07 Feb SPEAK YOUR VUES WITH THE VUES MASTER
VACATION
Dear Vues Master:
I can’t believe how many teachers & students, especially
teachers, come back a few days after winter break. What
type of example are these teachers? It’s not enough that
people are going on extravagant mid-winter Yeshiva breaks
all over the world! These days if you don’t go to Miami,
Cancun, Panama, California or Israel on winter break your
child feels like a loser. What is wrong with us Klal Yisrael?
Teachers need to be held responsible!!!
RK
Vues Master’s Note: We are raising a bunch of spoiled kids.
This is terrible for the next generation!
VACATION II
Dear Vues Master:
This is a letter that I saw in Yeshivaworld.com last week that
really caught my attention & I wanted to share with your
readers. As a rebbie for more than a decade, I am stunned
and perplexed at the growing trend of families going on
luxurious vacations over the midwinter break. I can already
see people rolling their eyes and shrugging their shoulders,
but if you realized the impact that these vacations have on
impressionable young children, you would be up in arms.
From the beginning of the school year in Elul/September,
rebbeim like myself devote our kochos into every talmid.
For months, we work hours on end each day (yes, beyond
school hours too) to give every child the chinuch they need
and deserve. I know many people think my job is easy, but
it’s not. Ensuring that every one of my talmidim is incul-
cated with a proper sense of direction and that their every
academic, social, psychological, spiritual and even physical
needs are met, is grueling at times. But seeing the talmi-
dim grow day after day, week after week, and month after
month, makes it all worth it and more. That is, until mid-
winter vacation comes around. Each year, I get a pit in my
stomach when this break comes because I know what will
happen when the students come back. Most of the talmidim
have sensible vacations. They go ice skating, or to a muse-
um, or some other wholesome experiences that allows them
to enjoy themselves and recharge for the remaining winter
months. Others, however, do more. A lot more. Their parents
are not satisfied with a simple, nice vacation and additional
family time. No. They need to go to Florida, or Cancun, or
the Caribbean. Even if not going that far, they need to put
on a show of wealth and vanity, stuffing materialism down
their children’s throats throughout the midwinter break. Do
you know what results from this? You think those kids come
back ready to learn and shteig? Not even close. They are
disasters when they return, and the wrecks that the vacation
turned them into in turn destroys everything I try to accom-
plish in the classroom and lays to waste what I accomplished
with those talmidim individually. You see, when these talmi-
dim return, they have everything but learning on their mind.
Their young brains and imaginations have been filled with
gashmius, often inundated with things that are inappropriate
even for adults to see, and saturated with every frivolity the
world has to offer. It can take upwards of a month to get
these kids back on track. It’s a process of undoing all the
damage their own parents inflicted upon them by trying to
give them a “good time.” It might have been fun at the mo-
ment, but just recognize that when you do these things, you
are taking a sledgehammer to your child’s growth. And the
classroom itself? It’s a mess too. When a few kids are not
acting right because outside influences destroy their minds,
even temporarily, the whole class goes off the rails. Trying
to teach becomes a hair-pulling adventure of misery and
disappointment. Parents, stop doing this to your kids. Stop
doing this to their rebbeim and teachers. Your kids deserve
better; their mechanchim deserve better. Stop flushing my
hard work down the toilet so you could blow your money
on materialistic pursuits that I can assure you won’t fill the
emptiness that pervades your heart and soul.
A distraught Rebbi in the Tri-State area.
Vues Master’s Note: I think after this letter I need to go on
vacation! Way too heavy and I don’t have an answer so I
think I’ll just go to the Bahamas to mull it over!
VACATION III
Dear Vues Master:
Thank you Rabbi Goldberg for your very spot on recom-
mendations for those who come to a vacation area and do
not necessarily act appropriately to the local communities
and take for granted and feel entitled. As a full time resi-
dent of Sullivan Catskills, I totally understand the situation.
Beyond attitude, the chillul Hashem factor is incomprehen-
sible. We sadly live in a society that will cause any and all
kinds of agmas nefesh, in more ways than I can mention,
that create problems for our tribe. It does not take much, as
we all witness on an almost hourly basis. Yes, the Sullivan
Catskills is delightfully tranquil at this time of year, and we
enjoy and respect all seasonal challenges we are faced with.
