JANUARY 2 – 8 2025
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ThePresentPlace
Beyond Speech
On the Haftarah: "Be a Yid"
By Rabbi Yitzi Hurwitz
Sometimes, I feel that if only G-d would speak to me, as he did to Jacob, it would be so much easier to deal with the pain and suffering of living with ALS. But then I remind myself that everything in Torah is G-d talking to me. It’s not easy to see it that way, but it’s true. It takes effort and thought, but if you can put this in focus, you will find comfort in knowing that G-d is talking to you and He is always with you; you are Jacob.
In Vayigash, we read of Jacob’s descent into the exile of Egypt. As he is about to exit the Holy Land, G-d tells Jacob: “Don’t be afraid to go down to Egypt, because I will make you into a great nation there. I am going down to Egypt with you . . . ”
Rashi explains that Jacob was “anguished over leaving the Holy Land.” How could I lead my family away from the best place for them to become a nation, the place most conducive to be a Jew and to be close to G-d? How will we become G-d’s nation in a dark and distant exile?
G-d tells him: “Don’t be afraid to go down to Egypt because I will make you into a great nation there. I am going down to Egypt with you . . . ”
While G-d allays his fears about going down to Egypt, He does not even mention Jacob’s anguish over leaving Israel. Why not?
Since this is G-d’s message to Jacob as he goes down to the first Jewish exile, there must be
lessons here for every Jew on how to deal with the exile. What are those lessons?
In exile, one may feel that it is a lost cause trying to make a difference. G-d tells us that the opposite is the case. The fact that He puts us in a predicament means that this situation is most conducive to accomplish our mission, and it is here that we will be most effective and most successful.
The key is not to be afraid of the situation. Don’t be afraid of the exile; embrace it and find how to use your predicament to bring even greater change.
This is what G-d tells Jacob: “Don’t be afraid of going down to Egypt because I will make you into a great nation there.” Why shouldn’t you be afraid? Why will you succeed? Because I am going down with you.
Now, if we succeed, there is the possibility to become comfortable and lose focus of our purpose. This is why G-d doesn’t mention Jacob’s anguish, as it is his anguish that will keep him focused on his essential purpose and bond with G-d. This anguish is the force behind our success.
So we need both: first, not to be afraid, and second, the anguish. We need to realize that although we can succeed greatly in exile, it is not our place. We must cry out to G-d, asking that He send Moshiach and bring the exile to an end. May it happen soon!
I want to thank my wife, Dina, for her help writing this article.
How Does The Rebbe Know How To Answer?
WHAT’S THERE NOT TO LOVE?
The Chassid Rabbi Eizik of Homil once said to his students, “You don’t know how to love a Jew. What is a Jew? A neshama and emuna and Torah and mitzvos; how is it possible not to love this?”
(L’Shema Ozen p. 229)
A JEW LOVES JEWS
A bachur complained to the mashpia, Reb Hendel [Kugel] that he doesn’t love Jews.
R’ Hendel said, “You should know that by his nature, a goy hates Jews, and the Jew by his nature loves Jews. Cast out the goy within you (the animal soul), wake up the Jew within you (the G-dly soul), and you’ll see that you have Ahavas Yisrael.”
(Maskil L’Eisan chapter 32)
HOW DOES THE REBBE KNOW HOW TO ANSWER?
A person who became involved in Yiddishkeit asked the Rebbe in yechidus how the Rebbe knows how to answer the questions every Jew asks him. After all, the Rebbe is sometimes asked questions by people the Rebbe never saw and doesn’t know, so how does he know how to answer them?
The Rebbe answered that generally, in life, things are not all rosy and smooth and sometimes all sorts of questions arise. What does a person do? He goes to friends whom he knows and feels want the best for him, shares his problems, hears advice from them, and implements their advice.
“It says in the Torah, ‘Love your fellow as
yourself.’ And it says that every Jew ought to love every Jew with an essential love. Therefore, I love every Jew with the greatest love there is in the world and when a Jew asks me a question, I know what to answer him.”
