28 May SPEAK YOUR VUES WITH THE VUES MASTER

LAG BA’OMER ON A SUNDAY
Dear Vues Master
Lag Ba’Omer was beautiful this year. The weather was great
& everywhere you went in heimish Brooklyn there was either
a bonfire, a parade or some sort of family entertainment. I
wish Lag Baomer was every year on a Sunday.
KT
Vues Master’s Note: Between the weather & this year it being
on Sunday it was a really great day. We should all make it a
point to thank the NYPD and Shomrim for all their help in
making everything work out smoothly this year. Many of the
streets were closed off & they did a great job!

NEW RULE FOR VISITORS ENTERING
ISRAEL
Dear Vues Master
This is absolutely crazy! I tried to book a flight to Israel
in October and the prices are insanely high. Now they are
starting something new. Starting August 1, 2024 visitors will
not be able to enter Israel without a permit or visa. Effective
August 1st, visitors of all ages from visa waiver countries,
such as Canada, Europe, and the US, will need to apply for
an electronic travel authorization, or ETA-IL. You will need
approval before you can board a flight to Israel. The ETA-IL
will cost 25 shekels and is valid for stays of up to 90 days.
It will expire 2 years after approval, but if you get a new
passport you will have to apply for a new ETA-IL. USA
citizens can begin to apply in June 2024.
RDL
Vues Master’s Note: With Israel’s tourism down because of
the war, you would think that is an odd time to add another
hassle and expense to visit Israel, but like taxes and death,
bureaucracy is one of the great certainties of life.

SPREADING HATE ON THE WEB
Dear Vues Master
This past weekend many of the Jewish social media websites
showed how many people went to Meron on Lag Baomer
& didn’t listen to the army’s warning to stay away. Many
chayalim were violent in getting rid of these people. Why do
these social media web sites put this online? It only spreads
sinas yisrael. There are enough people in this world that hate
us. Why add to it?
PD
Vues Master’s Note: This is just another reason why someone
should stay away from social media.

THE PERFECT CUT
Dear Vues Master

This past Sunday I went with my son to a local barber to
get a hair cut & shave. The barber was packed. There are
three barbers in this particular hair salon. Two of the people
are workers, the other the owner. I’ve been there many times
over the years & when I use one of the workers & not the
owner, I’m not that happy with my cut. Many people feel this
way & many people wait for the owner to give the haircut. I
felt very awkward when we were waiting 45 minutes for the
owner when the 2 workers had no one that they were cutting.
Should I have used one of the workers? I feel bad that they
want to give us a haircut but we prefer the owner. I know
many people that feel the same way.
RT
Vues Master’s Note: Maybe it’s time for you to go to a new
barber shop.

TREATED DIFFERENTLY
Dear Vues Master
No other war in the history of all wars was under such an
international microscope. No other army had to behave so
politely towards its worst enemies. No other nation had to
feed the criminals who murdered and kidnapped its own.
No other soldier had to be so lenient with the savages that
raped their women and burned their children and parents
alive. No other country was ever more hated and questioned
for defending itself. No other people, of any country in the
world, were more harassed, insulted, punished, sanctioned,
lied to, dehumanized by supporters of online terrorism and
attacked and bombed daily by bloody sick terrorists. No other
country had more UN resolutions. No other country attacked
by terrorists of all kinds and coming from all parts of its
borders was ever called a “terrorist state” when defending its
citizens. No other body of military evidence about terrorist
war crimes was more ignored by the WHO and other official
bodies. No other truly occupied territory – like northern
Cyprus by Turkey or Crimea by Russia… – ever flooded the
streets or university campuses with such absurd and pathetic
“activism” for a country that never cared about them before
October. No other woman, of any nation or religion, was
more doubted or less supported than Israeli women. No
other hostage, from any terrorist attack, was more ignored by
public opinion. No other BABY in the world was kidnapped
for 7 months, during which time neither UNICEF, nor RED
CROSS, nor AMNESTY…, no one even tweeted once about
it or questioned his captivity… Welcome to antisemitism, the
new season, produced by Iran and radical Islamists around
the world.
LIJ
Vues Master’s Note: Couldn’t have said it better myself!

