14 Apr 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.
BEAUTIFUL YOM TOV
Dear Vues Master
I wanted to share how this past Pesach turned out to be so spe-
cial, even though it wasn’t what I had planned. I was supposed
to go to Eretz Yisrael to spend Yom Tov with my children, some-
thing I had been looking forward to for a long time. But because
of the war, I had to stay home in Brooklyn.
At first, I was very disappointed. There’s nothing like being in
Eretz Yisrael, especially for Pesach. But then something very
nice happened. Family from around the Tri State area came to us,
and instead of a quiet Yom Tov, the house was full.
The sedarim were beautiful, really warm and meaningful. Sit-
ting together, singing, talking, and just being with family made
it very special in its own way. It wasn’t what I expected, but it
was still something I’ll always remember.
At the same time, my heart is still in Eretz Yisrael. I just wish
there could be shalom there so I can go visit my daughter and
son who live there. We make plans, but Hashem apparently plans
differently, and this year I really felt that. MW
ISSUR CHAG
Dear Vues Master
In recent years, it seems that the observance of Issur Chag has
taken on greater prominence within many communities. While
this development may appear to reflect a growing appreciation
for extending the spirit of Yom Tov, I believe there are also more
practical factors at play.
Today, many families travel out of town to spend Yom Tov with
relatives or in communities that offer a richer communal experi-
ence. As a result, returning home and immediately resuming rou-
tine responsibilities can feel abrupt. Observing Issur Chag pro-
vides a buffer, an additional day to transition back to daily life.
However, I believe a major driver of this shift is the yeshiva
system itself. Yeshivas often build in an extra day before requir-
ing students to return, effectively encouraging families to treat
Issur Chag as an extension of Yom Tov. This creates a ripple ef-
fect, where what may have once been a more flexible or personal
practice becomes an expected norm.
This expectation is not always fair to parents who do not work
within the yeshiva system. For many, returning to work immedi-
ately after Yom Tov is not optional. It is already difficult enough
in most workplaces to take off the required days for Yom Tov,
and adding another expected day places additional strain on
working families who simply cannot accommodate it.
JKG
RABBI KROHN INTERVIEW
Dear Vues Master
I am writing to express how deeply I enjoyed the recent Pesach
edition interview conducted by Ari Hirsch with Rabbi Krohn.
It was both inspiring and uplifting, capturing not only Rabbi
Krohn’s wisdom but also his warmth, humility, and unwaver-
ing dedication to Klal Yisrael. In a time when so many of us are
searching for chizuk, the interview felt especially meaningful
and timely.
Rabbi Krohn’s words resonated on a profound level. His ability
to connect timeless Torah values to the realities we face today
is truly remarkable. The clarity, sincerity, and heart he brings to
everything he shares remind us why he is so beloved across the
Jewish world. The interview was not just something to read, it
was something to feel, to carry with us into Yom Tov.
At this time, I also want to express my heartfelt tefillos that Rab-
bi Krohn should have a complete refuah shleimah. Klal Yisrael
needs him, especially in this eis tzarah. His voice, his strength,
and his presence bring light to so many, and we are all better
for it.
Thank you to Ari Hirsch and The Jewish Vues for presenting
such a powerful and meaningful piece. It truly enhanced the
spirit of the Yom Tov. DB
TACHNUN
Dear Vues Master
I am writing out of a sense of genuine frustration and, more im-
portantly, concern. Each year, as the calendar turns past Pesach,
we encounter yet another extended stretch without Tachanun.
While I understand that halachic guidelines determine when
Tachanun is omitted, I cannot help but feel that we approach this
with a troubling attitude.
It often seems that instead of embracing Tachanun as an oppor-
tunity for humility, reflection, and sincere tefillah, we look for
ways to avoid it. Whether it is a yahrtzeit, a bris, or any permis-
sible reason, there is almost a sense of relief, even celebration,
when Tachanun is skipped. This mindset raises a difficult ques-
tion: is this truly the perspective a Yid should have toward an
integral part of davening?
Tachanun is not meant to be a burden. It is a moment carved out
for introspection, for acknowledging our shortcomings, and for
turning to Hashem with sincerity. When we consistently search
for ways to bypass it, we risk diminishing its value and, in turn,
losing something essential in our avodas Hashem.
Of course, we follow halacha as it is meant to be followed. But
perhaps it is time to reflect not just on what we are allowed to
do, but on how we feel about it. Do we view opportunities to
omit Tachanun with the right mindset, or have we
grown too comfortable avoiding it?
