12 Oct Speak Your Vues
SPEAK YOUR VUES WITH THE VUES MASTER
Please note that the author of Speak Your Vues is in no way affiliated with the publisher of this paper. The author of this column is an independent third party contributor. The views and opinions expressed by this author may not reflect the views and opinions of the publishers. If one has any issues with any of the views, please write a letter to the Vues Master.
TRAGEDIES
Dear Vues Master:
It’s crazy how many people were
niftar over the past month. My
family appreciated the coverage
you had last week on Rabbi
Tendler, R Benny Fishoff & Rabbi
Elieach. They were all very important
people for Klal Yisrael & will
be missed greatly.
DR
Vues Master’s Note: The bottom
line is that Hashem runs the world
and until these politicians don’t
stop saying we will beat the virus
Hashem will prove them wrong!
We need to daven!!
IARAEL REAL ESTATE
Dear Vues Master:
You don’t need to be a real estate
expert to understand the housing
crisis in Israel. There is too much
empty land and not enough homes
being built. To fix the housing
problem the Israeli government
needs to allow more building on
more land – and faster. It needs to
slash bureaucracy in the permitting
process. Most of all, it needs
to take the most inexpensive land
– in Judea and Samaria, land with
close proximity to Jerusalem and
Tel Aviv, and open it to more and
more building.
AH
Vues Master’s Note: Politics my
dear Watson! The left and Biden
would never allow this!!
NO REPEATS
Dear Vues Master:
When the אלמנה†of יום†טוב†ליפמאן
רבי†, the תוספות†יום†טוב†, was introduced
to a wealthy man with the
same name as her first husband,
יום†טוב†, she rejected the ,שידוך
saying: “ טוב†שני†לגבי†ראשון†כחול
”.יום
MB
Vues Master’s Note: It is hard to
replicate a husband like her first
husband.
KIDNAPPER
Dear Vues Master:
In 1949, My uncle, R.Yitzchok
Donath Zt”l obtained false identity
papers for himself and for
both of my parents a”h. This enabled
them to escape from Communist
Czechoslovakia and flee to
Vienna Austria. They obtained the
ID of the Feigelstock family (my
father’s first cousins) who had left
Austria before the war. R Yitzchok
Donath lived in Vienna, Austria
under the name of Yitzchok
Feigelstock. He was a Madrich in
Agudas Yisroel. He was also very
active in getting back the children
who were hidden by the Goyim
during the war. There were many
times when the Goyim were unwilling
to voluntarily return the
children to the Yidden. They used
different methods to get the children
out of the Goyishe homes.
One day the police showed up with
an arrest warrant for Yitzchok
Feigelstock. My uncle
was charged with kidnapping,
a very serious crime.
He was locked up in prison.
With the help of Askonim,
he managed to convince
the authorities that they had
the wrong man because his
name was not Feigelstock
but Donath. After sitting in
prison for a few weeks, he
was finally released. The
Yitzchok Feigelstock they
were after was none other
than the Long Beach Rosh
Yeshiva Zt”l, who was at
that time thousands of miles
away across the ocean,
learning in Lakewood under
R. Aron Kotler Zt”l A few
years later the Rosh Yeshiva,
R. Yitzchok Feigelstock applied
for American citizenship.
His application was
rejected because he was on
the most wanted list in Austria
accused of child kidnapping.
Although it wasn’t
too difficult to prove that R.
Yitzchok Feigelstock. was
in Lakewood NJ the entire
time and could not possibly
have been involved in the
kidnapping done in Austria,
the authorities were reluctant
to grant him citizenship.
After many unsuccessful attempts,
R. Ahron Kotler Zt”l
got involved personally. He
contacted politicians and
government officials, but to
no avail. This matter was
finally resolved after it was
brought to the attention of
the President of the USA,
D.Eisenhower. *R. Yitzchok
Donath zt”l (my uncle)
was מוסר†נפש†and risked
his life together with the
Veitzener Rav zt”l to blow
Shofar for 1,400 children
who were destined to the
crematoria in Auschwitz the
following. day. He enabled
them with their last מצוה†in
this world תקיעת†שופר†My
uncle too was Niftar with his
last Mitzvah of .תקיעת†שופר
יהא†זכרו†ברוך
MF
Master’s Note: I personally
knew that man he was a
great person. We should all
learn from him!
