ISHAY RIBO
TEFILLOS LED BY Chazan Yoel Aush KIDS PROGRAM BY Ari Abramowitz YOMTOV WITH REB Leibish Langer
LETTER EDITOR from the
I’m going to be honest here.
Last week, when I sat down to write the editorial, I had already heard that the six hostages—whom Am Yisroel had been davening for, for eleven months—had been murdered. But I couldn’t write about it.
The news was too fresh. Too painful, raw, and unprocessed to even attempt to pin words to the horror.
Several more days have passed, and the atrocity is still horrifically painful, the cruelty incomprehensible. But alas scar tissue is beginning to form over the wound.
Writing is once again an option. But it cannot be an “all’s well that ends well” sort of writing.
To write things that way would be cruel and make no sense.
Because nothing about what happened is “well”. Nothing’s been “well” for the past eleven months.
Things haven’t been well for the past nearly 2,000 years of galus.
We as a nation have been bombarded with every sort of atrocity that exists — from violence, to murder, to senseless slander — for centuries.
And every time we think that this is the end, that we’ve nearly made it to safe shores, Hakadosh Baruch Hu shows us once more that it isn’t so.
There have been nisim geluyim that occurred this year. But alongside them, so many families have been plunged into mourning.
Recognizing that we are in a state of mourning, and that we are grieving, is the first step to rebuilding. In Eretz Yisroel, so many people unfortunately took to the streets in demonstration after the awful news broke. Our fellow Yidden are all grieving. Sometimes grief looks like denial. Other times it looks like anger.
But it is only when grief reaches a place of acceptance that we are able to rebuild.
Yidden everywhere have been feeling choked this week. So many people have expressed, outwardly, their sense of incomprehension and shock. But the fifth stage of grief, the stage that surpasses denial, anger, bargaining, and depression is ultimately acceptance.
Accepting our incomprehensible losses is an act of greatness, not surrender or cowardice. It means bowing our heads to Hakadosh Baruch Hu’s will and knowing that His ways are all good.
Historically, tremendous accomplishments have been achieved by those who have endured and risen above their suffering. Matnat Chaim, the organization that recruits potential kidney donors, was founded by Rabbi Yeshayu Heber after he himself experienced kidney illness and underwent a kidney transplant. Dor Yeshorim was founded by Rabbi Yosef Ekstein after four of his children passed away from Tay-Sachs…
Am Yisroel, as a whole, has suffered so much in this galus. And we have also achieved and accomplished tremendous successes. But ultimately, our true accomplishment — the one that we need to keep our eyes pinned on, and aim to achieve through teshuvah, tefillah, and tzeddakah, is that of bringing the geulah.
This week, the week of September 11 when nearly 3,000 lives were lost on American shores, only further drives home the message the need for our redemption. Enjoy our feature about various 9/11 monuments in the world.
May it be a week of only good tidings.
Kesiva Vechasima Tovah,
The Lakewood Vibes Editorial Team
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The Great Glacier Chase
If you were to rank the mitzvos of the Torah in order of most dramatic and seemingly inexplicable, the mitzvah of the ben sorer (the wayward son) would certainly be on the top of your list. The Torah commands parents to drag their overly gluttonous son to beis din (the Jewish court), at which point he is warned to stop his gluttony and lashed for not doing so. If the son refuses to change his ways, the entire town convenes and stones the boy to death.
This mitzvah is strange for a plethora of reasons. All the son did wrong was overindulge. He stole some cash from his father to maintain his habit of excessive eating. True, he isn’t exactly squeaky clean, and he probably won’t ending up marrying the local rabbi’s daughter, but how does this warrant his death? Doesn’t stoning a thirteenyear-old boy who likes to sit around all day and eat seem a little harsh? Isn’t that what teenagers do — sit around and eat? Doesn’t the rule book of teenagers consist of only three rules: Stay out of trouble, survive puberty, and eat? So this boy got a little carried away. So he’ll be obese like the rest of the world. What is the great spiritual sin?
Secondly, why does the Torah go out of its way to say that the entire town should be there watching his death; when, as we know, the Torah doesn’t require such communal involvement in almost any other punishment? If the Torah wants the whole town to watch a sinner get punished with the hopes that the onlookers will be inspired, why does it require it here more so than other places?
Thirdly, the Torah, according to Sanhedrin 71a, requires the parents of the ben sorer to be exactly the same height and have exactly the same voice, conditions that are not physically possible. Why does the Torah require this?
Fourthly, the Gemara says that this food-crazed boy doesn’t actually deserve the death sentence, but since we see that he will lead an iniquitous life in the future, we kill him now while he is still innocent. We put him to death under the pretext that better he should die now merely as an overly gluttonous person rather than later as something worse.
Since when does the Torah command us to play God and determine who is beyond repair and who is not? What happened to repentance? What happened to the concept of people changing their ways? The law of a ben sorer only applies to thirteen-year-olds. The last time I checked, most people don’t act the same way when they are thirty-five as they do when they are thirteen. Why are we killing a gluttonous thirteen-year-old for the sins he might one day commit, when it’s far more likely that he is merely demonstrating teenage immaturity and will one day smooth himself out?
Intellectual Food
But the cherry on top of this surprising mitzvah is the bold and puzzling statement in the Gemara (Sanhedrin 71a), which makes the entire subject scream for a deeper explanation. It states that a real ben sorer never was and will never be. The criteria required to put a wayward son to death are an impossibility, and the Torah merely wrote the mitzvah for us to learn and receive reward for learning. Huh?
What is that supposed to mean? The Torah wrote mitzvos that are impossible to fulfill just to give us something to learn? Don’t we have enough things to learn? Does that mean the Torah, for the same token, could have written a recipe for pumpkin pie merely for us to learn and get reward? Obviously not.
Parshas Ki Seitzei אצת
Hillel Eisenberg
There is clearly something embedded in the mitzvah of ben sorer, that despite being a practical impossibility contains a practical lesson of great importance. So great, that it is one of the only places in the Torah that the entire community is charged with taking notice (Sanhedrin 89a). The question is: what is that lesson?
Teenagers Forever
There is a passage in the Zohar which changes our perspective on the ben sorer entirely. The Zohar in parshas Balak (3:197b) says that when the Torah talks about the wayward son, it is actually a parable for the Jewish people as a nation falling away from Hashem. It is Hashem giving us a loud and clear warning that if we fall too far into gluttonous and indulgent behavior, He will see fit that we are removed from the midst of the Jewish people. Hashem is the parent and we are the wayward son.
The Zohar is saying that Hashem is warning the entire Jewish community of the dangers of overindulgence and the catastrophes it could bring. The Torah doesn’t mean that there will be a thirteen-year-old boy who has identical parents, who have the same voice and the same height, who drag him off to court and have him killed for overindulgence. It means that we as a nation should be extremely cautious to avoid excessive boorishness, and we should take note that it is something that Hashem from early on in our lives wants us to have no part in.
The question now becomes what, in fact, is so terribly bad about food obsession and indulgence? There is no overt sin that one does by engaging in such behavior. One is fulfilling all 613 mitzvos. Why is this the one sin the Torah singles out as the pitfall the entire community needs to avoid? Aren’t there other sins which are far worse, like murder, idolatry, or adultery? And aren’t there other character flaws which are more pernicious, like anger, laziness, or lust?
The Inaction of Distraction
When thinking about our lifelong battle with the yetzer hara (evil inclination), we often conjure up thoughts of getting tempted to say something we shouldn’t, or look at something we shouldn’t, or close our Gemaros, or badmouth our competitors, and so on. Rarely do we think of the tactic that is used by the yetzer hara far more often with far more success. The vast majority of Torah Jews do not struggle whatsoever with holding themselves back from murdering someone. The same is true with bank robbery or idol worship. The yetzer hara doesn’t waste his time exerting energy trying to claw us away from Hashem by tempting us with those sins.
The yetzer hara uses a far more successful tactic to claw us away from God. It’s called the power of distraction.
The average Torah Jew has a pretty solid defense mechanism against sin, but few of us have one against distraction. The yetzer hara exploits this greatly. He makes us so focused on anything and everything, that we design our lives leaving little time left for Hashem.
Sinning is not the opposite of getting closer to Hashem. Not getting closer to Hashem is the opposite of getting closer to Hashem. The way to have a great relationship with Hashem is not by merely living life sin-free. The way to have a great relationship with Hashem is by having a great relationship with Hashem. By thinking about Him. By talking to Him. By crying to Him. By learning His wisdom.
Much like the opposite of a great and loving marriage is not a scandalous one riddled with abuse and leading up to a messy divorce. The opposite of a great marriage is a distracted marriage where each spouse is distracted by all the glittery things in life that relegate one’s spouse to second fiddle.
Likewise, there are several ways to distance oneself from Hashem. Sinning is one of them. But chief among them is giving up our mental space to anything but God. Taking the precious real estate in our minds and giving it out to the buzz of the world.
The majority of us are good people. Some of us are great people. But we also like food. Most of us love it. We also love our homes. We love remodeling them, talking about the renovations, and then remodeling yet again. We love sports, so we talk about them and listen to them. We love swimming and working out. We love clothing. We love keeping up with the music world. We love the seemingly never-ending stream of increasingly fascinating news.
