10 Jan SPEAK YOUR VUES WITH THE VUES MASTER
HASC CONCERT
Dear Vues Master:
Just came back from my first Camp HASC-”A Time for Music 36” Concert. It was fantastic! They did a really great job. I never heard of Aki- va before but he was very entertaining. Shwekey was awesome as usual. I was just upset, he didn’t sing his hit song Baruch Hashem It’s Shabbos! Yasher Koach to everyone at HASC. We are big fans!
PL
Vues Master’s Note: Glad you enjoyed! Alot of people worked very hard on the concert & it is for a great cause.
BEN GVIR
Dear Vues Master:
Thousands of people all gathered together, screaming for the death of the Jews and their tiny state; this is what the Palestinian flag represents, the flag Itamar Ben-Gvir just banned from being shown in public. However this flag is not some novel creation from recent years. In 1961 Yasser Arafat created his Palestinian Liberation Organi- zation, and with it came the modern Palestinian flag. Turn the clocks a couple more decades back to the oppressive British occupation of Eretz Yisrael and you’ll see that the ‘Palestinian’ flag of those times did not express Arab imperialism as the modern one does- rather it depicted Jewish nationalism. The Palestinian flag of old decked
out in blue and white, with a beautiful gold Ma- gen David stamping the gorgeous banner was a symbol of Jewish resilience through exile; it shouted that we have formally come home after 2,000 years with one plan: to claim our ancient homeland. This old flag showed who the rightful owners of Israel are. The new flag on the other hand expresses pan-Arabism with its green, red, and white coloring. The thousands of Arabs who massacred the poor defenseless Jews of Hebron in 1929 did so in the name of this modern, sadis- tic symbol. Ironically, the flag hadn’t even been created yet but the ideas behind it have existed for hundreds of years. Arafat did not want a Pal- estinian state, he was not even born in what he considered Palestine- he was Egyptian. Arafat and those that aided in his plot to destroy the state of Israel wanted one thing and one thing only: to remove every Jew from the Middle East. His acquaintances that had been massacring Jews since he was in diapers had the same thing in mind. If it was just about land, then why did they attack Israel in ‘67 when Jordan owned the land that they were so set on occupying? Why did they murder hundreds of Jews in the 1920s when a Jewish state was an unachievable dream at the time? There is no such thing as Palestin- ian nationalism, there is no country called Pales- tine; the only time there was any semblance of it was when the Romans decided to embarrass the Jews and changed the territory’s name Philistine. These animals that want to undermine our sov- ereignty are no different than the Romans. This is not a plot for humanitarianism but rather a kniving scheme to destroy Israel and her people. Luckily for us, Knesset member Ben-Gvir is do- ing everything in his power to stop just that.
Vues Master’s Note: Let’s see what happens!
REVENGE & JUSTICE
mocheh!
Dear Vues Master:
How do we determine what is moti- vating our feelings? When someone wrongs us, in a serious and criminal manner, we have visceral feelings to- wards the perpetrators of those who have wronged us. At the same time, justice demands those that committed felonious acts deserve to be persecut- ed. In an ideal world, we would be an angel with no personal feelings to- wards those that attack us. We would solely be concerned with justice and have no personal feelings of revenge. We are humans, and it’s natural for humans to have strong feelings to- wards those that hurt them and their loved ones. Contrary to the widely accepted notion that Judaism is a reli- gion of love that abhors all hate, there is a mitzvah to hate evil people. Like all emotions, the Torah commands us to direct each of our emotions to a positive end. Just as we take the joy of a successful harvest and channel it to celebrate Sukkot in Yerushalayim at the Beis Hamikdash in happiness, we take the hate we feel towards evil and direct it at evil people. Our feelings don’t determine who is evil – it is only using objective metrics that defines people as evil. Allowing yourself to feel hate towards that evil is a positive use of hate. The Torah’s prohibition of revenge is against righteous Jews who don’t treat a fel- low Jew as they expect to be treated. There is no prohibition of revenge against a criminal or a terrorist. When a victim feels strongly towards their attackers, there is no reason to feel guilty about feelings of revenge. They are natural and a perfect direc- tion to channel the hate one feels. RUP
Vues Master’s Note: As Country Yossi says “Sometimes You Gotta to Fight When You’re a Jew”.
KING
Dear Vues Master:
There is a great king whose castle sits high on a mountain that looks over the village he rules over. He is a de- cisive, but fair leader who has helped his people live in peace and harmony for many years [sounds like a father].
