08 Oct SPEAK YOUR VUES WITH THE VUES MASTER

OCTOBER 7
Dear Vues Master:
Last year, October 7 joined the short list of those dates
which will live in infamy and is thus being noted and
commemorated by Jews and non-Jews alike, in America,
Israel, and across the world. Shamefully, some are
celebrating this dark anniversary.
A few weeks ago, in conversation with a government
official, I expressed concern at the characterization of
campus unrest as an academic debate that has gotten out
of hand when it is clearly a conflict driven by forces with
deep malice and destructive intent towards Israel, the
Jewish people, and American values. The official listened,
explained that his work involved encouraging dialogue
without taking sides, and then shared the following: “I
understand what you are saying. I was on a university
campus on October 8 and I saw two groups demonstrating
both sides of this issue. The two groups were completely
different from each other.”
The gatherings commemorating October 7 once again
provide moral clarity for those who seek it. It is not hard
to see the difference between those who gather to identify

with and celebrate brutal murderers, rapists, and hostage-
takers, and those who stand up in support of a state

defending itself from those who seek its annihilation.
It is noticeable that supporters of Israel readily express
regret at the loss of innocent Palestinian lives while
those rallying for Gaza fail to condemn the depraved
barbarism of Hamas or the Iranian empire of terrorism.
The difference between the two sides that has been on
display throughout this year is apparent again as both
sides commemorate October 7, one calling for the end
of Israel “from the river to the sea,” while the other prays
for peace. Jewish tradition teaches that on Rosh Hashana,
the Jewish New Year just celebrated on October 3 and
4, G-d inscribes all the people of the world in either the
book of the righteous or the wicked. The righteous are
not perfect; they have failures and mistakes too, and
the wicked have their redeeming actions and qualities.
Lines are nevertheless drawn between the forces of good
and the promoters of evil. Tradition also teaches that
there is a third group, the beinonim, those in the middle
who take no side. These people muddle and equivocate
rather than standing clearly for what is right. For them,
the days between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, the

day when tradition holds the books are sealed, offer the
opportunity to make a definitive choice to be a force for
good. Their failure to do so will not leave them in the
safety of a neutral middle but condemns them to join the
ranks of those who harm the world. Beinonim are the
practitioners of bothsidesism, the promoters of moral
confusion in government, in the diplomatic arena, in
religious leadership, in the media, and in academia. In
their pursuit of a false balance, they seek the end of hatred
without noting that only one side is filled with hate; they
cry over death and destruction without distinguishing
between the aggressors and those defending themselves;
they call for two states for two peoples without noting
that the Jewish state will always welcome Arabs while
the Palestinian territories are by law Judenrein, places
where Jews are banned; they call for de-escalation and
ceasefires without realizing that one side will use that
quiet to go back to create the next revolution in artificial
intelligence, medicine, or agriculture, while the other will
use it to rearm and rebuild its terror tunnels; and they call
for peace and coexistence without noting that it is one
side’s dream and the other’s nightmare.
The commemoration of October 7 affords America’s many
beinonim, the bothsidesers, the perfect opportunity to
watch what happens, to think again, and to act with moral
clarity. Their continued failure to do so will consign them
to the ranks of the malign forces undermining America
and harming the world. They should choose life. And
what about us in the Jewish community? October 7 was
a day of national trauma for Klal Yisrael. Yes, it was the
bloodiest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust,
and it may also have been the first time since then that we
came face to face with utterly monstrous antisemitism.
It was the day lives were stolen, communities destroyed,
and we finally believed our enemies. It was when Israelis
lost their sense of security, only to be joined shortly
thereafter by Jews everywhere.
It demonstrated how many people have no clue how to
respond to evil and its perpetrators. But October 7 was
also a day of rebirth for the Jewish people. We learned
a lot about our enemies but even more about ourselves.
Heroism of every kind was everywhere as the Jewish
spirit of giving came alive. The astonishing, enduring,
and literal mesirut nefesh of the holy soldiers of Tzahal
and their families; the overflowing generosity of Jews
from across the world, sending money, supplies, cards,

