17 Sep SPEAK YOUR VUES WITH THE VUES MASTER

SHAIMOS
Dear Vues Master:
Please be aware that in Rabbi Efrem Goldbergs
article called “Missing Apologies to the Hostages” it
has Hashem’s name. Please tell your readers to take
out the page & treat it as shaimos.
RS
Vues Master’s Note: Thanks for pointing it out. We
try our best.

STREET VENDORS
Dear Vues Master:
Last week, sanitation police were seen in Boro Park
near Shomer Shabbos on 13th Avenue posting signs
that street vendors need to get permits in order to
sell on the street. Why are street vendors in Boro
Park being targeted? I understand vendors should
be keeping the streets clean but we need people to
sell flowers on Erev Shabbos in Jewish areas. On
Erev Sukkos on 13th Avenue there is a shuk type
atmosphere in Boro Park. I get my arba minim there
every year. Why are they targeting Boro Park? There
are hundreds of vendors on streets throughout New
York.
PH
Vues Master’s Note: The police just want the streets
to be safe & clean. I think it’s time to ask Chief Richie
Taylor to help out.

SPREADING ANTI-SEMITISM
Dear Vues Master:
Asking a question about Gaza casualties based on
statistics provided by Hamas is like asking about
casualties in Afghanistan based on the Taliban or
Isis. Shame on you ABC News moderators for
perpetuating a lie that has led to terrible hate against
Israel and Jews!
Rabbi Efrem Goldberg
Vues Master’s Note: As much as things change they

stay the same. There will always be baseless hatred
of Jews!

DEBATE
Dear Vues Master:
There is a beautiful story of a disagreement that
Rabbi Yonasan Eibshitz had with a philosopher.
The philosopher claimed that he could change a
cat and make him act like a person. Rabbi Yonasan
Eibshitz said this was impossible. They agreed to
make a contest. When the day of the contest came,
the philosopher brought a cat that he had trained
to be a waiter. The cat served an entire meal, and
the audience was amazed. Just as they stared and
assumed that Rabbi Yonasan Eibshitz had been
proven wrong, Maimonides took out a container from
his pocket. He opened it up and a mouse ran by. The
cat saw the mouse, dropped the tray of dishes that
he was holding, breaking them all, and ran after the
mouse. Rabbi Yonasan Eibshitz was proven right, and
everyone agreed that no matter what, a cat is a cat.
As much as he may be trained to act in a particular
way, he is still inherently a cat and must be treated as
such. After the debate between President Trump and
Vice-President Harris, the mainstream media went
overboard saying that Karmala won the debate and
should be crowned President. My take on it was I
heard was Donald being Trump. He said some things
he shouldn’t have but it was a natural performance.
He has been President for four year and has a proven
track record. Harris on the other hand was primed
and put on a good acting performance although kind
of kvetchy. Her political history is sketchy, leftist
and out of the mainstream. Trump lost the debate
to Hillary in 2016 but went on to win then. So let’s
not rush to make a coronation. I just think that Trump
should have let a mouse out the bag during the debate.
DF
Vues Master’s Note: There is no debating that the
election will be stolen and cheating will go on!

POTCHED ME
Dear Vues Master:
RE: Country Yossi’s true story behind
“Then He Potched Me” Brings back
not so fond memories of my own
yeshiva experiences. The difference
was in my case that after being abused
for weeks by a sadistic maniac who
kept asking me things in a language I
couldn’t understand and then pinching
me for not answering (I was only
11 and just started yeshiva here) I
put a butter knife to his throat while
screaming Hungarian curses. While
it earned me an immediate trip home,
once my father came in the next day
and showed them my black and blue
arms (and had a very serious talk
with the Rosh), they never touched
me again. The rebbeim who weren’t
psychos were the exception. I recall
the finger specialist who delighted in
putting kids’ hands on the desk and
rolling a pencil on the backs of their
hands while leaning his full weight
on it…most of his students had a
pronounced backwards curve to their
fingers by the end of the year. Give
him marks for imagination! Then,
there were the slappers and the pokers
in the rib specialists. I won’t bore you
with all the other varieties of psychos.
Today, they’d all be behind bars….
Anonymous
Vues Master’s Note: Same here and
many more!