THE ASHER YUHTZAR STORY
Dear Vues Master
A while ago my good friend and Rebbie
Rabbi Moshe Meir Weiss suggested I
write a tune to the words of Asher Yuhtzar
so that kids and adults alike would easily
remember them. He stressed that it was a
very important and often recited Brucha
that no one seems to have recorded and it
would be a big Zchus to be the composer
of such a niggun! I thought that was a
great idea, accepted the challenge and
set about seeking divine inspiration
for a catchy, uplifting melody suitable
for those holy words for I believe the
songwriting process cannot ultimately
be successful without direct input and
direction from above! Let me explain.
Looking back over the hundreds of
original songs I’ve written over the years,
amazingly, I have almost zero memory
of the actual process of writing those
melodies! It’s as if someone else wrote
them! I believe the creative songwriting
process is a modern day permutation of
RUACH HAKODESH where one goes
into a mystical trancelike state where time
doesn’t exist and you are one with your
guitar or keyboard and when you emerge
from that sublime musical dimension you
are mentally, emotionally and spiritually
exhausted! Six hours may have passed
but you feel as if only minutes have
gone by. The only proof you have that
you were actually involved is that new
tune you’re now singing! Apparently, the
composer is merely the human conduit
for the musical SHEFA that flows from a
sublime, divine source! But I digress! The
simple but singable melody I eventually
came up with for Asher Yuhtzar came
rather quickly as if heaven itself wanted
it sung without delay! So give it a listen,
teach it to your children and the next time
you sing it. Remember- it’s heaven sent!
Country Yossi
Vues Master’s Note: As usual, you did a
great job Country Yossi. When’s your next
album coming out?

OPEN LETTER TO MY
NEIGHBOUR IN SHUL
My Dear Chaver,
Please excuse me for not signing this
letter. Were I to do so, everyone in shul
would know that this letter is being
written to you, and I do not want to cause
you public disgrace. I have known you for
many years and I value our relationship.
Hopefully, you feel the same towards

me. Your commitment to Limud Torah
and your unrestrained gemilas chesed
are truly enviable. In fact, I had even
hoped that by sitting next to you in shul
some of your midos would rub off on me.
But one thing that disturbs me greatly is
your talking during davening. At first, it
was barely more than a word or two to
amplify a facial expression. But now, you
begin conversation almost as soon as you
come into shul. I am not calling this to
your attention, now, to give you tochacha
(reproof). Certainly, my own slate is not
nearly clean enough to make a reckoning
for you. But I just want to let you know
how your talking in shul is affecting me.
First and foremost is Shmoneh Esrei.
You probably assume that I am very well
off financially, and in other ways, too.
But I have some very pressing personal
problems, which even my best friends
know nothing about. Now, considering
my pekle, I don’t stand Shmoneh Esrei
nearly as long as I should, but somehow
you always seem to finish ahead of
me. I realize that you are trying to talk
quietly, but since you’re standing right
next to me, it disrupts my entire kavonah
(concentration). Sometimes, I get so
angry with you that I feel like blurting
out in the middle of my Shmoneh Esrei,
“Why don’t you just go outside to talk?
I can’t walk out now; but you can!” And
who knows if my tefillos are not being
answered because of inadequate kavonah?
Of course, I am not blaming you for my
tzoris, but since Shmoneh Esrei is my
chance to plead for some mercy, I would
appreciate it if you would conduct the
conversation outside, and then come in
for Kedusha. Next is Chazoras Hashatz,
when the chazan repeats the Shmoneh
Esrei. Even though I am aware of the
bountiful reward to be earned with each
omein, I am, unfortunately, far too lax
in responding properly. Nevertheless,
when I hardly hear the chazan above
your schmoozing, I end up losing out
on even more opportunities. Now, you
might argue and say that you are talking
to the man on the other side and not with
me. yes, that is true. But I also have an
inclination to schmooze in shul. When
I see you practically smacking your
lips over a delicious interchange, I am
tempted to join you. Sometimes, I tell
myself that I will only listen to your
conversation. Then I find myself an
accomplice, by encouraging you with
my interest. At other times, however, I