food and lots of love; the prayers, the
tzitzit, the posters, the rallies, and the total
reshaping of Jewish life around concern
for the matzav and for those on the front
lines. We coalesced and rallied together as
a nation in prayer and action, realizing that
we only have G-d and each other. This past
Monday was October 7 and it was also the
5 of Tishrei. It is not the day we observe the
yahrzeit of the 1200 innocents massacred
by Hamas, as that distinction is reserved for
Shemini Atzeret, but it is day 5 of the Ten
Days of Teshuva, a time for teshuva, tefilla,
and tzedaka.
As we move from one year to the next, let
us sincerely look back and look forward,
finding ways to improve ourselves, to plead
for Hashem’s kindness to our nation and
to all those in harm’s way, and committing
ourselves to love each other more and to do
more for each other. We draw strength and
hope from our faith in Hashem, our Torah,
our values, our remarkable nation, and our
complete belief in better days ahead and in
the coming of the Moshiach. And though he
may delay – and there may be much pain
and suffering during that delay – we await
his coming every day with hope.
Sincerely, Rabbi Moshe Hauer
OU Executive Vice President

Vues Master’s Note: Wow! How Anti-
Semitism rears its ugly head.

KAPORAS
Dear Vues Master:
Rashi quotes from the הגאונים תשובת.” On
Erev Rosh Hashana they swung the new
bean plant 7 times around the head of the
child and said חליפתי זה etc. Afterward,
the plant gets thrown into the river”. The
אברהם מגן) O. Ch 605) writes that this
Rashi (הגאונים תשובת (is the original מקור
(source) for כפרות as we know it today. The
original Minhag of כפרות was solely for the
protection of the children that they shouldn’t
die.
DS
Vues Master’s Note: Is that where it came
from?!

GENDER
Dear Vues Master:
A person bringing a korban doesn’t need
to match his or her gender to the gender of
the korban. Why is it important when doing
כפרות to have the gender of the chicken be
the same as the gender of the person? ie: a
rooster (male) for a male & a hen (female)
for a female The טור writes, that one of
the reasons for using chickens is because
it is called גבר the same word as גבר a
man. The גבר) rooster) will replace the גבר

(man) and die instead of the man. The ץ“יעב
writes, he doesn’t understand why the use of
female chickens for females. Hens (female
chickens) are not called גברת. Perhaps the
original Minhag was only for males to insist
of having a rooster, being it has an additional
advantage of both being called גבר. It didn’t
make a difference for women, and both
genders were acceptable. At a later stage,
women mistakenly thought that being males
insisted on roosters they too should insist
on hens. If the above סברא) the only time
gender matters is for a man to be using a
rooster) is true we can understand why those
who do כפרות with fish don’t care about the
gender of the fish. Both genders of fish are
not called גבר therefore it doesn’t matter.
MF
Vues Master’s Note: How intriguing!

STANDING
Dear Vues Master:
Did you know? According to the Shulchan
Aruch Harav, it would seem, when saying
ו“בשכמל) Baruch Sheim Kevod-)on Yom
Kippur, it is commendable to be said while
standing. We imitate the Malochim by
saying it loud and by standing. (in most shuls
it’s not done)
HJ
Vues Master’s Note: I can’t stand this letter.

SNOW
Dear Vues Master:
A man and his wife are sitting inside, by
the fire, when the radio announcer comes
on: “We are expecting up to a foot of snow
tonight, please make sure you are parked
on the even-numbered side of the road.”
The husband goes out and moves his car.
The next day the same thing happens, and
the announcer comes on: “We are expecting
up to a foot of snow tonight, please make
sure you are parked on the odd-numbered
side of the road.” The husband goes out and
moves his car. A few days later the same
thing happens and the announcer comes on:
“We are expecting up to two feet of snow
tonight, please make sure you are parked on
the-” but the power goes out in the middle of
the announcement. The husband freaks out,
“Which side do I put my car on?!” His wife
tenderly confronts him saying, “How about
we just leave the car in the garage this time?”
MB
Vues Master’s Note: What a loser!

ETHNIC
Dear Vues Master:
A Catholic, a Protestant, a Muslim and a Jew
were sitting in a Starbucks. The Catholic

said: “This is a great company. I’m going
to buy it.” The Protestant said: “I’m also
planning to do a takeover. I’ve become so
wealthy, I’m going to buy Facebook.” The
Muslim said: “I’m going to take my billions
and buy Microsoft.” They all looked at the
Jew to see what he would say. He stirred his
coffee, put down the spoon, and said: “I’m
not selling.”
BG
Vues Master’s Note: Some more Anti-Semitic
Fodder!