QUALITIES NEEDED
Dear Vues Master:
Thank you very much for the Jewish
Vues publication. Week after week
there are so many excellent articles
written by people whose primary goal
is to serve Hashem. In a recent issue,
the “Fun Question of the Week” was
“What are the top 3 qualities a Rebbi
should have?” The answers given
were very inspiring. I was thinking
of two more ingredients to add: 1) A
rebbi should be able to pour out his

heart that Hashem should help his
talmid to be successful. 2) A rebbi
should continuously give recognition
to his talmid. The Chazon Ish is quoted
as saying that every child needs a
spoonful of kavod every day. Ksiva
v’chasima tova,
DG
Vues Master’s Note: Wow, spoken like
a true Rebbe’s Rebbe!

TOXIC
Dear Vues Master:
Just until a few years ago, when you
walked into an establishment or even
a home you could smell where you
are. That is part of the experience of
life for better or worse. The smell of
my grandparents’ home! The bakery
ahh! The fish store or the butcher!!!
The dentist or the doctor… the seforim
store with the scent of fresh books or
the shoe store with a unique leather
scent, the experience of new shoes!
The supermarket fragrant from coffee
popcorn and the salad bar. Today
though there is a trend of establishments
having a fragrance dispersed in the air.
Never mind no longer the experience
of your senses telling you where you
are… these are toxic fumes that many
people do not tolerate well and plenty
are allergic to. It is not healthy for
anyone. It is becoming increasingly
difficult for sensitive people to shop
in local establishments. Please take
that into consideration. Do not tell me
you had to do it because there was a
bad smell in the store. Keep your store
clean and take out the dead mouse and
it will be just fine as it was until now.
Most people are ashamed to speak
up. But please do! Smell something,
say something! Personally I also
compliment places that do not have it
(yet!) And ask them to please keep it
that way. Thank you for putting in my
letter! P.S. I have nothing against these
companies parnassah. I wish them
well. I urge them to explore non toxic
options that are available and upgrade

their business to new heights!
JU
Vues Master’s Note: Sometimes it is
the views of environmentalists who are
toxic!!

CHIYUV
Dear Vues Master:
A visitor to town said he was a חיוב
and was therefore permitted to serve
as the תפילה בעל . It was a disaster. The
man had the most horrible voice and
obviously didn’t know עברה . When
the gabbai went up to tell him to step
down, the man refused to budge. Two
men who came to physically remove
him were shocked to see that he had
tied himself to the bimah. “What is the
meaning of this?” they asked. “Do you
think this is the first time I’m standing
before the עמוד “?he answered.
FS
Vues Master’s Note:As the Satmarer
Rebbe once told a chiyuv on Rosh
Hashana the fact that your father died
turned you into a yasom (orphan) not
a Chazzan!!!

RABBONIM
Dear Vues Master:
On a trip to Warsaw, Rebbie Akiva
“.בית המדרש לרבנים” the visited Eiger
After testing the men learning there
and concluding that they didn’t know
ש״ס or הלכה, he said: “Those learning
here merit the title רב ערב, not רב.“
DG
Vues Master’s Note: Unfortunately
there are many such places!

BELIEVING
Dear Vues Master:
Rivka came home one day looking
very upset. “What’s wrong?” her
mother asked. “I don’t know what
to do. Michael asked me to marry
him, but I’m concerned that he’s not
frum enough. He doesn’t believe in

Gehenam,” Rivka replied. “Don’t
worry,” her mother said. “After you
get married, we’ll show him how
wrong he is.”
LK
Vues Master’s Note: I guess seeing is
believing in this case!!

