Issue #45 8/21/2024 by lakewoodvibes

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SEPTEMBER 15

LETTER EDITOR from the

I’m going to write about Eretz Yisroel and Erev Tishah B’Av this week.

If you’ve been following the news, then you surely know that there were about two weeks in Eretz Yisroel recently when almost everyone was holding their breaths.

Would Iran attack, or not?

Would they act on their promise to retaliate? Or wouldn’t they?

They didn’t attack as you surely know by now, but that tension was still there. And, on Erev Tishah B’Av the tension level was at its peak.

Would Iran choose the day known as a day of national suffering for us Jews, to lower our morale still further, or would the day pass without mishap?

On Erev Tishah B’Av the feelings of tension were so thick, it was nearly impossible to ignore the question marks hanging in the air.

What would happen?

My dining room window overlooks an open, mountainous area. The area is pretty much the halfway mark between Yerushalayim and Gaza, and we hear military planes flying overhead all the time.

We also, unfortunately, sometimes hear helicopters as well.

I say unfortunately, because when helicopters are used in war it’s not because the army is on the offense. Helicopters are necessary when the IDF is rescuing someone. When they’re flying people to the hospital…

It took me a while to learn this. Just as it took me a while to figure out that a certain pitch emanating from the sky means that one military plane is passing while a louder pitch means that two or more planes are passing. But eventually I learned that a view of military helicopters from our home is not a good sign, and that the news reports that usually follows, are not favorable.

There are good hospitals in Yerushalayim. How long does it take a plane carrying a wounded Gaza to reach one of those hospitals? Do the math…

On Erev Tisha B’Av we saw and heard a helicopter

flying over the wadi across from our house.

All of my children were home.

The tension level was thick.

What would be?

So much fear. So much uncertainty. And a helicopter bearing witness to unpleasant happenings.

Suddenly, I had an epiphany. Standing beside me were tinokos shel beis Rabban. Their tefillos had the power to pierce the heavens. Why not harness that power?

“That helicopter means that a soldier needs our tefillos,” I told my children. “Let’s recite a perek of Tehillim right now.”

We recited perek chof in unison and my children asked questions. Of course.

But somehow, even as I responded to their queries and tried to deflect their fears, I sensed a deeper something.

We Jews possess a power that no other nation possess. Other nations fight with their swords and bullets. We fight with that too, but we also have an all-important tool.

We fight with our mouths.

Even children can be soldiers when they use their mouths to daven.

It’s not easy being caught in a battlefield, and tension and fear do exist.

But when we tap into our true strength some of that fear fades away.

Did the tension level go down to zero after we recited that perek of Tehillim? No. But it did dissipate somewhat—and slowly, as Tishah B’Av passed without incident it dissolved into near nothingness.

When Moshiach comes, Tishah B’Av will be a day of yom tov. Surely, this year’s Tishah B’Av with its thwarted attack—and Jews who’ve been returning because of all that’s going on—will be one of the things we will celebrate.

Have a great week!

The Lakewood Vibes Editorial Team

• All I Can Do

• Amazing Facts

• Contest Vibes

• Editorial

• Fun Vibes

• Puzzle Vibes

• Torah on Fire

• The Guy Next Door

• Vibes of Greatness

• Vibes of Gratitude

• Vibes of Interest

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Godly Goodness

In Maseches Sotah (3a), there is recorded a seemingly peculiar statement from one of the Amoraic Sages. He declares that, “Nobody ever commits a sin unless a spirit of senselessness enters them.” This assertion seems to be saying that only when a wave of irrational thinking floods one’s brain and cloaks him with utter foolishness, does one go ahead and commit a sin.

What’s strange about this declaration is that in real life, we don’t see this being the case. What compels most people to sin is a desire they are faced with, and despite knowing the repercussions, they consciously choose to follow the path of sin, since it appears to offer more instantaneous pleasure. We wouldn’t label one who says gossip about a competitor as foolish; we might call them cruel, mean, or selfish, but we wouldn’t think they would warrant the title of “foolish”. The same applies to someone who looks at something they shouldn’t or eats something they shouldn’t; we wouldn't label them as “stupid,” rather lustful or gluttonous. So how do we reconcile these facts with the above declaration? Why are we calling them senseless??

This week's parshah gives us a clue. Is It Really So Easy?

In the middle of Moshe’s final speech to the Jewish people, as he told them about the spirit, morals and ideals they will experience in Eretz Yisrael, he inserted a seemingly bizarre comment. Moshe addressed the Jewish people and asserted, “Mah Hashem elokecha shoel mimcha ki im l’yirah” (Devarim 10:12). He declared, “All Hashem asks of you is to fear Him. It isn’t complicated. All He wants from us in life is a little fear. Is that too difficult?” he asked them.

Now, what kind of question is that? Of course it’s difficult to watch every word that comes out of our mouths, every second of every day. Of course it’s difficult to watch where our eyes go. Of course it’s difficult to turn down a job opportunity that conflicts with Shabbos. Of course it’s difficult to fast on Tisha B’av. “Fearing Hashem” dictates what we say and when we say it, what we wear and how we wear it, what we eat and how we eat it, what we think and how we think it. Why did Moshe make it sound like it’s easy? What exactly did Moshe mean when he proclaimed that, “All Hashem asks of us is to fear Him”? Isn’t that a huge mountain to climb?

Mitzvah Wonderland

The following foundational explanation given by the Chinuch can completely alter the way one looks at mitzvos. The Chinuch (mitzvah 95) explains that in Hashem’s infinite desire to bestow goodness upon man, He created a road map promising that all those

Parshas Eikev בקע תשרפ

Hillel Eisenberg

who follow it will be led to unadulterated goodness. Every single one of the mitzvos on that map is another nugget of goodness, and if followed properly envelopes the follower with peace, tranquility, harmony and holiness. Some commandments prevent us from becoming hurtful people. Some commandments make us more benevolent, some more patient, and others are there purely to give us opportunities to build a relationship with Hashem. The mitzvos are the instruction manual of how to lead a loving home, of how to raise proper kids, of how to ensure society is safe. They teach us how to cope with sadness and how to properly channel joy. No scenario is not addressed and no circumstance is ignored. They inject them all with goodness. They infuse life with meaning. The common denominator that runs through all 613 mitzvos is that they are all here for our own benefit. Not a single human being in the entire history of humanity ever benefited an iota from deviating from Hashem's path.

Following this logic, continues the Chinuch, Moshe turned to the Jewish people and emphatically declared that these commandments that he lovingly taught them all these years, all 613 of them, are purely for them to attain goodness. Hashem isn’t asking anybody to do something detrimental to their pursuit of goodness, for these commandments are the very definition of the pursuit of goodness. It is for this reason that Moshe finished off his declaration by saying, “letov lach” (Devarim 10:12). All Hashem asks of us is to follow the map, and it will lead us to His treasure chest of goodness.

Reward on Top of Goodness

But there is another layer.

Not only did Hashem give us the Torah, the road map to goodness, He also gave us unfathomable spiritual reward in the next world for following it.

Think about that for a moment. Hashem rewards us for following the guidebook that is solely there to give us the greatest life we can have. We get rewarded for living a life of goodness. Is there any other deal on earth as good as that one?

When we realize that every single one of the mitzvos are here for our own benefit, suddenly it’s not nearly as hard to follow them. Suddenly, it’s not overly difficult to refrain from doing something we ought not to do. When we vividly internalize that refraining from saying something we shouldn’t say or thinking something we shouldn’t think or doing something we shouldn’t do is purely for our personal benefit, it becomes significantly easier to follow suit.

And similarly, when we realize that fulfilling the mitzvos brings the best form of goodness into our lives as well as unfathomable

spiritual reward in the next world, it becomes drastically easier to fulfill them.

Hence, the Gemara in Sotah declares that nobody sins unless a spirit of stupidity overcomes them, for how foolish must one be to deviate from the Torah which is purely in place for our own benefit? How foolish it is to neglect the map leading us to a life of supreme contentment.