(Yomim Tovim im ha’Rebbe R”H p. 80)
A JEW DOES NOT BECOME ‘PASUL’
R’ Shmuel Levitin visited a millionaire in Chicago, Yechezkel Lishner, who was from a Chassidishe family, in order to inspire him to observance of Torah and mitzvos. He asked R’ Shmuel, “What do you do?”
R’ Shmuel said, “I’m a checker. The job of a checker is to fix letters in a Sefer Torah. Every Jew is a letter in a Sefer Torah and the Rebbe has me going around looking for letters that became invalidated and fixing them.”
When R’ Shmuel told the Rebbe Rayatz, the Rebbe’s face became inflamed and he said, “No, that’s not a good comparison because there are two kinds of letters, letters that are written, like in a Sefer Torah, and letters that are engraved. Written letters, which stick up from the parchment, can peel and become invalid, and they need to be fixed. However, engraved letters can never become flawed. Sometimes, dust might collect in them and they need to be wiped and then they will shine again as before.
“Every Jew is like engraved letters which do not became flawed, and are bound up with and engraved within HaKadosh Baruch Hu. Except that due to the difficulty of the times, sometimes dust accumulates and it needs to be wiped off and then it will be revealed in its full luminescence.”
(Nitzotzei Ohr (Weingarten) p. 202)
Recipe of the week
Sweet and Salty Cookie Squares
By: Erin Grunstein, Kosher.com
40 Minutes DURATION 16 SERVINGS
INGREDIENTS
1 box raw Kineret
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, thawed about 1/2 cup Lotus spread about 3/4 cup Glicks
Chocolate Chips about 3/4 cup mini marshmallows salted pretzels
PREPARATION
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour an eight-inch baking pan.
2. Press nine raw Kinneret chocolate chip cookies down in the bottom of the pan.
3. Top cookies with Lotus spread, then chocolate chips, then mini marshmallows.
4. Top with pretzels.
5. Break small chunks of the three remaining raw cookies and scatter them over the top.
6. Bake for about 20 minutes.
7. Allow to cool, cut into squares, and drizzle with additional Lotus spread if desired.
Continuing to Serve the Women of Crown Heights and Beyond
UPGRADING THE TIMELY* AND EFFICIENT RESPONSE FOR TAHARAS HAMISHPACHA SHAILOS
Rabbi Kasimov in person
10:00 AM-1:45 PM
3:00 PM-TZEIS
613 A EAST NEW YORK AVE
Rabbi Kasimov is available via call, text or whatsapp: 917.244.1799
For Erev Shabbos and Yom Tov hours please contact Rabbi Kasimov
*In order to consistently maintain timely responses, occasionally another rov may be tasked to check the box. If you prefer to have your Shaila answered by Rabbi Kasimov please indicate that on your envelope and we are happy to accommodate you.
Rabbi Vaisfiche by call and text
929.390.1284 6:00-10:00 PM**
**If you need an immediate answer after 6pm please call/text Rabbi Vaisfish before dropping off your Shaila.
Zmanim
Shabbat Times
JAN 04 - תבט 'ד
JAN 05 - תבט 'ה
JAN 06 - תבט 'ו
JAN 07 - תבט 'ז
JAN 08 - תבט 'ח
JAN 09 - תבט 'ט
JAN 09 - תבט 'י
Rambam
'ה 05:52 07:19 09:40 04:43 05:28 Mon JAN 6
'ו 05:52 07:19 09:40 04:44 05:29 Tues JAN 7
'ז 05:52 07:19 09:40 04:46 05:29
Available Jobs
(1) Hiring male and female behavior technicians for our ABA team! Convenient locations across Crown Heights. Contact hiring@ thelighthousech.com or 718-218-5528 ext. 132.
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Real Estate
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For Sale
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(2) Tzitzis Sale
Size 20 $29.00
Size 22 $32.00
Size 24 $34.00 7182493811
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(2) Selling cruiserboard (skateboard) goes for 175 selling for 100. Great condition. 34792
Information
(1) 'If you are interested in building databases, or data analytics please contact me so we can grow together.
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Lost & Found
(1) Found a smartphone protector near the corner of Empire & Albany. Please call (646) 953-0248 to claim.
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