02 May SPEAK YOUR VUES WITH THE VUES MASTER
TRUE VALUE
Dear Vues Master
A little boy is going through the attic in his house and he
finds a stone. The stone looks like a very valuable and
rare gem, so the boy goes downstairs to his dad and says
“Dad, how much is this stone worth?” The dad tells him
to go down the block to the grocery store and show the
stone to the owner. He tells him that when the owner asks
him how much he wants for the stone, he should lift up
two fingers. The boy runs down the block and when the
man at the grocery store asks him how much he wants
for the stone, the boy holds up two fingers as instructed.
The man says “Oh, $2? Great. I’ll take it.” The boy runs
home and reports to his dad excitedly that the man was
willing to pay $2 for this stone. The dad then tells the son
to go to the local jewelry shop and when the jeweler asks
how much he wants for the stone, to hold up two fingers.
The boy does it and the jeweler says “Oh, $200? Ok I’ll
take it.” The boy is in shock and runs home to report
to the dad that he offered him $200!! The dad then tells
him to go to the antique shop and to do the same. Hold
up two fingers. The man at the shop looks at the stone,
examines it, and asks how much he wants for the stone.
He holds up two fingers to which the man replies “Only
$2000? I’ll take it!” The boy is in disbelief. And the story
goes on. Throughout our lives, we let others dictate our
value to us and they do that based on their own biases and
shortcomings. They are simply not equipped or qualified
to see your true value. If the boy truly knew the value
of the rare gem, he wouldn’t have been so surprised or
excited when offered $2, $200, or even $2000. If only
we really knew our true value, the ways others appraise
us would have zero impact on our own self esteem or
self worth and we know how much we’re really worth.
When bullies act up, it’s because they feel bad about
themselves. When people put others down, it’s because
they’re down on themselves. When people shame others,
it’s because they are consumed by their own shame. It’s
through that lens that they value others. Don’t let others
tell you how much the stone is worth. They don’t even
know what they’re looking at. If I told you that you could
have a billion dollars on condition that your life ends,
you’d never take it. That’s because you are worth more
than a billion dollars or any other sum of money. If peo-
ple don’t recognize that, it’s on them, not you.
HF
Vues Master’s Note: Great lesson! Thanks for sharing!
TACHANUN ON PESACH SHEINI
Dear Vues Master:
In Shulchan Aruch, Pesach Sheini is not enumerated
as one of the days when tachanun is omitted. The Pri
Megadim explains, “Since Pesach Sheini is a Yom Tov
of יחידים) individuals who couldn’t make it on the 14th
of Nissan) Mori V’Rabi Harav Hagaon R. Shlomo Miller
Shlita said, We find in the ד“ה ח“פ פסחים תוספתא that
even the ones who were שני פסח מקריב are בהספד מותר
because it’s not a Yom Tov שכן כל for those who are not
שני פסח מקריב it’s not a Yom Tov Many Poskim argue
and hold not to say tachanun on Pesach Sheini. In the
early days of the machlokes between the Chasidim &
Misnagdim, the Misnagdim’s complaint against Cha-
sidim was that they don’t follow Halacha. One of the ex-
amples they used was that Chasidim don’t say tachanun
on Pesach Sheini. Today most Yeshivishe & Ashkenaz
minyanim don’t say tachanun on Pesach Sheini.
MF
Vues Master’s Note: Ah! The simcha a yid has when
it comes out on a Monday or a Thursday and we skip
tachanun. A goy could never understand this!
A NEW HEAD
Dear Vues Master:
I was recently at one of those Chasuna halls where the main
ballroom is a few stories underground. They build them
that way in case of cv”s a nuclear attack. I was waiting
for the elevator to come up along with a few other people.
It was taking a while and I noticed one person davening
fervently. I asked him if he was saying Tehillim. He said,
”No, I am saying Yaala Ve’yovoi”. “But it’s not Rosh Ch-
odesh”. “I know, but it’s a segula for the elevator to Come
Up quicker.” This reminded me of another minhag people
have before davening Shemona Esreh on Rosh Chodesh.
Right before they start, there is a cacophony of banging on
any hard surface. It’s so intense sometimes I get scared. I
asked the Rebbe in the Shteeble what is the reason for that.
He answered that this minhag started many years ago. One
time, the gabbai mistakenly called out before Shmona Es-
rei, “Yaala Ve’yovoiiii.. Haman.” The result was everyone
started banging with all their strength. And for every Rosh
Chodesh, they haven’t stopped since.
D F
Vues Master’s Note: Sounds like you need to come to my
Shtiebel where no one ever bangs, not even for Haman.