Amusement Park

Imagine you were going to a beautiful Amusement Park for the first time, but had only a few hours to spend there. Being that time is precious, you would need a plan to ensure that you got the most out of your short visit to the park. Imagine if the day before you arrived you got a letter in the mail from the owner of the park, personally drawing out a map of the places you should go and the places you should avoid. The bridges you should circumvent and the rides that have too-long lines. The shows that you must see and the pathways that get too crowded. Imagine the owner writing it all out for you. Would you take one look at it and say, “Eh, look at how many places he tells me not to go, look at all the rides and attractions he tells me to avoid, I’m not listening to this!” and throw the map in the garbage?

How foolish. How dumb.

Well, how foolish we are to fall to the glitter and glow of the sins we commit. How foolish it is to abandon the God-stamped map of a utopian life in exchange for our convoluted version of pleasure.

The Strength of the Human Heel

The name of the parshah is Ekev. That’s because the very first pasuk in the parshah describes Hashem telling us that if we are careful to fulfill all the mitzvos, even the seemingly insignificant ones that people step on with the eikev (heel) of their foot, we will be granted a life of bliss. Merely showing up a few times a year to perform the big grandiose mitzvos while neglecting the hundreds of other seemingly less glamorous ones, is demonstrative to Hashem that we don’t view His Torah as a road map to goodness, but rather as a road block, getting in the way of our hike to happiness.

It is precisely the day-to-day grind of following each and every one of the 613 commandments, even the “small” ones, that reflects our firm realization that all Hashem wants for us is goodness, and in His kindness and grace He shows us exactly how to get there. How foolish it would be of us to miss out even one mitzvah.

The only person in the entire Tanach who is called a tzaddik – a righteous man – is Noach. Why is that? Weren’t there other righteous men who filled the pages of our holy Torah? Perhaps it’s because "Sheva yipal tzaddik v'kam" (Mishlei 24:16); a righteous man is

one who has the ability to pick himself up despite falling seven times. For 120 years Noach went outside and worked on the teiva (ark) while the naysayers mocked him. He didn't give up and he didn't budge. He showed up rain or shine. He tried to inspire them to change their ways. They called him crazy, and they called him insane. Yet he stood there, day in and day out, year in and year out, decade in and decade out, never flinching once. He knew that the best life on earth was a life of following Hashem, and no amount of mockery and scorn would convince him otherwise.

An eikev is a heel. The human heel can absorb more pain than any other part of the body. You can stick needles into it and you can walk with it on coals. The Torah specifically uses this term to tell us that we must show up as soldiers in Hashem's army. Day in and day out. Not only for the big parties and gatherings, but for the early morning drills, the late-night missions and the grinding it out in the heat of the day. A soldier is there no matter the circumstances, and he takes the pain. For he knows there is nothing more rewarding than serving the king. So too, we show up rain or shine to follow Hashem’s Torah, with the conviction that there is nothing more rewarding.

The Few, the Proud

After the destruction of the first Bais Hamikdash, the subsequent exile into Babylon and the episode with Haman on Purim, the Jewish people enjoyed relative tranquility and prosperity in Persia. Life was good.

One day out of the blue, King Cyrus, king of the Persian Empire, decided to grant the Jews permission to move back to Yerushalayim and rebuild the Bais Hamikdash. Misradas, the royal treasurer, was instructed to go into the royal vault and remove the vessels stolen from the Bais Hamikdash. Thousands upon thousands of vessels were brought out.

Ezra, the leader of the Jews at the time, excitedly ran into the town square and broke the news to the Jewish people. With the Purim story still fresh in their minds, the threat of the complete slaughter of the entire Jewish people still at the forefront of their minds, one would think there would have been a national outpouring of excitement to go back to Yerushalayim. They should have been ecstatic. There should have been a stampede to begin the pilgrimage back. But no, there was not. Not even close.

Out of the millions of Jews that were living at the time in Persia, shockingly, only 42,360 people picked up and marched with Ezra back to Yerushalayim. Only 42,360! After almost being annihilated by Haman, after going through the pain of getting exiled and

Parshas Eikev בקע

Hillel Eisenberg

watching the Bais Hamikdash burn, we were finally given an opportunity to go back; and yet, 95 percent of us didn’t. We liked our life in Persia. Of course, we wanted to rebuild the Bais Hamikdash, but only conceptually. We didn’t yearn to actually go out there and build it.

The act of such devotion by these 42,360 people picking themselves up, without missing a beat, to go serve Hashem with alacrity, was so praiseworthy in the eyes of Hashem that He did something almost never done in Tanach. He listed each and every family that accompanied Ezra by name (Ezra 2,1): Parosh, Shefatiah, Arach, Pachas, Yeshua, Yoav, Elam, Zatu, Zakai, Bani, Bebai, Azgad, Adonikam, Bigvai, Adin, Ater, Hezekiah, Betzai, Yorah, Chashum, Gibbar, Bais Lachem, Netofah, Anasos, Azmaves, Kirias-Arim, Chefirah, Be'eros, Ramah, Gava, Michmas, Bais El, Ai, Nevo, Magbish, Eilam, Charim, Lod, Chadid, Ono, Yericho, Sena'ah, Yedaiah, Yeshua, Immer, Pashchur, Charim, Yeshua, Kadmiel, Hodaviah, Asaf, Shalum, Ateir, Talmon, Akub, Chatita, Shovai, Tzicha, Chashufa, Tabaois, Keros, Se'iaha, Padon, Levanah, Chagavah, Akub, Chagab, Shalmai, Chanan, Giddeil, Gachar, Reaiah, Retzin, Nekoda, Gazam, Uza, Paseach, Vesai, Asnah, Meunim, Nefusim, Bakbuk, Chakufa, Charchur, Batzlus, Mechida, Charsha, Barkos, Sisera, Tamach, Netziach, Chatifa. Sotai, Hasoferes, Feruda, Ya'alah, Darkon, Gideil, Shefatiah, Chattil, Pocheres-Hatzevaim, Ami, Delaiah, Toviah, Nekoda Chavaiah, Hakotz, Barzillai and their families.

These previously unnoteworthy individuals realized the tremendous opportunity they had in front of them. The opportunity to move back to Yerushalayim and rebuild the Bais Hamikdash. The opportunity to be one with Hashem and His mitzvos. They were soldiers in Hashem’s army. From the big commandments to the small, from the glamorous to the technical, it made no difference; they were marching in lockstep with Ezra. Thus, in reward, their names got codified for eternity in the most important book in the history of humanity.

The Beggar Perspective

I once found myself in the office building of BP Print Group, a printing company in Lakewood, NJ. Being a large company with well more than a minyan (quorum of ten men) working there, they built a shul inside of their building. What's unique about this minyan is that in addition to the graphic designers, printers, editors and writers that daven there, there is often a large number of meshulachim (charity collectors) from Yerushalayim as part of the minyan. They come to the company to print out their letters of recommendation to attest that they are in need of tzedaka.

What took place during chazaras hashatz (the chazzan’s repetition) absolutely amazed me. A man got up with a pushka (charity box) in his hand and began walking up and down the aisles, collecting tzedaka. Like in most shuls, only a handful of people actually put something in the pushka. That is, until the man got to the meshulachim. Without missing a beat, each and every one of them reached into their pockets and placed some money in the pushka. This impressed me so much, because they were actually taking from the very money that they themselves collected, by standing out in the rain, going door to door, and embarrassing themselves. This was the very money that they needed desperately to pay for their wife’s chemo treatment, infertility treatments, or the bank that was about to foreclose on their house; and they placed some in the pushka. Not a single one didn’t. For these people are attracted to a currency of a different kind. A mitzvah that comes walking by is too attractive to pass up. They couldn’t hold themselves back. Even after a tear-filled mincha, begging Hashem to save them from their plight, they grabbed the mitzva of tzedaka with a smile on their face, before it passed them by. For them, it was simply too precious not to.

When we realize how each and every mitzvah contains a precious ingredient for a life of goodness, we realize how foolish it is to overlook any of them. Suddenly, each and every mitzvah is prized. Each one is too cherished to step on, and none of them are insignificant. Like puzzle pieces, each make up the ultimate life of goodness, stamped with the approval of Hashem.