All these things are inherently harmless and can actually be used at times as great outlets refreshing ourselves to remain energetic in our service to Hashem.
But, sadly, they can also become huge distractors in our spiritual climb, often hindering our growth without us even realizing it. The danger of obsessive indulgence is that it masquerades as innocent, permissible activities. It is precisely the permissibility that makes it so dangerous, for far too often the obsession becomes an addictive monster that chokes a person’s Godliness right out of him. Not that it makes us have a bad relationship with Hashem; it just makes us not have one at all.
It is extremely hard to focus excitedly on spiritual pursuits when one has Yankee tickets in his pocket. It is immensely hard to carve out space for Hashem in one’s mind if one is far more interested in food, clothing, home improvements, or vacations.
One can make a good argument that more than the damage done to the Jewish people by overt sin is the damage done by well-meaning people letting life get in the way of life, and allowing the indulgences of the world to pull them down from the spiritual mountain that they could have been on.
The Covenant of Focus
This idea is so hugely central that it is literally ingrained into our bodies.
A primary covenant which exists between us and Hashem is forged through the bris milah, our circumcision. Ever wonder how we know where to perform the bris milah? Nowhere in the entire Torah does it say where this circumcision must be performed. Perhaps it should be on our pinky. Maybe we should circumcise our left ear lobe.
The Ramban in parshas Lech Lecha (Bereishis 17:9) cites the Radak, who says that the reason why a bris milah is performed in its true location is because Hashem wants us to take the place on the human body that is most associated with indulgence and pleasure, and make a covenant between ourselves and Him specifically there. We are thus establishing for the duration of our lives the preeminence of spiritual pursuits, and to this end, we circumcise our greatest symbol of pleasure.
Why is the act of taming our thirst for indulgence the greatest representation of the covenant between us and God? Why, precisely, is that what’s first and foremost in the life of a Jew?
The answer is that the desire for pleasure gets in the way of our dynamic relationship with Hashem more than sin gets in the way. We get so caught up in the pleasures of this world that Hashem becomes second fiddle. Of course, we show up to daven, we learn, we give tzedaka, we shake the lulav, and we light the menorah, but we often get far more excited about the shul’s kiddush, the Chanukah donuts, the summer pool party, the midwinter vacation, getting a new couch, or getting an even newer couch.
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Hashem wants our relationship to be about taking this awesome, exciting, wondrous world that He created for us and fill it with Him. Uplift it all. Not to shy away from enjoying the world, but doing so as a means to develop a relationship with Hashem. To be focused on spirituality to the point where one finds it wherever he goes. It is what should occupy our minds the most. Allowing worldly indulgences to creep in can sink the ship entirely .
The Ferrari
A wealthy businessman was once driving his new Ferrari down the street when an old, dilapidated Pontiac sped along and crashed right into him. The impact was so great that the doors of the Ferrari blew right off. The businessman, furious, scrambled out of the car and angrily screamed at the other driver.
“You idiot! Look what you did to my car!”
The driver of the Pontiac looks at the wealthy man with a face of shock.
“Sir, sir, we can worry about your car later. Your entire left arm has been ripped off.”
The businessman looked down to see blood dripping from his elbow, and gazes at where his left arm used to be. He then lets out a heart-wrenching cry:
“Noooooooooo! My Rolex, my Rolex is gone!!!!!”
The mitzvah of the ben sorer reminds us to put spirituality back into spirituality. To place Hashem at the forefront. To take Purim, Chanukah, and Pesach,
Parshas Ki Seitzei אצת יכ
Hillel Eisenberg
and elevate them from being days of hamentashen, donuts, and brisket, to days of bonding with Hashem. To take Shabbos and ensure that our relationship with Hashem is what’s dominant, and not the crazed search for another piece of potato kugel.
When we internalize the lesson of the ben sorer, we begin rethinking our priorities. Perhaps we don’t spend enough time on spirituality. Perhaps our quest for pleasure and adventure takes up too much mental space. When we rethink our priorities, we can change. We can become more wholesome people. We can then realize how foolish most of our worldly pursuits are and how much more meaningful the pursuit of Hashem is.
Alaska: The Greatest Water on Earth
Ever since my youth, I had a desire to try real glacier water. Water that didn’t have to travel through any pipes. Water that needed no filtering. Water in its most pristine form. One year I took a trip to Alaska. With unparalleled magnificence and natural wonders, the likes of which are found nowhere else, it is truly one of the most beautiful places on planet Earth.
On one of the days of my trip, I finally got to do what I dreamed about — hike on a glacier. Wearing special shoes, I ascended the behemoth mountain of ice and was in utter awe of its sheer beauty and uniqueness. Then the moment of truth occurred. The tour guide brought me to a little hole in the glacier that was shooting out a small stream of water. The tour guide looked at me and said:
“You see that water over there? That is pre-Industrial Revolution water. That is water never affected by the ozone layer. That is water which people from all over the world come to try. Would you like to try it?”
“You better believe I wanna try it!” I excitedly told him. I bent down, cupped my hand, lifted it to my mouth, made a beracha and took a drink.
And do you know what it tasted like? Do you know what this water — water that I dreamed about since I was young, water that I was told was the greatest-tasting water on Earth, water that people from all over the world come to taste — do you know what it tasted like? Like the water that comes out of the tap in every kitchen in America!
All of us have a choice. We can either spend our lives chasing pleasures that dominate our every move, or we can stop and drink from the fountain of God that is flowing all around us.
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.
Reb Yosef Chaim ben Eliyahu
The Ben Ish Chai
(September 1, 1835 – September 30, 1909.
The Ben Ish Chai related that when he was seven years old, he fell into a deep pit in his family’s yard. He cried for help, but no one heard him. After several hours his throat was dry from thirst, his stomach rumbled with hunger, and he was exhausted and weak. He turned to Hashem and said, “Ribbono shel Olam, if You save me from this dark and dangerous pit, I will dedicate my entire life to Torah and avodas Hashem!”
No sooner had he finished his vow when people gathered around the pit. They’d heard his desperate cries and everyone suggested ways to rescue him from the dangerous pit. Every suggestion made was immediately dismissed. Finally, someone suggested taking a thick rope, tying a loop at the end, and lowering it into the pit. Yosef Chaim would then slip the loop under his arms and a few strong, young men would pull the rope and hoist him out.
And so it was.
For his part, the young Yosef Chaim kept his vow. From that day on, he dedicated his days and nights to limmud haTorah, avodas Hashem, and tefillah He grew to become the Ben Ish Chai, a great posek and mekubal.
The Ben Ish Chai lived in Baghdad, Iraq. In 1869 he undertook the long and dangerous trip to visit Eretz Yisrael. He traveled through the desert on unpathed paths until he reached Syria. There, he
was joined by prominent Syrian Jews who escorted him to Yerushalayim. They marveled that he sat and studied by heart all day long while bumping along in his carriage. Every night at midnight, he would wake up to recite Tikkun Chatzos and learn until dawn.
Before setting out, the Ben Ish Chai made a condition with the Arab guide of the caravan that he would not travel on Shabbos, and the guide agreed. But when Shabbos arrived, the guide insisted on traveling onwards. When he saw that the Jewish travelers, led by the Ben Ish Chai, were opposed, he began to frighten them, claiming it was dangerous to remain there due to numerous desert bandits.
The Ben Ish Chai paid him no heed. The Jewish travelers dismounted from their camels and prepared the food that they had brought with them lekavod Shabbos.
The guide pretended to continue on his way, but when he was a bowshot away, he concealed himself and waited to see what would happen.
Everything seemed calm and peaceful. But the guide had been speaking the truth — the area was full of dangerous bandits. On leil Shabbos, the bandits suddenly arrived and set up an ambush around the Ben Ish Chai’s tent. When the bandits’ leader burst into the tent, he saw the Ben Ish Chai sitting and studying Zohar
The leader immediately ran out and fled with his men to the desert.
The Jews had been saved.
Meanwhile, the Arab guide saw the whole thing from a distance. It was clear to him that a miracle had occurred, and that the Ben Ish Chai was a holy man. He ran to the Ben Ish Chai, fell at his feet, begged for forgiveness, and pleaded for his life. He promised to honor his previous agreement from then on. And he did.
What made the bandits’ leader flee as soon as he set his eyes on the Ben Ish Chai?
The answer to this is that this was not his first encounter with the Ben Ish Chai. There was once a Jew who owed this bandit money. The bandit sued the Jew in court, but the Jew denied everything and was found innocent. The bandit then took the case to the Ben Ish Chai, who forced the Jew to admit that he’d denied his debt because he was unable to repay it. The Ben Ish Chai then pulled out money from his own pocket, gave it to the Jew, and instructed him to pay the bandit. From that day, on the bandit harbored a deep respect for the Ben Ish Chai
The Ben Ish Chai’s yahrzeit is Yud Gimmel Elul.