even find myself sucked into actively
participating in the conversation, which
I had promised myself only to overhear.
The krias haTorah is difficult enough to
follow, with the inevitable noise of foot
shuffling, coughing, and (in the summer)
air conditioner blowing. But when that
combines with your conversation, I go
home each Shabbos wondering whether
or not I have been yotzei krias haTorah.
Finally, I must say that our shul is a very
special one. We have some excellent
shiurim, a highly respected Rabbi, and
a minyan full of bnei Torah. In general,
there is a fairly good decorum in our
shul, compared with many others. So I
suppose I could just change my seat. But
at this point, it would be too awkward
to explain without embarrassing you
or myself. Our shul, in many ways, is
truly a mikdash me’at – a sanctuary in
miniature. But whenever I am about
to reach the full appreciation of that,
especially on Shabbos, your talking cools
me off. The other day, you asked me why
I don’t bring my five year old son to shul
more often. I told you that he’s still too
young. Now I’ll tell you the real reason.
He still feels kedushas beis hamedrash –
the sanctity of the place – when he walks
in. Even after davening, he whispers in
shul. If I bring him every week and sit
him down between us, I am frankly afraid
of your example. How can he retain his
reverence for shul if he observes your
behaviour? Each Shabbos he begs me to
take him along and I’m running out of
excuses. You don’t owe me any respect.
And you may feel that my kavonah does
not take precedence to you socializing.
But think of our children in shul. What
will become of their davening? I see you
are already having trouble controlling
some of your children in shul. Whenever
you are not schmoozing with a friend,
you are reprimanding your children.
Yes, their conduct is reprehensible,
at times; but where do you think they
learned to be callous towards kedushas
beis hamedrash? In writing this letter, I
have tried to avoid giving away my own
identity or that of our shul. If others read
this letter, however, they may waste time
trying to figure out whom this letter was
meant for. But you know. Wishing you
and your family all the best.
Name and City Withheld by request
Vues Master’s Note: What happened to
just talking and socializing during the
Kiddush?

NO LAUGHING MATTER
Dear Vues Master,
Thank you so much for providing
a wonderful weekly publication!
Recognizing your commitment,
dedication, and sensitivity for Am
Yisroel, I am confident that you would
appreciate the following being brought
to your attention. Several weeks ago, you
published something on the ‘Laughter’
page which is far below the bar you
have set for yourselves over the years.
In the 4/10-4/16 issue, your joke read-
‘Message from Agudas Yisroel of
America- Possible Causes…’ and went
on to list various shortcomings of our
community. ‘Possible causes’ of what;
the awful losses, the hostages, trauma,
anguish, and agony since October 7? As
a publication that weekly updates the
hostage list, and engages us to feel for the
soldiers of the IDF and all the injured and
suffering, how can the same newspaper
belittle, make light of, and mock the
unfathomable pain by making a ‘joke’ and
try to elicit a laugh or a smirk about the
tzaros??!! Imagine if a widow, orphan,
or a hostage’s relative would read that
….?! And shouldn’t we try to feel their
pain? And… Agudah??? I don’t recall
EVER seeing such a statement from that
respected organization. Additionally, are
we not called upon to do some serious
introspection especially at a time of
national crisis and consider how we can
possibly improve ourselves? Thank you
again for a very worthy publication and
please be more discerning in the future.
Daniel Yormark