Shlomo Hamelech summed it up best: "Hashomer mitzvah lo yeda davar ra" –keepers of mitzvos will know no evil (Koheles 8:5). When we realize how fortunate we are to be privy to these mitzvos, we will do whatever it takes to properly fulfill them. And when we do, aside for living life to its fullest, our names get etched in Hashem’s heavenly record books for eternity. Ashreinu shezachinu – how fortunate are we that we merited thus. We are the luckiest people on the face of the earth. There is no group of people on earth who have a life path that is even remotely close to ours.

Hillel Eisenberg, originally from Rochester NY, teaches courses on the fundamentals of Judaism at Princeton University as well as in Torah Links Yeshiva in Lakewood NJ. He is the author of the newly published book THE PARSHAH ON FIRE as well as the host of a podcast with the same name. His dynamic and passionate style of teaching the joy of Judaism has made him a sought-after teacher and lecturer throughout the United States. Feel free to reach out to Hillel by email Hilleleisenberg613@gmail.com or phone 585-414-9729.

of Greatness

Reb Shimshon Wertheimer

(January 17, 1658 – August 6, 1724)

Reb Shimshon Wertheimer of Vienna was chief rabbi of Hungary and Moravia, and rabbi of Eisenstadt, Austria. He was born in Vermaisa (Worms), learned in yeshivah there, and then went on to learn in Frankfort am Main. He grew to become one of the geonim of his generation.

Reb Shimshon came to Viena together with his friend Reb Samuel Oppenheimer and the men presented themselves to Emperor Leopold I. The Jews found favor in the emperor’s eyes and were appointed as officials in the royal court. Reb Shimon Wertheimer was appointed royal treasurer, and later as chief rabbi of the AustroHungarian empire. With the help of Samuel Oppenheimer, Reb Shimshon helped finance the Spanish War of Succession. Reb Shimshon also financed the printing of the Talmud Bavli which his son-in-law, Reb Moshe Kahn, undertook in Frankfort between the years 1712-1722.

Reb Shimon was a Torah giant and tremendous baal chessed. He received and answered requests for aid from all over the world. He gave huge sums of money to tzedakah and left no stone unturned to help those who asked him for assistance.

Reb Shimshon owned many of the palaces and garden in Vienna and his own house was guarded by ten imperial soldiers. He was known by the title “Judenkaiser— Jewish emperor”. ***

Reb Shimshon became a prominent figure in the royal court after Emperor Leopold appointed him as treasurer. Unsurprisingly, other members of the royal court were jealous of him and his privileged position. They wanted him out of the way.

In a typical case of court intrigue, Reb Shimon’s enemies told the Emperor that Reb Shimon was siphoning funds from the

royal treasury. The Emperor ignored their complaints at first, because he knew that Reb Shimon was loyal and trustworthy. But eventually, after the men continually tried convincing him differently, the Emperor began to believe their claims that Reb Shimon was swindling him.

Emperor Leopold I ordered Reb Shimon to tell him how much money and assets he owned, so as to determine whether he had more money than he should.

Reb Shimon asked the emperor to give him some time to make a complete accounting.

Emperor Leopold I agreed.

Reb Shimon went home and opened his tzedakah ledgers. He calculated the sum total of all the tzedakah that he’d given over the course of his life and presented that sum to the Emperor.

“This is how much money I have,” Reb Shimon declared.

“How dare you lie to me!” The Emperor shouted, he then turned to his men. “Throw this man in jail and confiscate his assets for the benefit of the monarchy!”

Reb Shimon was duly imprisoned. A short while later, Emperor Leopold I came to visit him in jail.

“You’re a wise and clever man,” the Emperor told him. “Why, then, did you so stupidly report only a fraction of your assets? Everyone knows that you have far more money than you reported to me.”

“Your Majesty, I didn’t lie or say anything untrue,” Reb Shimon replied. “The assets which everyone ‘knows’ I owned were never truly mine, as proven by the fact that they were taken from me. But the sum that I reported to you was money which I gave to the poor, and it is the only money that I truly own for nobody can take it from me — not even you.”

When Emperor Leopold heard this, he was very impressed. He freed Reb Shimshon from jail and endowed him with a small fortune.

This story is recorded in Akeidas Yitzchak shaar 101.

Author’s Note: Reb Shimon Wertheimer made a cameo appearance in Vibes of Greatness Issue 41, as the Viennese (i.e. from Vienna) friend of Reb Meir ben Yitzchak Eisenstadt (the Panim Meiros).

***

Reb Shimon Wertheimer’s yahrzeit is Tes Vav Av.

(Adapted from Nifla’os HaTzaddikim by Reb Yaron Amit; Wikipedia)

Shira Yael Klein

of Greatness

Reb Shlomo Chanoch Hakohen Rabinowitz

The fourth Radomsker Rebbe (1882 – August 1, 1942)

Reb Shlomo Chanoch Rabinowitz was the fourth and last Radomsker rebbe. Under his leadership, Radomsk became the third largest chassidus in Poland, after Ger and Alexander.

Reb Shlomo Chanoch built a network of 36 yeshivas across Poland and Galicia. By 1939, over 4,000 students had learned in those yeshivah. Because World War I had uprooted hundreds of thousands of Jews and decimated established communities, this network was very necessary. Reb Shlomo Chanoch paid for the entire operation, including staff salaries, food, and student lodging, out of his own pocket. (Reb Shlomo Chanoch was wealthy, and owned a glass factory and homes in Berlin, Warsaw, and Sosnowiec.)

Reb Shlomo Chanoch suffered from diabetes like his father and grandfather, the previous Radomsker Rebbes. His father and grandfather had both suffered from complications and passed away at age 48. Reb Shlomo Chanoch’s life, however, was extended by the discovery of insulin in 1921. He was murdered during the Holocaust in the Warsaw Ghetto together with his entire family, when he was sixty.

Reb Shlomo Chanoch’s medical condition made it necessary for him to be in Berlin frequently for medical care. He’d often stay in the home of his loyal chassid, Reb Hirsh Leib Koshinsky, who lived in Berlin.

It happened that once, while Reb Shlomo Chanoch was in Berlin, Reb Hirsch Leib passed away.

Reb Shlomo Chanoch went to Reb Hirsch Leib’s widow and reassured her, “Hashem Yisbarach is the father of orphans — but I’ll take care of them.”

The widow stood up and said to the rebbe, “I have a daughter named Raizel who is very sick with polio. She can’t even talk. The Rebbe should please daven that

she have a refuah sheleimah.”

Reb Shlomo Chanoch heard the widow’s words, but he did not respond.

A short while later, Reb Shlomo Chanoch was hospitalized and in the hospital, he asked his chassidim how the Koshinsky girl was doing. His chassidim told him that there’d been no change.

“What do the doctors say?” the rebbe asked.

They told him that the doctors’ predictions were dire. The family had sought out the best medical care in Berlin, but the doctors didn’t think that the girl would survive. Even if she did, they didn’t think she could

ever lead a normal and healthy existence.

“There’s no need to worry,” the rebbe responded. “She will recover and be a healthy mother like everyone else.”

But Raizel’s condition only got worse.

The rebbe’s meshamesh was Reb Yechezkel Koshinzky, Reb Hirsch Leib’s son. He received a phone call updating him about his sister’s condition, and immediately went to the rebbe, who was still in the hospital, saying, “The doctors say it’s hopeless. The rebbe has to help!”

“If there’s no other choice,” said the rebbe, “summon a sofer to write a kamea. The kamea should be closed with a thread and hung from the girl’s ankle.

“But before we proceed,” the rebbe continued, “the family must know that there are two conditions. First, the girl must never remove the kamea from her foot. Second, nobody may know about this because I’m giving the cholah part of my life. If anyone finds out, they’ll be playing with my life.”

The family agreed to the rebbe’s terms. A sofer was summoned to the rebbe’s hospital room, the kamea was written, and it was tied around Raizel’s foot.

By then Raizel was totally paralyzed, unable to talk, move, and to eat or drink normally.

But a few days after the kamea was tied around her foot, she recovered completely.

Raizel grew to be a healthy young lady.

And the rebbe, true to his word to look after Reb Hirsh Leib’s children, took care of her shidduchim. Raizel Koshinsky married Reb Avraham Yaakov Rabinowitz of Kishinev, an illui and tremendous talmid chacham. He was the son of Reb Leizer Rabinowitz, a relative of the Rebbe.

