The Admor of Pshevorsk Reb Itzikel Gevirtzman, ztvk"l
In honor of his yahrtzeit: Yom Kippur

Holy in life and holy in death. It has been said that one who is niftar on the Yom Hakodosh was a true tzaddik and has passed from this world having atoned for any trace of sin.

Many are the stories of the tzaddik Reb Itzikel of Antwerp that I have heard firsthand from my grandfather, z"l, and yblc"t my father, who were very close to him in the postwar years.

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Opinion and Comment Seeking Permanent Simchah by Mordecai Plaut Thanks to the wealth which Hashem has showered upon us in recent generations, many of us enjoy temporary succahs that are nicer and more comfortable than the permanent housing of generations past. This is altogether appropriate. The charge to leave our permanent dwellings for temporary accommodations on Succos is not to make us suffer in primitive conditions, but to learn from the experience. We should try to make our fulfillment of this mitzvah as pleasant and as elevating as possible, and investing in decoration and conveniences of the succah is a well-known way of doing this. It enhances the immediate goal of the mitzvah, which is simchah on Succos.

Opinion and Comment Ga'avoh and the Relative Standard Based on shiurim by Rabbi Dovid Siegel Did you ever find yourself sitting on a park bench or a bus, minding your own business, and your thoughts suddenly began drifting: Who is this person sitting next to me? Look at that. He has such a small kippa. Her bangs are peeking out of her hair covering. He/she is nowhere near as important as I. I am far more religious and worthy than he/she.

He Did Not Recognize His Brothers by HaRav Chaim Pass The Meshech Chochmoh (on Shemos 13:13, beginning vechol), asks a powerful question. The seforim explain that the sum that has to be paid for pidyon haben -- five shekolim -- is the equivalent of the twenty silver pieces that changed hands when Yosef was sold, there being four selo'im in each shekel. If this money represents the sum which the brothers received for selling Yosef however, why does the child's father, who is a Yisroel, give the money to the Cohen, who is a member of the tribe of Levi? Levi was one of the brothers who conducted the sale and we would expect the money to be handed in the opposite direction in atonement: from a Levi to one of the descendants of Yosef.

The Last Minute by Rabbi M. D. Weinstock To paraphrase part of the Foreword by Emile Marmorstein, the following is an account of a spiritual adventure through which our faith can derive strength and our resolve to draw nearer to our Creator through the meticulous performance of His orders can be strengthened. The Hashgochoh and simple human heroism are inspiring. Rabbi Shapira, zt"l, referred to in the story, was known to many as the Bluzhover Rebbe, when he lived in Boro Park.

Portraying The Past And Ensuring The Future: HaRav Yitzchok Isaac Halevi Rabinowitz, zt'l, Author Of Doros Horishonim By Moshe Musman and Yated Ne'eman Staff, Based on a Biographical Account by Rabbi Shmuel Halevi Rabinowitz, z'l Introduction: Between Faith and Reform Rav Halevi fought all his life for the truth. He fearlessly protested all forms of falsehood and distortion, and specifically those that were threatening to engulf and transform Jewish life.

From The Vilna Gaon's Beis Hamedrash: Some Lesser Known Stories About Two Of The Gaon's Most Famous Talmidim By Rabbi Dov Eliach New material about the Vilna Gaon ztvk'l, and his disciples is always of interest -- there is no need to wait for a round numbered anniversary or, for that matter, for any anniversary at all. Nonetheless, the Succos issue, coinciding with the Gaon's yahrzeit on the nineteenth of Tishrei, is a particularly suitable setting for such a presentation. (Incidentally, this year is the Gaon's two hundred and fifth yahrzeit [5558-5763, 1797-2002]).

For the Rosh Yeshiva, Bais Yaakov was a Complete Shulchan Oruch in its Own Right by Yated Ne'eman Staff HaRav Shach's deep influence covered all aspects of Torah life: he not only ruled over the yeshiva world and the cheder system, but also directed the education of the girls. An interview with Rav Zeev Wolf, principal of the "Wolf Seminary," the main Bais Yaakov high school in Bnei Brak.