11 Feb SPEAK YOUR VUES WITH THE VUES MASTER

CARING
Dear Vues Master,
Last Motzei Shabbos, as the snow stopped falling close to
midnight, I looked out my window and saw a “Malach” on my
block. Lo and behold, there was a hooded fellow with tzitzis
flying, clearing a wide path down my entire block on Bedford
between Ave J and K. If I knew his name, I would be the first
to write his Rebbi a mitzvah note about his amazing midos,

but he wore a hood and a scarf, so there was no way to iden-
tify him.

I proceeded to conduct my due diligence and was finally able
to track his identity and lineage. This special sixteen-year-old
was not in it for the money—he neither sought nor received

any credit or cash. He is a very exceptional yeshiva boy, will-
ing to work hard to help his older and less capable neighbors.

Yes, he did have a small blower to assist, but to clean a full
block in the freezing cold at midnight?? Pardon the pun, but

it blew my mind. His parents are doing an amazing job rais-
ing him.

And in a few years, I will have a shidduch for him!
An appreciative neighbor
Vues Master’s Note: Can you send him my way, please?

PLASTIC STRAWS ARE BACK!
Dear Vues Master, It’s about time we have normal plastic
straws back again. US President Donald Trump has signed
an executive order ending a US government effort to replace

plastic straws with paper. The order, which takes effect im-
mediately, reverses a measure signed by former President Joe

Biden, who had called plastic pollution a “crisis”.
Vues Master’s Note: The cardboard straws at Amnon’s Pizza
in Boro Park never worked properly. I’m excited to have the
plastic ones back!

DOGE
Dear Vues Master,
The main function of a government is to protect and promote

the interests of its citizens. When policy-makers fail, an un-
derstanding of what went wrong must be established to allow

officials to learn from their mistakes. Policy is a response to a

need that exists in a country. Still, as governments are not all-
knowing, it’s understandable for them to rely on news organi-
zations for information on ongoing events to be able to imple-
ment good policies. If news sources can’t be trusted, however,

a government trying to promote the interests of its citizens
shouldn’t rely on such inferior sources. When, in the event, a
nation’s leaders rely on such propagandistic outlets, a serious
examination of the efficiency of government is necessary to
root out the evil inhibiting the government.

Last week, the Department of Government Efficiency
(DOGE) discovered that agencies throughout the government
are spending $8 million on a publication called Politico Pro,

an outlet that claims to report exclusive stories and “non-
partisan” analysis to their subscribers. A subscription to the

“news” outlet costs between $12,000 and $15,000 a year, ac-
cording to the Washington Times. In response to the news,

many have been in uproar about the close link established
between the government and Politico. Some have defended
this report since the government isn’t giving a subsidy to
Politico because the money is for a service, which provides
exclusive reporting and other useful tools to subscribers like
the government. However, what is scandalous is the fact that
the government is getting information from a biased “news”
site such as Politico. Multiple online sites, including allsides.
com, which measure outlets on their bias, have rated Politico

as “left-leaning” due to their pattern of framing a leftist narra-
tive on Republicans. Some examples include describing Janu-
ary 6th as an “insurrection,” calling a Florida parental rights

education-focused bill “The Don’t Say Gay Bill,” and having
a barrage of stories focused on abortion access.

It is good to have a wide variety of views informing the gov-
ernment on events, but is it fair to have sites like Politico,

known for their political bias, informing policymakers on
what they should be focused on? Why have taxpayers never

been informed of this subscription until a week ago? Do peo-
ple in the government only subscribe to places that align with

their worldview, instead of news outlets that provide more bal-
ance? It is not wrong to seek input from opposing sides, but

shouldn’t our policymakers be a little more mature than acting
like some political analysts?
$8 million might only be a dent in the federal budget, but in

order to balance the budget, the government will need to em-
power serious people, like those working at DOGE, to do a

forensic analysis of the actions of partisan hacks who have

pillaged taxpayer money for decades. While Democrats lec-
ture Elon Musk and his team on government spending, it is

vital that the new Trump administration not give an inch to
these establishment monsters who are directly responsible for

the rot. Our government should be spending money on gain-
ing insight into world events through firsthand experience, not

some left-wing partisan hack with an agenda!