When the shidduch was made, the rebbe said, “The doctors thought to call off this shidduch, but the rofeh kol basar sits and makes shidduchim.”

Just as the Rebbe had said years earlier, Reb Avraham Yaakov and Raizel had many healthy children. ***

Reb Shlomo Chanoch’s yahrzeit is Yud Ches Av.

(Adapted from Nifla’os HaTzaddikim by Reb Yaron Amit; Wikipedia)

Shira Yael Klein

The Guy Next Door

You might have guessed by now, that whilst patience is a virtue, it’s not one of mine. I was, if I wanted to really flatter myself, (And why not? No one else was offering, right?) like one of those racehorses stuck at a starting gate. While waiting for the signal to take off like a rocket, that racehorse paws the ground, steam comes out of his nostrils and ears, and every muscle is aquiver.

You get the picture.

“Can I come and watch you assess the camera footage?” I begged Gadi.

“No. You’ll just get in my way. I’ll let you know as soon as I’ve reviewed it thoroughly. It won’t go anywhere, don’t you worry. It’s all safely recorded and backed up to the cloud.”

Knowing the footage was backed up to the cloud was strangely comforting for me to hear. Clouds are not, by nature, solid and dependable entities; yet once data is up there, it appears that it’s safe for centuries.

“But what can I do?” I asked, fully aware I sounded like a ten-year-old. No, scratch that. I remember Avi as a ten-year-old, and he was nowhere near as annoying as I knew I was being. “I’m going crazy here.”

“If I were you,” Gadi said, sounding hugely relieved that he wasn’t. “I’d consult with that techie daughter of yours and find out what plans she has for hacking into his system. Because it appears, from the brief glance I’ve had, that it’s worth hacking into.”

I looked at my watch. “Rikki will be home soon,” I agreed. “Okay, I’ll talk to her. But please Gadi, let me know—”

“The second I come to a conclusion about this,” Gadi finished my sentence for me. “Gotcha, loud and clear. Not a lot of room for misunderstandings here.”

End of conversation. I sat there, holding the phone, feeling (justifiably) snubbed. Gadi was the second person who had intimated to me that I was a bit of a nuisance. Actually, it had been Gadi who’d told me that Xavier Roberts found me a nuisance, so the source was a single one.

Rikki walked in the door.

I greeted her with such warmth and enthusiasm that she looked startled and suspicious. “Dad, what have you done?”

“Done? Moi? Why would I have done anything?”

Chapter 43

Recap: Nachman grows impatient about his role in the subterfuge against Mr. Nakamura. He contacts Xavier who tells him to back off, and the following day Gadi tells him that he’s seen something interesting on the camera he affixed to the dolly.

Ruthie Pearlman

“You’ve have a needy look on your face. I suppose I should be flattered. Let’s sit down and talk. I’ll just make myself a tea. Want one?”

Tea seemed like a good idea, so I acquiesced. Shortly after, we were sitting companionably at the kitchen table, mugs of tea in front of us.

I didn’t know how to start, but luckily Rikki did. “You want me to update you on my hacking skills progress,” she told me.

I sipped tea, while Rikki got herself more comfortable in her seat, readying herself for a lengthy, technical explanation.

I almost didn’t understand a word. The basic gist, though, involved the hacker finding the right equipment to connect to cables outside the house. Then, depending on what type of hacking was going on, the hackee (if there’s such a word) would — or would not — notice a change in his internet connection.

A change, Rikki explained, meant a slowdown. And that would make him suspicious.

“So,” Rikki concluded, “I’m looking into the telecommunication company that’s used to supply internet to our street. It’s all the same company, and it’s obvious that Mr. Nakamura has Wi-Fi, but you see, let me explain this to you Dad. It’s part of what I learned in college today.”

I sat up straighter and tried to look as if I understood. That ability makes me a good actor sometimes.

“There are different reasons why someone would decide to attack a network. One would be to destroy the data on the computers or hard drives. This can be done by flooding the system with data, damaging data, planting incorrect files and things like that. In other words, damaging the person being attacked. But, another aim for attacking is to get possession of a person’s data, to track what he’s doing, and to track his emails and files.”

I nodded brightly at this point to show Rikki that this was the preferred aim. We needed to know what Mr. Nakamura was doing and to have proof of it.

She went on: “This can be done fairly simply by inserting malware into the host computer to mirror every keyboard press, every mouse move, and every screen change — basically duplicating the computer to a second device that we are controlling. This method, however, is fairly easy to detect as it would show itself as a slowdown and/or increased battery use if on a laptop. The considerably more sophisticated, and harder to detect, method is what I’m choosing to do: To connect to the backbone of the internet provider to the house, trapping every package of data going in or out of the computer, using sophisticated encoders and decoders to unpack those packages so we can access the information. Most countries’ intelligence services use that method, so people literally have no idea they are being hacked. Israel’s security services has recruited me and agreed to pay for my cyber hacking course to enable me to do it this way. I’m ready to begin.” She sat back, beaming proudly. “I’m going to speak to Gadi soon and liaise.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t bother him right now,” I said, trying to be helpful. “He’s very busy looking at the footage garnered from the dolly. He told me not to disturb him. A “don’t call me, I’ll call you” kind of thing.”

Rikki gave me a look. “Dad,” she said, suggesting that she and I were not the same kind of animal — that Gadi needed her intelligence not mine, kind of thing.

But something inside me rose and protested. “Rikki,” I said in the same tone. “Israel’s security services recruited all of us. You, me, Avi. Obviously, you as a techie and Avi as an active agent are higher up the food chain than little old nochschlepper me, but we’ve all been recruited.”

Anything Rikki would have said to contradict me after that would have been insulting, and she had the good sense to nod and acquiesce.

Would you believe it? Shortly after our conversation Rikki’s phone rang, and it was Gadi.

As she spoke to him, I saw her glance shift to and from my face so I knew I was the subject of the conversation. I figured it was about me being a nuisance, so imagine my surprise when she ended the call, turned to me, and said: “Gadi said he’s ready to show us both what he found on the dolly cameras.”

“Already?” I gawped.

“Yes. He’s coming over in a few minutes. We need to be somewhere private though; I don’t think our living room quite hacks it.”

“My study,” I said proudly. My man cave.

She nodded. “Perfect.”

By the time Gadi came over, Avi was home again. He asked and was allowed into my man cave.,

Gadi had the footage on a tablet. It kind of humbled me, as a technophobe, to see that huge contraption of a dolly, with hidden cameras that I’d never seen, all compacted onto a small white screen Gadi could easily carry in his pocket. He could have even showed us the footage on his phone, but he’d reckoned it would be harder for us to see it that way.

The recording itself was not a surprise. Gadi had had the speech translated for us. As expected, Nakamura was doing arm deals with Iran, Russia, and China from his little garage hideout. The deals included things from rocket propelled grenades an operator could launch from his shoulder, to —

This was admittedly a bit of a shock. Even Avi, who seemed to know everything about everything, was surprised by it. Nakamura was also doing arms deals for nuclear missiles that could be fired from airplanes, ships, and tanks.

Portable destruction. Buy one, get two free in a neverto-be-repeated deal. And the buyers were buying.

In droves.

STRATEGIES FOR OPTIMUM SUCCESS S S

Rifka Schoenfeld

WHAT IS INTROVERSION?

Q: A teacher recently described my 15-year-old daughter, who has always been on the quiet side, as “introverted.” What, exactly, is introversion? And how can I fix it?

A: Let me answer your first question: prominent twentieth century psychologist Carl Jung defines introversion as the tendency toward being wholly or predominantly concerned with and interested in one’s own mental life. That is, introverts’ energy expands through reflection and declines during social interaction. People who are introverted enjoy solitary activities such as reading, drawing, listening to music, or hiking.

Many people think that introversion is synonymous with shyness – but in reality – this is not the case. People who are shy are nervous about social interactions, but once they are comfortable are no longer anxious. People who are introverts may be shy, but this is independent of their introverted status.

For those who are introverted, being with people often feels like it is sapping their energy – even if they themselves have great social skills. Because of this perceived depletion of energy, after a party or meeting, they will need time alone in order to recharge.