The only time we have noise is when they bring out the
herring!
FEAR
Dear Vues Master:
I’ve never been much of a fan of inspira-
tional quotes. However, I vividly recall that
my fourth grade elementary school teacher
was adamant on plastering multi-colored
posters of motivational mantras all over
her classroom walls. Many of those quotes
have long since left my memory bank,
however one quote is still recessed deep
in my brain- “Don’t let fear break you,
let fear make you.” A cutesy adage, with
no real substance other than providing me
with what to stare at during those daydream
hours during fourth grade math class. That
was, until this year. I am blessed to live
in quite a safe community. Especially dur-
ing those “goldilocks” Friday nights in the
perfect springtime weather, the freedom
of taking a short stroll around the block
to ease off the gastronomical influx of
food from the night’s Seudah was always
met with feelings of comfort and safety. It
was on one of those Friday nights, that my
friend Dani* and I were taking a walk, dis-
cussing current events, community hock,
and enjoying each other’s company. After
a while, our walk culminated on the steps
of my front porch. The enjoyable conver-
sation still ebbed and flowed naturally, as
the clock ticked its way toward midnight.
The reticence on the streets started to be-
come more apparent, as the other com-
munity members who were also enjoying
the pleasant weather made their way back
into their residences. However, the safety
of being situated on my own front porch
did not faze Dani and I whatsoever, and we
continued schmoozing. Suddenly, from the
corner of my eye, I spotted a dark colored
SUV ever so slowly starting to approach
us. I nonchalantly mentioned this unusual
fact to Dani, but it was quickly dismissed,
and we continued our conversation. The
vehicle stopped about 20 feet from our lo-
cation, and after stalling for a minute or so,
a broad, ski-mask laden man exited the car
and started approaching us. He gets unusu-
ally close to where we were standing, but
he doesn’t stop. He slowly walks past us,
barely acknowledging our presence. The
next two minutes were most probably both
the quickest and slowest two minutes of
my entire life. The man suddenly whips his
body around, and, as that happens, a sec-
ond individual jumps out from behind the
parked vehicle in front of us. He’s holding
a gun. Shock immediately turns into fro-
zen horror as I feel the cold metal barrel of
the pistol being pressed against my chest.
“Give us everything! Your money, your
phone, your wallets, give it to us now!” My
mind is numb, tongue stuck to the back of
my throat, but I do manage to squeak out
that it’s “the Sabbath” and that we prom-
ise that we absolutely have nothing to give
them. They don’t buy it. Their demeanor
becomes more physical, as they start forc-
ing their hands into our pants and jacket
pockets, soon realizing that we were in fact
telling the truth. “Whose house is this?” one
of them bellow at me, his voice a mixture of
anger and desperation that this holdup was
turning out to be an absolute failure. “It’s
my house,” I answered, not realizing the
obvious demand that would follow. “Let us
into the house! Take us to where you keep
your money!” At this point, one of the men
was tugging violently on my Shabbos tie,
to the point where it was getting quite dif-
ficult to breathe. There was no way that I
was letting these men into my house. But
what was I to say? How in the world was I
to escape from such a nightmare? I did not
plan whatsoever for the words that exited
my mouth in that next moment, realizing in
retrospect that there was a much more pow-
erful force pulling the strings behind this
entire episode. “There’s a massive party go-
ing on inside the house. There’s a bunch of
people inside.” This was a total lie. Besides
for my parents and siblings that were sleep-
ing soundly, there was nobody else present
in my abode. But somehow, for some rea-
son, they bought it. In a disgruntled sigh of
desperation peppered with various exple-
tives, they left us. We were saved. The next
day and week was an absolute whirlwind;
meeting with Police, Shomrim, detectives,
and hours and hours of looking at mugshots
and camera footage. It was only exactly a
week later at the Seudas Hoda’ah that I had
a chance to really think and contemplate
about how I was mentally and emotionally
affected from that episode. As most can re-
late, my days are spent thinking of how my
life can become more meaningful and more
enjoyable, whether via accumulating mate-
rial things or through gaining relationships
with those who I deem important to have
relationships with. Insecurities abound, I
constantly chase those goals, trying to re-
main afloat, and maybe even climb the lad-
der of societal significance. In the moment
that the gun was pressed against my chest,
nothing mattered. Not a single thought of
my standing in the world had any signifi-
cance in my brain. The only thing that mat-
tered was that I wanted to live. I was not
ready to leave this world yet. There just
were so many more real things left to ac-
complish that I had yet to do. We are not
in control of these episodes that make their
way into our lives. Only our Maker, who
is “ Levado- Asah, Oseh, V’yaaseh” is in
complete control, and wants us to focus on
our unique purpose and special relationship
with Him. Hashem was the one Who put
that fear into my life, and it was for a rea-
son. And today, nothing rings more loudly
and profoundly in my ears than that “quote
poster” in fourth grade. It has been over a
year since the episode. That fear, that hor-
ror that I experienced, was placed in my life
not to break me. It was there to make me.