(Adapted from Nifla’os HaTzaddikim by Reb Yaron Amit)
Shira Yael Klein
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There’s just SOMETHING about Evergreen
Reb Pinchas Shapiro of Koritz (1726
– September 10, 1791)
Reb Pinchas of Koritz was born in Shklov, Belorussia, to a learned, rabbinic, Litvish family. His father, Reb Avraham Abba Shapiro, was the great-grandson of Reb Nosson Nota Spira, the Megaleh Amukos. His mother, Sarah Rochel Shapiro, was descended from the Raavan (one of the Baalei HaTosfos). As befitting a scion of such a family, the young Reb Pinchas knew Shas and poskim, and wrote chiddushim which were later printed in the sefer Giv’as Pinchas. He also studied dikduk and philosophy.
The Shapiro family was forced to leave their hometown of Shklov due to some conspiracy against Reb Pinchas’s father. They moved to Myropol, where Reb Pinchas’s father got to know the Baal Shem Tov, and eventually became his talmid. Reb Pinchas followed his father’s footsteps and became one of the Baal Shem Tov’s primary talmidim. Reb Pinchas eventually became one of the leading chassidish gedolim after the Baal Shem Tov.
A German Jew from the city of Danzig came to Reb Pinchas of Koretz, seeking a berachah and advice for his daughter. She had suddenly gone blind, and the great doctors could not figure out why.
Reb Pinchas said to him, “The reason that she went blind is that her father is also blind, and this is a genetic illness.”
The man was astonished. “But I have perfect eyesight — I don’t even use glasses!”
“A truly blind person is one who sins,” Reb Pinchas explained. “We see this from Yeshaya (43:8), where it says, ‘A blind nation who has eyes.’”
“Anyone in your family who looks at you is also at risk of becoming blind,” Reb Pinchas continued. “Because it says in the Gemara
that ‘If one looks at a rasha, his eyes dim, (Megillah 28a).’”
When the man heard this, he began to cry. He would do anything to make his daughter see again — even if he had to make big changes in his life. He promised that from thereon he would start to behave as a Jew should.
“If you keep your word,” Reb Pinchas said, “your daughter’s sight will return to the way it was before. Furthermore, you should bring her honey from Eretz Yisrael, since the Gemara teaches, ‘Honey and all kinds of sweets light up a person’s eyes, (Yoma 83b).’”
The man returned to Danzig. As he’d promised Reb Pinchas, he kashered his home. And as Reb Pinchas had promised, his daughter was cured.
The daughter traveled to Koritz herself to see Reb Pinchas, and she even donated enough money to write two sifrei Torah.
One time Reb Pinchas of Koritz and the Shpetivke Rebbe set out on a journey together in an elegant, horse-drawn carriage. The news spread through a certain town that the tzaddikim would pass through the town on the way to their destination. Naturally, the townspeople gathered along the road to greet them. Among them was one deeply distressed woman.
When the tzaddikim’s carriage reached her, she lay down across the road, preventing them from continuing.
“My son is dangerously sick and a step away from death.” She sobbed. “I will not get up and let the carriage pass until the tzaddikim promise me that they will come and visit my son.”
Left with no choice, the tzaddikim agreed to the woman’s request. They came to her son’s room and sat down in front of him. Reb Pinchas then began to tell a story about something completely unconnected to the reason for their visit.
When Reb Pinchas finished the story, he and the Shpetivke Rebbe stood up to leave.
Reb Pinchas then turned to the deathly ill child and said, “We’ve done the mitzvah of bikur cholim, now you have to do the mitzvah of escorting guests. Get out of bed and escort us out!”
Just as Reb Pinchas said. The boy got out of his sickbed, and he did not return to it. He stood up on his feet and escort them — in perfect health!
***
The Reb Pinchas of Koritz’s yahrzeit is Yud Elul.
(Adapted from Nifla’os HaTzaddikim by Reb Yaron Amit; Wikipedia)
Shira Yael Klein
The Guy Next Door
Ruthie Pearlman
Chapter 46
Recap: Xavier and Mr. Yamomoto come to the Feld’s home for a meeting. They plan for Rikki to hack Mr. Nakamura’s computer and for Nachman to continue to act as Mr. Nakamura’s friend.
I told the meeting that I’d be right back, I just needed the little boys’ room. But when I walked to the door and opened it, Debbie almost fell in. She managed to regain her balance just before she embarrassed herself and me by falling into the meeting room together with me.
She made a “shhh” motion with her index finger and mouth and pulled me outside the room to somewhere we could talk without being overheard.
“What are you doing listening outside the door, Debbie?” I hissed. “What if it wasn’t me coming out but Xavier or Yamamoto.”
“Who are roping you and my kids to do dangerous, risky work that is normally done by trained professionals, not teenage kids and a man past his prime,” Debbie said uncharitably.
“Past his prime?” I replied, enraged. “Let me tell you, I can still climb a mean stepladder. And Avi is no longer a teenager.”
“Gosh, you are never going to let that one go, are you? About the stepladder, not Avi,” Debbie said. “Anyway, Nachman, I’m sorry if I offended you. You are definitely not past your prime. I’m honestly just worried sick about what those two are letting my family in for. Cyber-hacking a North Korean arms dealer
and trying to bring him down? Really now, have you all gone completely off your trolleys? I’d like to keep my family alive and well, thank you very much, if that’s not too much to ask.”
Put like that, by my wife and life partner, I’ll admit, it did sound rather insane. And to say something like: “We, ‘Saving The World’ kind of people have to take risks, it comes with the territory,” sounded just as nuts.
“I’m only being his friend,” I said lamely. “To throw him off the scent, as it were.”
“I hope you do a good job pretending to be friends with an illegal arms dealer,” Debbie sniffed. “But okay, you don’t sound too high risk. But my kids? I won’t sleep a wink with all this going on.”
This worried me, because Debbie wasn’t a great sleeper at the best of times. But there was little I could do to decrease her worry, because, in truth, I was freaking out myself. Strangely though, I knew that a small part of me would miss being a Superhero. The fireside and my slippers would beckon but thinking of the “past your prime” jibe, I substituted that pipe and slippers for stints at the gym.
I pointed skyward. “It’s all in the hands of Him Up There,” I
said, “ He is guiding this mission, not Xavier Roberts or Mr. Yamamoto. So, davening will help more than not sleeping.”
“Oh I’m going to daven my socks off, don’t you worry,” Debbie reassured me. “But honestly…like … what on earth is happening to our family?”
I suddenly felt a surge of Superhero come on. I had no idea where it came from, no idea if it meant anything, but it certainly felt good. I looked at my wife, flexed my muscles (which isn’t saying much), and said in a deep, gravelly voice:
“Debbie, listen. This man could be a danger to the entire world if we don’t stop him. He could be doing a deal to ship a nuclear bomb to Iran, to bypass their lengthy program of building their nuclear capability so they have a nuclear weapon ready to aim at Israel. One bomb could potentially wipe out the entire Jewish state. How would you feel if we just siat back and let him do that, when we could have prevented things? I can’t deny there will be risks. But isn’t anything in life that’s worth doing, also full of risk?”
Gosh, that surge of Superhero was like an injection of the best energy ever. If I could bottle it and sell it, I wouldn’t need to go to the office again, ever.
To my surprise, Debbie nodded, and she looked at me, her eyes shining in appreciation.
“You’re right, of course,” she said. “Nachman, Rikki, Avi, go get ‘em!!” She said that even though our kids were not in the room where we were having our conversation. They were still in my man cave ironing out the details of the shakedown.
I looked back at her, sure that my eyes were shining too. But it would have looked weird if I’d glanced in a mirror to see.
“I knew you’d see it that way, if I just explained it properly,” I said. This time I tried flexing my biceps, but again I knew they weren’t very noticeable. More time in the gym, Nachman old boy. More time in the gym.
“So I can go back into the room without you falling in if the door opens again?” I asked with a grin.
“I’ll be in the kitchen. I have challah dough to prepare.”
Debbie smiled back at me. I gave an inaudible but heartfelt sigh of relief. If Debbie wasn’t on my side, no one was. Or no one who mattered, anyway.
I went back into the study, fully cognizant that I’d been out for far longer than considered normal for someone visiting the facilities.
“You okay, Dad?” Rikki asked predictably, looking concerned.
“Fine and Dandy, thank you Rikki,” I beamed broadly, and sat down in my place.
“So,” Xavier took up the reins again as if nothing had
happened, “this is what we are going to do. Avi is going to be the “purchaser”…” he made quotes in the air around the word. “He’ll show a lot of interest in some particularly nasty piece of weaponry, maybe even a nuclear device. Rikki will have set up the hacking so that it appears as if Avi is calling from Beirut or somewhere.”
“I will?” Rikki asked, looking somewhat anxious. Mr. Yamamoto took up the thread of the conversation.
“It’s easy. The IDF does it all the time, especially now with a war on, and especially in the north of the country. They scramble a lot of GPS signals from regular people’s cars so that their Waze says they’re in Lebanon instead of Kiryat Shmona or Tzefas. This is to prevent the enemy from knowing where ordinary Israelis are at any given time. It’s disconcerting for Israelis trying to plot a route, but it’s for their own safety.”