HAMELECH
Dear Vues Master:
In many Shuls, the חזן†starts
with המלך†at his own seat
and only afterwards does he
continue at the עמוד†. One of
the reasons for doing so is
because it says in the פסוק
ויהי†בישרון†מלך†בהתאסף
ראשי†עם†יחד†שבטי†ישראל
When we are crowning the
מלך†מלכי†המלכים†it is necessary
for the ראשי†עם†(Chazzan)
יחד†שבטי†ישראל†to be together
with the rest of the
congregation.
FM
Vues Master’s Note: Fascinating
stuff. Where do you
come up with that?
MITZVAH
Dear Vues Master:
I don’t believe the Rambam
maintained living in Israel
was one of the 613 mitzvos.
Do you agree or disagree &
why?
HA
Vues Master’s Note: There
is a machlokes in the Rishonim.
One thing is for sure
an aveira it is not! If you
have the capabilities go for
it! May we all merit to do it
together with Moshiach!!
MEDIA
Dear Vues Master:
No one likes being told they
don’t know enough about
something. We imagine we
have a right to our opinion
and our right to our opinion
lends validity to that opinion.
This isn’t always true.
In many areas our opinion is
based on mistaken information
and only being privy to
one side of the story. There
are times where studying
a phenomena from books
and news reports requires
firsthand knowledge or at
least geographical proximity
to the issue. Immediacy
lends a better understanding
of the issues involved.
When studying social or political
problems can require
interacting with the people
involved; simply reading a
third hand account doesn’t
suffice to give a full understanding
of events or context.
To fully understand
a person must talk to the
people in the area where the
event occurred. Being in the
area of the phenomena allows
someone a better understanding
than at a distance.
Israelis, even American expats,
often times opine on
American Jewry’s problems.
We assume that since we
once lived there, and read
about the events in America,
we know enough to share
our thoughts. Things change
over time and being absent
from a place does not allow
the same intimate knowledge
and understanding
one gains from being there
in person and experiencing
the issues you’re reading or
hearing about from those
“on the ground.” Israelis
must recognize that reading
about a problem plaguing
the American Jewish
community doesn’t give us
the license to explain what
American Jews need to do to
improve their lives and solve
their problem. Humility is in
order and it’s important we
don’t always say what’s on
our minds. The same is true
of American Jews studying
events in Israel. Media reports
don’t give the full picture
and even video is spliced
to delete crucial context. Just
because events seem to have
transpired a certain way
doesn’t mean they actually
occurred that way.
RUP
Vues Master’s Note: Would
you say the same holds true
for vaccines? How about
people who have already
had covid? The media is
not to be trusted nor should
the Government be trusted.
They have proven to be
liars with an agenda!
COUNTED
Dear Vues Master:
The חידוש†הרי״ם†was traveling
with a large group of
חסידים†through a village,
when they noticed that the
גוים†were counting them, 1,
2, 3 and so on. The רבי†remarked:
“It appears that
even they recognize our
חשיבות†because they consider
each Jew to be important
and as דבר†שבמנין
”.שאפילו†באלף†לא†בטל
JM
Vues Master’s Note: Hope
their was no ayin hora!
TACHNUN
Dear Vues Master:
It’s great to be able to say
tachanun again. The minyanim
I daven in follow
the custom of not reciting
Tachanun during most of
the month of Tishrei. This is
the first week we began reciting
tachanun again. Days
where we skip tachanun can
become almost celebratory
in a Shul (if they weren’t already).
I think people would
be more reluctant to skip
tachanun if they understood
what we were saying. Tachanun
is one of the more meaningful
tefillahs in davening.
We begin davening by sitting,
then move to the modality
of standing up straight
and talking to G-d, praising,
requesting and thanking
G-d. There is arrogance in
standing straight before G-d;
who are we to stand before
G-d? Tachanun is then recited
bent over in a sign of
humility. We demonstrate,
physically, our recognition
of how small we are before
G-d. Tachanun pushes us to
recognize our modesty and
how feeble we are in this universe.
This humility pushes
us towards introspection and
repentance. On Yom Tovim
we are charged to focus on
an uplifting and celebratory
approach to G-d. Davening
in a modality of humility
would take away from
the joyous approach, so we
skip the teffilah. After weeks
of celebrating, it’s time for
some regular humility.
RUP
Vues Master’s Note: I know
a Litvak who was so excited
for tachnun
that a chassid next to him
said you are so besimcha we
need to not say
tachnun!