This is not a criticism of practice, but a call for
reflection. Our attitudes matter just as much as
our actions.
NT
CHAP A NOSH
Dear Vues Master
I am writing with deep sadness and frustration
upon learning that Chap-A-Nosh in Brooklyn,
on Avenue M, has permanently closed after more
than four decades of serving our community.
Owner Elie Pollak informed the public on April
7, 2026, that the restaurant’s final day had come.
For many of us, this is not just the loss of a busi-
ness, but the loss of a neighborhood institution
that truly felt like home.
While I understand that businesses sometimes
face unavoidable economic pressures, the sud-
den closure of Chap-A-Nosh still feels like a
profound blow to Brooklyn residents who relied
on it for comfort food, celebrations, and everyday
connection. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to Elie
Pollak and his staff for their dedicated service,
warmth, and consistency, which helped shape
countless memories in our neighborhood.
NR
HONORING A JEW KILLER ON YOM
HASHOA
Dear Vues Master,
As Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day,
began yesterday evening, candles were lit around
the world to honor the memory of millions of
murdered Jews.
Except in Ramallah, where the leaders of the Pal-
estinian Authority gathered to honor the memory
of a man who devoted his life to promoting the
mass murder of Jews.
PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas decided that Yom
Hashoah evening was the appropriate occasion to
posthumously bestow the PA’s highest honor, the
“Star of Merit of the Order of the State of Pales-
tine,” upon the late Qadri Abu Bakr.
Abu Bakr was the longtime head of the notori-
ous “Pay for Slay” program, through which the
PA provides salaries to imprisoned terrorists, and
lifetime stipends to the families of dead terror-
ists. It currently spends $300 million annually,
8% of the PA’s national budget, on these rewards
for murder.
That’s more than the percentage of America’s
national budget that the US federal government
spends each year on education, training, employ-
ment, social services, and transportation—com-
bined.
Beginning in the 1960s, Abu Bakr’s job in the
Fatah movement was to provide weapons to ter-
rorists so they could murder Jews. He spent 20
years in Israeli prisons; the Israeli authorities
considered him so dangerous that they exiled
him to Iraq when he was released from jail. He
then served as a senior aide to the notorious terror
leader Abu Jihad (Khalil al-Wazir), before the PA
named him Commissioner for Prisoners’ Affairs
and director of the pay-for-slay program.
Pay-for-Slay is so important to the PA that it’s
enshrined in the recently-drafted text of the
“Constitution of the State of Palestine”—twice.
Article 24 requires “care for the families of mar-
tyrs and the wounded and prisoners and those re-
leased from the occupation prisons.”
Article 44 reiterates that there must be “com-
prehensive care for the families of martyrs, the
wounded, and prisoners, and those released.”
Abu Bakr died in a traffic accident three years
ago. He’s gone but not forgotten, thanks to PA
chairman Abbas, who chose Yom Hashoah eve-
ning to honor Abu Bakr’s “distinguished national
career and struggle,” and his “leadership role in
serving his homeland and the Palestinian people,”
the PA’s official news agency, Wafa, reported.
Is it just a coincidence that Abbas chose to honor
Abu Bakr on Holocaust Remembrance Day?
Probably not, given Abbas’s own deep interest in
the Holocaust.
In his 1983 Ph.D. dissertation-turned-book, titled
The Other Side: The Secret Relations Between
Nazism and the Leadership of the Zionist Move-
ment, Abbas asserted that David Ben-Gurion and
other Zionist leaders “collaborated with Hitler”
and wanted the Nazis to kill Jews, because “hav-
ing more victims meant greater rights and stron-
ger privilege to join the negotiating table for di-
viding the spoils of war once it was over.”
The “real” number of Jews murdered by the
Nazis was “much lower” than six million and
might well have been “below
one million,” Abbas wrote.
“Many scholars have debated
the figure of six million and
reached stunning conclu-
sions—fixing the number of
Jewish victims at only a few
hundred thousand.”
Asked about his Holocaust
writings in a January 2013
interview with a Lebanese
television station, Abbas re-
plied: “I challenge anyone to
deny the relationship between
Zionism and Nazism before
World War II.” He added that
he has “seventy more books
that I still haven’t published” that he says would
prove his claims.
So perhaps it’s not surprising that Abbas, a se-
rial desecrator of the Holocaust, chose Yom Has-
hoah as the occasion to honor a man who devoted
his life to facilitating and incentivizing the mass
murder of Jews.