SHOWER
Dear Vues Master:
My wife & I always dispute whether one
should take a shower on Yom Tov. I know
that there are rabbis that say you can &
rabbis that say you can’t. My wife wants
me to shower because I smell too much
after going a few days without a shower &
I never took a shower on Yom Tov growing
up. What should I do?
AC
Vues Master’s Note: Chances are it won’t
help!!

EDNA DAVIS Z”L-ANGELS
MOVING UP & DOWN
Dear Vues Master:
As I sit here trying to write something about
our recent loss-an “angel” whom H” took
back – I am in a writer’s slump. I still have
not come to grip with the Petirah of the
choshuv R’ Avrohom Ausband A’H Yet I am
asked to shore up new emotions- start all
over again- I SIMPLY CAN”T There is so
much the mind can process;limited are the
emotions that new happenings can emit.
Yet here I sit- with tears stream down my
cheeks – and through my blurred vision I am
touching the letters on the keyboard Hoping
my fingers can do the job- that the keyboard
can subconsciously read my emotions and
put them to words- BUT I KNOW IT CAN’T
And so I am forced to try I know Rav
Ausband(A’H) would have told me ” You
MUST do it- you can’t leave the “eulogy”
of this unusual person Edna unsaid-“ And
so in my unlimited capacity- I try again Let
me say what comes to mind- for this is not to
be scripted writing- this again is something
from the heart. Edna Davis If you knew
Edna you felt that her love of people was
unsurpassed only by her love of her family
and her pride in them. Her knowledge of
both Torah and secular topics were admired
by all who sat at the Davis’ Shabbos table –
She was a true Ezer Kenegdo to her beloved
husband R. Manachem (Sheyichie) – being

proud of him (justifiably so) And it was self-
evident that she was a true Ezer Kenegdo!

What else can I think of when speaking of
my “sister”friend. She was busy teaching

both in Prospect Yeshivah and in Touro-
devoting many hours with lesson plans and

connecting with her students yet she was
so much of a “homebody”;she “loved”
cleaning her house (never employing any

help) -baked “Parsha inspired Chalah-
cooked unbelievable meals- – used only

China for all meals-Only cloths on her table-
and you never heard her saying “I am tired.”

She was busy with Shidduchim – knew the
“candidates” by name – had a vast phone
book of friends – and never had enough of
them. Always – yes always – had guests at
her Shabbos and Yom Tov table And as one
such “guest” told me – “In the Davis home
you never felt you were a “guest” – She had
the talent of making you feel that you were
simply part of her life and therefore you
were at her table. Loved by her students- and
they were loved by her in return-and those
of many years ago still speak of her dramatic
persona-who can forget her delivery of
passages of Hedda Gobler (would have
made Ibsen very proud) and how they waited
each day to see how she looked- for she was

their fashion guru-not simply by her attire-
but by her “carriage” as a LADY . Those

who knew her knew she was a magnificent
looking woman- but as for me- her outward
image was simply a manifestation of her
inner beauty. She thrilled in your Smachot
and sighed and cried with you when life
dictated you a setback She was deep-she
was genuinely Frum-she was intelligent –
and never stopped questioning if she did not
understand something-(the boat that “could
go forward”) she was intimately involved
with all who needed her friendship –and she
was grateful if anyone did any small thing for

her- she was bright- she was accomplished-
she was the epitome of an Aishes Chayil- she

was talented – she was “giving” -she was
smiling- she never complained-she never
tired- she loved everyone- she shared with
everyone- she gave much more than she
took- she blessed H’ with all the goodness

He had blessed her-she had a love of life-
and her life was ruled by her optimism-

“everything is good”; in fact it was she who
epitomized everything that was good in this

world. She was taken from us so very soon-
too soon- I miss her- I miss her so-. I sit

here and try to process these emotions – my
loss of 2 very important people in my life
this year Sitting here before Rosh Hashana
I look for some solace in losing my dear
friend, my sister, Edna- And I have come to
one realization Edna has a special place next
to the Kisei HAkovod And she will bessech
H’ to make life wonderful for everyone. She
will be relentless- she won’t give up- no, not
Edna ! She is now our Melitza Letov And
She will Not give up Until H’ will grant her

wish- her genuine wish That all of Klal
Yisroel’s problems will dissipate That all of
Klal Ysroel will lead happy Torah lives No
more woes- no more tzarot- And she will
beseech H” To bring the Geulah not just as
they say “bekorov” No,not Edna!She was
relentless ! She will beseech H” to bring the
Geulah TODAY!!!
Rachel Laufer Fischer
Vues Master’s Note: Yes we will certainly
miss her!!