DOGE’s main role is to investigate the core of our govern-
ment’s corruption. As of yet, the actions taken by DOGE have

caused the most havoc from the Democrats; that’s not a coin-
cidence—it’s instead revealing that they are more concerned

with foreigners receiving taxpayers’ hard-earned money than

a new government effort that, for the first time
in decades, is trying to make a difference for the

future of our nation. Policy makes a bigger im-
pact than money, but money has the potential to

fund good and bad things; it is, thus, a moral
imperative that President Trump and DOGE
continue to investigate and take action against
the rot that has existed in our government for
too long.
Sincerely,
Donnie Simcha Guttman
Vues Master’s Note: Welcome back! Haven’t
heard from you in a while!

SEMINARY
Dear Vues Master,
I just read on Yeshiva World that a brewing

scandal in the girls’ seminary acceptance pro-
cess has sent shockwaves through the frum

world. Multiple seminaries have defied a pre-
determined agreement and begun accepting

students prematurely, threatening to unravel the
entire admissions system.
According to an agreement among seminaries

in Eretz Yisroel, no acceptances were to be is-
sued before March 3rd. However, several semi-
naries have jumped the gun, calling high school

seniors with acceptance offers and pressuring
them to commit within hours. This reckless
move threatens to disrupt the structured process,
much like the chaos that recently plagued the
mesivta acceptance process in Lakewood, when

certain yeshivos disregarded agreed-upon time-
lines. This left other yeshivos, schools, parents,

and talmidim scrambling to secure acceptance
into a mesivta.
While some argue that the more established

seminaries hold high schools hostage—de-
manding the best students and leaving newer

seminaries struggling to establish themselves—
it is widely agreed that breaking the rules is not
the solution. Instead of undermining the system,
these seminaries should seek to resolve their
grievances through proper negotiations.
In response to this troubling situation, a major
crackdown is already underway. Mrs. Raizel
Reit of TTI, a key player in the seminary college
credit and financial system, has taken concrete
steps to bring an end to the chaos. TTI, which

helps parents save between $9,000 and $17,000

on tuition, has issued a stern warning: any semi-
nary that defies the agreed-upon process will be

banned from partnering with TTI.
Mrs. Reit’s statement was clear: “TTI would
like to require our partner seminaries to comply
with the Vaad’s requirements… Any seminary

not in compliance will be barred from partner-
ing with TTI and will be unable to participate

until the Vaad confirms their compliance.”
As this crisis unfolds, the question remains: will
the rogue seminaries back down, or will this
be the beginning of a complete overhaul of the
seminary admissions process?
HY
Vues Master’s Note: Great chinuch!

NO NEWS
Dear Vues Master,
As Shlomo Hamelech said, there is nothing new
under the sun. Adam and Chava had a computer.
Naturally, it was an apple. But it only had two
bytes. Once they were gone, the whole system
crashed. BG
Vues Master’s Note: I believe they bit off more
than they could chew!

MOSHE
Dear Vues Master,
A Yeshiva in London during World War II was
very poor, but a bakery across town was willing
to give them two-day-old bread if they came and
picked it up. One of the students, a boy named
Moshe, would wake up very early and go across
town before davening to pick up the bread for
the Yeshiva. Another boy, also named Moshe,

would get up early and awaken the other bo-
churim to learn before davening.

The Rosh Yeshiva gave them a bracha that
they should be rewarded for their actions. The
boy who woke up the others to learn became a
Rav, Dayan, and author of seforim, R’ Moshe

Shternbuch. The one who went for bread be-
came fabulously wealthy. His name was Moshe

Reichmann.
When asked if this story were true, R’ Moshe

Reichmann acknowledged that it was and com-
mented, “I wish I had been the one to wake the

boys up to learn.”
LO

Vues Master’s Note: What a story!