– R A
Vues Master’s Note: Wow this week we
are getting great letters! Great inspiration!
Thanks for sharing!
MEZUZAH
Dear Vues Master:
Massive Concern about Mezuzahs; Do we
have to worry now with all the troubles in
the world that the scribes are incompetent
to make kosher mezuzahs all of sudden?
Years ago there was hysteria about wom-
en’s wigs now mezuzahs are a problem!
What will be the next Gittim papers, kes-
ubahs, Torahs and tefillin? Where does it
end? If yeshivish scribes are no good any-
more? Is the alternative to become chas-
sidic and use their scribes or should we
become sephardic? Maybe I should try the
other levels of Judaism because there are
no problems with their ritual items! This
new concern is a ploy to buy more expen-
sive scribes products! Expensive does not
mean better! Like jewish life is not hard
and expensive enough!! My late mom used
to say if we look for trouble we will find it!
More concern about being kinder and toler-
ant of one another and others is what we
should concern ourselves with!!
MN
Vues Master’s Note: Oh so just bury your
head in the sand and you will have no trou-
ble! Trouble is great if you rise above it!
PARENTS
Dear Vues Master:
It is not a coincidence that Rabbi Akiva’s
students started to die after Pesach. Rabbi
Miller says, “The plague caused the student
to soul search and they couldn’t find any-
thing so they said, “Chatanu! It’s our fault.
We weren’t polite enough to our comrades.
We mistreated them.” If so, why did they
continue to die? The reason is because they
only addressed the symptom and not the
cause. The root cause was most likely tied
to how they were treating their parents. As
it says in the Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah
33) “One who transgressed honoring their
parents violated a positive commandment,
and his punishment is very great; for they
are like one who ignores their Heavenly
Father.” Also, Exodus 20:12, “Honor your
father and your mother, so that you may
live long in the land the Lord your G-d is
giving you.” Had they honored their par-
ents they would have not died young as the
blessing applied as well to living long in
the Land, which they were. Therefore, find
me someone who honors both his parents
and I will show you a mensch. Rabbi Akiva
who would say, “You shall love your neigh-
bor as yourself” If the teacher is preaching
this then his students can’t claim ignorance.
One can make the following hypothesis: if
disrespecting a colleague shortens one life
then surely disrespecting a parent will.
Here is an indicator that they didn’t honor
their parents. One time Rabbi Akiva’s stu-
dents pushed aside his wife and one time
they felt ashamed when he honored her.
If they lacked shame for their teacher’s
spouse then they probably lacked shame
for their parents.
DG
Vues Master’s Note: Once again your letter
is on topic! You never change! At least you
don’t give up!
MONEY
Dear Vues Master:
Binyamin was a successful merchant. He
had amassed wealth and many friends
whom he had generously assisted. During a
financial crisis, however, he lost his wealth
and then his friends. They stopped com-
ing to visit. They no longer knew him. But
Binyamin’s reversal of fortune did not last
long. He persisted and was successful in
turning things around. His former friends
found their way to his home. Seeing them
coming, Binyamin went to his safe, took
out stacks of cash and placed them in a
chest. He put the chest on the dining room
table. When the guests entered, they asked
what was in the chest. “My friends, I know
that you did not come to see me. You came
to see my money. So look, but don’t touch.”
MB
Vues Master’s Note: Money can’t buy hap-
piness!
RATING
Dear Vues Master:
Guardian Angel leader, Curtis Sliwa is
recorded on YouTube making disgusting
statements attacking religious Jews. Sliwa
is a radio host on wabc. I am asking those
of you with arbitron or nielsen diaries even
if you listen to wabc and I know you do .
Please do not admit to listening to WABC
in the diary so we will not support those
that do not like Jews.
GM
Vues Master’s Note: At least he is honest
as we know where he stands, not like these
two faced liars who make believe they like
us but
really hate us!!
HEEL
Dear Vues Master:
There is a connection between Rabbi Akiva
and Parsha Eikev. The word Eikev means
heel and there are many layers to that word.