“So I should just call the IDF and ask them how they do it?” Rikki asked derisively.
“I thought you were doing a fancy shmancy course on cyberhacking,” Xavier Roberts said.
“I’ll ask my tutor,” Rikki replied, chastened.
“I think we’ll alter Avi’s voice electronically when he calls Nakamura,” Xavier said. “He has a very young and very Jewish sounding voice. Nakamura needs to think his wouldbe purchaser is of Middle Eastern descent, and I don’t mean Tel Aviv.” He smiled placatingly at Avi, who nevertheless looked miffed. “No offense, Avi, you’re a brilliant asset to this mission.”
“What’s a very Jewish sounding voice?” Avi asked, but no one even indicated they had heard, and certainly no one answered.
“Rikki will scour through Nakamura’s data files when she’s in there, and see what deals he’s trying to push the hardest. Those are the ones we’ll go for,” Yamamoto said.
“That I can do,” Rikki said, sounding relieved.
“And you Nachman, will be the genial neighbor. It won’t be easy. He isn’t the type you usually shmooze with after davening. But that’s your challenge. Make a friend of him.”
I nodded, feeling important. It wasn’t going to be easy. Who wanted easy when you’re a superhero?
“In the meantime, we will be working behind the scenes, getting everything set up,” Xavier said indicating himself and Yamamoto and then getting up. “So, everyone, you have your jobs to do. To work!!” To be continued…
STRATEGIES FOR OPTIMUM SUCCESS S S
Rifka Schoenfeld
LIGHTHOUSE PARENTING
“Parents are neither an anchor to hold us back, nor a sail to take us there, but a guiding light whose love shows us the way.”
Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg, whose first book Building Resilience in Teens and Children, recently came out with a second book that he co-authored with this twin teenager daughters Ilana and Talia. That book, Raising Kids to Thrive: Balancing Love with Expectations and Protection with Trust, is a great guide for modern parents who would like to find balance in their lives.
Ginsburg uses the term “lighthouse parents” to describe the perfect balance between helicopter parents and absent parents. While helicopter parents are always hovering and anxious, attempting to prepare and control everything, absent parents are standoffish and not engaged. The middle? A lighthouse parent. A lighthouse parent acts as a role model, a beacon against which a child can measure his or herself. A lighthouse parent also watches the rocks to ensure that their children do not crash against them, but also looks out towards the distance and trusts their children to ride the waves.
Why do you want to be a lighthouse parent? What’s the goal of lighthouse parenting? As Dr. Ginsburg explains, as a parent you don’t just want to raise a successful fifteen-year-old. You also want to raise a successful thirty-year-old, and forty-year-old, and fiftyyear-old. If that’s the case, we need to figure out how to provide them with unconditional love, but also to set high expectations. We need to protect them, but also trust them.
Dr. Ginsburg explains, “We all want our children to be happy, but we need them to be resilient. We wish we could guarantee a future for them with bountiful opportunities and manageable bumps. Because we lack this control over the future, we must prepare our children to successfully handle both good and challenging times.
If resilience were a trait, something you had or didn’t have, there would be little we could do to foster it in our children. Part of what is so exciting – and important – about the work of youth development is that children’s resilience is largely determined by how parents and communities raise them.”
A few important pointers that Dr. Ginsburg (and his daughters) lay out are:
•It is important to set high expectations, but those high expectations should be tied to effort and not results. Therefore, as a parent, you should always praise effort, and never praise results.
•You should set clear boundaries, but then more or less get out of the way. When you set boundaries and then police them, children are less likely to be intrinsically motivated to respect them.
•Discipline means to teach, not to punish or control. Conse -
quences should match the problem so that the lesson is clearly understood.
•Unconditional love means that you love your children and even as you set high expectations for them, you understand that they will make mistakes and you will love them regardless. Children need to understand this as well.
•When we overprotect our children, we make them think they are not capable and that they therefore cannot succeed without us in the future. We need to give our children room to fail and rise up in order for them to learn that they are capable. Dr. Ginsburg explains, “Don’t install control buttons. Instill guidance.”
Dr. Ginsburg begins his book with two interesting questions that he believes are at the crux of what parents wrestle with when attempting to build resilience in their children:
How do I give my child the unconditional love needed to thrive while also holding him to the high expectations needed for success?
We know kids need both, but on some level these two concepts are in opposition to each other. Doesn’t holding expectations somehow undermine the unconditional nature of love?
How do I protect my child while letting her learn life’s lessons?
We parents all know intellectually that we have to get out of the way to let life be the teacher it is meant to be. We know coddled children lack the confidence to handle challenges. Yet it is absolutely our job to protect our children, and even letting our children experience emotional discomfort goes again our ingrained desire to protect them. We struggle with when to protect and when to get out of the way and watch from the sidelines.
Can we answer these questions? Well, Dr. Ginsburg certainly does his very best to answer both of these questions – with his daughters’ help! He argues that if we can “resolve the tension these two principles of resilience pose, your child will have the security she can only gain from you and the confidence she can only develop from experience. She will be more than resilient; she will be poised to thrive.”
Can you learn to be a lighthouse parent? In the days of helicopter parenting, it might feel like being a lighthouse parent is a bit too hands-off. In the long-run though your children will be significantly happier and more successful if you trust them to ride the waves. After all, if they never learn how to swim, they will need you to continually hover for the rest of their lives!
As soon as I got off the phone with my mother, Miri turned off the mixer and picked up a tehillim. “I’m sure your grandfather’s fine, but let’s say a couple perakim .” Leave it to Miri to always think of the spiritual thing to do. All Icould think of was calling Zaidy’s cell (so far I’d called it fourteen times) and cracking my knuckles until Miri gave me her death glare.
Mommy was on her way to the airport. She was hoping that Zaidy had jumped into an uber when he saw she that she hadn’t come on time.
But why didn’t he call, or pick up our calls?
I swallowed hard and pushed down that thought as I sat beside Miri at the kitchen table. She turned to perek chaf and we said the words slowly. After a few minutes I started to feel a drop calmer. When Miri continued baking, I said more tehillim while counting the minutes until the boys’ school was out and I could call Tatty (seven to go).
But I didn’t have to, because just then the phone rang.
“Did Mommy find Zaidy?”
“Not exactly,” Tatty said. “But she did find Mordy Lefkowitz, in the terminal. She keeps calling Zaidy. I’m going to drive to the airport after I go speak to Mrs. Klein at the building.”
“But Tatty, this is so weird,” I said quietly, as the tears started to come. Miri kept her eyes down as she measured the vanilla sugar, but I think I saw her lips moving ever so slightly.
Recap: Zaidy is upset that the family has asked a bachur who will be on his flight to be his travel companion. Liora’s mother goes over to Zaidy’s house to take him to the airport, but Zaidy isn’t there.
“You mean scary?” Tatty asked. “Yes, it is. But I’m sure Zaidy is okay. The Aibeshter is taking care of him, Liora.”
His voice sounded so calm and sure. I let out my breath.
We hung up and I was about to say another perek , when the phone rang. My heart practically jumped out of my chest: caller ID read, “Zaidy W.”
“Zaidy?! Zaidy!!!? Is it you?!!”
“Yes, it’s me. At least I think it’s me, and the people here who took my driver’s license and passport seem to agree.” He chuckled, and I wanted to give him the biggest hug ever. Miri gave me a thumbs up and went back to kneading the dough.
“What people?” I heard a lot of talking in the background, a series of beeps, and then a lady’s voice announce, ‘ Good afternoon, travelers’ . “Where are you?”
“I’m on the nice, roomy 747, and we’re about to take off. Tell me, what do you want from Eretz Yisroel?”
“Huh? Tatty just said that Mommy was talking to Mordy Lefkowitz, in the terminal. Doesn’t terminal mean airport?” How could Mordy be inside, if Zaidy was on the plane?
“Who?” Zaidy said.
“The chaperon, Yali Amster’s chosson. You know, he’s flying with you to meet Uncle Yoni.”
“Well, if he’s flying with me, he’s late!” My grandfather laughed. “Last night, I found a much better flight that gets me
CHAPTER 16
Devorah Talia Gordon
into Newark an hour earlier, so I’ll be sure to have plenty of time to catch the flight to Eretz Yisroel. Maybe I’ll even chap a minyan at the airport.”
Uh oh , this did not sound good.
“I need to call your mother before we take off.”
“Please, she’s very worried…” I didn’t add, we all are . As we were about to hang up, his words rattling around in my brain for a minute, something hit me, hard, like a basketball right on top of my head.
Newark ?
“Zaidy, you’re flying to JFK, right? Right?”
“Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to flight 4378 to Newark International Airport. Please turn off your phones and devices, and store all carry-on bags under the seat in…”
I heard a clicking noise, then a bunch of beeping. A lady’s voice, “Rabbi, uh, Yehudah, all electronics must be in airplane mode for takeoff.”
My hands were so sweaty the phone slipped onto the table. I scrambled for it while thinking: 4378, 4378, 4378 . “Zaidy, are you still there? Zaidy?” I grabbed Miri’s pencil and scribbled down the numbers on her pad of paper.