DAIRY
Dear Vues Master:
My wife insists on making a milchig dairy
meal or two on a three day Yom Tov. I
always say ain simcha elah bbasar. I only
like to eat fleishig meals on Shabbos or
Yom Tov. What should I do?
JK
Vues Master’s Note: Maybe a hunger strike!
This Shabbos don’t eat dairy or fleishigs!!

BEES
Dear Vues Master:
I don’t know who wrote this, but I love it and
wanted to share! My dad has bees.Today I
went to his house and he showed me all of
the honey he had gotten from the hives. He
took the lid off of a 5 gallon bucket full of
honey and on top of the honey there were 3
little bees, struggling. They were covered in
sticky honey and drowning. I asked him if
we could help them and he said he was sure
they wouldn’t survive. Casualties of honey
collection I suppose. I asked him again if
we could at least get them out and kill them
quickly, after all he was the one who taught
me to put a suffering animal (or bug) out of
its misery. He finally conceded and scooped
the bees out of the bucket. He put them in
an empty Chobani yogurt container and
put the plastic container outside. Because
he had disrupted the hive with the earlier
honey collection, there were bees flying all
over outside. We put the 3 little bees in the
container on a bench and left them to their
fate. My dad called me out a little while
later to show me what was happening.
These three little bees were surrounded
by all of their sisters (all of the bees are
females) and they were cleaning the sticky
nearly dead bees, helping them to get all
of the honey off of their bodies. We came
back a short time later and there was only
one little bee left in the container. She was
still being tended to by her sisters. When
it was time for me to leave we checked
one last time and all three of the bees had
been cleaned off enough to fly away and
the container was empty. Those three little
bees lived because they were surrounded

by family and friends who would not give
up on them, family and friends who refused
to let them drown in their own stickiness
and resolved to help until the last little bee
could be set free. Bee Sisters. Bee Peers.
Bee Teammates. We could all learn a thing
or two from these bees. Bee kind always.
Author Unknown
Vues Master’s Note: This is none of your bees
wax!

POWER OF A SONG
Dear Vues Master:
I was casually flipping, actually scrolling
these days, through my heavily discounted
NY Times digital edition ( I have long
since cancelled my print version) when
I happened upon an opinion piece that
immediately caught my attention. It read:
Gossiping Is Fun. It’s Natural. And These
People Won’t Do It. “Gossip is a universal
feature of human culture. It’s also the target
of passionate, widespread censure.” So an
article about Loshon Hora, I mused, and
some people are actually against it! It must
be “Moshiach’s Tzeiten” (Time for the
Messiah)! I looked to see who wrote it and
wasn’t surprised to see that her name was
Michal Leibowitz, a staff editor in Opinion.
Who else would be writing about the
downside of Loshon Hora but a fine Jewish
woman from Brooklyn, I presumed. What
did surprise me, however, was finding this
smack in the middle of the piece: “I was
first introduced to the idea that gossip is a
harmful act through a particularly grating
religious children’s song by Yossi Toiv, the
guy whose musical stylings form the basis
of the Kars4Kids jingle. Lyrics include:
“Guard your lips from speaking evil / in your
house and school and shtiebel!” (A shtiebel
is a small, often informal synagogue.)
This teaching was regularly reinforced
throughout my childhood — at my Jewish
day school, by my parents, even by my
classmates.” I almost fell out of my chair!
A poem I had read long ago immediately
came to mind: The Arrow and the Song By:
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow I shot an
arrow into the air, It fell to earth, I knew
not where; For, so swiftly it flew, the sight
Could not follow it in its flight. I breathed
a song into the air, It fell to earth, I knew
not where; For who has sight so keen and
strong, That it can follow the flight of song?
Long, long afterward, in an oak I found the
arrow, still unbroke; And the song, from
beginning to end, I found again in the heart
of a friend Many years ago I wrote a song
for one of our Kivi and Tuki albums called
“DON’T TALK LOSHON HORA DON’T”
Every time Tuki wanted to tell Kivi some
juicy piece of gossip Kivi would sing that
“grating“ song to him. While our esteemed

opinion writer may have found it annoying
at the time it did seem to find its way into
her subconscious, instill an awareness
and sensitivity to the problem and emerge
decades later as a lengthy, well-researched
article that hopefully will educate, elicit
reflection and hopefully engender some
behavior modification! The Chofetz Chaim
would be proud! I just find it amazing that a
catchy, little ditty written for kids so many
years ago could possibly have such far
reaching repercussions! This should serve
as an important reminder to us all that the
songs we write, listen to and play for our
children should always be informative,
engaging and Torah inspired. That’s why
our motto has always been: “Torah, Middos
and Mitzvos Thru Laughter and Song!”
Never underestimate the power of a song!
Maybe “The Old Gray Lady” has some
usefulness after all!
Country Yossi Toiv
Vues Master’s Note: Wow! How inspiring!!