While we always want our children to be extroverted or gregarious and social, there are surprising benefits to introversion. First, research has shown that almost 60% of gifted children are introverted, while only about 2540% of regular children are introverted. Perhaps this is because introverted children naturally gravitate towards activities that exercise their brains and stimulate their thoughts. Second, many of the world’s great writers, artists, engineers, composers, and inventors tended towards introversion. With extra time to ponder their own thoughts and ideas, they succeeded in creating lasting contributions to society.

Now let’s move on to your second question: how can you fix introversion? I would like to reframe that question

– and say “should you fix introversion?” If your daughter has a few close friends who she speaks to on a consistent basis, but tends to avoid large groups, let her be. Children only need three or four good friends in order to have companionship and develop socially.

However, if your daughter seems completely cut off from her peers, there is the danger that she could be depressed. Without social interaction with her peers, your daughter could be losing out on vital opportunities to mature within society. In that case, intervention is essential. Here are some ideas to consider in order to help her become slightly more extroverted:

•Afterschool clubs: Help your daughter play to her strengths by signing her up for an extra-curricular activity that she enjoys. Even if the activity itself is solitary (i.e. knitting), you will be helping her interact with like-minded people. This in turn will create a community of people that your daughter might feel comfortable socializing with.

•Social skills coaching: Socials skills are generally learned through trial and error in an organic process that does not require instruction. However, there are children who need explicit directions because social skills do not come naturally to them. For these children, social skills coaching can be immensely beneficial.

•Chesed projects: Help your daughter find an activity that helps others that she would enjoy. Some teens bake challah and deliver it to the needy on Friday afternoons. Others visit nursing home to chat with the elderly residents. Then, go along for the first few times to give your daughter an idea of the appropriate social interactions. Eventually, she can do this on her own – and she’ll be gaining both social skills and a mitzvah!

Just remember, introversion is not inherently negative. For some people – it is entirely right and even beneficial. Therefore, observe and consult with your daughter. She might be perfectly happy just the way she is.

CHAPTER 13

Devorah Talia Gordon

After the vort, Mommy and I dropped Miri at her house. Then, Mommy parked the car a block away from home. She turned to me, her makeup smeared a bit under her tired eyes. Even though she’d been up since six a.m., had worked a full day, and taken care of us, there was still that sparkle in her eyes that made me feel like everything would be okay. “Let’s have that DMC now, before we get back and everyone needs me.”

I tucked my hair behind both ears and swallowed. “Well, the other day, when Zaidy took Ari and me to the store, I thought, well, that we were driving home. But after being on the freeway for a while in traffic…You know, there was a ton of traffic like usual…”

Mommy put her hand on my shoulder. “Slow down, take your time.”

I took a breath and noticed the perfectly round circle of light on the hood of the minivan, streaming down from the streetlight. I imagined that spotlight shifting so it was right over me, and an announcer’s loud voice, “Liora Bergenfeld, take it away!”

But instead of singing or dancing, I had to talk about Zaidy. Sigh.

“Finally, Zaidy got off the freeway and drove into a quiet neighborhood. After a few minutes we were there — just like that.” I let out my breath. “It looked so different.”

“There?”

Recap: Liora offers to fly with Zaidy to New Jersey on his way to Eretz Yisrael, but her suggestion is rejected. Liora tells her mother that she has something important to tell her, but they have a vort to go to first.

“At Bubby and Zaidy’s house.”

“What? He drove all the way to the old house?” Mommy lifted a hand to cover her mouth.

I nodded.“Zaidy parked and looked at the house. It was weird since I haven’t been there since Bubby was nifteres. It was painted bright white, and the door was different, and there was some kid’s bike on the grass. Do little kids live there?”

I couldn’t imagine little kids running around with all those colorful glass vases, Bubby’s collection of hand-painted animals, and her handmade, faux flower arrangements all over the place. Just two years ago, my siblings and I were little kids running around the house, but it wasn’t really a house that was child-proofed for kids.

Oh, right. All that stuff wasn’t there anymore.

“A lovely family from Fort Lauderdale bought it, and they have several children. But Liora, why didn’t anyone mention this the other day?”

“I’m really sorry, Mommy. You already seemed upset about the shopping…and, well, it seemed like Zaidy West knew where he was going. But when we got there, I wasn’t sure if he meant to go there or not.” I let out my breath; it was a relief to tell Mommy, even though her forehead had gotten all wrinkled up and she kept opening and closing the clasp of her purse.

Mommy nodded slowly. “Could be he was just tired and was

driving, without thinking. It’s called ‘autopilot.’He ended up where he was used to going, Liora.”

“I guess,” I said. “But we’d talked about going to the new ice cream shop a bunch of times. Also….”

She started the car and was about to pull away from the curb but stopped. “There’s more?”

“According to Zaidy, the house is still theirs. He said people were renting, and one day, when we were married, Ari or I could live there.”

“Zaidy said that?”

“Yes,” I said quietly, wishing Zaidy hadn’t, said that and that everything was back to normal, like it had been on those Friday nights with Bubby and Zaidy.

“Eighty-three!” Zaidy flashed me a smile as he wrote the number on our score sheet. “Liora, let’s see if you can get close to that!” He dug his hand into the bag for more tiles.

“It’s going to be so boring when you’re away, Zaidy,” I said, rearranging my letters on my tray. “But we’re planning a massive bake sale and hopefully we’ll make a lot of money. Like the most ever.”

“The most ever?” Zaidy eyebrows did their little dance that had made me giggle when I was little. “How did you girls do the other day?”

“Great,” I said. “With your hundred-dollar bill, it added up to over two hundred dollars! But, Zaidy, you didn’t need to give us such a big donation. I mean, we want to earn this money, for, um…a good reason.” I put down my G, L, S, and S, using Zaidy’s A from ‘army.’ “Glass, and double letter bonus for L!”

He chuckled. “That was a ten-dollar bill, maidele. I’m generous, but not extravagant.”

I stared at Zaidy; he looked serious.

His phone sung out its classical music ring, and he flipped it open. “Yoni! I’ve been waiting for your call! How are our plans?” He put on his suit jacket and looked at me. “I’m going to speak to him on my way to minchah. See you later, Liora’le.”

“Okay, Zaidy.” As soon as he closed the door, I made a beeline for the kitchen. Thankfully, no one was there. I dialed Miri’s number, and she picked up on the first ring.

“I was just about to call you!”

“Miri, listen. About the sale the other day. Did Zaidy West give us ten dollars, or a hundred?” I paced around the kitchen, opened the fridge door, closed it.

“How could you forget? His hundred put us over the 300 dollar total from all the sales!”

“Oh, right!” I tried to sound excited, but even with Tatty matching our money, we still needed close to a thousand dollars. “Miri, why were you about to call me?”

“You know how you said, ‘age is just a number’? Well, I found out how old Shoshi’s brother is, cuz Shoshi called to schmooze, and I just happened to ask her. She said he’s thirtythree!”

“That’s only nine years older than Tovi. My Zaidy and Bubby East are ten years apart, Miri.”

“Liora, Tovi is not going out with someone who’s almost forty!”

“He’s closer to thirty than to forty, that much math I know.” I thought of a bunch of other things to say, but right now, all I could really focus on was Zaidy West. I pulled out what I figured was a standard shadchan line instead.“She might not want to pass up such a great boy. I’ve got to go now.”

“Call me later and we’ll study history, kay?”

I wandered out the back door with my spiral notebook. “Sure, sounds good,” I said. Then I hung up and instead of grabbing the basketball or putting on my rollerblades, I plunked myself down on the cushioned bench where Mommy usually sat to watch us.

It was so quiet I could hear the birds chirping and a squirrel scampering across the roof of the deck. Mommy had taken Dini and Shaya to the shoe store, and had somehow convinced Ari to go watch his friends play in the Sunday basketball game.

It was the perfect time for brainstorming. Our third sale needed to be a big one – time was ticking away – and Zaidy really seemed to need this getaway, more than ever. It was almost Bubby’s second yartzeit. What did Bubby like? I tried to remember.