LIGHT A CANDLE
Dear Vues Master
Due to a strange series of events, I
chanced upon a kever. It was the Kever
of Ida Davidowitz at Old Montefiore
Cemetery (Springfield Blvd.) Her kever
reads only as Eige Bas Ezriel (spelled with
an aleph). It seems that she was a 38 year
old childless woman and her Meitzeva
reads in yiddish “ Beloved people, I am
very alone here, I didn’t leave behind
any children. Please grant me a candle,
and beg for my neshama. In this zechus,
may Hashem help you, you should live
to see children and grandchildren in
their old age with all good. I believe
her kever is, Gate 360/e, block 17, row
006R Grave 3 in the Viznitz chelka. I
hope you are able to visit this kever and
grant her request, AS HER YAHRZEIT

APPROACHES (TES SIVAN). May
it be a zechus for you and your family.
Kindly circulate this to others who are in
need of their own yeshuos. You may not
need to make the trek to all corners of
the world to beseech various tzaddikim
and tzidkonios, you may find the answer
right here.
With Much Hatzlocha, L.M.
Vues Master’s Note: Thank you for
sharing.

HILCHOS BORER
Dear Vues Master,
Borer on Shabbos is a melacha easily
overlooked because selecting/sorting
is done many times a day by most
people. If we don’t follow the correct
formula, a person could transgress
Shabbos multiple times just by throwing
out a spoiled blueberry or sorting the
dishes in their dishwasher. In order to
select from a mixture on shabbos (a
mixture is defined as anything in very
close proximity to other items even if
similar) you must take what you want
from what you don’t want, use your
hand (or fork), and for immediate use.
Something that isn’t mixed with other
things doesn’t need to be done this way.
So examples: vegetable drawer of mixed
veggies, a fruit bowl of different fruits,
a full suitcase full of clothes, a cluttered
cabinet, a book shelf, a cake platter, a
candy assortment, cold cut platter, meat/
fish and bones, and also even a single
type thing like blueberries or grapes
but where some are rotten and some
are fresh. To select properly, the same
formula applies to all of Shabbos. Keep
in mind that this is only good for what
you’re immediately using. When putting
a mixture away, selecting for separation
is no longer permitted. So while you may
be able to put a book you were reading
back on the Shelf, if you have a pile of
10 books it becomes a problem to start
putting them in different places. One
option is to read something from each
cover, or you could break up the whole
mixture and separate all the books. Then
you can put one away at a time. This
comes up in shul where some people
like to collect all the books to put away.
If they find themselves with a pile that
is not all siddurim/chumashim, Borer
must be kept in mind. If you are a guest
somewhere with a full suitcase and your
clothes are completely mixed in there,
you shouldn’t sort through the suitcase

at night to take out your morning stuff.
It should be left for the morning. If you
have a bowl of blueberries and you see a
few rotten ones, take a good one out with
them. If the meal is over and you have
a whole cold cut platter, don’t separate
the meat into different bags, put it in a
bag and fridge it the way it is. Also many
times a kiddush will have many types of
pastry boxes like chantille, if they were
all put out on separate platters it would be
permitted to return them to their boxes.
Once you have full assortments on the
table of mixed boxes, they shouldn’t be
separated and returned to different boxes
anymore. They can all be put into one
box to avoid sorting. With all that’s
going on in Israel and the pain our people
are going through, we need the mekor
habracha to be strengthened with the
knowledge of its laws and application to
our weekly Shabbosim, this knowledge
generally doesn’t come by itself. And
after a few years it is easily forgotten or
overlooked. Join me on this Quest as we
learn the laws of Shabbos little by little
and earn the protection of “Ki eshmera
Shabbos kel yishmereni”
RK
Vues Master’s Note: Thanks for the
shiur! Learning hilchos Shabbos is
always very important.

