and I heeded your warning to be careful to whom I spoke and what I said.” The Baal Shem Tov probed further: “Didn’t you meet anyone who discussed the plight of the Jews living in the diaspora with you? Zalman thought for a few moments: “Rebbe, do you mean the white-robed, bearded, gentle-eyed old man that I met at the holy wall just before I returned home?” “Tell me about him,” insisted the Baal Shem Tov. “Tell me what he asked you. Tell me what you told him.” “Well , he was digging around the ruins of the Holy Temple. He climbed above and over, in and around the ruins. It seemed he beckoned to me, so I walked over to him. He wanted to know how the Jews were faring in the diaspora. “What did you tell him?” prodded the Baal Shem Tov. “I told him that it was very difﬁcult to earn a livelihood, that our people were always in danger of government decrees being enacted against them, but that we were managing to survive.” “Oy vey,” moaned the Baal Shem Tov. “What else did he ask you?” “He asked me if we were studying much Torah,” Zalman answered. “And what did you answer to that question,” continued the Baal Shem Tov. “I told him that we have a few rebbes who teach us in their batay midrash. I told him that most of us don’t have too much time to study Torah because it takes so much energy to eke out a living. And I told him that we were doing the best that we can.” The Baal Shem Tov had tears in his eyes. “Didn’t he ask you anything else?” sobbed the Baal Shem Tov. “Yes, he asked me one more thing. He wanted to know if our people are yearning for the coming of the Messiach.” “How did you answer that question?” “I told him that we prayed every day for redemption, that we are yearning for the coming of the Messiach, but even though he tarries, we will manage to survive.” The Baal Shem Tov’s shoulders heaved with pain. “Zalman, my son, you didn’t heed my instructions. I warned you to be careful what you said and to whom you spoke. That old man was Eliyahu Hanavi (Elijah the Prophet). He was on his way to bring the Messiach. Had you told him that we were desperate, that we were yearning every minute for his coming, that we couldn’t manage another second, he would have told the Heavenly Court that it was time to bring the Mashiach. But since you told him that we could wait, that we are managing to survive, the decision was made by the Heavenly Court that the Mashiach could also wait.”

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