  |
|
| |||||
The address of HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch was received with great honor and reverence. His moving words penetrated deep into the people's hearts, urging them to exert themselves beyond their means for the sake of perpetuating Torah. He began his impressive words:
With authorization of Moreinu and all the revered gathered rabbonim and Admorim and with permission of the honored audience: All know that the Chofetz Chaim was the rosh yeshiva in Radin. The yeshiva was in dire straits to the point that students used to put straw on the floor as their bedding aside from the few privileged students who could afford renting a bed in homes of the town's residents.
During this period, a new student, Yaakov Sepsel, joined the yeshiva, a brilliant young boy all of fourteen and a half, who was acknowledged as 'the Vishker genius.' This Yaakov was afflicted with tuberculosis, a disease considered high risk during those years before penicillin.
In the case of the Army's Chief Prosecutor, who admitted to lying to the High Court and may have done other things, there is an obvious need for an investigation. However all the prosecuting bodies signed off on her lies. At the least they will have to testify about the events, and also some may be implicated in the crimes, and thus have a clear lack of objectivity. Nonetheless, the Government Attorney General has refused to recuse herself from involvement in the investigation. The Minister of Justice pointed out her conflicts of interest and moved to appoint an outside investigator. The Attorney General refused to back out and the case was heard by the Israel High Court. The High Court basically sided with the Minister of Justice, and the media were shocked.
A heavy calamity landed upon the Israeli Leftist camp. "Democracies die slowly," the veteran columnist, Nachum Barnea, wrote, quoting the present president of the High Court, Yitzhak Amit, when he decided, two years ago, to put an end to the government's abolishment of nullifying the "reasonableness criterion."
Part I
If one encountered a weeping woman on the streets of Williamsburg in the week of 7 Cheshvan, 1996 (5756) it should not have been a surprise. If we had asked for her name, she might have told us the unusual appellation "Kilayim." Like the Talmudic parallel who was mourned by an apparition of Tractate Chagigah to which he had devoted his life, Mr. Yosef Rosenberger is no doubt being mourned by the mitzvah of kilayim, in return for the 50 years of his life devoted to the practical fulfillment and dissemination of the laws of shatnez.
R' Yosef Rosenberger, an survivor of Dachau and a penniless refugee who escaped to American shores in 1939, was the reviver and disseminator of this forsaken mitzvah. He did it, moreover, in the scornful, discouraging atmosphere towards any spiritual endeavor that existed in Jewish America in those days more than 50 years ago.
Mr. Yosef Rosenberger was born to a middle class Oberlander Orthodox family on the outskirts of Vienna, Austria. He attended local yeshivos, and when the time came, he joined the family business of mens' clothing. His interest in shatnez was at most cursory during these early years, and for a good reason: in those days, shatnez was very much a local issue.
For centuries, whoever needed a suit had it made by a tailor. A Jewish yirei Shomayim tailor made every effort to ascertain that the material he used not contain shatnez, and scrupulous Jews would only order their clothes from such tailors. That is why in Europe, at the time, there was very little awareness of the mounting problems of shatnez.
With the technological advances of those days that brought mass production of textiles and clothing into existence and the problems that could bring, awareness of possible shatnez infractions began to grow. Chassidim in particular undertook to wear silk robes to avoid any question of shatnez. Still, the vast majority of religious Jewry felt that shatnez was a non-concern that could be left to the tailors and the clothing stores.
This Google Custom Search looks only in this website.
Outstanding Articles From Our Archives
Opinion & Comment
True Blessing
"And may Elokim give you from the dew of the Heavens and from the fat of the land, and much corn and oil" (Bereishis 27:28).
Rashi explains that the use of the Name Elokim, which denotes the trait of Divine judgment, implies that in Yaakov's case, receiving the blessings is contingent upon deserving them. "To Eisov however," Rashi continues, "he said, `Your dwelling should be among the fat [places] of the land'; whether righteous or wicked, He will give this to you. Shlomo Hamelech learned from Yaakov when he built the Beis Hamikdosh and prayed that in the case of Jews who come to pray there, `You should give each man in accordance with all his ways, according to Your knowledge of his heart' (Melochim I 8:39), for a Jew will acknowledge Divine justice [even if his request is not granted] and will not argue, whereas for gentiles who lack faith he said, `And You shall hear from Heaven . . . and do whatever the stranger calls to You' (ibid. posuk 43). Give him what he asks for, whether he deserves it or not, so that he shouldn't complain against You."
Many of the Rishonim are amazed at this. Were the blessings to have been given the other way around, with Yaakov receiving Eisov's blessing to be maintained from the fat of the land whether righteous or not, Klal Yisroel would not have suffered so much in the course of the terrible exile and all our troubles R'l. However, Yitzchok did not give the blessings this way and Chazal stress that the principle governing Klal Yisroel is, "And You should give each man in accordance with all his ways." Why is this?
The answer is that were every Jew to receive the goodness of this world whether or not he deserves it, he would spend his time pursuing pleasures and would forget his true purpose, which is to prepare himself for Olom Haboh. What do the good things of this world give to a person? If he fattens himself with fine meat and smokes drugs -- is there any point to this?
The pleasures of this world are like creditors. The more a person is drawn after them, the more they demand from him, may Hashem protect us! This is why Shlomo Hamelech prayed,"And You should give each man in accordance with all his ways!"
The Hidden Blemish
Opinion & Comment
When the Alter of Kelm studied the parshios of Chumosh Shemos, he raised a very interesting question: In general, when a certain personality is presented for a high ranking position, the public is given a resume of his background, where he came from, and what he has already accomplished in that particular area to make him a suitable candidate. If it is a strategic military post, his vital statistics are even more important: what in his past record makes him eligible, and why he is considered the best choice.
With regard to Moshe Rabbenu as the future leader of the Jewish people, a leader whose impact will go down in history forever more, what, asks Chochmo Umussor, are his credentials, his record? What talents and capabilities were inherent and evident in him to make him develop into a leader?
The answer is most remarkable! Whoever notes the descriptions in parshas Shemos, will discover that all the Torah presents from the entire period in Moshe's life prior to his being chosen as the people's spokesman is one single characteristic: "Commiseration with the lot of his people." He showed compassion and caring. The Torah tells us that Moshe grew up and went forth to his brothers and he noted their suffering. And he saw an Egyptian striking [a Jew] and he killed him and buried him. Later on, we are told that he saw two Jews fighting and accosted the first one, saying, "Why did you strike your friend."
This comes to teach us, says the Alter of Kelm, that it was this specific attribute, his caring and compassion, that made him especially suitable for the all-time role of master-leader, or shepherd, of the Jewish people. This is why only this trait was mentioned. It was the best credential.
*
In the same measure, one can raise this question regarding the qualitative difference that showed itself between the twin brothers.
|
|||||
.jpg)