Instead of Bubby’s face though all I could see in my head though were all the lemony things that she would make. Lemon bars, lemonade, lemon meringue pie…And…oh, I got it!

I smiled as I uncapped my pen and wrote, “Bubby’s UnBelievable Babka” on top of the page. I was about to start writing a list of items for our next bake sale when the phone rang.

“Hi, Ma!”

“Liora, I’m out front. Yisroel Stern called; he took Ari to the ER. Hurry out here and jump into the car!”

To be continued…

Devorah Talia Gordon is a freelance writer, editor, and creative writing teacher.

Her first book, The Impossible Project, a middle-grade novel, has recently been published by Menucha Publishers.

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SOLVE THE PUZZLE:

Look for open spaces, fill it up with a number from 1-9, but make sure that within what row, column, and sqaure that number doesnt exist yet. Keep filling those little squares; the more you fill in, the easier the puzzle is to finish! Remember that a number can only accur once in a row, column, or square!

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questionnaires

DOWN:

Eikev - Parashas -

1. The Yidden walked a lot in the midbar but their_________ did not swell.

2. The words “Vehaya im shomea” from this week’s parashah are worn on one’s______.

3. Which of the shivah minim is honey made from?

5. How many weeks of nechamah follow Tisha b'Av?

6. Which nation in Canaan was a great and tall people?

7. Hashem led the Jews safely through the snakes, vipers, and ___________ in the midbar .

8. What land did Hashem promise the Avos?

10. Nonobservance of the Torah and mitzvos is punished by___________.

11. Which land had evil diseases that klal Yisrael did not become ill with?

12. How many times was Moshe Rabbeinu in Shamayim for 40 days?

15. Where did the Yidden make the egel hazav?

17. What are the stones in Eretz Yisrael made of?

18. Who didn’t eat or drink for 40 days and nights?

ACROSS:

4. Where did the Yidden complain to Moshe that they wanted to eat meat?

9. Which metal can be found in the mountains of Eretz Yisrael?

13. During the forty years in the midbar the Yidden didn't wear their _______ out.

14. The Yidden are described as a __________ ___________ people in this week’s parashah.

16. Which mitvah do we learn from the words?

19. Which of the shivah minim is oil made from?

20. Which shevet has no portion in Eretz Yisrael because Hashem is their portion?

for

Lakewood Vibes News

Dear Lakewood, Toms River, Jackson, Howell, and Manchester community members, Did you attend a local event or anything exciting happening in your shul? We’d love to feature your photos in Lakewood Vibes Magazine! Please share your captivating event snapshots with us at info@lakewoodvibes.com

At the fundraiser

the school of Bnos Tiferes Chaya of Lakewood-Rabbi Berel Leifer is School Adm

Bris son of Avrohom Rubinstein of Lakewood

At the Vach Nach son of Shlomo Margulies of Lakewood

Zalman Margulies of Lakewood making a siyum on Gemara Baba Basra

Tisha Baav in skulen and kiddish levana

1) What do we darshen from the word בקע?

2) What is one thing that is a source of wealth?

3) What is the word תותואה referring to in the השרפ?

4) What did the insect 'הערצ' do?

5) Which word does י"שר learn from, that one that started a הוצמ should finish it?

6) How were the clothing of the Yidden ironed in the רבדמ?

7) When Moshe davend for Ahron, was his הלפת accepted?

This week’s questions are until יעיבר If you would like to submit answers and be entered into a raffle for a $25 gift card, please call 848 373 5489. To get this Parsha sheet emailed to you every week, send a request to torahshleimah@gmail.com.

Writing Contest Writing Contest

When I was younger, I earned a doll. It cost almost fifty dollars. I was very excited about it. We went to the toy store to buy it. When we went, it was more crowded than usual. Once we were there, we realized that there was a sale and everything was 30% off. It was such Hashgacha Pratis that we ended up going on that Sunday. We were able to get more clothing with the doll.

$50

Reena Cohen, 9 Congratulations to our winner!

Hi would like to share a story with the vibes. My brother from 18 months is getting bh very active. He already crawls up chairs, reaching stuff on the table. Usually we keep the table empty, to avoid any danger. And my mother does not even double check. One day, when nobody saw, he grabbed a scissor, and bh I had noticed it, was a real big miracle, thank you hashem for all what he protects his kids.

N.G., 6

We were on our way to a bbq with our cousins when my mother looked at the dashboard and gasped, “There is only five miles of gas left in my van!” She looked up the nearest gas station in the gps and started driving. “Arriving at your destination, on the left.” sang out the voice of the gps. We looked up. There was no gas station! Quickly, my mother looked up another gas station. Once agaion we drove to where the gps told us only to find that there was no gas station. By now there was only 1 mile left of gas. We all said a perek of tehilim and my mother tried another gas station. Boruch Hashem we finally found a real gas station. We looked at the dashboard. There was less than a mile left of gas. We breathed a sigh of relief. We had just made it!

Sholomo Mendel Reiner, 10

Kids, tell us your stories of hashgacha pratis in 300 words or less and have your story featured in Lakewood Vibes!

Lakewood Vibes News

Seidas hodah motze shabes nachmi by the skulener rebbe shlita

PARSHAS EIKEV

DID YOU KNOW?

The Land of Israel is often called ‘the land flowing with milk and honey.’ Through the process of making milk and honey, we can learn how to extract the positive from the negative.

IMAGINE

Let’s discuss how honey and milk are made. To produce honey, bees collect nectar from flowers, bring it to their hive, and then convert it into honey in their honeycombs. Although honey itself is Kosher, the insect that produces it, the bee, is not. In fact, the Torah strictly prohibits consuming any type of insect, including the bee. Moving on to milk, it comes from a cow. It is extracted from their udders and is monitored by a Jew to ensure it is Cholov Yisroel. To eliminate bacteria the milk undergoes pasteurization, the process of heating the milk before it reaches the supermarket for consumers to purchase and enjoy. Something interesting to note is that beef also comes from a cow! Once the cow is properly slaughtered and salted, it is considered kosher and permitted to be consumed. However, one of the most well-known kosher rules is the prohibition against consuming milk and meat together, even though they both come from the same animal!

DELVING DEEPER

BRING IT HOME

Do you know how it feels when you are too hot or cold, making it difficult to focus? What are some ways to take your mind off the negative experience so you can be more positive?

The Jews had been traveling for many years, and it seemed like there was no end in sight. In this Parsha, Moshe tells them they are finally reaching the end of their travels and are about to enter a special land “flowing with milk and honey” – the Land of Eretz Yisrael. It is a place that is fertile and abundant. Milk and honey are each closely related to non-kosher elements, yet both are 100% kosher. This presents an interesting paradox from which we can learn. In our lives too, there are times when we may be in a negative “non-Kosher” situations or even find a little negativity within ourselves. But rather than giving in to that negativity, we can choose to be like the milk and honey, we can extract the positivity, “that which is Kosher”, and leave behind whatever is not.

Milk & Honey Lava Lamps

Pour 2 Tbsps of baking soda into the large cup.

Pour 2 Tbsps of vinegar into your smaller container.

Because the vinegar is lighter than the oil, the bubbles are activated and float around the cup.

Bang cup a few times to level the baking soda into an even layer. Pour oil into cup, filling the cup until the top.

Slowly pour the vinegar into the cup.

Watch the bubbles dance around the cup mesmerizingly.

Watch the vinegar and baking soda react, creating interesting bubbles within the oil.

SUPPLIES

2 Tbsp Baking Soda Vinegar (1-2 tbsp)

oz. Plastic Cup

(2.5 – 3 cups)

*We would love to see how your Parsha Studio Project came out! Send us pictures to, info@jcm.museum

Submit Your Stories Submit Your Stories

Dear Vibes,

A few years ago, my cousin shared a travel tip with me which I was grateful to learn about, and I figured I’d share it with your readers. It’s a great tip and a shame that it didn’t occur to me on my own before I heard about it—I’ve been packing suitcases for my family for years, and this has made things so much easier.