DRINK
He is respected by his people [chil- dren] and deeply loved by his wife. The villagers all share water from the same source, a well that sits in the center of their home. One day, that well becomes contaminated with a poison, and anyone that drinks from that well will instantly turn com- pletely insane. After only a day or so, all the villagers have drunk the water from the well, and the once harmo- nious village is now being torn apart by lunatics. The King and his wife do not get their water from the same well that his people drink from, so they are spared from this mass insanity. The King, fearing for the future of his vil- lage and the well-being of his people, descends into the chaos trying des- perately to restore order and harmo- ny. But the villagers suddenly won’t listen to their beloved king. Some- thing is vastly different about him and what was once complete respect now turns to judgment and fear. All the villagers agree that “the king has gone crazy.” The King is chased back to his castle by the villagers who now see him as a threat and are storming his castle, threatening to tear it apart unless he relinquishes his crown be- cause he’s not fit to rule them in his crazy state-of-mind. The King is full of despair but knows that if he steps down from the throne that order may be restored. His wife has another so- lution…” What if we go drink from the well? Then we will be the same as them.” Seeing no other way out, and not wanting to lose his position of power, the King agrees. They escape from the mountain and go directly to the well, drinking its poisoned water. Just like everyone else, they almost immediately turn insane. The villag- ers find the King and his Queen and are overcome with relief. Thankfully, they have now come to their senses, they are talking and acting exactly like them [and their Rosh Yeshiva]. The village returns to harmony, and the King and his Queen live out their days as the rulers of their people. But the people in the neighboring towns and countries stay far away from that village. Why? Well, “because those people are completely crazy.” For
SPEAK YOUR VUES (CONTINUED)
me, this story teaches one valuable lesson, and this is how difficult it is to rise above external challenges and pressures and retain one’s individual- ity. It’s an act that takes a great deal of inner strength, resolve, and courage. It’s innately and biologically human of us to not want to be outcast, to con- form, and live in harmony. The par- able is a reminder though that there are many cases where conformity to the pressures imposed by others is the wrong choice. But to conform con- sciously to an inherently detrimental group, cause, or even ideology is not simply wrong on every level, but… insane. Doing what is popular is far different from doing what is right and good. How many times do each of us choose to conform to ideas, situa- tions, causes that we know intuitively go against what is right and good [like a RY that tells his student he doesn’t have to do kibbud av]? How many times do we avoid doing what is right in exchange for doing what is popular? How many times do we close our eyes, drink water from the same well as everyone else, and hope for the best? – Dan Fabrizio When is the only time the king would not drink from the well?
Vues Master’s Note: You never cease to amaze me with your one thought process. All you do is knock Rosh Ye- shivas! I bet you that most readers think that you drank from the water not the Rosh Yeshiva!
ANSWER
DG
Dear Vues Master:
An antisemite stopped at an inn and asked the hostess for a drink. When she brought it to his table, sensing she was Jewish, he said “LeChaim Rachel.” She responded: “You’re mistaken. It was Rivka who gave the animals to drink.”
MB
Vues Master’s Note: Amen! May all Anti-Semites get what they deserve! TIME
Dear Vues Master:
I am very upset that they are keeping daily savings. The effort in the 117th Congress to permanently extend “daylight saving time” (DST) came to a sputtering end, as the House of Representatives refused to act on the measure. This was due, in large part, by the efforts of Agudath Israel of America, which played a leading role in making known the unique and dis- ruptive challenges permanent DST would present to the Orthodox Jew- ish community, thereby stunting its progress on Capitol Hill. Why can’t they just put the time at the half hour mark and leave it there forever? Why do we need to keep changing our clocks twice a year? It’s very annoy- ing. We can make our zmanim work. It’s not impossible.
KN
Vues Master’s Note: Pushing the clock a half hour ahead will serve no purpose! Unless you want vasikin at 8:00 AM.
NO YID IN GEHINOM
Dear Vues Master:
I will be melamed zchus that we’re too busy waiting on lines, lines, & more lines-no time to sin! Lines at the bank. Lines at the Post office. Lines at the grocery store counter. Moshiach is not here-he’s too busy looking for parking (although he has a donkey-no meter!) lines at the bar- ber. I once didn’t want to wait on line, so I went to a shoemaker who shined my head & cut my shoes! Lines at the smorgasbord for the cut meats. My son does not like kiddushim. First you have to try to get a seat. Then to you have to wait on line for the hot
Dear Vues Master:
The only time the king will not drink from the well is if he had drunk from it before and was cured. He knows 100% that this is not a place to be. Most people, without this experience, rely on the majority or what others think and do. Even if a person is 99% sure they may still drink from it be- cause of the loss of wealth, marriage, or honor. Ignorance is bliss for chil- dren but parents have to deal with the resulting nonsense.
DG
Vues Master’s Note: Sometimes I feel that your letters should not be in- cluded but what can I do but just be
potato Kugel. By the time you got your Kugel, someone took your seat! Everyone goes to Olam Haba-Kol Yisroel yeah lahem chelek b’Olam Haba-hopefully no lines!
Vues Master’s Note: Because every Yid is a big tzaddik!
CHESSED BY CUTTING
Dear Vues Master:
BM
Vues Master’s Note: So the Rebbe does not either do something he is in- capable!
SHIDDUCHIM
SPEAK YOUR VUES (CONTINUED)
stop having the Galus thinking and start thinking in a Geulah way. The Kotel is nice but it’s Galus, at least go to the Kotel Koton or to the gates to Har Habayis or to Shaar Rachamim to daven. Yidden, it depends on us to bring Moshiach and it starts with more Jewish presence all over Israel especially on Har Habayis.