MASSIVE COVER-UP
Dear Vues Master
News Flash: Unconfirmed reports
indicate a massive cover-up by the
Islamic Republic of Iran in regard to the
alleged death of its President Ibrahim
Raisi in a helicopter crash attributed to
bad weather conditions. According to
sources, Raisi and his entire entourage
have actually defected to Israel, after

having engaged in extensive deep-
soul searching and penance. Each of

the involved individuals intends to be
“mitgayer” (convert to Judaism) and
each will embark on an intensive study
program at a prominent Yeshiva in
Jerusalem (the name of which cannot
be disclosed, for obvious security
reasons). Further, Raisi intends to earn
a livelihood by training to become a
Schochet (ritual slaughterer), so that
he will transform from having been
the “Butcher of Tehran” to being the
“butcher of Mea Shearim.” Raisi will
reportedly assume the name Avraham
ben Avraham and allegedly stated in
regard to the Iranian Supreme Idiot (oops

– “Supreme Leader” – not to be confused
with Diana Ross, leader of the Supremes
– although some gowns/robes of each do
have a bit of a resemblance to those of
the other), “Khamenei – Schmamenei.
Let him rot in Gehennom/Hell.” Not the
IRNA (Islamic Republic News Agency)

CHAMPIONING YESHIVA
FUNDING
Dear Vues Master
As the State Assemblywoman
representing South Queens, I am
proud to announce a historic victory
for yeshiva education in New York
State. Through tireless advocacy and
strategic partnerships with TeachNYS
and Agudath Israel, I have secured
record-breaking funding for yeshivas
in the recent 2024 State budget. Since
my election in 2017, I have made
it my mission to be the strongest
advocate for yeshivas in Albany. This
commitment stems not only from my
role as a representative, but also as
the only Jewish elected representative
in South Queens. The numbers speak
for themselves: a staggering $75.5
million dedicated to STEM (Science,
Technology, Engineering and
Mathematics) education, a doubling
of funding since my first term. But
it’s not just about the numbers; it’s
about the tangible impact this funding
will have on the lives and futures of
yeshiva students across the state. I am
particularly proud of the establishment
of a reimbursement fund for arts and
music education at yeshivas. As a firm

believer in the importance of a well-
rounded education, I fought hard to

ensure that yeshiva students have
access to the arts, fostering creativity
and expression. However, perhaps the
most significant achievement is the
$105 million allocated for yeshiva
security funding. In partnership
with the Nonpublic School Safety
Equipment Grant and SCAHC, we are
investing in the safety and security of
our schools, creating an environment
where students can learn and thrive
without fear. For me, safety and
education are not just priorities; they
are fundamental rights that every child
deserves. By securing this funding, I
am ensuring that yeshiva students have
access to a cutting-edge education
that prepares them for success in an
ever-changing world. Rabbi Yeruchim

Silber from Agudath Israel of America
said, “This is a budget we can be
proud of. Increased security funding
and mandated service will benefit the

students in every yeshiva and non-
public school across the state. We are

incredibly grateful to our champion,
Assemblywoman Pheffer Amato,

for securing the needs of the non-
public school community. “These

are transformative dollars directly
impacting our schools,” said Sydney
Altfield, Executive Director, Teach
NYS, a division of Teach Coalition.
“The State of New York recognizes the
importance of investing in the future of
tomorrow no matter the choice of school
they attend, and we are so grateful to
our partner, Assemblywoman Pheffer
Amato, for fighting alongside us to
make this a reality.” The praise is
humbling, but this victory belongs
to all of us – especially our children!
It is a testament to what we can
achieve when we come together with
a common purpose and a shared vision
for the future. As I look ahead, I am
more determined than ever to continue
fighting for yeshiva education and the
future of our community. Together, we
can build a brighter, more prosperous
future for all New Yorkers, regardless
of their school choice.
New York State Assemblywoman,
Stacey Pheffer Amato
Vues Master’s Note: Thank you
Assemblywoman for all your great work!

MISTAKE
Dear Vues Master:
In the Lag Baomer edition last week
in Rafael Medoff’s letter, he said
that in 1924, President W. Gamaliel
Harding signed on to the anti-Semitic
immigration laws. Harding died in 1923.
Did he mean 1923? Or Calvin Coolidge?
NA
Vues Master’s Note: Not sure. You
should reach out to the author directly.