Dr. Rafael Medoff
CITY RUN GROCERY STORE
Dear Vues Master,
Mayor Mamdani’s proposal to spend $30 million
in taxpayer money on a single, city-run grocery
store in East Harlem is not just misguided—it is
fiscally reckless and another poorly conceived
idea coming out of Mamdani.
At a time when New York City faces serious bud-
get pressures, allocating such an extraordinary
sum to build one supermarket defies common
sense. Industry experts have already noted that
this price tag is far beyond what a typical store
should cost, especially when the city already
owns the land and plans to waive rent and taxes.
Where, then, is all this money going?
Even more troubling is the precedent this sets.
By offering a handpicked operator free rent and
tax exemptions, the city is effectively rigging the
market. Local grocers—small business owners
who have invested their livelihoods into serving
the neighborhood—are being forced to compete
with a government-subsidized entity that operates
under entirely different rules. That is not compe-
tition; it is displacement.
Supporters argue that this will lower food pric-
es, but history shows that government-run retail
ventures are often inefficient, costly, and unsus-
tainable. When the subsidies inevitably fall short
or political priorities shift, what happens then?
Taxpayers will be left footing the bill for a failed
experiment.
If the goal is to improve food access, there are far
more practical solutions: reduce regulatory bar-
riers, incentivize private investment, and support
existing businesses. New Yorkers deserve smart,
effective policies—not expensive experiments
that gamble with public money. SP
ALIYAH SNOBS
Dear Vues Master,
I’m getting tired of this phenomenon where
people who have made new lives for themselves
in Israel come and constantly lecture and fear-
monger those of us who haven’t been able to do
so. Just because it worked out for your family
doesn’t mean it will work for others, we’re not
just being stubborn to spite you.
Everyone knows about the financial crisis in Is-
rael and how hard it is to make a living, and noth-
ing there can be found cheaper than in the United
States. There is a severe housing shortage, even
for people who already live there, with the cost
of even one-bedroom apartments surging past a
million dollars, and not even in the best neigh-
borhoods.
Then there’s the draft problem, which essentially
makes our boys very limited in what they’re able
to do at that age, or else face arrest and sanctions.
People who are successful entrepreneurs and
were able to maintain an American salary while
living in Israel are at the top of the pyramid,
and I’m very happy for them. But standing on
that high mountain and lecturing families with a
bunch of small children, who are unable to face
the economic and social consequences of such a
drastic move, is just arrogant and insensitive. It
is not obtainable for everyone, plain and simple.
Perhaps you’d like to give us some of your mon-
ey to help with the transition? Perhaps you’re
willing to rent us a big apartment at half price?
Perhaps you found a way for our jobs to convert
to an equal salary in shekels? Perhaps you found
a way for our kids to all magically adapt, even
though the English-speaking neighborhoods are
some of the most expensive?
Be realistic. We’re not purposely staying to enjoy
the antisemitism that gets worse every day, and
we’re not avoiding the move because we don’t
believe in the holiness of Eretz Yisrael and what
it means to the Jewish people. There are serious
things to consider and major obstacles that make
it impossible for many. Consider that before belit-
tling us and writing columns berating us as being
“asleep.”
KLMY
IT’S ALL IN THE INTERPRETATION
Dear Vues Master,
I don’t know about you -but I fall into a state of
sadness when the Yamim Tovim end.
Some call it a “depression” but for lack of the
clinical analysis of our moods- I simply call it
“sadness”
No matter how we lament about all the work prior
to Yom Tov- the cleaning , the food shopping, the
cooking, the baking
and the laundering (notice how I purposely left
out the clothing shopping)-no matter how we la-
ment about the fatigue, as YomTov begins. We are
instantly transformed into a state of tranquility.
There is something of a magic –- something ethe-
real that happens when we get to stop all work-
and behold the beauty of the Chag as it envelops
the entire household.
It’s hard to explain (yes it’s a Kedusha – no
doubt) but in laymen’s terms it’s simply “magic.”
And with this “magic” bestowed upon us for
eight beautiful days we bask in this atmosphere
for the opportunity to sit back and connect with
our family and with the “One Above”
But then in the blink of an eye it’s over ! And so
we pack away the dishes – the pots – the pans
– the beautiful table cloths and silver utensils_
and with this action our “magic” seems to simply
evaporate- It’s gone- truly gone!
And so here I sit at my desk “bemoaning” having
to delve into the mundane routine again- and I
am SAD.
But then I look out my window and see a beauti-
ful sunny day- the rejuvenation of Spring; I hear
birds chirping and see crocus struggling to burst
forth from the winter earth. I am then transformed
from a sad brooding person to one who sees a
bright sunny ‘tomorrow.’
