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24 Kislev, 5781 - December 10, 2020 | Mordecai Plaut, director | Bereishis- 5781 Published Weekly
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Meeting of the Israel Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah

Led by Maran Sar HaTorah HaRav Chaim Kanievsky shlita and Maran Rosh Hayeshiva HaRav Gershon Edelstein shlita, the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah met last Friday erev Shabbos parshas Vayishlach.

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A Chanukah Message from HaRav Shteinman zt"l

The head of all Jewry, the Rosh Yeshiva HaRav Shteinman, whose Chanukah message is his legacy, explained the idea behind the Greek demand that "you write upon the ox' horn that `we have no portion in the G-d of Israel.'"

Jewish livelihood in the past was grounded in agriculture, and the ox was the animal that plowed the fields, representing the bread which constituted their staff of life. The Greeks and Hellenists who were determined to effect changes in the midst of the Jewish people demanded that Jews declare that Hashem had no part in their source of livelihood (ch'v), rather it was the strength of the ox which provided their daily bread.

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From The Teachings of Maran HaRav E.M. Shach zt"l

This article was originally published in 1998.

"I remember," said Maran HaRav Shach in a shmuess, "that in my native Lithuania mothers used to sing a lullaby to their children: `My children! Near the wagon stands a white goat. The goat will bring you raisins and almonds. The raisins and almonds are indeed sweet — but studying Torah is much sweeter.' This song mothers sang to their children when they would feed them or rock them to sleep" (BeZos Ani Botei'ach, pg. 87).

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Yissurim: A Torah Perspective

by Rav A. Somosi

Yesodos

(The following is based on a loose translation of the Steipler Gaon`s Bircas Peretz, Parshas Mikeitz, which serves as a springboard for a wider discussion of the subject.) It was first published 24 years ago, in 1996, but it is certainly appropriate for our time.

The Centrality of Yissurim in our lives

Medrash Rabba, Parshas Mikeitz (92),"Reb Alexanderi declared, `There is no person in the world who is free of yissurim. Fortunate is he whose suffering comes upon him through the Torah as it says: `Ashrei hagever asher teyasreno Hashem, umitorosechoh telamedeno.'"

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s Rain and Kinneret Watch

by Dei'ah Vedibur Staff

Our weekly report of the rain and the level of the Kineret - Winter, 5781.

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CER

From Our Archives


The Ancients -- Like Angels

by Rabbi Yerachmiel Kram

"And they despised him and they could not speak with him in peace" (Bereishis 37:4).

Each year we return to the weekly portion which tells us about the hatred the brothers bore unto Yosef and their inability to maintain normal speaking relations with him. These portions are difficult to understand. They are veiled and concealed with a thousand barriers that defy our ability to fathom what is really going on.

For the nonbeliever, it is no problem to read these portions at their face value and to think he understands them. Whoever sees in Reuven and Shimon a mirror-image of this or that neighbor, can somehow match them with the behavior the latter seems to enact and skim through the passages. Others, whose faith is split or wishy-washy, ostensibly believe that the Torah is Divine but they are hard put to believe that the ancients resembled angels and that their conduct is totally beyond our conception, even regarding their everyday, common talk.

And when they come upon the words, "And they despised him and could not speak with him in peace," they encounter no difficulty. They, themselves, have tasted "similar" animosity, they believe, hatred such as that which might have led to the dismissal of another person from his job.


Until the End of Time

by C. Ofek

FICTION

9:00 AM on the dot. Twenty avreichim jump off the van which brought them from Tel Aviv to Bnei Brak, and rush into the kollel in order to begin their studies. Once in the kollel, mundane conversations cease, including exchanges of information about the latest gemachim. From then on every moment is devoted solely to Torah study.

Quite rapidly the kollel's seats filled, and a pleasant gemora niggun pervaded the beis medrash. Nonetheless, one seat remained empty: Yitzchok Weissfish's.

Naftoli Bloom, Yitzchok's chavrusa, looked at the empty seat in bewilderment, while a large question mark formed in his heart. Where is Yitzchok? Perhaps something happened to him? Maybe he needs my help?

R' Naftoli strained his mind: "Did Yitzchok tell me that he would be absent today? I don't think so."




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