Thursday, May 31, 2018

Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Be careful of mistakes

We were requested to remind the Torah Tzibur that they should avoid looking at blogs‎ even  with a kosher jewish name that do not adher to staying away from writing "Dvorim Asurim". The only blogs that may be viewed are those that are Loshon Hora free‎ and do not embarrass another jewish person.

After all why is it the bloggers business if he believes something is done wrong by someone?

The concept of  "Ltoeles" has been abused by many bloggers.

Utenu Kovod Latorah

Friday, May 18, 2018

Dvar Torah - Shavuos - From Rabbi Yitzchok Wolpin

This week we are privileged to read the first portion of the fourth book of Torah, Bamidbor. This book is also known as the book of Numbers, as the first portion The portion begins with Hashem recounting klal Yisroel one tribe at a time. Later the tribe Levi is counted separately.

One very important lesson one can learn from this count and it is repeated when later in the book of Bamidbor we learn the order in which the Jewish nation traveled. The Tribe Don was extremely large and they were actually last to journey, behind all other tribes, because Don numbered 62,000. Don, the son of Yaakov, had only one son, named Chushim. Chushim, was deaf. Sometimes people tend to make conclusions and just give up. Let’s think, if Don the son of Yaakov would have just given up on this only son, who was an invalid, the largest tribe of Klal Yisroel would not be. The important lesson to us is, One never knows the potential of an individual.

The words l’mishpichosom l’beis avoisom - according to their families, according to their fathers’ household, are repeated many times in this portion. The Medrash tells us that when the Jews received the Torah the nations of the world were jealous. Why are the Jews so privileged? Hashem responded with one request “bring me your daily trees, as the Jews do”, as is written l’mishpichosom l’beis avoisom - according to their families according to their fathers’ household. The commentaries explain that the Torah is eternal, and in order for it to continue, there needs to be a strong bond between father and son to grandson,  to create a mesora - tradition passed on from generation.
Shavuos, and bamidbor are strongly intertwined and the message to us is that our eternity is dependent on how much effort we put in to our future generations. A hint to this is also written in the first mishna in Rosh Hashono, B’atzeres al peiros ho’ilan - on Shavuos G-d judges the fruit of the trees”, according to many, this is a hint to our fruit, our children.

Let us remember to utilize this special Holiday and pray to merit an understanding of Torah and reaffirm our commitment to Torah and mitzvohs.

Gut Shabbos
Gut Yom Tov


Tuesday, May 15, 2018

The Chazon Ish Says - Words to Live by


Rosh Chodesh Sivan - Rabbi Yitzchok Wolpin

The month of Sivan is here. On the first day of this month we arrived at Sinai. This is when and where the final preparations for the BIG event of Kabolas Hatorah (receiving the Torah) took place. We say in the Hagodo on Pesach that arriving at Sinai in itself was a tremendous event, and our sages teach us that Klal Yisroel arrived united as one man with one heart. (Ilu keirvonu lifnei Har Sinai Dayeinu).

King Solomon refers to the day of receiving the Torah as the day of a wedding. Our sages also refer to a phrase in Torah hinting to the same idea (תורה צוה לנו משה מורשה, אל תקרי מורשה אלא מאורסה). We all know that any wedding as small as it may be required preparation, and this is no small wedding. In the holy book Bais Ahron  it is repeated that the event of Kabolas Hatorah repeats itself every year. Although not with the same revelation as it was then, whereby everyone saw the thunders and the flames and the smoking mountain, yet it does occur on the Holiday of Shavuos. Specifically this year when we have a Shabbos just prior to Shavuos it is a greater opportunity to prepare ourselves spiritually for this great event.

May we all merit to prepare properly and utilize the next few days to strengthen our commitment to studying Torah and observing its mitzvohs.

A gutten Chodesh,

Rabbi Yitzchok Wolpin

Sunday, May 6, 2018

News - A victim of Fedex

This past week a jew ( Yaakov Ben Yocheved) was stabbed in manhattan by a FedEx driver and is in critical condition.

The incident happened on 33rd street & 5th ave.

FedEx printed a public apology to the jewish community. Please Daven for a full Recovery for
Yaakov ben Yocheved.

News - Hard to believe!

Hundreds of Germans celebrated the birthday of Hitler, Ym'sh this past week.

The participants wore Nazi shirts with bold themes of Nazi history.

Thank G-D the German police were mobilized and effectively dispersed the disgusting participants  ‎.

Friday, May 4, 2018

News

The English Hamodia appears to have captured people's interest. It is the most popular read weekly torah newspaper in the U.S.

Absent of propaganda, no loshon Hora, and substantive articles about all groups, chassidic, litvish and the sefardi community has earned the paper a reputation not to be surpassed.

It is a paper, well written and respectful to all groups. A true Kiddush Hashem

Utenu Kavod LTorah!

Tuesday, May 1, 2018

Lag Ba’omer - from Rabbi Yitzchok Wolpin

We are approaching a very special day, known as LAG Baomer (33). This is the day in which Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai revealed to his close disciples many hidden Secrets of Torah and then passed on to the world to come. Reb Shimon desired that this day be celebrated for all future generations. There are various different customs related to this holy day. Some of the great chassidic masters wrote that this day has holiness similar to Yom Kippur. The Chasam Sofer writes that it is the beginning of the horizon of Yom Kippur. It is known that twenty four thousand disciples of R’ Akiva died during the days of Omer counting and on the 33rd day the plague stopped.

The Talmud in Yivamos 62, describes the reason for the death, that they failed to honor each other. After their passing the world was barren until Rabbi Akiva went to the south and taught Torah and established five new Rabbis who saved the Torah world. The most prominent was R’ Shimon bar Yochai. Let’s imagine how R’ Akiva must have felt. We know that he only started to learn Torah ate age forty. He reached the highest levels and became the teacher and famous leader of so many great people, and now he was facing such great loss. An ordinary person would have said “it wasn’t meant to be” and at best would move on in life. Reb Akiva is not phased, he begins rebuilding and merited to have the greatest teacher of the hidden secrets of Torah, Rebbe Shimon, as his prime student. This is the message of Lag Ba’omer. No matter what the situation, if one is determined to do the right thing, there’s no limit to what can be reached.

Let us hope that the teachings of R’ Shimon will continue to shed light on all of us and defend us from all harm. May we merit to be blessed.

Rabbi Yitzchok Wolpin