TOO MUCH
Dear Vues Master,

There are different laws and customs regard-
ing Tu B’Shevat. Tu B’Shevat appears in the

Talmud (Rosh Hashanah 2a) as one of the four
“new years” in the Jewish calendar. The basic

custom is to observe Tu B’Shevat on the fif-
teenth day of the month of Shevat. However, in

the United States, some people also observe it
the day after Rosh Chodesh Shevat. Since Rosh
Chodesh is one B’Shevat, the next day would
be Two B’Shevat. Most of those people observe

both of them – two Tu B’Shevats. Some eat fif-
teen different types of fruits in honor of the 15th

of Shevat. Others only eat two types for Two
B’Shevat.
What’s really interesting is that this custom is

rooted in antiquity. Some non-Jews even ob-
served this custom. The Roman calendar is

somewhat different than the English calendar.
The year Julius Caesar was assassinated – if you
are familiar with Shakespeare – Shevat came
out in March. So Julius Caesar said on the Ides
(fifteen in Latin) of March (Shevat): Eat Tu,
Fruit? I guess Brutus poisoned the fruit.
Another well-known non-Jew who, despite
being an anti-Semite, still observed both Tu
B’Shevats in South Africa. He became known

as Desmond Tu-Tu. President Trump is also ob-
serving the holiday in honor of his friend Musk.

He was told it’s Rosh Hashanah L’Elon-ois.
In a related matter, this week we read Parshat
HaMan, specially on the Tuesday of Parshat
B’Shalach. It’s a segulah for Parnassah. What
does it have to do with HaMan? Well, he was
the richest person in the world in his era.
Why Parnassah? It says in the Parsha, “And
each man said to his brother, ‘Money’.” Just
as the manna in that time had the taste of all
foods, money could buy all foods – though
with eggs, you need a lot. We feed the birds
because they ate the manna that Datan and
Aviram put out on Shabbat to try to fool the

Jews. This year we also do it to feed the chick-
ens to lay more eggs. It’s during Parshat Be-
Shalach because the verses are in that Parsha.

Why Tuesday? Because it’s the most auspi-
cious day, since during the six days of creation,

Hashem said “Good” two times. That’s why it’s
called Tu-sday.
PF
Vues Master’s Note: I did not follow; I thought
you were talking Purim with Parshas HaMan!

SUPER BOWL
Dear Vues Master,
I received this email and thought I would share
it.
Super Bowl Sunday

Today, February 9, 2025, is, according to mil-
lions of people, a nationally celebrated holiday.

“Super Bowl Sunday” is guaranteed to attract
the largest American TV audience for any event
broadcast during the year. Over 124 million
Americans will gather in living rooms, dens,
college dorms, motels, and saloons across the
country. Another 62.5 million people outside

the U.S. will watch the 59th annual event. Al-
most 200 million people will tune in just a few

hours to observe the sacred ritual of watching
the Super Bowl. This number surpasses the 152

million Americans who voted in the last elec-
tion. Billions of dollars will be wagered on the

outcome, and at least $600 million will be spent
on airing commercials during the contest. Each
30-second ad slot sells for approximately eight
million dollars.
The excitement extends to the Jewish world as

well. With the proliferation of Sefarim on al-
most any topic imaginable, a brand-new sefer

entitled Hilchos U’Minhagei HaMischak HaG-
adol (or simply “The Super Bowl”) was recently

published.
The sefer, authored by the lesser-known posek
HaRav Kadur-Regel, includes all of the relevant
halachos for watching the game and provides a
list of snacks one is m’chuyev (obligated) to eat
during the game. Some of the highlights of the
sefer include:
“Chayav Adam L’maleh kreiso b’Kanfei Oif
U’Daled Kosos Shel Sheichar” (“A person is
obligated to fill their belly with chicken wings
and four glasses of beer.”) “Rauii V’Nachon
L’Echol U’Listakel B’Mischak B’Chaburah
HaNikres ‘Super Bowl Party’” (“It is proper
and correct to eat and watch the Super Bowl

in a gathering known as
the ‘Super Bowl Party.’”)
“Ein Holchim M’Chaburah
L’Chabura Eleh B’Emtza

haMiskak SheNikres Half-
time” (An individual may

not switch from one Super

Bowl party to another ex-
cept during Halftime.)

Many other important hala-
chos and minhagim sur-
round the Super Bowl, and

I highly recommend the se-
fer to learn during halftime.