The idea is to pack each kid’s clothes in separate bags (large Ziplock bags are preferable) for each day of travel. Each bag gets a full change of clothes for that kid, for the day. Everything, from tights, to hair accessories, to belts, to undershirts, for the day are included. This means, that a family of 7 who will be away from home for 3 days would have 21 Ziplock bags in their suitcase. This may sound like a lot, but some of the items won’t appear in each bag (head bands two days in a row, anyone?), and it really makes finding items so much easier at your destination.

The tip might not work for anyone, and if you’re going to the country or any place with ample unpacking space, I wouldn’t recommend it, but if you’re only going away for Shabbos, or if you’re going to someplace with no storage other than your suitcase available, I highly recommend it.

If you need a ton of Ziplock bags, because you have a large family and/or are going away for many days then you can use two or more suitcases to store everything in—just remember to pack the suitcases in the order of days. Bags for the first few days in suitcase #1 and bags for the

next few days in suitcase #2. Families might not have enough clothes to fill Ziplock bags for kids for a whole week, but even a few days worth of Ziplock bags packed properly will make a huge difference.

Shoutout to a great publication!

- A Reader

Dear Vibes of Gratitude,

I’m writing this letter to raise awareness. I’m a mother of three young children and I oftentimes find myself making phone calls, for the better part of an hour or even more, to try and find a babysitter. I know that girls are busy, and if I try girls from the same school it’s even possible that all of them are busy, but sometimes it sounds like girls are just “not in the mood”. I get that too, obviously, but I wanted to point out that when a girl does agree to babysit, she’s also doing a chessed to the mother and father who are trying to get out that evening. It’s not just about the money that she’ll be earning (which is not negligible!) it’s about helping another Yid. Sometimes even jobs have a chessed factor to them.

I’m obviously grateful to all the great girls who have agreed to come forward as babysitters. I just thought it was important to point out the flip side.

Thank you,

- L.M.

ITS NOT ABOUT THE CHEESE

Wide range of options, o ering you the

Rabbi Elimelech Biderman davens at the Keiver

Tisha

mitzva

AMAZING ANIMAL ABILITIES: How Creatures Survive and Thrive

Hashem created animals with all kinds of amazing qualities so they could survive and thrive in their natural habitats. He made each creature with a special way to protect itself from danger. Let's explore some of these fascinating abilities and behaviors by examining ten different animals and the ways in which they confuse their predators (other animals that hunt and eat them), protect themselves, and thrive in their environments.

CHAMELEON

The chameleon is a master of disguise, changing its color often. The thing is, many people think chameleons only change color so they can blend in with their surroundings and hide from predators, like camouflage. Actually, chameleons change color for other reasons too, for example, to communicate and to help their bodies adjust to different conditions. Chameleons will change colors to show how they’re feeling, like if they’re happy, angry, or scared. They’ll also change colors depending on how warm or cold they are, and how much light is around them. In bright sunlight, a chameleon might change to a lighter color to stay cool and reflect some light. In darker or dimmer places, they might change to a darker color to absorb more light and stay warm.

Chameleons change color by using special cells in their skin called chromatophores. These cells have different colors in them, and by expanding or contracting those cells, the chameleons then mix the colors to create different shades.

Fun Fact:

Did you know chameleons eyes can move independently? This means they’re able to look in two different directions at the same time!

Trivia: Lifespan:

Chameleons have very long tongues, sometimes even longer than their bodies, which they use to catch insects from a distance.

Chameleons can live between 5 to 10 years in the wild.

OCTOPUS

Octopuses are super intelligent and have many ways of escaping predators. One of their most amazing abilities is their power to produce ink. When an octopus is threatened, it releases a cloud of dark ink to create a smokescreen which allows it to escape. Another fantastic feature is the octopus’s ability to squeeze through tiny spaces. It doesn’t have bones, so it can fit through an opening as small as a nickel.

Fun Fact:

Octopuses have three hearts and blue blood!

Lifespan:

Octopuses use tools - objects outside of their bodies to help them. For example, some octopuses have been seen carrying coconut shells around. When they need a safe place to hide, they find two halves of a coconut shell and bring them together to make a little shelter. They crawl inside, and the hard shells protect them from predators, just like a fort protects you.

ARCTIC FOX

Arctic foxes have adapted to survive in the extreme cold temperature of the Arctic. They have thick fur that changes color with the seasons - white in the winter and brown or gray in the summer. This helps them blend in with their surroundings and avoid predators. Arctic foxes also have a sharp sense of hearing. They can detect and locate prey moving under the snow, allowing them to pounce and catch their meal.

Fun Fact:

Arctic foxes have the warmest fur of any mammal.

Trivia:

Arctic foxes are very smart when it comes to finding food. Food can be hard to come by, especially in the freezing Arctic so, arctic foxes follow polar bears around because polar bears are great hunters. When a polar bear catches a seal and eats it, there are often leftovers. The Arctic fox will then sneak in and eat whatever the polar bear has left behind. This way, the fox gets a meal without having to hunt for it.

Most octopuses live between 1 to 2 years, although some species can live up to 5 years.

Lifespan:

In the wild, Arctic foxes usually live about 3 to 6 years. This may seem short but living in the wild is tough. There's the extreme cold, the difficulty of finding food, and the danger of predators like wolves and big birds. In captivity (like in a zoo), where arctic foxes are protected and have a steady food supply, they can live up to 10 years.

& Tilli

FLYING FISH

Flying fish have a cool way of escaping their enemies. When a predator, like a dolphin or another large fish comes close, the flying fish will jump out of the water and glide through the air! Their long, wing-like pectoral fins, which are the fins located on the sides of their bodies, help them stay in the air for a few seconds, long enough for the enemy to swim away.

Flying fish can glide for up to 656 feet in a single jump.

Some flying fish can reach speeds of over 37 miles per hour when they jump out of the water.

LEAFCUTTER ANT

Leafcutter ants are known for their ability to cut and carry leaves many times their own body weight. But what they do with those leaves is even more amazing. They grow a plant-like organism called fungus and then they eat it. They do this by bringing the leaves back to their nest, where they chew them up and use them to grow the fungus, which becomes their food.

Leafcutter ants can carry objects up to 50 times their body weight.

Leafcutter ants are one of the few living organisms, besides humans, that practice agriculture.

PLATYPUS

The platypus is one of the strangest mammals on Earth. It has a bill like a duck, lays eggs, and has webbed feet. One of its coolest features is that it can sense tiny electric signals given off by its prey. These signals are like electrical waves that animals make when they move their muscles — similar to how our nerves send signals to our muscles to make them move.

Male platypuses have venomous (poisonous) spurs on their hind legs. These spurs are sharp and can inject venom (poison), which can cause a lot of pain to other animals or even humans.

The platypus is one of the few mammals that lays eggs instead of giving birth to live young.

Flying fish generally live up to 5 years.

Leafcutter ants can live up to 7 years.

Platypuses can live up to 17 years in the wild.

HAGFISH

The Hagfish is like the original slime maker! These creatures are similar to eels and have a special way of defending themselves. When the hagfish is threatened, it releases a substance that expands in the water to produce a thick, sticky slime that clogs up the gills of predators, making it difficult for their enemy to breathe. Not only does the slime help the hagfish escape predators but it also, because of the slippery coating, lets them get away fast.

A single hagfish can produce enough slime to fill a bucket in just a few minutes!

Hagfish can tie themselves in knots to remove slime from their bodies or to help tear apart food.

Hagfish can live for up to 40 years due to special features to help them survive in the wild. They live deep in the ocean where there are fewer predators, and their slimy defense helps them escape if they are attacked. Hagfish also have a very slow metabolism, which means they use energy very efficiently and can live for long periods of time without food.

MIMIC OCTOPUS

If you thought the chameleon was amazing because of the way it changes colors, meet the mimic octopus that can change its shape, color, and behavior to imitate other sea creatures! This helps it avoid predators by appearing like a more dangerous animal or like an animal that doesn't look tasty to eat.

The mimic octopus can change itself to look like up to 15 different sea animals, including lionfish, flatfish, and sea snakes. This mind-boggling ability allows the mimic octopus to adapt quickly to different threats and environments.

The mimic octopus was only discovered in 1998.

Mimic octopuses generally live 1 to 2 years. Despite their great disguising abilities, mimic octopuses live such short lives because of their body makeup. Their short lifecycle is typical of octopuses.