The koof in the middle is a silhouette of the
hip and leg and the Torah says there is a
mitzvah that people treat like the back
of their elbow but in this case it is com-
pared to stepping on it with one’s heel;
the mitzvah is anyone’s guess. Based on
the current state of affairs, with parental
alienation on the loose, it is the mitzvah
of Kibud Av, specifically honoring one’s
father. This is hinted to in the word Eikev
(עקב (If you remove the middle letter,
koof (which represents the heel) we are
left with a phonic word av (father). The
reason it is spelled with an ayin (and not an
aleph) is because the word (עקב (is com-
ing to teach how we came to trample upon
this mitzvah. If you take away the verti-
cal line in the word (עקב (one is left with
mixture (ערב (and this is without changing
the vowels (tzere and segol). Therefore,
the lack of honoring parents is because
children are mixed up about who to honor.
Furthermore, Rabbi Akiva had the same
problem we are having in our generation.
Rabbi Akiva’s name is made up of Eikev
(עקב (plus a yud and aleph (עקיבא(. There
is a principle that G-d makes the remedy
before the illness and since the illness is
readily visible Eikev is read forward but
the remedy, which in elusive, is found by
reading Akiva backwards. The important
part of the remedy is that it starts with the
father (av) and after the foundation the To-
rah (yud). Just like Pesach with the father
and then Shavuos with the Torah.
DG
Vues Master’s Note: This letter is consis-
tent with your heel!
WORSE THAN LASHON HORA
Dear Vues Master:
R. Chaim Volozhiner Zt”l said,
after right written is לא תעמד על דם “
רכיל תלך לא to teach us that there are
times when one is obligated to speak
הרע לשון, otherwise, he will be עובר on
The” לא תעמד על דם רעך
that ,writes פתחי תשובה על או“ח ס‘ קנ“ו
not speaking הרע לשון when there is a
need to do so, is a bigger עבירה than
לשה“ר speaking
NM
Vues Master’s Note: Shidduchim is now a
big problem!
BEWARE
Dear Vues Master:
R. Yosef Shapiro* z”l from Tzfas wrote &
composed two songs specifically for Lag
Ba’omer
לכבוד התנא האלוקי ר‘ שמעון בר יוחאי (1
2) אשרינו The very popular song האלוקי
התנא לכבוד is sung all over on Lag
Ba’omer and also throughout the year.
Pronouncing Elokai with a פתח under the
ק means “My G-d” Singing
האלוקי התנא with a פתח under the ק is
כפירה דברי It’s saying ו“ח that The תנא is
my G-d. מלהזכיר הס There will be those
who will defend it and argue that it can’t
be wrong/כפירה when you have thousands
of Yidden singing it that way. This same
argument was probably also used when
there were thousands of Yidden worship-
ping the הזהב עגל
FM
Vues Master’s Note: Most people don’t
even think what these words mean as long
as it is a nice song!!
INSPIRATION
Dear Vues Master:
I just read this great story that I think
your readers would appreciate. Dr. Frank
Mayfield was touring Tewksbury Institute
when, on his way out, he accidentally col-
lided with an elderly floor maid. To cover
the awkward moment Dr. Mayfield started
asking questions. “How long have you
worked here?” “I’ve worked here almost
since the place opened,” the maid replied.
“What can you tell me about the history of
this place?” he asked. “I don’t think I can
tell you anything, but I could show you
something.” With that, she took his hand
and led him down to the basement under
the oldest section of the building. She
pointed to one of what looked like small
prison cells, their iron bars rusted with
age, and said, “That’s the cage where they
used to keep Annie Sullivan.” “Who’s An-
nie?” the doctor asked. Annie was a young
girl who was brought in here because she
was incorrigible—nobody could do any-
thing with her. She’d bite and scream and
throw her food at people. The doctors and
nurses couldn’t even examine her or any-
thing. I’d see them trying with her spitting
and scratching at them. “I was only a few
years younger than her myself and I used
to think, ‘I sure would hate to be locked up
in a cage like that.’ I wanted to help her,
but I didn’t have any idea what I could do.
I mean, if the doctors and nurses couldn’t
help her, what could someone like me do?
“I didn’t know what else to do, so I just
baked her some brownies one night after
work. The next day I brought them in. I
walked carefully to her cage and said,
‘Annie, I baked these brownies just for
you. I’ll put them right here on the floor
and you can come and get them if you
want.’ “Then I got out of there just as fast
as I could because I was afraid she might
throw them at me. But she didn’t. She
actually took the brownies and ate them.
After that, she was just a little bit nicer to
me when I was around. And sometimes I’d
talk to her. Once, I even got her laughing.