There is even a special sec-
tion that addresses what

to do if the game goes
into overtime. The author
delves into the nature of

the obligation to watch the game. If the chi-
yuv m’doraysa is only to watch the game, then

one fulfills the obligation by watching the first
four quarters, and overtime is only a chiyuv
m’d’rabbanon. However, if the chiyuv is on
the cheftza (meaning you must watch the entire
game), then the obligation extends to overtime
as well, and you would be chayav m’doraysa to
watch the overtime. All of the relevant poskim
are quoted regarding this debated topic.
As is well known, Briskers have a chumra not

to talk at all, with the notable exception of giv-
ing a Yasher Koach for a touchdown or inter-
ception, beginning with the pregame show and

extending until the postgame show concludes.
They maintain that any dibur outside of the
Yasher Koach would constitute a hefsek, and
you would be forced to watch the game again.
Some even have the additional chumra of
watching the game on two different feeds in
order to be yotzei all opinions on the correct
pronunciation of the commentary.
As for the brocha to be made while watching

the game, the sefer addresses the following fre-
quently asked questions:

Is the brocha “L’Ros (to watch) Es HaSuper
Bowl”? Or is the brocha “Al Reias HaSuper
Bowl” (On the watching of the Super Bowl)?
When should the brocha be made?
Should it be said at the coin toss? Or is that a

hefsek, and you must wait until after the open-
ing kickoff to make the brocha?

The sefer concludes with a long shtickel toirah
on the “din of Ein Mearvim Simcha B’Simcha,”
regarding whether it’s permissible to combine
a Sheva Brachot with a Super Bowl party.
One chapter I particularly recommend is the
one dealing with “Eich Efsher L’histakel
B’Mischak B’Seser-Bli L’Galos Aztmo”
(“How do you watch the game secretly without
revealing to anyone that you are watching?”)
I found this chapter particularly interesting as
it addresses an issue that I, as a rabbi, continue
to be asked about. Many people openly enjoy
the Super Bowl, enjoying the camaraderie of

friends without discussing political issues, and

finally having a chance to relax and laugh. Ev-
eryone needs downtime, and some argue that

watching the Super Bowl is better than “wast-
ing time” discussing repetitive topics like po-
litical debates.

Yet, some viewers are still “in the closet” about
their Super Bowl watching. They feel guilty

and attempt to conceal their Super Bowl ac-
tivities, making excuses for their unavailability

during the game. The Hilchos U’Minhagei Ha-
Mischak HaGadol addresses these individuals

with compassion and sensitivity.

The sefer quotes the Gemara: Rabbi Ilai the El-
der says: If a person sees that his evil inclina-
tion is overcoming him, he should go to a place

where he is not known, wear black clothes, and
cover himself in simple black garments. He
should do as his heart desires, but he should
not desecrate the name of Heaven in public.
The Mechaber of the sefer suggests that such
a person, feeling the need to watch the game
but worried about peer pressure, should wear a
full Eagles uniform (complete with helmet and

facemask) and go to a local kosher establish-
ment showing the game, watching it covertly

there. The Mechaber is quick to mention that
since other Jews will be present, the individual
should have the daas (intention) to mitztareph
(join) with them to yotzei the obligation of
watching the game in a chaburah and should

consume two kezaysim (two portions) of kan-
fei of (chicken wings).

Before watching the game, I highly recom-
mend the sefer. Although I personally won’t

be yotzei my obligation and will not watch the
game in person (as it’s been decades since I
last did), I hope that by reviewing the relevant
shaylos, I will have fulfilled my obligation, at
least in spirit, bringing a smile to some faces
today.
Whatever you do tonight between 6:00 and

9:30, please remember to say a chapter in Te-
hillim for Acheinu Bnei Yisrael. Wishing all a

wonderful, productive, and simcha-filled day.

“If Not Now, then When?” – Hillel Ron Yitz-
chok Eisenman Rav, Congregation Aha-
vas Israel Passaic, NJ

Vues Master’s Note: This is pathetic!