PUFFERFISH

Pufferfish have a unique defense mechanism: they can expand their bodies to a few times their normal size to scare away predators. Some types of pufferfish also have spines that stick out when they puff up.

Pufferfish contain a toxin (poison) called tetrodotoxin, which is 1,200 times more poisonous than cyanide. One pufferfish has enough toxin to kill 30 adult humans. Their ability to inflate, combined with their powerful toxin, makes pufferfish a dangerous enemy.

TThe people of Japan consider pufferfish a delicacy. Specially trained chefs prepare them as a dish called fugu. Er…good thing it’s not kosher!

TARDIGRADE

ardigrades, also known as water bears because of their round, fat bodies and bear-like walk, are teeny, water-dwelling animals similar to insects. They’re famous for their unbelievable survival skills that make them some of the toughest creatures on Earth. They can survive extreme temperatures, meaning they can live in places that are very, very hot or freezing cold. They can also handle radiation, a type of energy that can harm most living things. Tardigrades can even live in outer space, where there’s no oxygen. And if that’s not amazing enough, they can go without water for years by drying up and going into a state called cryptobiosis. They can stay in this state for years, coming back to life when water is available again.

Tardigrades are only about 0.5 millimeters long, which is about as long as the tip of a sharpened pencil. You would need a microscope to see them clearly.

Tardigrades can survive temperatures as low as -458°F and as high as 302°F.

HTardigrades have been found in some of the most extreme environments on Earth, including the deep sea, the Antarctic ice, and the top of the Himalayan Mountains.

Tardigrades can live up to 2 ½ years under normal conditions. But when they go into cryptobiosis, they can survive for much longer, maybe even decades.

ashem created a world filled with strange and awesome creatures. Whole books can be written about just one animal and all its cool abilities! Today, we got a taste of the special skills and capabilities of ten different animals in Hashem’s world. Whether it’s through disguise, special senses, or amazing survival skills, members of the animal kingdom never stop surprising us with their variety and cleverness. These fantastic creatures are evidence of Hashem’s incredible work and the unique and fascinating world He made for us all to enjoy!

Pufferfish can live up to 10 years in the wild.

Yurtzeit of the Bobov Rov

By His Grandson the Bobov-45 Rebbe

Tisha Bav by Hagaon Rabbi Meir Tzvi Bergman

רעשעלפ ןיא רעדניק

'אַטאַגיז' :39 לטיפּאַק

Memory

How many scoops of ice cream does the pink ice cream cone have?

ףראָד'כ" סע .עימאָנאָטיואָ ןואָ לאָרטנאָק עלופ ןבאָה טקילבעג טאָה יז ".געוו ןיימ ןרעוו ןוטעג ףראָד ייז זאָ גידנפאָה ,ןעילושזד וצ אָיפאָס ןופ .הוואָג-תלעב אָ םתס זיאָ יז זאָ טשינ ןטכאָרט .טלכיימשוצ

Roasted Edamame & Broccoli Salad

2 1/2 cups frozen Broccoli florets

1/2 cup Frozen Edamame (shelled)

1/2 cup Walnuts

2 tbsps Extra Virgin Olive Oil (divided)

1/4 tsp Sea Salt

1 1/2 tsps Almond Butter

1 1/2 tsps Apple Cider Vinegar

Preheat oven to 450ºF (232ºC) and line baking sheet with foil

In a large mixing bowl, toss the broccoli florets, edamame, walnuts, half the oil, and season with salt Transfer to baking sheet and spread into an even layer Bake for 25 minutes

Meanwhile, in a small jar, combine the remaining oil, almond butter, and apple cider vinegar Shake well Add more water to thin if necessary

Drizzle desired amount of dressing over top of the salad and serve

Carrot & mixed bean salad w/tahini dressing

directions ingredients

1/2 cup Tahini

1 1/3 tbsps Maple Syrup

3 tbsps Apple Cider Vinegar (to taste)

1/4 cup Water

2 cups Mixed Beans (cooked)

2 stalks Celery (sliced)

4 Tomato (small, chopped)

1 Carrot (large, shredded)

1 Avocado (chopped)

1/3 cup Chives (chopped, optional)

In a jar, whisk together the tahini, maple syrup, vinegar, and water Set aside

Arrange the beans, celery, tomato, carrot, and avocado in a large salad bowl 2

Drizzle with the dressing and top with chives Toss the salad before serving 3 and enjoy!

4 servings

Tisha

Strawberry or Mango Sorbet

Best Pareve Sorbet Ever!

Ingredients

16 Oz bag of frozen strawberries or mango

3/4 cup of sugar

1 cup of orange juice

Steps :

Mix all ingredients in a food processor with the s blade until very smooth Pour into container and freeze

Pretzel Shnitzel

Ingredients:

3 pounds of chicken cutlets cut into strips

1 bag of salted pretzels ground in food processor

3 eggs beaten

2 cups of flour

Oil for deep frying

Procedure:

Fill medium sized pot halfway with oil

Heat up until very hot

Meanwhile prepare 3 bowls of flour, eggs and pretzel crumbs

Dip chicken first into flour, then eggs and then pretzels

Make sure to coat well

Deep fry 5 at a time for about 3 minutes

Take out with slotted spoon

Serve with sauce of your choice

Nameless.team

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OLIVIA JEWELRY RENTAL

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Valco Baby Snap Duo-Double Stroller for sale. Used very very minimally, looks brand new. $550 Please text 917-562-7088

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$500 gift card to Fino custom, selling for $485 call only 7322282103

Beautiful white lace sister of the bride gown for rent/ sale.

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2 stunning matching simcha dresses for girls, sizes 8 (short) and 16 (long), soft peach/cream color. Call or text 848-222-9688.

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Designer, show stopping cream and floral embroidered gown for sale. Ladies or teens size eight. Please call 732-331-6588

Van/Car For Sale

Selling 2010 Toyota Avalon limited very good condition 180,000 miles $3900. Text 732-963-1828

Pools

BEAUTIFUL SPARKLING POOL WITH GAZEBO

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Keyboard stand for sale: Selling z-style Keyboard stand For $40 OBO, Call: 508.292.8589

CLASSIFIEDS

Services

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Female Lifeguard Available

One time or steady. Many years of experience, call or text 732-961-0395

MR WERTZ’BERGER’S RENTALS

We rent out wireless Wifi, Laptops, Clarinets, Violins. Prices are between $13$25 per week.

Clarinet & Violin come with free MP3 lessons in English or Yiddish.

We also offer private keyboard lessons on the phone.

Call Hotline 718-435-1923

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Girls ages Primary 1st, 2nd & 3rd grade - From Aug 26th to Aug 30th - 10am to 2:30pm - 74 Birch St Call Leah Cohen 732 905 0869 - $75 for the week

Lost and Found

Found Watch found at maso ras avos Hall men’s room Sunday night at the zoldan bar mitzvah 908 278-1144

Library

Book library-adult & children’s english book library. Over 1,000 books. Located near Segull Square plaza. Call /text(848) 525-5909.

Gemachs

New tznius hospital gowns in Oak and Vine. Please call: 347-486-2994 or 347633-6329

Vort Dress Gemach

If you have a perfect condition Simcha dress that you would like others to benefit from, please call/ text (848) 245-2633.

The Pickup Gmach-Picking up your current last sea -

son’s kids clothing in good condition and passing it on to local Lakewood families who appreciate it and wear it right. We keep outfits and matching together as sets. For pickups email pickupgmach@gmail.com

Deja New Clothing Home Pickups. We pickup your excellent clothing so others can enjoy them too! Text ‘pickup’ to 732-7023352.

Huge buckets of lego and duplo for your shabbos simcha. Call 732 370-2572 to reserve

New tznius hospital gown gemach in Oak and Vine. At no cost. Please call: 347486-2994 or 347-633-6329

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Borrow toys for yourSimcha, Phone:732-730-9127 (notext)

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Misc.

AYIN HORAH

The renowned Rebetzin Aidel Miller from Yerushalayim Is always available to remove Ayin Horah over the phone. Call: 718.689.1902 or 516.300.1490

Tisha Bav in Sanz

Tisha Bav in Yeshivas Mir