“What?” Miri mouthed.
“We’re taking off. Liora’le, tell your mother I’m fine. And she should tell Yoni I’ll be waiting for him by El Al. I get in around eight. Bye!” Beep, beep, beep … The line became quiet.
I shook my head slowly and felt that same sinking feeling I get when Mrs. Schoen raises her eyebrows at me while saying my name in that very serious tone, and I realize she’s been saying my name for who-knows-how-long, but I was too busy schmoozing with my friends, and all I want to do is crawl under the table.
“Miri, my mother adores you. Wanna tell her that Zaidy is on the wrong flight, going to the wrong airport?”
Miri’s shook her head slowly. “Oh, no.”
Seemed I had to do it. I pressed #2 on speed dial, and said, “Mommy, good news! I found Zaidy and he’s fine.”
Five hours later, the babkas were packed away in Miri’s freezer, the kitchen was spotless, and my family was in the dining room, not eating the pizza Tatty had picked up for supper. My father took out his gemara , and asked Ari to open up his mishnayos . Even Dini wasn’t eating, but was busy peeling the cheese off her slice, rolling it into tiny balls, and dumping them onto Shaya’s highchair tray.
millionth time, as she paced around the dining room with her phone glued to her ear. “Yoni, can’t you drive any faster?”
Tatty closed his phone and stroked his beard. “According to the airline, Zaidy’s flight will be landing in thirty-seven minutes. But he must get his luggage, right, so by the time he’s actually in the airport, I imagine it could be an hour.”
My mother shook her head. “Tatty, isn’t his luggage going through to Eretz Yisroel?”
My father shook his head. “That’s a good point. But who knows where his luggage is right now?”
“Wouldn’t the airline agent have realized he was supposed to be at JFK? And that he was flying on to Eretz Yisroel?”
“You’d think so. I don’t really know what happened, and how he finagled this flight…” Tatty sighed. “They wouldn’t give me any information, since he’s an adult and our names aren’t listed as his emergency contact. An agent will meet him at the gate., At least they’ll do that much, supposedly.”
“Yoni, what does Waze say now? Really? Forty more minutes?”
I got busy poking little lines into my paper plate with my plastic fork, picturing Zaidy getting off the plane and trying to find Yoni, maybe getting into an uber again to go to Yoni’s house, but the driver taking him somewhere else…
I looked over at Tatty, who was shuckling over his gemara. Ari sat next to him, his finger on the page of his mishnayos I was positive Tatty had told Ari they should learn shtark in Zaidy’s z’chus . Seeing that helped me breathe a little slower. Please, Hashem, their learning should protect Zaidy!
“Call me the second you know anything. Bye.” Mommy closed her phone and sat down, dabbing her eyes with a tissue. When she saw me watching her, she looked away. “He said I’m making him nervous, and he didn’t want to get into an accident.”
“I should have kept his passport,” Mommy said for the
I bit my lip; was there really nothing we could do, aside from wait?
“Don’t worry, Mommy. Hashem knows all the chesed Zaidy does, and after all, that’s why he is going to Eretz Yisroel! I know Hashem’s going to work everything out.”
My mother blinked several times, then took a breath. “You’re right, Liora. Of course He will. We’ve done all the hishtadlus we can do, for now, that’s for sure.”
Tatty cleared his throat and raised his voice, “ Amar Rabbi Chiya bar Aba, amar Rabbi Yochanan…”
Mommy looked over at him and managed a smile, then she dropped her eyes back to the balled-up tissue in her hand, rocking back and forth gently to the tune.
To be continued…
Devorah Talia Gordon is a freelance writer, editor, and creative writing teacher. Her
book, The Impossible Project, a
novel, has
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!
Hard
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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 Mesivta Keren Hatorah Parlor meeting in Lakewood
At the Bar Mitzvah of Isser Wachs-son of Moshe of Lakewood
At The Heinemann-Whiter Wedding-both from lakewood
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DOWN:
1. * How babies walk.
3. * Permanently leave a country.
Ki Teitzei - Parashas -
4. May not be worn together with wool.
5. How many mitzvos are in this week’s Parsha?
7. It is a mitzvah to send her away from her babies or eggs.
8. It is a mitzvah to put a ______ on a flat roof.
10. * Leave a room.
11. * Step to a beat.
16. * Long steps.
ACROSS:
2. What type of child is a Sorer Umoreh?
6. The name of the prohibition against sowing two types of seeds together.
9. May not be charged on a loan.
12. * Stroll.
13. * Walk with heels in the air.
14. * An escapee from a war zone.
15. It is a mitzvah for a man to marry his former sister-in-law if his brother dies without _____.
17. Who inherits a double portion?
18. A mitzvah done with a shoe.
19. It’s a mitzvah to return a lost object to its _______.
This week’s parashah, Ki Teitzei, means ‘when you go out’. All clues with an asterisk are variations of the word “go”.
Answers to Parashas Re'ah
1) Why does the ראת תפי תשא have to let her fingernails grow?
2) How much wine and meat does a boy need to eat to become a הרומו ררוס ןב?
3) Does ןיד תיב have to publicize that the ררוס ןב is going to get killed?
4) What is done to somebody after he gets the punishment of הליקס?
5) What do we have to search out before we return a lost object?
6)Does one have to lift another Yid’s animal if the owner does not want to help?
7)If someone prepared a nest for a bird, can he fulfill the הוצמ of ןקה חוליש in that nest?
This week’s questions are until ישילש 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.
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My brother, Elchonon (17 years old) was packing for camp downstairs in my basement, looking for Sefarim. My other brother, Shimshie (12 years old) was helping him. He happened to be jumping on a pogo stick (something that you jump on). Suddenly, the pogo stick slipped and he fell backwards, on his head. Elchonon called, “Ma!” and I went downstairs to see what all the commotion was about. My mother came running down the stairs! Before, my mother kept calling Elchonon, and he kept repeating, “I’m coming in a second, Ma!” Baruch Hashem he didn’t come upstairs, because then Shimshie would have been too weak to cry for help! Right away, we all saw the amazing Hasgacha Pratis!
One time me and my brother went to a learning program which gave out nosh for all grades. The older grades got special things. One of those things was a trip to Sky Zone. I was in the last grade not to get the special things even though the year before I was able to go to Sky Zone. I was a little bit annoyed that I couldn't go but I got over it. That same day I was playing with my friend and all of a sudden my brother came home and told me that my friend in the same grade as me got a text from the learning program that they changed the rules and my grade was able to go to Sky Zone. My brother told me to run quickly to the man in charge to get a sky zone pass. I ran there. When I got there the man told me that he will be leaving in 2 minutes. It was such Hashgacha Pratic that my brother came at just the right time to tell me about the change. Because of that I was able to go to Sky Zone!
Me and my family went to a house in Vermont in between summer and school when we got there my sister wanted to go fishing and my mother did not know the community, so she gave my sister her phone. Later after my father came to pick her up, we could not find the phone. We looked all over the vacation house for it but couldn’t find it. The next morning my aunt in Connecticut called us to say she had called my mother’s phone to say hi and RIGHT THEN AND THERE a fisherman was fishing in that lake and heard the ringing of a phone. My sister had left it at the lake! The fisherman answered the phone and told my aunt he would leave it by the lake sign. My father drove to the lake and there the phone was on the sign! Then we were able to enjoy vacation.
Tzvi Reiner ,9
Esther Schwartz, 10
Sari T. ,8 years old
KI SEITZEI
DID YOU KNOW? BRING IT HOME
This week’s Parsha includes the Mitzvah of Shiluach Haken. If you find a bird’s nest with eggs and wish to take the eggs, you must first send away the mother bird.
IMAGINE
You are walking through the park with your family on a fine Spring day. You are breathing in the fresh air and enjoying the light breeze. As you pass between two flowering cherry trees, your sister calls, “Look! Look up in the tree! There’s a bird’s nest!”
You look up to see that indeed there is a nest in one of the lower branches with a proud pigeon that looks like the mama bird hovering over her eggs.Your mother smiles and says, “Did you know there is a special Mitzvah called Shiluach Haken? If you wanted to take the bird’s eggs, it would be a Mitzvah to send away the mother bird first!”
DELVING DEEPER
What is something you can do to help a classmate or sibling feel included and loved?
The Mitzvah of Shiluach Haken is a Chok, a type of Mitzvah that is beyond logic. The reason we do the Mitzvah is purely because Hashem tells us to. At the same time, we can and should certainly find life lessons from such Mitzvos. In the case of this Mitzvah, we can learn to be especially compassionate. If we are so careful with the feelings of even a mother bird that we send her away so she doesn’t feel the loss of her eggs being taken, how much more so we should be careful with the feelings of our fellow humans! This Mitzvah is so important that the Torah says, “Those who fulfill this Mitzvah will be blessed with a long life!”
Chocolate Bird’s Nest PARSHA
Divide chocolate chips: ¾ Cup in the large bowl and ¼ Cup in the small bowl, microwave for 3 minutes and set aside.
To create the nest, spoon the mixture over the aluminum foil, covering as much as possible.