Once June and the camp, seasonal homeowners and bun-
galow chevra overwhelm the locals, to the tune of close
to 500,000 people, it’s hard to imagine the reaction from
the local non-Jews, and non-affiliated and non observant
Jews who are completely resentful. Although some will say
‘they benefit from us financially’, to some degree it may be
true, but what about the impact on the environment and im-
pact the seasonal establishments overwhelm the townships
Sadly, the askanim and rabbanim do not lec-
ture their followers. They look to have funds
brought to their beis medrash and ignore the
surrounding issues. How can we get your mes-
sage out to the various places that ignore the
rules, that if ignored, we ALL pay the price of
Anti-semitism. If possible, maybe this article
can be reposted, reprinted in every issue of
the Country and Jewish Vues for the upcom-
ing seasons, and hopefully the message will be
heard. Thank you
Faigi E
Vues Master’s Note: Please send us a reminder
as it gets closer!
MOURNING
Dear Vues Master:
For many years, Sarah had a difficult relation-
ship with her husband. Now, as she was near
death, she told her husband that her dying wish
was that he sit shivah together with her mother.
“But darling,” he said, “you know we haven’t
been on speaking terms for many years.” “I
know,” Sarah responded. “But still, I’d like
you to do that for me.” “OK,” he said. “But it
will ruin the shivah for me.”
MB
Vues Master’s Note: The Love just oozes out!
FUTURE
Dear Vues Master:
The fascination of change in the political arena
is evident from patterns in modern American
history, whether that was Bill Clinton as the
“comeback kid”, George Bush’s promise of
restoring “the integrity of the office”, Barack
Obama’s “yes we can!”, Donald Trump’s
“drain the swamp” mentality or even Joe
Biden’s message of “getting the adults back
in charge”. Getting rid of the status quo has
a taste of liberation and hope for restoration.
Time after time, promises were made, but
promises weren’t kept; that was until Donald J.
Trump came down that historic golden escala-
tor. Donald Trump was and is a reaction to the
constant failures of Washington D.C. of both
parties refusing to defend the interests of their
voters. Trump answered the call and as we all
remember to much shock, Donald Trump be-
came the 45th President of the USA. Trump
did a lot of what he promised, including cut-
ting taxes, deregulation, appointing conserva-
tive judges and justices, defending American
interests first, exposing the bureaucracy and
the “deep state”, making substantial progress
in peace in the Middle East, and many other
accomplishments, however, to say that he
did all that he promised and that he contin-
ues to live up to the standard he fought for in
2016, would be a lie. I was one of President
Trump’s first supporters in 2015. Yeah, you
read that correctly, 2015! I still am a supporter
of President Donald Trump, but just because
I support Donald Trump doesn’t mean that I
support “Trump 2024”. The Donald Trump
that I fiercely defended in the face of much op-
position from family and friends in 2015/16,
was someone that sincerely did not care what
political consultants, politicians, or even party
members would think, say or do. The Donald
Trump of 2023 is unfortunately not that. The
present Donald Trump is someone who sup-
ports a classic establishment failure to lead the
Republican National Committee. The Trump
of today supports the establishment’s pick
for Speaker of the House without question or
resistance. In addition, many of the problems
that our movement and country face today are
ironically Trump-related. Some of those prob-
lems are the corrupt Director of the FBI, Chris-
topher Wray, who was appointed by Trump,
and Anthony Fauci, who was working for the
government till a few months ago, though
Trump once had control of his job. Further-
more, Trump’s political influence in the GOP
has for years been incredibly dominant and
powerful, but many times he endorses the same
people that in the past or even later backstab
him and more importantly, his voters. Trump
told us in 2016 that we would “win so much,
that we are gonna get sick of winning” to the
extent that Trump said jovially, that we would
call the White House and ask Mike Pence to
stop the winning. I am proud of what was ac-
complished in the Trump White House, but as
a Trump Republican, the disappointment of
what Trump has become has set in. Ad-
ditionally, much of the rhetoric of Trump 2023
doesn’t accord with Trump 2016. Whether it
be his support of lockdowns during Covid, his
lack of action against the mistreatment of Jan-
uary 6th political prisoners in the final weeks
of his presidency, his endorsements of weak,
establishment candidates, or his weak attacks
against the best governor of the USA, Ron De-
Santis. As a Trump supporter, I am disappoint-
ed with the leader of my party, Donald Trump,
the man that I put so much hope in and trust
in. The 2024 election is quite some time away,
and things may change, but I think it is time for
a new leader of our party who will fight for all
the things that the Trump of 2016 fought for. A
full primary awaits, but at this point, Ron De-
Santis is that leader. Ron DeSantis has been a
leader in so many issues against the establish-
ment on both sides of the aisle. From Covid to
education to immigration to even the way he
governs. The moment when he became inte-
gral to the rest of the nation was during Covid.
