Baruch Dayan HaEmes: Rebbetzin Chava Feinstein a"h passes away....

Yeshiva World News reports:  YWN regrets to inform you of the Petirah of Rebbitzen Chavah Sarah (Sheila) Feinstein A”H, wife of HaGaon HaRav Reuven Feinstein. The Rebbitzen was in her upper 70s.

As YWN reported, the Rebbitzen and Rosh Yeshiva were involved in a serious car accident in Staten Island two weeks ago. Both were taken to the hospital, with the Rebbitzen listed in serious condition due to internal bleeding and undergoing several procedures. The Rosh Yeshiva was bruised and has since been released from the hospital.

The Rebbitzen’s condition had appeared to be improving, but suffered a serious setback due to infection on Tuesday morning. Her condition turned critical on Wednesday evening, and she was nifteres at around 9:00PM.

Rav Reuven Y”BLC is the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva of Staten Island, and the youngest son of Hagaon HaRav Moshe Feinstein ZATZAL. His older brother is Hagaon HaRav David Feinstein Shlita, the Rosh Yeshiva of Mesivta Tiferes Yerushalayim.

In a twist of fate, Rav Reuven was supposed to fly to Miami Beach today to attend the bris of a grandchild tomorrow morning, but his 3PM flight was cancelled – the only scheduled flight that was cancelled.

The Levaya is scheduled for 11:30AM Thursday morning at Yeshiva Of Staten Island, 1870 Drumgoole Road, Staten Island, NY.

Kevura will on Har Hamenuchos in Yerushalayim.

(Yossi Taub – YWN)

Parshas Eikev Messages 5778

בּ"ה

Parshas Eikev:

‘And it will be because you will listen to these rules... -- ...והיה עקב תּשׁמעוּן את המּשׁפּטים האלּה’ (Devarim 7:12)

In Gemara Megillah, we are told that the word והיה is a language of joy.  The verse thus alludes to us that if we are B’Simcha, joyous, we will actually be able to keep the Mitzvos and serve Hashem a lot better.  My Rebbe, HaRav Tal Moshe Zwecker shlit”a, in fact, explained to me that joy can be greater than a Mitzvah, because it leads to more Mitzvos.  

And on the other hand, the verse seems to imply that keeping the Mitzvos and serving Hashem helps to bring more joy.  As the Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh (to this verse) writes: “There is not to a person to rejoice except when he guards to do all that Hashem commanded to do; then his heart will rejoice and his Soul will exult.” (See Tehillim 16:9).

(Ach Sameach)

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‘Your garment did not wear out from upon you and your foot did not swell this forty years.’ (Devarim 8:4)

The Clouds of Glory would rub their clothes and press them, like pressed vessels [i.e. garments].  And their young, also, as they would grow, their clothing would grow with them, like the dress [shell] of a snail, which grows with it.

(Rashi HaKadosh from Midrash Shir HaShirim Rabbah).

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‘And it will be if you will surely forget Hashem your G-d, and you will go after gods of others and you will serve them and you will prostrate yourself to them; I bear witness in you today that you will surely perish.’ (Devarim 8:19)

It really bothered me that this verse, which describes a tragic, tragic, possible occurrence, begins with the word והיה, which, the Sages tell us, connotes joy!  What is it doing here?

I posed this question to the Bostoner Rebbe of Yerushalayim {HaRav Mayer Alter Horowitz shlit”a}.  He looked into the matter, and found in a book an answer given by the Chozeh of Lublin {HaRav Yaakov Yitzchok Horowitz zt”l}, photocopied it, and sent it to me.  

Says the Chozeh zt”l:  If a person commits a sin (like the forgetting of Hashem and avodah zarah described in the verse), and is still joyous -- meaning that they do not regret it, and are not upset about their transgression; in a state like this, they will get the terrible punishment of ‘you will surely perish’.  For if they do not feel pain or regret over sinning, they will not come to repent.  

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‘From the beginning of the year, until the end of year. -- .מרשית השנה ועד אחרית שנה’

(Devarim 11:12)

When talking about the beginning of the year, notes the Satmar Rebbe, HaRav Yoel Teitelbaum zt”l, the Torah employs the language ‘השנה -- the year,’ while when speaking of the end of the year, it merely says ‘שנה -- year’.

Explains the Satmar Rebbe zt”l, at the beginning of a year, when we are coming into Rosh Hashanah, we tell ourselves that this is going to be the year -- we are going to make grandiose changes, improvements, etc.  But as time passes, we go back to what we were, and, by the time the year is reaching a close, it ends up that it was just another year…

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We must take this piercing message to heart, and make sure that this year; this month, week, and even day, do not end up ‘just another one.’  May Hashem help us with this.

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‘And you shall teach them (אתם) to your sons...’ (Devarim 11:19)

Says the Chofetz Chaim zt”l:  The word is pronounced as אותם (osam), them, whereas it is written as אתם (attem), which means ‘you’.  

This comes to teach us that a father [or mother] cannot just rely upon teaching their children; they themselves must also learn.