Oh yes you say but there is so much pain in this
world; that’s true and I I too am not spared from
such “pain” No one is-and yet
There is so much good in this world -one simply
has to “see” it. the good overshadows the travails
of life- the travails of Galus-one simply has to fo-
cus to “see” it.
I am reminded of a beautiful story retold by Rav
Moshe Taragin of his experience in Yeshivah
Etzion in Gush Etzion.
In the year 1988 at the time of the uprise of the
Antifada movement- the Talmidim of the Yeshi-
vah were looking forward to uninterrupted time
to learn Torah (They each had already served
several stints in the army) But as life would have
it the Yeshivah was being recruited again; there
was general sadness in the Yeshivah – (it was also
close to Pesach)
The Rosh Hayeshivah Rav Yehuda Amital told
the following story to the Talmidim.
He spoke (and here I take poet’s license to para-
phrase) about his time in the concentration camp.
The labor was grueling; there was no respite
seven days a week- and so Shabbos was not any
different than any of the other days- you had to
work . But for Rav Amital Friday was different..
With the few moments this young boy found a
way to welcome the Shabbos amidst all this har-
rowing time, this was his way to connect to H’,
knowing in that meaningful moment that H’ was
with him. With the few moments this young boy
found a way to welcome the Shabbos amidst all
this harrowing time and this was his way to con-
nect to H’- knowing in that meaningful moment
that H’ was with him
There wasn’t a dry eye in Yeshiva that day-
He told the boys that when they would be called
up to serve even if it was in the middle of the
Seder- to remember the old crumpled white shirt
and go out there knowing H’ is with them!
Appreciating that H’ is always with us even in
challenging times is a reason to see the “good”
in life.
In every aspect of our life- when you take a drink
after a thirst- turn to H’ and say “thank you for
this Matanah” a Brocho in haste does not do the
job-
If you or I take a step each day- we say thank you
H’ for giving me strength to walk
If you eat a sumptuous meal – do not take it for
granted- turn to H’ and say “Thank you H’ even if
you recite Birkat Hamazon
If you have a new piece of clothing- Malbish
Arumim – turn your eyes upwards to say “Thank
you H’
A roof over your head-
A bed to sleep in
A cover to keep you warm
AC to cool you down
Food to satiate your hunger
Drinks to satisfy your thirst
Rain to make the flowers grow
Family to love and be loved by
THANK YOU H’
For all the bounty you bestow upon me each and
every breath I take.
And so though Yom Tov has ended – H’s beautiful
world is all around us
Keeping this in mind suddenly causes my sadness
to dissipate; I am seeing all the “good” that I have
been granted
‘THANK YOU H”
Rachel Laufer Fischer
BANG ON!
Dear Vues Master,
Hillel Fuld posted this online & I thought it was
great.
A man enters a luxurious restaurant and is greeted
by a perfectly dressed AI robot. She says to him:
“Sorry, sir, but all the tables are full, and you’ll
have to wait for half an hour. However, if you’d
like, the restaurant will buy you a drink at the bar,
and we can chat for a while to pass the time.”
Somewhat surprised, the man agrees. Then the
robot asks: “Could you tell me your IQ? … I’m
here to know what to talk to you about.” The man
replies: “It’s 160.” From that moment on, for half
an hour, the robot effortlessly and politely con-
ducted a conversation about the latest cultural
events, the global economy, global market trend
analysis, and the latest advances in science and
technology. Deeply impressed, the man decides
to return in a few days. However, this time, to test
the robot’s reaction, he tells it that his IQ is 90.
Now the robot talks only about football, national
team goals, the latest gossip from TV and show
business, the latest videos from the most popular
TikTokers, and recent plane crashes and hijack-
ings. Brooding with curiosity, the client returns a
few days later for a third time. This time, he tells
the robot that his IQ is only 40. Then the robot
leans toward his ear and whispers confidentially:
“The Zionist conspiracy is to blame for every-
thing. The Jews control the media and the global
economy.” Credit: Lance Forman
Vues Master’s Note: This is great.
THE DAF, THE WAR, AND THE
“IMMINENCE” OF THE ORIGINAL
CATACLYSMIC “THREAT”
Dear Vues Master,
Adam Harishon, the first human being, and
all his successors, were created in the image
of Hashem, though not necessarily in a ver-
tical position. Nevertheless, as Jews, some-
times we must not just stand up for our rights,
but we must just “stand,” period. In our me-
sorah, standing is more than a posture or a
figure of speech. It is a declaration of presence
and priority. We stand for elders, for talmidei cha-
chamim, and of course for the sefer Torah.