When other countries and states, both Repub-
lican and Democrat, locked down, masked up,
or socially distanced, Ron DeSantis stood for
reason in the face of insanity. Whether it was
his pro-science approach of protecting the el-
derly primarily, his refusal to tread on people’s
freedoms whether in masking or other regula-
tions, his vaccine distribution focus on vulner-
able people, to his transparency of the negative
effects of the vaccine on younger individuals,
Ron came out with one of the strongest, and
fast-growing economies while also with one
of the lowest Covid death rates in a state that
has the 2nd oldest population in the country.
In education, Ron’s policies include banning
race-based educational indoctrination courses,
banning gender studies for younger students,
stopping race-baiting courses on diversity and
equity in colleges, and of course standing up
to Disney for showing leftist gender theory to
little kids. Republicans, traditionally, refrain
from using the “power” of the government
due to their “small-government” ideology,
however, in an age of communist, globalist
Democrat lawmakers who are abusing their
powers beyond belief, playing by the rules of
their game is vital. Ron DeSantis clearly has
an understanding of the game of power and it
would do so much good for the country to get
a taste. Donald Trump will always have a spe-
cial place in my heart. His candor, humor, and
controversies are what make his brand real.
Ron DeSantis is his own person with his own
style, but as much as we have to hold Trump
to account, DeSantis must also be faced with
tough questions in the primary. A primary
makes the best candidate for the party. It isn’t a
coincidence that in 2016 or in 2020, the GOP/
Democrat primaries were huge and divisive,
but they produced the next Presidents of the
United States. The state of our union is in a
horrendous mess, despite what Joe Biden says
in his address. The country needs a populist,
working-class Republican party like the one
Trump 2016 fought for. Trump is owed credit
for building the foundation, but it’s time to
build the building. May the best Ron or Don
win!
Sincerely,
Donny Simcha Guttman
Vues Master’s Note: How quick we turn on
people! We need to show him hakaras hatov!
CHOCOLATES
Dear Vues Master:
Some Poskim have difficulty understanding
why our Minhag is to make a Shehakol on
chocolates when Halachically it should have
been a Perie Haetz. Harav Y.S. Elyashiv zt”l
& Harav S.Z. Auerbach zt”l both hold that the
appropriate Bracha for chocolate should have
been העץ פרי but since the Velt (the common
practice) makes a שהכל we follow Minhag Ha-
olam and make a Shehakol. They both hold*
if a העץ פרי was made on fruits and choco-
lates were at the table, then you shouldn’t
make a Shehakol on the chocolates, being you
were יוצא with the Perie Haetz. The הברכה
מקור ספר) Dayan Rav Gavriel Krausz Shlita)
claims, The minhag of the Velt is a mistake, It
came about from the
make to writes who שערי תשובה ר“ב ס“ק י“ט
a שהכל on שעקלדי) chocolate) R.G. Krausz
claims the תשובה שערי was referring to a
chocolate drink and the Velt mistakenly as-
sumed he meant chocolates (solid) R.G.Krausz
holds, לכתחילה to make a Perie Haetz on choc-
olates.
MF
Vues Master’s Note: Good to know now I have
an excuse not to buy chocolates for my wife
since we don’t know what bracha to make on
it!