(Chofetz Chaim Al HaTorah)

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Maaseh:  HaRav Shimon Schwab zt”l once spent Shabbos with the saintly Chofetz Chaim zt”l, in Radun.  It was Friday morning, and, in the middle of a discussion concerning the function of Kohanim, the Chofetz Chaim turned to Rav Schwab and asked, “Are you a Kohen?”

“No,” replied Rav Schwab.

“Perhaps you have heard that I am a Kohen,” the Chofetz Chaim said.

“Yes, I have heard.” Rav Schwab quietly responded.

“Perhaps you are a Levi?” the Chofetz Chaim asked.

“No, I am not,” was Rav Schwab’s reply.

“What a shame!” Said the Chofetz Chaim. “Moshiach is coming, and the Beis HaMikdash will be rebuilt.  If you are not a Kohen [or Levi], you will not be able to perform the Avodah, Service, in the Sanctuary.  Do you know why? Because 3,000 years ago, at the incident of the Golden Calf, dein Zeide, your “grandfather”, is nisht gelafen, did not run forward when Moshe Rabbeinu called out , ‘Mi l’Hashem eilai!’ ‘Whoever is for Hashem, should come to me!’ Now take heart and listen:  When you hear the call, “Mi l’Hashem eilai!” come running!”

Sums up HaRav Avraham Leib Scheinbaum shlit”a:  This was the Chofetz Chaim’s message.  When the call from Hashem comes, we must respond immediately, because that window of opportunity will not stay open forever.  The Leviim responded 3,000 years ago, and it transformed their lineage forever.

(Peninim on the Torah; Sixteenth Series)

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A Gut Shabbos to all!

Parshas Va'eschanan Messages 5778

בּ"ה

Parshas Va’eschanan:

{These divrei Torah are l’zechus Refuah shleimah mi’heira to Rebbetzin Feinstein shetichyeh, Chava Sara bas Ita Devorah}

‘And Hashem said to me, “It is much for you (רב לך)!...”’ (Devarim 3:26)

In a different take on these words, explains the Or HaChaim HaKadosh that Hashem was actually telling Moshe Rabbeinu words of encouragement:  That all the merit of those who come to Eretz Yisroel, from the Mitzvos they perform which can specifically be only performed within the Land (Mitzvos t’luyos ba’aretz), he (Moshe Rabbeinu) would have a portion in all of them, because he is the one who commanded them [through Hashem] to do.

The verse says ‘רב לך’, ‘It is much for you’ -- meaning that the leadership [רבנות -- related to רב] of the upholding of the Mitzvos was Moshe Rabbeinu’s, and so he had a portion with everyone in everything they would do in Eretz Yisroel!

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‘And you will seek Hashem your G-d from there, and you will find [Him] if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your Soul.’ (Devarim 4:29)

Here the Torah reveals to us the beautiful message that no matter where we are -- even if, Chas V’Shalom and Rachmana Litzlan, we have sunken to a low level -- if we truly seek out HaKadosh Baruch Hu, our Father in Heaven, with all our heart and Soul, we will find Him.  He is always there for us; we just need to seek Him out.

(Tal U’Matar)

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‘I stood between Hashem and between you’ (Devarim 5:5)

There is a famous Chassidishe lesson on this:  ‘I’ -- being too much about ourselves and concentrating too much on ‘me’ -- stands between you and Hashem.

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‘Hear Yisroel, Hashem our G-d, Hashem is One! -- שמע ישראל ה׳ אלקינו ה׳ אחד’ (Devarim 6:4)

The word שמע, if you look, is the first letters of the words עול מלכות שמים -- the Yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven, which is what we accept upon ourselves when we say it.

(Tal U’Matar)

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Maaseh:  HaRav Yaakov Bender shlit”a relates that when the HaRav Shmuel Berenbaum zt”l’s son, Reb Leib, was hospitalized in New York with cancer, the Rosh Yeshiva (Rav Shmuel) became friendly with a man whose teenage daughter was in the same hospital, in need of a healing.

One Motzaei Shabbos, while walking from shul back to the hospital, the Rosh Yeshiva inquired about the man’s daughter.  When the man replied that the situation did not look good, the Rosh Yeshiva responded, “Send me an invitation to her wedding -- l’ll be there.”

Baruch Hashem, a few years later, this young woman became a kallah (bride).  The Rosh Yeshiva made an exception by leaving the Beis Midrash during second seder (session) to serve as mesader kiddushin (matrimonial Rabbi; a special honor at a wedding).  As soon as the chuppah ended, he returned to the Mir for the remainder of second seder.

(The Jewish Observer, Sivan/Tammuz 5768)

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A Gut Shabbos to all!

Parshas Devarim Messages 5778

בּ"ה

Parshas Devarim:

‘These are the words… -- …אלה הדברים’ (Devarim 1:1)

Teaches the Baal HaTurim zt”l:  If you take the last letters of the first words of every Sefer in the Torah -- אלה ,וידבר ,ויקרא ,ואלה ,בראשית -- and put them together in Gematria (numerical value), they come out to the same numerical value as the word תורה!