In the legal world, standing defines one’s stake in
a matter. In the moral world, it defines our com-
mitment to truth. We must stand up for what is
right, and condemn what is wrong.
There is a classic reference book called Otzar Di-
vrei Chachameem Upisgamayhem – Treasury of
the words of our wise people and their proverbs.
It was first published in1933 by Rav Aharon Hy-
man, who incidentally was the father of the sec-
ond wife of the American philanthropist Harry
Fischel (great-grandfather of this writer).
In this monumental treasury, the author cata-
logues five distinct legal maxims beginning with
the words kol ha’omed – all who stand ready.
Two of them stand out for our purposes at this
time.
* Sprinkling — Kol ha’omed lizrok k’zaruk dami
– A person who stands ready to sprinkle is like
one who has already sprinkled it (Baba Kama
76b, but see below);
* Redeeming — Kol ha’omed lifdot k’faduy dami
– That which is ready to be redeemed is as if al-
ready redeemed (Pesachim 13),
It should be noted that the first of these maxims
actually appears in another location in the Ge-
marah as well – Menachot 79b, the daf yomi we
recently studied, which triggered this article at
this time. The source cited in the reference book,
however is indeed the first citation of it.
The original reference consolidates the two max-
ims, and treats them more as legal principles,
with Rabbi Shimon ruling that any [blood] that
is ready to be sprinkled [in the Beit HaMikdash]
is considered as though it had already been sprin-
kled, and likewise any [animal] that is ready to be
redeemed is considered as if it has already been
redeemed (Baba Kama 76b, though cited by Rav
Hyman only at Pesachim 13).
What, you may ask, does any of this have any-
thing to do with the current war being waged —
and ceased? — in the Middle East?
Although the Gemorah originally refers to the
service in the Beit HaMikdash, it offers a pro-
found lens through which to view our current
geopolitical reality.
Many people fault the United States and Israel
for “initiating” a war (or trying to end it?) when
they did, not because they think their opponent
should not eventually be fought but because they
feel that the threat from Iran was not imminent.
Many analysts argue against
pre-emptive action, sug-
gesting that a threat is only
“imminent” once the first
strike — or launch — is — or
will shortly be — whizzing
toward population centers,
when the intended victims
of the strike — or launch
— will be irreparably and
catastrophically impacted,
caught by surprise, and unprepared and un-
equipped to retaliate in a timely and effective
manner.
Those who support the pre-emptive nature of the
initial attacks by America and Israel in Iran can
draw inspiration from the first maxim cited above
(or the first half of the consolidated maxim),
though maybe the connection is not exactly as
direct as a ballistic missile.
In reference to the service in the Beit HaMikdash,
the root z-r-k may be most often used in the Bi-
ble for “to sprinkle”; but In modern Hebrew, the
root z-r-k may be associated more often with “to
throw,” or “to hurl.” If an enemy “stands ready”
to launch missiles at population centers, having
both the means and the stated intent – it is not ex-
actly a stretch to conclude that halakhic logic sug-
gests that the intended victims of the impending
or inevitable attacks need not wait for the impacts
to acknowledge the reality of the attacks. Under
the principle of Kol ha’omed, it is not a stretch to
establish that the threat is not merely potential,
it is legally and morally present, justifying the
necessity of self-defense, however costly it may
be to both sides, and however much the Israelis
would have preferred negotiating from scratch, as
would the Americans headed by the author of the
Art of the Deal.
For the record, the citation in Menachot cites
Rabbi Elazar, son of Rav Shimon, standing up for
his father, and ruling in accordance with him. The
original source, as noted above, refers to the re-
demption of an animal. Redeeming people takes
on a much broader and less gruesome meaning.
Ultimately, we look to the second maxim (or
the second half of the consolidated maxim),
“That which is ready for redemption is as if al-
ready redeemed.” While the Gemorah discusses
the redemption of sanctified animals, the term
“pidyon” carries a much deeper resonance for
us today. As we navigate these dark times, we
join all of klal Yisrael in praying that our people
and any future captives — G-d forbid — will be
redeemed speedily. May we see the day when no
people will feel they are confronted by the need
to fight or to protect themselves with physical and
lethal force, and when “standing” will no longer
require the posture of defense — or self-defensive
offense — but will rather reflect the upright joy
of a world at peace, inspired and orchestrated by
Moshiach tzidkeinu, bimhera b’yamenu.
Rabbi Aaron I. Reichel, Esq. Kew Gardens, NY
Vues Master’s Note: Thanks for sharing!