One of the nurses noticed this and she told
the doctor. They asked me if I’d help them
with Annie. I said I would if I could. So
that’s how it came about that. Every time
they wanted to see Annie or examine her, I
went into the cage first and explained and
calmed her down and held her hand. This
is how they discovered that Annie was
almost blind.” After they’d been work-
ing with her for about a year—and it was
tough sledding with Annie—the Perkins
institute for the Blind opened its doors.
They were able to help her and she went
on to study and she became a teacher her-
self. Annie came back to the Tewksbury
Institute to visit, and to see what she could
do to help out. At first, the Director didn’t
say anything and then he thought about a
letter he’d just received. A man had writ-
ten to him about his daughter. She was
absolutely unruly—almost like an animal.
She was blind and deaf as well as ‘de-
ranged.’ He was at his wit’s end, but he
didn’t want to put her in an asylum. So he
wrote to the Institute to ask if they knew
of anyone who would come to his house
and work with his daughter. And that is
how Annie Sullivan became the lifelong
companion of Helen Keller. When Helen
Keller received the Nobel Prize, she was
asked who had the greatest impact on her
life and she said, “Annie Sullivan.” But
Annie said, “No Helen. The woman who
had the greatest influence on both our
lives was a floor maid at the Tewksbury
Institute.”
DK
Vues Master’s Note: Sounds like the blind
leading the blind. Just kidding, beautiful
story!
ZIONISTS
Dear Vues Master:
The secular Zionists have constantly been
out to destroy Yiddishkeit. They wanted
to eradicate the Torah and its followers.
They keep trying to ו“ח שמד all of ישראל
ר“ל. והקב“ה מצילנו מידם them turn and כלל
הגוים ככל Hashem turned the tables on
them. Instead of Zionist stopping us from
learning Torah they became the largest fi-
nancial supporters of Torah. They spend
billions of Shekalim to build סמינר ,יעקב
also They .etc ,חדרים, ישיבות, כוללים, בית
spend billions to support the תורה בני who
learn Torah. Over the past two thousand
years,(maybe even beyond) there has nev-
er been so much Torah learning anywhere
in the world as it is done now in Eretz Yis-
roel. There never was such a large ציבור of
תלמידי חכמים, בני תורה, שומרי תורה ומצות
The secular Zionists try to make it difficult
to remain a Torah observant Yid, yet they
are the ones who are paying billions of
Shekalim for Rabonim, Dayanim, Mash-
gichim, Shuls, & Mikvaos in every city &
town in the country alleviating the finan-
cial burden of Torah observant Yidden.
In every country in the world, the שמד
גזירת today is rampant. Intermarriage is
between 70%-85% in every country ex-
cept in the Zionist State where intermar-
riage is less than 2-3% (still too many) As
much as the secular Zionists try to שמד
Klal Yisroel, The Ribono Shel Olam made
sure their wishes won’t happen. Despite
the Zionist claim of ידי ועוצם כחי, etc. es-
pecially during the six-day war, the whole
תשובה בעלי movement we know of today
started during the war. For the past few
thousand years there have never been so
many תשובה בעלי as we have today. We
could have had way more תשובה בעלי
had we tried a little harder not to make the
non-Frum have reason to hate us. Russian
Jewry which seemed to be totally lost in
the sixties was part of the six-day war mir-
acle. Instead of the Zionists converting the
Frum the opposite is happening, the non-
Frum become Frum. Ben Yehudah, creat-
ed the modern עברית so that the Frum Yid-
den will give up their old fashion religion
and become a modern non-Frum society
with its own modern language. Today, the
language used to learn Torah is mostly
עברית. In most Chadorim, Yeshivos, Kol-
lelim & Bais Yakovs the Shiurim & Sch-
mussen are given in עברית. Chavrusos in
the Bais Medrash argue & shout at each
other in the language that was intended to
keep them out of the Bais Medrash. Yes,
it’s true it is not yet a perfect world out
there, but when was the last time that it
was? Even during ראשון בית, there were
Kings who were זרה עבודה עובדי. Perhaps
the secular Zionists should be the ones to
say ללה, being it was the Zionist State who
saved them from שמד. Almost 100% of
the European non-Zionist Maskilim con-
verted and abandoned Yiddishkeit. Their
descendants are all Goyim who don’t even
know of their Jewish heritage. The only
Maskilim descendants who are still Yid-
den today are the Zionist Maskilim who
made Aliyah & live in Eretz Yisroel.
DE
Vues Master’s Note: Hashem has a great
sense of humor!