TRUMP’S GAZA RELOCATION
STRATEGY
Dear Vues Master
President Donald Trump’s call to move
the Arab population in Gaza to Egypt,
Jordan and other countries is a winning
strategy. He is the first president to come
up with a realistic and humane solution to

one of the world’s greatest and most vex-
ing problems.

The Arab world, with all its riches and oil
wealth, has purposefully kept Gaza poor,
underdeveloped and a hotbed of Muslim
hatred of Israel and the West for its own
selfish reasons. Had the money that was

poured into Gaza for the building of tun-
nels and weaponry to attack Israel been used

for peaceful purposes, no one would be talking
about relocating the population.
The 2005 disengagement plan by then-Israeli
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon removed Jewish
communities from Gaza with the thought that
Palestinian Arabs there would be interested in

economic development rather than the destruc-
tion of Israel. The opposite was true. Gazans

were more obsessed with wiping Israel off the
face of the earth than they were with building
farms and industry. A year later, U.S. President
George W. Bush tried to bring democracy to
Gaza by supporting elections there. Hamas was

elected by a majority vote, leading to a radical-
ized Gaza. The Strip went from a simmering

pot to a burning cauldron.
Israel went to war in Gaza in varying degrees
in 2008-2009, 2012, 2014 and 2021. Then
came Oct. 7, 2023. This completely changed
the dynamics, Israeli attitude and narrative of
the Mideast. The massacre, atrocities, rapes
and kidnappings made it clear the situation
in Gaza was unsustainable. The message was
clear: Oct. 7 could never happen again.
Israel has seriously degraded Hamas and its
leadership. Yet as the photos from the hostage

releases attest, Hamas is far from being deci-
mated. Many of those killed have been or are

being replaced by younger recruits. The youth
of Gaza have been indoctrinated from a very

early age to hate Israel and the Jews. The in-
flux of murderers with multiple life sentences

released by Israel into Gaza in
exchange for the hostages has
only exacerbated the situation.

With more than 70% of the Ga-
zan population actively support-
ing Hamas, both politically and

militarily, there is no alternative to
bring stability to the region except
to do as Trump has suggested and
move the population of Gaza to
countries like Egypt and Jordan,
which receive billions in U.S. aid.

It is estimated that 2 million people live in
Gaza. Moving large populations like that is
not easy, but it has been done before in other

places. For instance, nearly 7 million Ukraini-
ans left their homes after the Russian invasion

in February 2022. Germany took in 1.2 mil-
lion of the Ukrainian refugees. Poland took in

958,000, while the United States and the Unit-
ed Kingdom each took in more than 230,000

people.
Annually, America gives $1.5 billion to Egypt
and $1.65 billion to Jordan. It has given Yemen
$5.9 billion since 2014. Turkey receives $100
million in American funds for humanitarian
purposes and at least another $100 million in

military assistance. America also gives Indone-
sia $100 million annually. Between these few

countries, the Gazan population can be readily
relocated. Many Gazans would welcome the
opportunity. Trump is the only world leader
who could make this happen.
If it does come to fruition, then it would be a

win all the way around. Gaza would no lon-
ger be a festering sore of hatred and could be-
come an agricultural paradise or more. Israel

would no longer have to worry about another
Hamas invasion from its neighbor. A new path
for Gaza would help stabilize the Middle East

making the world safer. This is a winning strat-
egy and should be implemented as soon as pos-
sible.

Dr. Joseph Frager
Vues Master’s Note: It’s a practical solution to
Gaza’s long standing crisis, offering potential

stability and peace through relocation. It ad-
dresses complex issues with clarity and real-
ism.

HOW YOU READ IT
Dear Vues Master,
After listening to an arrogant חילוני, a Rav
asked him, “What is your name?” “Kalman,”
he replied. “Your name suits you well,” the
Rav said. “The תיבות ראשי of קלמן are כיזבנו
“.לצנו מרדנו ניאצנו
“Rabbi,” the חילוני said while laughing, “don’t
you know that קלמן is spelled with a ק׳ף and
כיזבנו is spelled with a כ׳ף“?
The Rav responded, “Apparently, you don’t
בת ק׳ף that חיי שרה in רש“י of פרוש the know
is like כ׳ף בת. “KL
Vues Master’s Note: Stop monkeying around!