NEVE YAAKOV
Dear Vues Master:
News reports about the Neve Yaakov shul
massacre have characterized that Jerusalem
neighborhood as an “Israeli settlement” lo-
cated in “predominantly-Palestinian East
Jerusalem.” Visitors to the area might be
surprised, however, to discover that Neve
Yaakov actually is a major urban commu-
nity with more than 30,000 residents, not at
all resembling the stereotypical “settlement”
of trailer homes on a windswept hilltop. And
far from being some recent foreign implant,
Neve Yaakov’s origins reach back nearly a
century, to an era long before terms such as
“Palestinians” and “East Jerusalem” had even
entered our vocabulary, at least in the way
they are understood today. A two-paragraph
news brief in the Jewish Telegraphic Agen-
cy’s Daily News Bulletin on January 1, 1924,
announced the laying of “the corner-stone
of a new Jewish colony in Palestine” by the
Mizrachi religious Zionists, in an area just
north of Jerusalem’s Old City section. The
new neighborhood would be known as “Kfar
Ivri Neve Yaakov,” after the founder of the
religious Zionist movement, the late Rabbi
Yitzhak Yaakov Reines. Rabbi Meir Berlin
(later Bar-Ilan), president of World Mizrachi,
spoke at the founding event, as did Sir Gilbert
Clayton, Civil Secretary of the British Man-
datory government. The new community was
located on sixteen acres of land purchased
from local Arabs by the American wing of
the Mizrachi movement, today known as the
Religious Zionists of America. Loans from
the movement’s longtime treasurer, Baruch
H. Schnur, helped make it possible. Richard
Kauffmann, the renowned German Jewish
architect, was retained to design Neve Yaa-
kov. Kauffmann would also become known
for designing the cities of Afula and Her-
zliya, a number of neighborhoods in central
Jerusalem, and the residence of Israel’s prime
minister. The role of American Jews in the
purchase and development of land in Brit-
ish Mandatory Palestine is a little-known but
significant chapter in Zionist history. During
the early 1900s, American Zionists in various
cities established local “Achooza” groups to
advance these efforts. (In Hebrew, Achooza
means “holding,” as in real estate holdings.)
The St. Louis and Chicago Achooza branches
established the towns of Poriya (1910) and
Sarona (1913); the New York branch founded
Ra’anana (1921) and Gan Yavneh (1931). An
American Zionist brochure in the 1920s, of-
fering half-acre plots of land in Neve Yaakov
for $150 apiece, emphasized the value of the
investment and the opportunity to build a new
life, but most of all appealed to those who
“want the Holy Land to be in the hands of the
Jewish people.” Neve Yaakov encountered
hardships similar to those endured by other
Jewish communities in Mandatory Pales-
tine during the 1920s and 1930s. Palestinian
Arab terrorists attacked the neighborhood in
1929 and again during 1936-1939. The Brit-
ish authorities did not connect the town to
the national water supply until 1935; another
four years passed before it was hooked up to
the electricity grid. Despite these hardships,
Neve Yaakov prospered, and by the 1930s
boasted a population of more than 150 Jewish
families. Neve Yaakov’s farmers became a
major source of dairy products for the rest of
Jerusalem, and its schools and summer camps
attracted students from around the country.
Details concerning the makeup of the com-
munity’s population are fragmentary, but it
is clear that at least some American Jews not
only bought land in Neve Yaakov but settled
there as well. The April 1927 edition of Pal-
estine Pictorial, a Zionist advocacy maga-
zine, included a photo of an Orthodox couple
kneeling in a field, with the caption, “Spring-
time Has Come in Palestine: American Jews
in Kfar Ivri [Neve Yaakov] planting seed in
their garden. Every year sees an increasing
number of well-to-do Jews from America set-
tling in Palestine.” Several histories of pre-
World War II American Jewish aliya mention
the Zelig family, from Philadelphia, living
in Neve Yaakov in the 1930s. The neighbor-
hoods ringing Jerusalem to the north, includ-
ing Neve Yaakov, were frequent targets of
attacks by Arab forces during the 1948 War
of Independence. More than a few British
soldiers joined in the assaults. During the de-
fense of Neve Yaakov on March 10, Haganah
fighters captured two Englishmen who were
wanted for their role in carrying out an anti-
Jewish terrorist attack on Ben-Yehuda Street
in Jerusalem earlier that year, murdering 58
passersby and injuring 200 more. The pair,
George Ross and Godfrey Stevenson, were
tried by the British authorities for desertion,
not terrorism, and then allowed to “escape” to
Egypt. The rapid approach of the Arab armies
forced the residents of Neve Yaakov to flee
for their lives. On May 17, a New York Times
correspondent reported that the Arab troops
entering Neve Yaakov included “eight British
deserters and one German former paratroop-
er”—another peculiar feature of the 1948
war. During the nineteen years of Jordanian
occupation which followed, the Jews of Neve
Yaakov were not allowed to return, or even
to visit. Nor were they ever paid compensa-
tion for the destruction of their homes, farms,
and property. After Israel recaptured the area
in the 1967 war, the Jordanian policy of bar-
ring all Jews was reversed by Israel’s Labor
government, and Neve Yaakov was rebuilt.