DON’T FORGET BABY
Dear Vues Master
I am pleased to hear that car makers
will have a built-in reminder to take
the baby out. But my theory is why not
(for people “unaccustomed” to having
a baby in the car) just keep the child
in the front next to you. There’s no
way you can forget the baby then. As
“unsafe” it is to keep the baby in the
front, it’s a lot safer than leaving him/
her there!
JSK
Vues Master’s Note: It seems that
the airbag deploying is extremely
dangerous in the front seat for a baby.
That is why the baby car seats are
always in the back.

MINHAG HAMAKOM
Dear Vues Master
Does the concept of minhag hamakom
apply today? If it does, to what extent?
Many times I go to shuls and they
say that the minhag here is not to say
tachanun, do I still say it or not?
Boruch David
Editor’s Note: This is a question you
should ask your local Orthodox rabbi.
It seems that this concept is overused
in many different ways.

LOST EMAIL
Dear Vues Master:
We all love to read and hear inspiring
stories.To experience something that
gives us a warm feeling in our heart
and connects us more to Hashem
and others. This is all well and good.
But I think it is much better that the

reading and experiencing doesn’t end
with that “Wow” moment. That the
lesson learned motivates us to take
ACTION, to use what we read or
saw to help others. Recently, I saw a
clear connection between something
that happened to me ten years ago
and what I did in the here and now.
It all started a decade ago, when the
owner of Ateret Avot Senior Home in
Brooklyn, where I work as director of
recreation, came into my office. He
asked me to print out an email and
give it to a 95 year old woman – Fay
Gritz zt’l — who lived in the Home.
The missive was from her only son
who was visiting Israel at the time.
I was only too happy to do it. To
connect my good friend Mrs. Gritz
with her son, who I knew would be
so happy to hear from him. I printed
out the email, intending to bring it to
her after I did a few odds and ends
at my desk. Got a phone call, took
care of a few other tasks and then I
reached over for that email. It wasn’t
there. I thought I had left it to my
right on top of some newspapers. I
looked there in about 10 other places
but still couldn’t find it. All right,
Plan B. I would print it out again. I
went on to my computer to call it up,
Immediately, a sick feeling penetrated
my stomach. I was stunned when I saw
that the email had been accidentally
deleted. Nowhere to be found! Did
another search – this time frenzied
–looking for that printed out email.
Turned over every nook and cranny.
Looked in places I didn’t even know
existed. No sign of it. I felt terrible.
Miserable. But I knew I had to tell
Mrs Gritz. She might be expecting
it. I bolted to the lobby and was told
by the receptionist that my friend
was sitting outside. I opened the door
and was out in the bright sunshine,
my thoughts clouded by what I had
to tell her. I saw Mrs. Gritz sitting
in her familiar spot. Immediately
upon seeing me, her face lit up and
she gushed, , “Alan, great news! My

son sent me an email and someone
is going to print it out and give it to
me.” Feeling dejected beyond words,
I said, “I am that someone. And I am
so sorry to tell you that I lost it and it
was deleted on the computer. I am so
sorry.” At that moment I thought she
was going to get very upset…either at
me or the situation. And I would not
have blamed her. But within a second
she was telling me, “Don’t worry.
It’s nothing. He’ll be home soon. It’s
okay.” It was not just her words; her
manner was equally soothing. I was
so moved by her generosity of spirit,
that when I got back to my office I was
determined to find that email. But not
in the rushed, nervous way if she had
been angry or even disappointed at
me and said, “You better find it.!” But
in the calm centered way of someone
who is relaxed. I sat at my desk and
blanked my mind. Calmed myself.
Felt at peace. I tried to bring myself
back to that place in time when I had
just printed out that email. What had
I done next? To be in that moment
as much as possible. A number of
seconds passed and then it hit me. After
printing that email, I was working on
schedules. SCHEDULESI I turned
to my left and on the shelf was the
folder I put schedules into. I reached
for the folder and went through some
of the papers AND THEN I SAW IT.
The email from her son. Happiness
is too mild a word to describe what
I felt. Waves of relief and joy washed
over me. I took the email in my hand,
walked out of my office and made the
short walk to the front of the building.
When I walked outside, I saw Mrs.
Gritz,, and holding that paper in the
air I said, “I found the email!” She
instantly became overjoyed. She
exclaimed, “Oh, you don’t know
what this means to me!!! I was
looking so much forward to reading
it. My only son. Thank you! Thank
you! Thank you!” I handed her the
email and saw her start to read it. I
walked back into the building and I

