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"I have seen in several upstanding communities, organizations formed called Mazhirei Shabbos where members are sent out to circulate in the streets and markets to encourage Jewish residents to light Shabbos candles on time. How great is their merit in reminding people of the sanctity of this mitzvah. Surely, the merit of Shabbos will stand them in good stead to protect them from all evil and enable them to embrace the pleasantness of Hashem. These people should be congratulated and appreciated for occupying themselves in this holy endeavor." These words were written by the Chofetz Chaim himself.
The late Mashgiach of Mir, HaRav Yeruchom, discussed this in a Shiur Chumash in the yeshiva noting that when a person sets out on a journey, he should make sure that Hashem is accompanying him.
He gave a personal example: "When I was living in Atonet, a city near Kelm, 25 kilometers away, ensconced throughout in the beis medrash, I never set out for my home on Erev Shabbos, knowing full well how many delays can come up when traveling on Erev Shabbos. One time, however, I had an urgent reason to travel to my home. Nonetheless. I set out early enough, much before candlelighting time. Nevertheless, I found myself almost stranded on the road, shortly before Shabbos, arriving home almost just in time for candlelighting. All kinds of possible delays and mishaps confronted me, be it the rudder of my bicycle, later, a wheel itself, and many other deterrents imaginable, hour by hour. However, I saw, time after time, that Hashem was by my side all along. From then on, I resolved never to set out on a journey on a Friday."
In a public address, the Posek Hador, HaRav Nissim Karelitz zt"l, said the following: ...
Channel 14, the right-leaning media channel, is driving the Leftist camp crazy because of its rising popularity, despite its unending efforts to attack and disparage it in every way possible, beginning with a comprehensive inquiry of the judicial system of the IDF, the patzarit (chief advocate), as it is referred to in the analysis. It presents chilling exposes on the methods of the system of dictating to the soldiers and their commanders of how to comport themselves and in general, to dictate to the army in general how they must act.
There are some revelations which easily demonstrate corruption like that found in scandals among the top brass of the Histadrut, except that in the IDF it is not a question of money but actually of human lives. The rapport between the discharged patzarit and the government judicial advisor who is glued to her post transform the concept of 'a conflict of interests' into irrelevance in the law-book of the State.
In an inquiry of which so far only the first part was publicized, it emerges that the patzarit intentionally overlooked a complaint against the former Chief of Staff Hertzy Halevi which could have arrested his progress, while the judicial advisor approved of the appointment towards the end of the transitional government headed by Yair Lapid, against the accepted directive that a transitional government should not make appointments to major positions, even against the express opposition of IDF intelligence which refused to lend a hand to this irregularity.
It also notes to the deliberate overlooking by the patzarit of an offense of the son of the legal advisor,
Part III
The second part discussed the development of shatnez testing, and especially the difficult problem that they faced with the rise of clothing manufacturing in the Far East that used ramie material that looked like linen but is permissible. The story of ramie continues.
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Together with Asher Aaron Kuperman, who had become a shatnez tester and had joined the research department in 1986, Shockett decided to see Walter McCrone, the head of the institute, himself. On the phone, McCrone said that he had never heard of Shatnez Laboratories, but he granted the two an appointment.
So, during the next bein hazmanim in 1990, the two found themselves in a sprawling ivy covered building, telling Walter McCrone of their dilemma with ramie. How could they explain the mitzvah of shatnez — one of the most esoteric, mysterious mitzvos of the Torah — to a gentile?
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Opinion & Comment
Insights and thoughts on various aspects of chinuch from a veteran Torah educator.
In the year 5725, I brought, with siyata deShmaya, five talmidim from Yeshivas Beer Sheva to Yeshivas Hevron in Yerushalayim. The yeshiva's staff had devoted much time and effort to develop the innate talents of these five talmidim and to increase their Torah knowledge, and eventually they were zoche to see the fruits of their labor. Boruch Hashem, all five were accepted to Yeshivas Hevron and today they are outstanding talmidei chachomim. The rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Hevron, Maran HaRav Yechezkel Sarna zt'l, expressed his admiration of the blessed results of disseminating Torah in areas far from the Torah centers of Eretz Yisroel.
Loving our Talmidim
HaRav Sarna told me: "Chazal (Sifri, Voeschonon) write: `"And you shall teach your sons" (Devorim 6:7) - - these are your talmidim.' Why did the Torah not explicitly write, `And you shall teach your talmidim' if that is actually meant? The Torah is coming to teach us that we cannot hope to teach Torah to our talmidim if we do not love them like our own children."
HaRav Michel Yehuda Lefkovitz, the rosh yeshiva of Ponevezh Yeshiva LeTzeirim, once told me that he had asked Maran the Chazon Ish zt'l about the correct way to educate talmidim to Torah and yirah. His answer: We must show love and fondness for talmidim as a father loves his sons. Only in such a way can we educate them to Torah and yiras Shomayim. This is what the Tanna (Ovos 1:12) writes: "Be among the talmidim of Aharon: Loving peace and pursuing peace, loving people and bringing them nearer to Torah." Only through "love of people" can we reach out to our talmidim and bring them closer to Torah.
The Tears of the Maharil Diskin
After the petirah of the Maharil Diskin zt'l, his only son, HaRav Yitzchok Yeruchom Diskin zt'l, was oleh to Eretz Yisroel and accepted the presidency of the enormous orphanage in Yerushalayim that his father had founded. The first time he visited the orphanage he burst into tears. In response to the question of those accompanying him as to why he cried, he answered: "A carpenter steps on bits of wood, a shoemaker steps on scraps of leather, a bookbinder steps on sheimos. I am afraid that the orphanage directors are stepping on neshomos."
Not only heads of orphanages have such a grave responsibility. All those engaged in chinuch share accountability for the welfare of their talmidim.
Opinion & Comment
"And Yaakov remained alone." He forgot several small jars and returned for them. From here we learn that tzaddikim cherish their possessions more than their bodies. Why? Because they heed themselves from theft" (Rashi quoting from Chulin).
Their possessions are dearer to them than their own bodies? Is this possible?
And why?
We are told that it is because they are careful not to steal, so that all their possessions are come by honestly. But what connection do small jars have to theft? Could leaving them behind bring him to such a sin? Besides, there is a wide spectrum from miserliness at the one end or parsimoniousness due to poverty, and the piety that causes one to value every G-d-given penny.
We must note the wording, however. It is not one who loves his money, or one who is careful not to spend a penny, who is termed a tzaddik. Rather, it is the tzaddik who cherishes his money and will not disclaim even small jars.
The tzaddik is a believer. "The righteous one lives by his faith." Rabbenu Bechaye writes (Parshas Pinchos), "A person is only called a tzaddik if he trusts in Hashem."
Thus, it is the tzaddik, who trusts in Hashem, who is fully cognizant of the fact that everything he has, comes from Hashem. It was given to him and is not a result of his effort or investment. "For the race is not to the fleetfooted, nor is the victory to the mighty, nor is bread to the clever one" (Koheles). Toil, investment, acumen, do not constitute the sure formula for wealth. Only Hashem impoverishes and enriches.
When a person has a palpable faith and belief that every single penny in his pocket is a gift from Heaven, he cannot help asking: Why was I given this money?
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