Remove the nest from the freezer and carefully place it on a plate. Gently peel off the foil to reveal the chocolate nest.
Place parchment paper on the baking sheet , then scrunch aluminum foil in a circular shape on top.
Prepare the chocolate egg mold, using the small bowl of melted chocolate spread chocolate over each mold, and freeze for 45 minutes.
Place the eggs inside the edible nest and use it as a centerpiece to share the treat and lesson with all!
Mix 2 cups of pretzel sticks some of which should be cracked for added texture, into the large bowl of melted chocolate.
Carefully remove each half egg from the mold, and fill one half with sprinkles or candies. Line the top with melted chocolate, cover with the other half, and repeat for all the eggs.
SUPPLIES
1 Tbsp. Small Candies/Sprinkles
1 ¼ Cups of Chocolate Chips
2 Bowls (1 Large and 1 Small)
2 Cups of Pretzel Sticks
Chocolate Egg Mold
Small Baking Sheet
Parchment Paper
2 Plastic Spoons
Aluminum Foil *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 Lakewood Vibes,
Thanks for your great periodical. The following letter is for your Gratitude Column:
Dear Kind Driver,
I just wanted to say a huge thank you for letting me into your lane on the Garden State Parkway the other day. I know how crazy traffic can get, and it’s not always easy to find someone willing to make room, especially when everyone’s in a rush. Your act of kindness really made my day and my drive a lot less stressful!
I was starting to feel a bit stuck and was worried I’d miss my turn, but then you waved me in, and it was like a little reminder that there are still good people out there on the road. It’s not something everyone would do, and this letter just shows how a small gesture can make a big difference.
So, thank you for being that considerate driver! It’s people like you who make driving a bit more bearable.
Thank you!
- A Reader
Dear Vibes,
The yomim tovim are coming up and I thought it would be helpful to readers if you include this thank you letter/tip.
Basically, this year I will be making Rosh Hashanah at home for the very first time. It’s
three days, I know, but I’m very excited. For years we’ve been traveling to my in-laws’ home with our kids for Rosh Hashanah, but at this point my husband and I have decided that it’s finally time to strike it out on our own. We have a large family, ka”H, and we want to be near our regular shul. The fact that it’s a three-day yom tov is major, prep wise, but it also means an extra day of the special yom tov atmosphere. I’ve already begun planning my menu…
Anyway, turns out that I’m not the only one in yom tov planning mode. My mother-inlaw, who will be hosting less this year (as we won’t be there) already sent a message out on the family group that she’s taking “orders” for the special simanim patties that she always makes. Her message and willingness to prepare something special even for those family members who won’t be at her house, is really heartening.
A shoutout to my mother-in-law who’s so willing to go the extra mile with her food prep (and for always hosting so graciously). I’m also writing in to tell readers that if at all possible, offering to make the simanim, or anything else that freezes easily, for family members and other people goes a really long way in building family camaraderie.
-A grateful daughter-in-law
MONUMENTS AROUND THE WORLD Honoring 9/11
LMalkie Schulman
ast year on October 7, 2023, there was a terrible attack in Eretz Yisroel. It was the worst attack against the Yidden since the holocaust and we are still davening for the many Yidden in captivity to come home safely and for the war to end.
Terrorism, which means using violence to scare and hurt people, has been a big problem around the world for a long time.
On September 11, 2001, terrorists attacked the Twin Towers, also known as the World Trade Center, in New York City and the Pentagon (a five-sided building where the U.S. army makes important military decisions) in Washington, D.C. They did this by hijacking four planes. Three of the four planes intentionally crashed into buildings. Passengers and crew on the fourth plane prevented it from crashing into a building; instead the plane crashed in a field. Many people were hurt on that day and about 3,000 people were killed. To remember those individuals and to celebrate the bravery of the heroes who rescued people special monuments have been built around the world.
September 11 is this week. Let’s explore some of the special monuments that have been constructed to commemorate it, Let's learn about the special places, the touching stories behind them, and the amazing acts of courage they honor.
The National September 11 Memorial & Museum, New York City
Ground Zero" is the term used to describe the exact place in New York City where the Twin Towers once stood. These towers were hit and collapsed during the 9/11 attacks. The National September 11 Memorial & Museum was built on this special spot. The memorial has two big reflecting pools where the towers used to stand, and there are bronze plaques around these pools with the names of everyone who died in the attacks. Next to one of the pools is what’s called the Survivor Tree. In October 2001, a seriously damaged tree was found at Ground Zero, with broken branches and roots. The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation took it and nursed it back to health and in 2010, the tree was brought to the 9/11 Memorial site. Next to the memorial, the museum shares the story of 9/11 through exhibits and personal stories.
Hatzalah was one of the very first emergency medical services to arrive on the scene on that terrible day. Because they came so fast, many heroic Hatzalah members were able to provide immediate medical care and support to victims and other injured first responders.
A story that you won’t see on any of the memorial’s plaques, but which is one of the many incidents of clear hashgocha pratis on that day is this:
Rabbi Baumgarten is a Chabad rabbi who for many years has driven his Mitzvah tank, on the streets of Manhattan. The Mitzvah tank is a special van used to encourage people to perform mitzvahs, like putting on tefillin. Rabbi Baumgarten used to have about forty people from the Twin Towers come by to put on tefillin.. He recounts that on the day before 9/11a friend of his brought his non-religious friend, Dan, to put on tefillin for the first time in his life. “I explained to Dan how important this mitzvah is and said, ‘I promise you, something big will happen in your life within a day or a month.’ Dan said okay and put on the tefillin. Then he went back to work.”
The very next day, 9/11 happened. Two days later, Rabbi Baumgarten received a call from Dan thanking him for saving his life. “You’re the reason I’m alive today”, Dan told Rabbi Baumgarten, emotionally. He then shared his incredible story: “I’ve worked in the World Trade Center for eight years and always take the same train. I’m never late. On Tuesday, I missed my train by just 30 seconds. I was frustrated because the next train was delayed, and I knew I wouldn’t make it to work on time.”
What Dan didn’t know was that while he was waiting for the next train, a plane was crashing into the north tower of the World Trade Center. “My desk was on the 79th floor, exactly where the plane hit the building!” he said excitedly. Because he’d put on the tefillin the day before, Dan was convinced his life had been spared in the merit of that mitzvah. And he said to Rabbi Baumgarten, “Not only did you save my life, but you saved the life of a whole Jewish family because this Sunday is my wedding!”
The 9/11 Memorial: Shanksville, Pennsylvania
In Shanksville there’s a memorial for the passengers of United Airlines Flight 93. This flight was also hijacked by terrorists, but the passengers fought back, causing the plane to crash into a field instead of the intended target,either the White House or US Capitol building in Washington, D.C.. Had the plane crashed there, a lot more people would have been killed, and a lot more damagedone. The memorial includes a wall with the names of the forty brave passengers and crew members who all died that day. One passenger, Todd Beamer, is remembered for his courage. Soon after they boarded, Todd Beamer and the rest of the passengers learned that hijackers had taken over the plane with knives and possibly a bomb. After realizing the danger, Todd and the passengers decided to fight back to take control of the plane. Before they stormed the cockpit to confront the terrorists, Todd Beamer said a prayer and asked that if he didn’t survive, someone tell his family that he loved them. His famous last words to the group were, "Are you ready? Okay. Let's roll." We know this because Todd had called a telephone operator from the plane to report the hijacking, and the operator heard his words
The Pentagon Memorial, Washington, D.C.
In Washington, D.C., the Pentagon Memorial honors the people who were in the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, when it too was attacked. The memorial contains 184 benches, each representing a victim. The benches are arranged by their birthdates and are of different heights to show the individuals’ ages. One story from the Pentagon is about Lieutenant Colonel Brian Birdwell. Even though he himself was badly burned, he managed to escape and help others.
“After 9/11” in London, England
In London there is a special memorial called “After 9/11,” created by an American artist named Miya Ando. The memorial is a 28-foot-tall sculpture that includes a piece of steel from the World Trade Center. The piece was given to England to honor everyone who died in the attacks, including 67 British people.
When the memorial was first opened, a British firefighter spoke about his experiences. He shared how people from all around the world came together to remember and honor the victims of 9/11. The opening ceremony showed how 9/11 affected people everywhere and how countries came together with love and support for each other during a hard time.
9/11 Memorial: Padua, Italy
In the city of Padua, there’s a special memorial called “Memoria e Luce,” which, in Italian, means "Memory and Light." It was designed by an architect named Daniel Libeskind. The memorial is shaped like a big, open book, like the one held by the Statue of Liberty, and it stands 56 feet tall. The memorial also includes a piece of steel from the World Trade Center, and the open pages of the book point toward New York City.
Sand Sculpture Tribute in India
An Indian sand artist named Sudarshan Pattnaik created a special sand sculpture to remember the victims of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. He made a beautiful sand version of the Twin Towers and added the message "No Terror But Peace" to honor those who were killed in the attacks.