FASTING
Dear Vues Master:
Seven reasons for fasting
תענית†בה”ב
חילול†השם†( 1 & for the היכל
that was burnt. ( מס’†סופרים
21)
2) Men & women mingle
during the דרשה†on Yom
Tov
81 תוס†קידושין) )
3) Men & women overeat
& mingle during the meals
(אשכול)
4) Rain for winter and no
harsh spring weather so the
crops
won’t get damaged. ( רבה
(אליה
5) Change of seasons (winter
& summer) shouldn’t be
harmful to the people. ( (לבוש
6) Hashem should ease the
Galus. ( (מחזור†ויטרי
©מהרם†מרוטנברג) ( 7
זילזול†חול†המועד
GM
Vues Master’s Note: May
our tefillos and taaniyos be
niskabel!
RESPONSE TO SUKKAH
IN LAKEWOOD
Dear Vues Master:
Dear RMS you wrote in last
week’s letter titled A sukkah
in Lakewood.”How
you were minding your own
business while eating at a A
fast food place when you noticed
a hangout of teens not
dressed tzniyusdik. How
does one mind their own
business when perhaps these
teens Are crying out?Maybe
HAshem put them in YOUR
midst.Did you wish them
a good Yom Tov? Did you
give them a warm smile?I’m
sure Rabbi Grossman from
Migdal Haeimeik would
have.Perhaps the RMS’s of
the world need to stop looking
at dress code and start
seeing a nishamah. Instead
of getting them to
leave the sukkah so that you
can eat comfortably, who
knows where they would
go, maybe a bar or worse
.How about you sponsor a
table at this fast food place,
serve free cake and soda, go
over to them, give words of
chizuk A Divar Torah and a
warm smile and feed their
souls. Instead of telling
the owner his business
will get hurt by this hangout,
maybe now his business will
prosper . With regard to your
question, would I have girls
who are not dressed properly
in my house with having
young sons around? My
answer is yes, as I serve ice
cream and have Mordechai
Ben David music and send
my sons to a nearby shul or
Yeshivah.
Thank you
Devorah Leitner
Vues Master’s Note: To each
to their own. Let us hear
what others
say? Do you agree with RMS
or With Mrs Leitner?
IDENTITY
Dear Vues Master:
Oh, you identify as vaccinated?
Thank you for confiding
in me. I just want to make
sure that you know that there
is help out there. Medical
technology has improved to
the point where you can get
an injection that will give
you the vaccinated body to
match your identity.
JO
Vues Master’s Note: That is
not Politically correct, you
can’t put me into therapy!
DRUGS
Dear Vues Master:
I am an older American, and
I am fed up with paying the
highest prices in the world
for prescription drugs. Right
now, our lawmakers are
considering a proposal that
would allow Medicare to negotiate
for lower prescription
drug prices, which would
help make the medications
we rely on more affordable
for everyone. It’s past time
my members of Congress
took action to reform outrageous
prescription drug
prices. Like many seniors, I
cannot afford to keep paying
higher and higher prices for
the medications I need. No
one should have to choose
between putting food on the
table and filling life-saving
prescriptions. I’m demanding
that my members of
Congress vote yes on a bill
that lowers drug prices.
CS
Vues Master’s Note: Good
Luck fighting big Pharma!
SKIP
Dear Vues Master:
Now after the chagim, many
of us have gained weight. As
a solution, I suggest skipping
instead of walking. It
burns more calories, and it
might feel silly, but it won’t
if we all do it. If you agree,
then starting October 25 at 5
o’clock pm EST, stop walking
and start skipping. (You
can do it before then too, but
that’s the official start date.)
LK
Vues Master’s Note: I think I
will skip this letter!
AD
Dear Vues Master:
I know this might not have
to do with you just maybe
with the administration. The
ad on page 55 from last week
is simply nauseating. Just
because it has a “hechsher”
from “hatzalah” it does not
make it ok. And from JOWMA
for sure not. The ppl
running it are not Ehrlich to
say the least. With all the
crazy mandates coming in
most people are waking up.
I understand that you probably
get paid well to put in
the ad but it is not the right
thing to do to work along
with these רשעים†. The ad is
full of lies and if you don’t
know that by now then sorry,
you are still in chrupetzland.
Thank you for an otherwise
great paper. It’s the highlight
of my week. My favorite
part of the paper is the letters
where I think is probably the
only paper where freedom of
speech still exists!
Vues Master’s Note: I guess
the ad also should have freedom
of speech and you can
disagree!