Eventually it became one of the eight “ring”
neighborhoods forming the outer perimeter
of Jerusalem, along with Ramot, French Hill,
Pisgat Ze’ev, Talpiot Mizrach, Ramat Shlo-
mo, Gilo, and Har Homa. Decades removed
from the stereotypical settlements of yester-
year, these communities, with their modern
apartment buildings, schools, stores, and hos-
pitals, have come to constitute an integral part
of Israel’s capital.
RM
Vues Master’s Note: As usual your letters are
right on!
COVERWAIT
After waiting and waiting for his wife to get
ready to go out, she finally said “Ok I’m ready.
But I see that you’re not. Didn’t you say a
while ago that you were ready?” “I was,” he
replied. “But now you’ll have to wait for me. I
need to shave again.”
BM
Vues Master’s Note: Amazing, I just had this
problem the other day so I decided to stop
shaving! Like this I am always ready!
IMITATION
Dear Vues Master:
Someone once asked R’ Shlomo Carlebach
why do all his songs sound the same. He an-
swered “if everyone else can copy my songs,
why can’t I also do the same?”
BW
Vues Master’s Note: I guess I should copy
some answer from some other letter?
RECOUNT THE STORY
Dear Vues Master:
The Lord is my strength and song, and He be-
came my salvation: He is my G-d, and I will
praise Him; my father’s G-d, and I will exalt
him. – Shemos 15:1 The Midrash (Shemos
13:8) says that only twenty percent of the Jews
left Egypt. I went down, as a news reporter, af-
ter all the singing, to interview one of the free
men. Me: Hello, you look really happy. Do you
have time for an interview? Free man: Yes, The
Lord is my strength and song. Me: You recog-
nize Him! How did you come to know Him so
well? FM: He became my salvation. Me: Wow,
such strong feelings. What brought Him close
to you? FM: He is my G-d, and I will praise
Him. (Abba Shaul says “I will praise Him” is
“I will be like Him – Shabbos 113b.) Me: How
can you be like Him, you’re not a g-d? FM: He
is my father’s G-d. Me: So, you emulate your
father, is there anything before that? FM: I
(will) exalt him. Me: So, fearing your father is
like fearing G-d? FM: Yes, but I like “revere”
because fear doesn’t sound good. Me: Thank
you for enlightening us. There you have it, the
beginning of salvation starts at home. Children
today are confused and think it is normal to go
against their parents. Ask them if G-d is known
as our teacher or as our father? Our relation-
ship with our father is the model for how we
relate to G-d.
DG
Vues Master’s Note: One topic letter writer! I
admire your tenacity.
EIGHTY PERCENT
Dear Vues Master:
Here are some reasons to explain how eighty
percent of the Jews died in Mitzrayim. One
is Stockholm syndrome, where the Jews felt
beholden to their former captive. Some felt
sympathetic to the Egyptians’ plight during the
plagues while others remained afraid of their
former masters. Some didn’t leave because
they were afraid of the unknown. After the Jew
were emancipated from slavery they became
successful as Rabbi Brevda said, The Jews
were offered lucrative jobs by the Egyptians
who wanted diligent hard workers and soon
after they became successful entrepreneurs
and didn’t want to leave. The father is the main
motivator for their children. The father wants
them to get up and accomplish something.
They don’t want them to be naive and manipu-
lated. Without the father there is a good chance
they will get stuck like the eighty percent.
DG
Vues Master’s Note: I feel like I want out of
prison from these letters!
DONKEY
Dear Vues Master:
A chicken was asked: “If you could choose,
where would you prefer to live?” The chicken
answered: “In a village in China. The chickens
run free there, lay their eggs in the field, and
the people are vegetarian.” A cow was asked
the same question and answered: “In India.
The cows there are holy. They wash in the
river, go where they want, and aren’t taken to
slaughter.” A חמור was asked the question and
answered: “In Israel. Israel is a free and demo-
cratic country, where any חמור can be elected
to the Knesset and even be Prime Minister.”