RMS
Dear Vues Master:
Chazal explain “ואת עמלינו” refers to the killing of our sons as it says כל הבן הילוד היארה
תשליכוהו וכל הבת תחיון
The ברוך שאמר על הגדש”פ writes that Chazal intentionally continued with the last part of the pasuk of to teach us that theוכל הבת תחיון gezara was not only the killing of the boys but also leaving the girls to stay alive and not having anyone to marry. This in itself is a great chur- ban. This catastrophic גזירת פרעה is unfortunately going on in our genera- tion. Thousands of Yiddishe Kinder are suffering from this גזירה that the Yeshivah system is partially (good part) to be blamed. Perhaps, they too should listen to Daas Torah or at least find out what Daas Torah have to say. It seems that the only solution in sight is to have a TEN YEAR STUDY to find out the exact percentage that the age gap between boys & girls is responsible for this catastrophe and then we might do something about it. MF
Vues Master’s Note: I sometimes wonder if this Shidduch crisis has a vaccine?
COST
Dear Vues Master:
A boy asked his father: “How much does it cost to get married?” “I don’t know,” the father answered. “I’m still paying for it.”
NJ
Vues Master’s Note: Not funny! We know marriage is expensive, it is an institution!
HEAR
Dear Vues Master:
hear me?” She replied: “For the third time, yes.”
KJ
Vues Master’s Note: I hear you! RIGHT
Klal Yisrael is always searching for Mitzvos and Chesed to perform. At times we need to search far away for these special merits, but sometimes the Chesed is waiting for us right at our own doorstep. In our neighbor- hoods there are Erliche Yidden who earn their Parnasa as barbers. These individuals work hard to support their families in an honest way and are counting on us, their fellow Yidden to support them by patronizing their barber shops. One such individual recently informed me that he may be forced to close shop, and hire himself to work for a barber in Manhattan, due to lack of clients. To paraphrase his words “ I like working here in the community, connecting with my fel- low Yidden and staying in a Frum environment. Working in Manhattan would lead to struggles with guard- ing my eyes, and losing out on the Chizuk I receive here in the commu- nity.” Imagine the great Chesed we can perform, and the great Sechar we can earn, by making sure to patronize these Yiddishe-owned barbershops, ensuring our fellow brothers have an adequate income to stay afloat dur- ing these difficult financial times. In- deed, it is a small act of kindness, but one with emeasurable returns! Tizku Limitzvos,
Dear Vues Master:
Sam said that early on in their mar- riage he and his wife made a rule: “If we quarreled, the one who was wrong would go out and take a walk around the block. My wife hasn’t been out of the house in forty years.”
SW
RAR
A Fellow Yid
Vues Master’s Note: I say cut it out! Start supporting our Shomrei Shab- bos Vendors!
AVEL
An old man was wondering if his wife had a hearing problem. One night, while she was sitting in her chair, he stood behind her and soft- ly said “Honey can you hear me?” There was no response. He moved a little closer and again asked “Honey can you hear me?” Still, there was no response. Finally, he moved right be- hind her and shouted “Honey can you
Dear Vues Master:
At a gathering of Rabbanim, one of them said: “I am certain that my Chassidim will always do what I tell them.” One of those present asked how he can be so sure. “I never ask them to do anything which they would feel they are incapable of do- ing.”
Vues Master’s Note: Right on!
Vues Master’s Note: I wonder what our Gedolim feel about this? FALLEN SEFER TORAH
Dear Vues Master:
HAR HABAYIS
I’m not sure that everyone has to know about this especially on the front cover and disclosing the name of the Yeshiva! By the way, are you also going to reveal the name of the person who dropped it? Loshon Hara! RMS
Dear Vues Master:
Rabbi Segel who rebuilt the Tzemach Tzedek shul used to give a shiur in Torah on Har Habayis. We absolutely do know where the Bais Hamikdash was, we know the measurements of the Bais Hamikdash and the measure- ments of har habayit and it is easy to figure out where one may go and may not go. If only Lubavitcher’s would start to follow what the rebbe said and learn about it we would know it very well. Lastly, all should go on Har Habayis because it is THE major issue of Pikuach Nefesh and over six million Jewish lives are at stake. The Arabs say Jews have no connection to Israel and they say there was no Bais Hamikdash. They use har habayit and Jerusalem to make this point, not Tel Aviv. If Jews do not go up to Har Ha- bayis and leave it to the arabs, it is their biggest prove and this will lead to ח״ו Jews being killed. It’s time to
Vues Master’s Note: I wonder if you sent this letter to all other publica- tions that carried it! It is not Loshon Hora if we can learn from this! This is also a lesson of how far machlokes can destroy! Ve’Hameivin yavin! BROKEN
Dear Vues Master:
Which servant of Hashem was the most flagrant lawbreaker in the To- rah? Believe it or not, it was Moshe Rabbeinu. He broke all Ten Com- mandments at once.
MR
Vues Master’s Note: Not funny! It was the rest of us that sinned that caused the ten commandments to break!