M E M O R I A L S A R O U N D T H E W O R L D
On November 12, 2009, a special monument was opened in Yerushalayim's Arazim Park to remember the people who were hurt or killed in the 9/11 attacks. This monument was created by a talented artist named Eliezer Weishoff. It’s a big sculpture, 30 feet tall, made of bronze. It looks like an American flag that's turned into a flame to honor the memory of the victims. The base of the monument is made of gray stone, and some of it is from the original Twin Towers.
Around the monument, there’s a round area with stone tiles where people can come to think about what happened. This is the only monument outside of the United States that has the names of everyone who died in the attacks. At the opening ceremony, there were important guests like James Cunningham, who was the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Colonel Richard Burgess, and Congressman Erik Paulsen who attended. They were joined by former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, and the families of the people who died.
Honoring Through Memory
David Ashe from Virginia Beach joined the "Bucket Brigades" to help clear the wreckage from the Twin Towers after the 9/11 attacks. They were called the Bucket Brigades because they used buckets to pass debris from one person to another in a line. This way, they could remove the rubble piece by piece.
In an online interview 20 years after it happened, Ashe showed reporters his pictures as he described how scary everything looked that day. “It looked like a monster had clawed through the building," he said, pointing to a spot where a big piece of the World Trade Center was scraped away by falling debris.
The work of the Bucket Brigades was dangerous. They had to be careful because there were still parts of the buildings standing that could collapse as they collected the debris. Ashe also talked about horns. “We knew if you hear three horn blasts, that means run off the pile, something is collapsing… and glass was falling, and when it hit, it was like a gunshot.”
There's another place, besides 9/11 memorials, that acts like a memorial for personal items found after the attacks. It's called the Joint Personal Effects Depot (JPED) in Dover, Delaware. After the 9/11 attacks, many personal items like watches, jewelry, and phones were discovered at the Pentagon. The staff at JPED handle these items with great care and respect because they belonged to people who died in the attacks.
They carefully check each item, clean it if needed, and make sure it gets back to the right family. For example, if a family wants a special item like a watch or a book, the workers will make sure it’s returned in the best condition possible. This helps the families keep a part of their loved ones with them. Most of the items have been returned to the families. A few items, like a set of flight attendant wings from one of the hijacked airplanes, were kept for special displays.
9 /11 memorials not only honor the victims and heroes of that day but also remind us how important peace and unity are. The memorials help us understand each other better,, remind us why it’s important to stop ,terrorism, and show us that even during sad times, people can come together with love and support.
Just like the terrorist attack in Eretz Yisroel last year reminds us of the importance of achdus and to daven to Hashem to send us peace, these monuments help us remember and learn from the past. They honor those who were affected and encourage us to build a world where everyone can live safely and peacefully. By visiting these sites, and learning about their stories, we remember the bravery of those who faced tragedy and worked to make the world a better place for everyone, including Am Yisroel.
Malkie Schulman
The white-tailed deer is a widely spread and very popular deer (even here in Rockland County). Their population is growing exponentially in the last few years. Of the hundreds of species of deer, they amount to the mostapproximately 40-50 million!
They acclimate easily to many different environments and are found all over, from up north in the frozen Arctic in Canada down to the sweltering regions in Brazil. Originally from the American continents, today they are spread to many countries and continents.
White-tailed Deer
The white-tailed deer is colored reddish-brown in the summer and gray-brown in the winter. Their tail is brown on the top and a stark white below.
A mother deer - typically as young as 2 years old, and sometimes even only 1 year old! - is extremely devoted to her baby. When she goes to eat, she will hide the baby amidst the grass and the baby won’t move until the mother returns. The beautiful white spots serve as a camouflage so they shouldn’t be noticeable. After several months the spots disappear. Another aspect that strongly aids in keeping the baby deer inconspicuous is the fact that they emit no odor, as do the adult deer.
White-tailed deer eat very much (generally at dawn and dusk), mostly grass and leaves, and sometimes also nuts, fruit and corn. Their stomachs are especially strong, tolerating very sharp foods, like poison ivy. Their stomach is divided in 4 chambers and after ingesting the food they will find a safe place to chew their cud and digest the food through all 4 chambers.
Only males have antlers, which they use to fight with each other (picture top left). The antlers are shed yearly and regrow anew. It grows coated in soft velvet, which then peels off and the antlers harden (pictures left).
Who are their predators? Packs of wolves, cougars (= American lions), snakes (picture left), jaguars (in Brazil) and alligators (which pull them into the water to drown them). Other sorts of cats (picture left), bears, coyotes and some more animals, will kill young deer whenever possible. When in danger, they flee. The deer will wag their white tail like a flag to signal their offspring and other deer in the area, to escape in time. The white tail also serves as an indicator for the child, where to follow the mother. They can run 47 mph, jump 9 feet in the air, and leap a length of 33 feet! How marvelous! Undoubtedly, humans are their greatest enemies. It is legal to hunt them at certain seasons in the year, and they are hunted in the high thousands. Over a million are also killed in car accidents every year.
1. A white-tailed deer (the raised white tail is clearly visible) easily jumps over a fence.
2. Two white-tailed deer clashing with their antlers. The brawl lasts a few seconds and the loser slinks away in disgrace.
3. A white-tailed deer rubbing his head against a tree, transmitting his personal odor as a sign of ownership.
4. A black bear pinning down a white-tailed deer so he can’t escape.
5. A sharp arrow pierced through the head on a white-tailed deer in the wrong spot.
6. A WT deer steeling food from a bird feeder.
TIDBITS
Habitat: Originally on both American continents; today, many more locations over the world
Weight: male, 100-400 lbs.; female, 77-198 lbs.
Length: 37-87 inches (including the tail 4-14 inches)
Height: 21-47 inches
Offspring: first time 1 baby; after that 2-4
Food: grass and leaves, sometimes also nuts, fruit and corn
Predators: Wolves, cougars, snakes, alligators, bears and above all, humans by hunting and car accidents.
Lifespan: up to 10-20 years | Population: 40-50 million
Kosov Rebbe at the Rosh Choidesh Seudah in Lakewood
Yurtzeit of the Zvehill Rebbe Zt”l by the Zvehill Rebbe
Rosh Choidesh Elul by the Bobov-45 Rebbe
Shabbos Aufrif for Grandson of the Bobov Rebbe
Tzeischem Leshalom for the Visnitz Rebbe before leaving to New York
Lentil salad lettuce wraps
1 1/2 cups Lentils (cooked, rinsed well)
1/4 cup Red Onion (finely chopped)
1 Tomato (medium, diced)
1/4 Cucumber (diced)
Sea Salt & Black Pepper (to taste)
1/2 tsp Oregano (dried)
1/8 tsp Garlic Powder
3 tbsps Red Wine Vinegar
6 leaves Romaine (large)
Add the lentils to a mixing bowl and combine with the red onion, tomato, cucumber, salt, pepper, oregano, garlic powder, and red wine vinegar. Mix to combine and season with additional salt and pepper to taste. 1 To serve, divide the lettuce leaves between plates and top with the lentil salad. Enjoy!
No-bake
Oatmeal/raisin/chocolate chip bites
1/2 cup Tahini (runny)
1/4 cup Maple Syrup
1 tsp pure Vanilla Extract
1 cup Oats (rolled)
1/4 cup Vanilla plant based Protein Powder
3/4 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
1 tbsp Water (as needed)
1/3 cup Raisins
1/3 cup Dark Chocolate Chips
In a large bowl, combine the tahini, maple syrup, and vanilla. Whisk well to combine.
Add the oats, protein powder, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until fully combined. If the mixture looks too dry, add water as needed.
Stir in the raisins and chocolate chips.
Use a teaspoon or one-inch cookie scoop to scoop out the mixture and roll it into balls. Use slightly damp hands to roll the balls easily. Refrigerate for one hour to firm up and then enjoy!
JUDAICA MASTERPIECES
A timeless collection of unique silver Judaica masterpieces by Ben Shirall London
• Designed and handcrafted in England renowned globally for its silver and goldsmiths.
• For discerning investors and collectors.
• Exquisite Judaica items to enhance your home.
• Also accepting custom commissions to order.
The Forefathers Collection Etrog Box Model: Engraved
We will be visiting the US next week Please call or email to arrange an appointment
Aaron H Deblinger
ITS NOT ABOUT THE CHEESE
Note: If your vehicle has been picked up by any other towing company, we’ll bring it to our shop at no cost to you.
Homemade Kishka
Ingredients:
1 large carrot
1 large onion
1 3/4 cups of flour
1/4 cup of oil
3/4 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of paprika
1/2 tsp black pepper
NINE BY THIRTEEN
Procedure:
Mix everything together in food processor
Form into roll and wrap in silver foil
Put into cholent and let it
cook together
Freezes well
Apple harvest cake
INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups of flour
1 cup of sugar
3/4 cups of brown sugar
1 Tbls of cinnamon
3 tsp of baking powder
1 tsp of salt
3/4 cup of oil
3 eggs
1 tsp of vanilla
3 apples peeled and cubed
DIRECTIONS
Mix dry ingredients together in mixer 1. Add oil, eggs and vanilla, mix well, add apples 2. Pour into a greased 9*13 pan 3. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes 4. Freezes well 5.