FG
Vues Master’s Note: Well, we see it now in the
Knesset!
TERRORISM
Dear Vues Master:
Terrorism is an act of premeditated evil. It
aims to strike fear into the heart of an enemy
by conducting violent attacks against uncon-
ventional targets like innocent men, women
and children. Zionists should be inspired by
the idea of a better Middle East and not allow
terror to drive them to despair.
RUP
Vues Master’s Note: Wow! What chizuk!
PEACE
Dear Vues Master:
How much does physical attraction factor into
picking a spouse? One would imagine a sys-
tem that pushes intellectual growth, character
refinement, and a connection to G-d wouldn’t
emphasize physical attraction as an important
factor in choosing a spouse. The Talmud taught
otherwise. The Talmud includes a teaching by
Rav Yehudah, who quoted Rav, who said it is
forbidden for a man to marry a woman until he
sees her. If he only sees her for the first time at
their wedding, he might find her unattractive
and he’ll hate her. This contradicts the mitzvah
to love your fellow Jew as you love yourself. A
careful reading of this teaching demonstrates
finding someone attractive isn’t a value in
itself, but rather a middle step to avoiding a
situation of treating their prospective bride in
a way that would violate the command to love
your fellow Jew. The fear is that the chosson
will walk away, leaving the kallah alone and
embarrassed under the chuppah or the groom
will feel obligated to marry the bride, even
though he’ll resent her, leading to a conten-
tious marriage, or that he’ll come to hate her
and say something regrettable. The result of
this area of the Talmud is that it’s important
to be attracted to your spouse, especially the
groom to the bride, but being attracted to your
spouse isn’t a value in itself, but rather, in or-
der to make sure their marriage is loving and
peaceful. The lesson of this section of Talmud
isn’t about the importance of being attracted to
one’s spouse, but the crucial role peace and re-
spect plays in a marriage. Peace is so important
that although a chosson could send a represen-
tative to marry his kallah for him, there is an
imperative that he sees his bride first to ensure
there is peace, respect, and love in the home.
RUP
Vues Master’s Note: I have a good marriage.
All I do is say give me another piece of chicken
and I eat it piecemeal!
CHOLENT POWERED ROCKET……
Dear Vues Master
A Cholent Powered Rocket prototype could be
designed as follows: Fuel System: A special
fuel tank would be designed to store cholent,
a traditional Jewish stew made with beans,
potatoes, and barley. The tank would have a
heating mechanism to keep the cholent at a
constant temperature to maintain its viscosity
for efficient combustion. Combustion Cham-
ber: The combustion chamber would be de-
signed to mix the heated cholent with oxygen
for combustion. A series of injectors would
introduce the cholent into the combustion
chamber, where it would be ignited to produce
high-pressure and high-temperature gases that
would be directed through a nozzle to produce
thrust. Cooling System: To prevent overheat-
ing of the combustion chamber and nozzle,
a cooling system would be incorporated that
uses a coolant loop to transfer heat from the
combustion chamber and nozzle to a heat ex-
changer, where the heat would be dissipated
into the environment. Control System: A con-
trol system would be implemented to moni-
tor and control the fuel flow, combustion, and
cooling processes. The control system would
receive input from various sensors and adjust
the parameters to ensure optimal performance
and efficiency. Structural Design: The rocket
would be designed to withstand the high ther-
mal and mechanical stress of rocket propulsion.
The structure would be made of lightweight,
high-strength materials such as carbon fiber
composites. Add some more Shabbos foods…
Matzo Ball Soup: The matzo balls could be
processed to extract a starchy, high-energy
substance that could be combined with cholent
to increase the energy density of the fuel mix-
ture. Gefilte Fish: The fish could be processed
to extract an oily substance that could be added
to the fuel mixture to increase the lubrication
properties of the fuel and reduce friction in the
combustion chamber. Knishes: The potato-
based pastry could be processed to extract a
starchy, high-energy substance that could be
added to the cholent-matzo ball mixture to in-
crease the overall energy density of the fuel.
With this prototype design, a Cholent Powered
Rocket could potentially reach low Earth orbit,
allowing for exciting new possibilities in space
explorations.
AI
Vues Note: I’m sure Country Yossi will like this
one!!!