TEACHING TORAH TO YIDDEN
Dear Vues Master
In his younger years, Rav Meir Shapiro
zt’l was rav in Sanik. One Shabbos, Reb
Meir Shapiro was visiting his rebbe, Rebbe
Yisrael of Chortkov zt’l, and the Rebbe
honored him with leading מברכים שבת, and
mussaf. After the tefillah, the Rebbe invited
Reb Meir Shapiro to eat the Shabbos seudah
together. Reb Meir Shapiro later related
what happened at that meal: “As soon as I
came in, the Rebbe said to me, ‘Ah! Reb
Meir! Your tefillah! Your Rosh Chodesh
benching! They were so beautiful.’ The
Rebbe repeated this several times during
the meal. So I said to the Rebbe, ‘If the
Rebbe enjoys my tefillah so much, perhaps I
should leave Sanik, and become the chazan
here?’ “The Rebbe became serious, and told
me a story of Rebbe Zusha of Anipoli zt’l.
As known, Rebbe Zusha would go to galus,
traveling from one place to another. One
time, he came upon the city where the gaon
Reb Yusfa zt’l lived. Reb Yusfa was a great
talmid chacham, an expert in all parts of the
Torah. Reb Zusha went to hear his shiur.
After the shiur Reb Zusha went over to
Rav Yusfa to tell him how much he enjoyed
the shiur. ‘It was worth traveling the long
distance from my home to come here,
just to listen to this sweet shiur…’ Rav
Yusfa said to Reb Zusha, “I understand
why you were happy with my shiur, but
I can’t figure out why I’m so impressed
by you? At first impression, you look like
a standard pauper, who goes from city to
city to collect money. But I perceive that
the spirit of Hashem rests on you. You are
certainly a great talmid chacham.” Reb

Zusha answered, “Not at all. I’m an am
haa’retz…. But perhaps it’s because I know
how to daven…” Rav Yusfa was surprised,
“Who doesn’t know how to daven? The
people who live here don’t know how to
daven?” Reb Zusha replied, “They know
how to daven, but I know how to daven
before the Ribon HaOlamim [Master of
the World].” Rav Yusfa asked, “Maybe you
can teach me how one davens ‘before the
Ribon HaOlamim’? “I can teach you, but
not in front of everyone else. Let’s go into
a private room and I’ll teach you.” Reb
Zusha taught the Rav the secrets of tefillah;
how to pray properly before Hashem. Rav
Yusfa was very inspired, “Perhaps I should
leave my rabbanus and my yeshiva, so I
can always daven properly?” Reb Zusha
told Rav Yusfa, “Hakadosh Baruch Hu
created thousands of people in the world,
and although everyone was created with
the same two eyes, two ears, a nose and a
mouth, everyone still appears differently.
Chazal tell us, ‘just as their faces differ, so
are their minds different.’ Why did Hashem
do this? It’s because Hashem wants each
person to serve Him according to his own
way, according to who he is, in accordance
with his strengths and talents. Therefore,
you should continue in your path of avodas
Hashem, to teach Torah to Yidden, and I
will continue along my path, the path of
tefillah.” The Chortkover Rebbe finished
this story and said to Reb Meir Shapiro,
“Hashem wants you to teach Torah to
Yidden. That’s the portion that Hashem
chose for you. Therefore he gave you the
talents, willpower, intelligence and all other
traits needed to succeed in that field. You
should do your service and teach Torah to
Yidden, and I will do my service, to daven
to Hashem.” After this conversation with
the Chortkover Rebbe, Reb Meir Shapiro
decided to open Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin,
where he could channel all of his abilities
to teach Torah to Yidden. He understood
that this was his mission, and therefore he
invested all of his energies to succeed on
his own individual path.
REB
Vues Master’s Note: Thanks for sharing! I
never knew that.