Make now for rosh hashona 6.
CLASSIFIEDS
Real Estate
Apt for Rent
brand new above ground room, separate entrance and bathroom suitable for office or playgroup plenty of parking, nice yard please call or text 908-7838073
Brand new above ground space for rent. Suitable for a playgroup or office. Private with big backyard. Lo cated at South lake- Central Ave area. For more info please call 848-525-6201.
Weekend get away in the Catskills
for a Yeshiva/Family Shabbton. Shul, Large Dining Room, gym and Mikva on premises. Discounted price available now thru November 16. Available Sukkahs. (845) 219-1217
Office
Space
New Beautiful Private Room with Restroom and kosher sink available for office use. 917-723-5717
Job Opportunity
Attention women!
Create a successful retail business from the comfort of your home! Help others while earning an income. Full training and support. No risk
Lve msg or txt 845-5792069
WORK FROM HOME
Great opportunity to manage your own business from home.
No exp. needed, no computer nec Huge potential to grow big. Call: 438-529-1216
Looking for saleslady for busy local children’s clothing Boutique daily from 3 till 6 pm. Potentially additional hours during busy sales season. Excellent communication skills and the ability
to work under pressure a must.
For more information please contact y05082011@gmail.com
Customer Service Manager
Children’s fashion company in Howell,NJ seeking experienced customer service manager. F/T or P/T in house $35-$45 hourly, great benefits!
Leah@swiftstaffinggroup.com
Excellent opportunity!
Nursery morah and assistant positions available in chassidishe cheider for the upcoming ’24- ’25 school year. Amazing support and environment. Call for details: 347-743-3099
Merchandise For Sale
OLIVIA JEWELRY RENTAL
Gorgeous selection of fine costume jewelery for your simcha or special occasion. $25 for the first piece and $15 for each additional piece. Located in prospect square 35 lewin ave. Contact 773-503-9132
Summer/ Camp Essential : Natural toothpaste (Fluoride free), deodorant (aluminum free), shampoo, conditioner, sunscreen, aloe gelly for burns , and more. Please call: 732-806-1324
Chicks for Sale: $5 each- call/ text 848-222-9148
Eczema
Heal without cortisone. Remarkable results. 732-597-2835
For sale $500 gift card to Fino custom, selling for $485 call only 732-228-2103
Selling black maternity gown size xs. Text 732 966 3941
For sale Cole Haan zero
grand shoes size 11 $85 call only 732-228-2103
Valco Baby Snap Duo-Double Stroller for sale. Used very very minimally, looks brand new. $550 Please text 917-562-7088
Gorgeous pink gowns for sale, little girls size 8, 6 and 2. Call/text 848-226-0319
Keyboard For Sale: Korg PA 600 brand new Great price. Call/Text: 848986-3401
Selling Maxi Cosi baby swing . New condition . Hardly used . Color classic. retail price $199. Asking $130 Call\text 248-765-0427
Selling Black Doona with base in great condition for $300. Call only: 732-691-3165.
Designer, show stopping cream and floral embroidered gown for sale. Ladies or teens size eight. Please call 732-331-6588
Selling ikea white bookshelf in box for $60, Please call / text 848 240 3282
Keyboard stand for sale: Selling z-style Keyboard stand For $40 OBO, Call: 508-292-8589
STUNNING GOWN:
Custom ivory gown size 4/6. Pls call/ txt 848-226-9204
water filter sellout call 7328067442.
Beautiful white lace sisterof-the-bride gown:
Size 2 with lots of room to let out. $200 to rent. $350 to buy. Text 347962-9419 for picture.
Beautiful white lace sis of the bride gown rent/sale. Size 2 with room to let out. Price negotiable. Text 347-962-9419 for picture.
2 stunning matching simcha dresses for girls, sizes 8 (short) and 16 (long), soft peach/cream color. Call or text 848-222-9688.
Designer, show stopping cream and floral embroidered gown for sale. Ladies or teens size eight. Please call 732-331-6588
Van/Car For Sale
07 Accord 165k miles
$2500 text 732-963-1828
Camry 159k miles
$3750 text 732-963-1828
Pools
BEAUTIFUL SPARKLING POOL WITH GAZEBO
Serene setting. Large, gets great sun. Pristine. Minutes from Gourmet Glatt North. $40/hr wkdy $50/hr wknd. Call/txt 973-986-9592
Services
Hair Care
Natural and effective hair care products. Improves hair loss, weak hair roots, split ends, dry hair, frizz, rough texture, dry scalp, dandruff, itchy or peeling scalp. No chemicals, great results. call/text 732-5468312 email foreverlivingproductsnj@gmail.com
INTRUBER™ delivers robust cybersecurity solutions to protect you from all computer security threats, including ransomware and email phishing attacks. Keep your business safe with our affordable, expert services. Call or message us now 833 699-5282
Experienced Loving Newborn
Babysitter - clean spacious facilities, 13 Princeton Avenue, Y Teitelbaum - References available Please call 732 -367 -0373
Hair and Wigs
styling, cutting and wash n sets. Great Pricing! Located Prospect Area 551-337-9928
CLASSIFIEDS
call only or saralizaschwab@gmail.com
Basic Hair courseStyling, cutting and wash n sets. Great Pricing! **Located Prospect Area
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 phone. Call Hotline 718-435-1923
CHILDHOOD TRAUMA?
Discover What Has Already Helped Thousands of Women Release Trauma, Stress and Anxiety Rooted in Unprocessed Childhood Emotions.
FREE MASTERCLASS
One week only! Aug. 19-25. https://www.rapidrecoverycoaching.com, or call 646-558-2080
CUSTOM PHOTO ALBUMS
Specializing in Custom Photo Albums, Chosson, Wedding, etc. professional Photo Editing, many years of exp. Special rate for photographers. Photo Dreams 347-563-5153
PHOTO EDITING
Professional photo editing, many years of experience. Special rates for photographers. Also specializing in Custom photo albums Chosson, wedding, etc. Photo Dreams 347-563-5153
DON’T WASTE YOUR MONEY!
Get a 20-30% discount on your electric bill! 100% FREE & easy to signup! text 845-600-0430
FUN SCHOOL
Girls ages Primary 1st, 2nd & 3rd grade - From Aug 26th to Aug 30th - 10am to 2:30pm - 74 Birch St
Call Leah Cohen 732 -9050869 - $75 for the week
Babysitting
ALLERGY FRIENDLY babysitting New!! Chestnut Area Call 347-760-7134
Heimishe woman looking to be a mother’s helper, light housework, cooking, laundry, mending, child care, etc. 6-8 hrs a week, afternoons, pref in South Lakewood. 732367-6418
Night babysitting mature exp. bubby, own transp, from 6PM-2AM south Lkwd, preferred 732-367-6428
Day & Evening Babysitting Possibly in your House also - 732-367-5369
Lost and Found
Found girls/ladies gold bracelet in West Gate about two months ago. Please call or text 732-330-3590.
Found set of ear buds in the parking lot of 150 Airport Rd. Please call/text 732-8828319
A man’s watch at Asisa at the end of July, 732- 370 – 3613
Large sum of money in Bais Aharon right side before Purim. Text 1 810 -210 -1424
Lost duffle bag on the rockshire 7pm van Sunday Aug 18 from lkwd to monsey. If found please call 845-642-5487
Library
Library for adults, teens and children including novels, short stories, biographies,, hashkafa and halacha. 60- 12th st bet Mon and Princeton, Sunday bet 4-6 PM
Gemachs
New tznius hospital gowns in Oak and Vine. Please call: 347-486-2994 or 347-6336329
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 season’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
New tznius hospital gown gemach in Oak and Vine. At no cost. Please call: 347486-2994 or 347-633-6329
Speaker System for Small Events (with mic) 7320-510-3917 call/text Jackson, Bates Area
Gemach Zichron Feige
Stunning childrens gownsmatching collection from sizes 9 months untill size 18 for appt call 908-461-0058
If you have up-to-date, beautiful childrens gowns in all sizes you’d like to donate to our gemach please call 908-461-0058
Gemach zichron Gittel ladies gown gemach. Beau -
tiful gowns size 0-20 (732) 908-8263
Gemach Zichron Naftali jewish dvd gemach/challenging times. Men/women/kid dvds -2 week, provide dvd player/917-628-1785
Simcha Toy Gemach
Keep children busy, happy so the adults can enjoy the Simcha!
Borrow toys for yourSimcha, 732-730-9127 notext Email:GemachNefeshChaya@gmail.com
Bris set Gemach for your simcha: Poya, pillow, beautiful outfit with accessories. please call 732-994-5887
BRIS PILLOW/OUTFIT GMACH: 848-245-3347
Free Giveaway
Free items available for anyone with low vision. Contact NAHORA. Fortune@ Nahora.org, 917-968-5828 or Abie@Nahora.org, 718-9869602.
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
Judaica Art by Rachel. Orig. framed gorgeous watercolor & acrylics from $100.00$400.00. Photos ava. Text 732-232-6906.
Satmar Rebbe by Yom Kipur Kuten Erev Rosh Choidesh Elul
BABY CEREAL RICE