was filled with a sense of awe. Here
was a 95 year old woman, who had
wanted SO much to read that email
from her son. SO MUCH. But when
she saw the pain in my face when I
told her I had lost it, she amazingly
sought to comfort me. Only when the
email was found was she able to gush
with joy. Now, to how Mrs. Gritz’s
reaction inspired me to action a short
time ago. I was making introductory
remarks as part of a series of Torah
talks I sponsored for my shul during
the pandemic to an audience over the
telephone. After five minutes I would
introduce the main speaker who was
very popular and much anticipated.
But she didn’t come on after my
five minutes, so I made a few more
remarks and when I realized she still
just wasn’t there, I knew I had to
speak. But what about? Off the cuff,
I decided to relate anecdotal stories
about me becoming a Ba’al Teshuva.
About my family’s acceptance.
About my wedding. Not planned, and
knowing no one expected me to be on
point, I completely relaxed and began
relating one story after another with
vim, clarity, drama, and humor. It
was like putting pearls on a necklace.
One anecdote naturally connected to
the next. When I finished I felt that
in those 25 minutes I had relived
a significant part of my life. The
feedback I got from the listeners
was overwhelming. They loved it!
Couldn’t understand how I could
do it with no preparation. Heart-felt
Yasher koachs. I had caught lightning
in a bottle. And I knew it would only
keep going better. The man who ran
the tech for these telephone shiurim
recorded the talks. I would have
this forever! I could share it with
family. Friends. Web sites. Maybe
even sell it. I emailed the tech guy
and thanked him for his work and
asked if he, at his convenience,
could send me the recording of my
talk. He emailed me right back with
his apologies. Waiting for the other

speaker to come on, he had forgotten
to push the record button for my
extended talk. I was devastated.
Demoralized. But thankfully, only for
a few seconds. I reached back in time
and remembered how my friend Mrs.
Gritz had not wanted to hurt me, Said
that me losing that email didn’t matter.
She would see her son soon enough.
Even though she felt SO much pain.
I immediately wrote to the tech guy
and said that it was okay that it wasn’t
recorded. All was well. “This is the
way Hashem wanted it. Don’t even
give it a second’s thought.” And I
thanked him for his work in putting
the program on. How fortunate for
me that I had such a good role model
to learn from and I ACTED on it.
(Epilogue: The tech guy recorded a
talk of mine some weeks later which
was just as meaningful to me and I am
making a CD of it.) AM Vues Master’s
Note: I almost lost the answer to this
email. Very inspiring! HEAVEN Dear
Vues Master: A 93-year-old woman
approached her Rabbi and asked him
to teach her Hebrew. “Mrs. Goldstein,
at your age, why do you want to learn
Hebrew?” he asked. “I don’t know
how much longer I have,” she said
“and if I go to gan eden, where people
speak Hebrew, I want to be able to
understand them.” In a pleasant voice,
the Rabbi said: “You should live to
120, but Mrs. Goldstein what will you
do if you go to Gehenom?” “Oh,” she
answered, “I already know German,
Hungarian, Polish and Ukrainian.”
BG
Vues Master’s Note: I guess there is a
universal language in Gehenom it is
called Lawyer speak!