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‘And Di-Zahav (די זהב)’ (Devarim 1:1)

Rashi HaKadosh from several sources explains that Di-Zahav [literally meaning, ‘enough gold’] alludes to the Golden Calf that they made because of their abundant gold, as it says (Hoshea 2:10), ‘And silver I multiplied for her [Israel], and gold; they made it for [the idol] Baal.’

We, in our own lives, must think about this:  Hashem gives us so much; so many wonderful gifts -- including our very lives.  But are we using and utilizing these gifts, or, Chas V’Shalom, squandering them -- or worse?...

(Tal U’Matar)

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‘These are the words that Moshe spoke…’ (Devarim 1:1)

As we read about in this Parsha (and more), Moshe Rabbeinu famously rebukes the Bnei Yisroel for the sins that were committed in the Wilderness.  However, the people he was now rebuking were not the same ones who had actually done [at least most of] the sins he spoke of!

Explains HaRav Moshe Feinstein zt”l; every person needs to know that if they see someone sin, they should not say that with them, it is not possible that they will sin, because they know that it is a forbidden thing, and believe in Hashem and in His Torah.  Rather, they need to fear that also they are liable to sin in this -- even if it a terrible sin -- if they have not yet uprooted from themselves the bad forces which desire even the most terrible things. And a person cannot rely upon their intellect that it would not let them sin, but rather; they need to increase their learning of Torah and Mussar, until their traits and their thoughts change and they know to be on watch against sin with fences and the like.  

And therefore, all the time that they [the Bnei Yisroel} did not toil on this, to uproot the traits that cause one to sin, Moshe Rabbeinu rebuked them as if they were doing the sin itself…

(Darash Moshe)

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‘How can I alone carry your trouble, your burden and your strife?’ (Devarim 1:12)

Says HaRav Avraham Leib Scheinbaum shlit”a:  In the annual cycle of Parshiyos, we always read Parshas Devarim on the Shabbos preceding Tisha B’Av, our national day of mourning.  

An obvious connection to Tisha B’Av, is the word ‘Eicha’, ‘how’ (in the above quoted verse), which appears in Megillas Eicha, the Book of Lamentations, that is read on Tisha B’Av.  The Vilna Gaon zt”l sees a deeper connection between this Parsha and Tisha B’Av in the third word of our verse ‘levadi’ (alone) -- ‘Eicha esa levadi’, ‘How can I alone carry?’ He noted that a form of this word appears in the beginning of Megillas Eicha, ‘Eicha yashvah badad’ -- ‘How the city sits alone.’ This gives us a clue to the essence of our national tragedy.

Alone, loneliness, isolated, forsaken, deserted:  These synonyms may shed light on Moshe Rabbeinu’s critique, and, by extension, Klal Yisroel’s tragedy.  Moshe was used to bearing the nation’s burden.  His complaint was that he was alone. We may add that certainly Moshe did not need any assistance.  He was quite capable of leadership -- even alone (with Hashem’s Help, of course).

Is anybody aware of the responsibility placed on the shoulders of our leadership, a responsibility which they shoulder all alone?  Do we empathize? It would be so much easier to shoulder the responsibility, if he knew that he was not really alone.

This same problem occurred in Yerushalayim.  In the first chapter of Eicha, a variation of the phrase ‘ein menachem lah’ -- ‘there is none to comfort her’ (Yeushalayim), occurs no less than four times.  This is what we mourn. Yerushalayim is alone, without anyone to comfort her.  We may suggest that the loneliness which Yerushalayim experienced was not only a product of Klal Yisroel’s seclusion from the other nations.  It was the separation from within, their divisiveness and discord resulting from the Sinas Chinam, unwarranted hatred among them, which was the cause of the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash.

We cannot change what has happened.  We can, however, focus on the source of our suffering, the reason for our misery, in order to attempt to correct our problem so that it happens no more.  Perhaps, with a little more ahavah, love, for our fellow people, we can reverse the trend of isolation from one another which has caused so much of our suffering.  Let us share the burden with our fellow, ease their plight, or just be available for moral support.

When we are present for our fellow, we can hope that Hashem will, likewise, be present for us.

(The Peninim Anthology)

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Maaseh B’Rabbi:  We are rapidly approaching Tisha B’Av.  Additionally, today, the 8th of Av, is the yahrtzeit of the Alter of Kelm, HaRav Simcha Zissel Ziv zt”l.  With Hashem’s Help, I would like to share a story that connects to both:

Before the Alter’s passing, a fan was placed above his head in order to help with the air.  His pains increased from moment to moment, and the agony of death began.

With the last bit of “life-movement” in his nostrils, he exerted himself, and very carefully removed with his hands the fan from above his head, so that it would not end up perhaps getting broken.

All those standing near were amazed at the sight of this incredible effort of the dying man, to not ruin even a little thing like this, which was borrowed from a neighbor.  Such was the Alter’s great holiness and care to not commit even a trace of thievery, until it became his second nature --  even in the last moments of his Soul’s departure from him.

(HaMeoros HaGedolim)

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A Gut Shabbos and a very meaningful Tisha B’Av to all!