18 Jul SPEAK YOUR VUES WITH THE VUES MASTER

MAJOR ISSUE AT GROCERIES
THIS SUMMER
Dear Vues Master
Why are groceries & bakeries upstate not putting
prices on the items they sell? This is becoming a new
trend upstate which I think is illegal in New York.
So many times I get up to the register and the price
for an item I want is so expensive that I would have
never picked it up if I knew the price before I got to
the register.
LI
Vues Master’s Note: I think the store owners will tell
you two reasons. 1- They dont have enough workers
these days to put a price on everything. 2- Grocery
prices fluctuate so much these days that it’s hard to

put a price down today when the price goes up tomor-
row. It’s still not right though.

THE REBBE
Dear Vues Master:
During the summer months, the center of Jewish

life in the New York Metropolitan Area shifts “Up-
state” to the Catskill Mountains. Countless Jews have

the zechus and privilege to pass through the iconic

Woodbourne Shul, where around the clock, through-
out the summer, Jews of all types and stripes make

their way to daven and learn, make a ‘pit-stop’, have
a bite to eat, and get a little rest baderech. This holy
place of prayer and gathering is maintained by one of

the great men of our generation, Rav Mordechai Jun-
greis, the Nikolsburg Rebbe, shlita. The Nikolsburger

is a humble melamed, overflowing with ahavas Yis-
rael, wonderful and righteous through and through.

Day in and day out, he can be found shuffling around

the shul, pouring people drinks, serving food, sweep-
ing up, greeting everyone with a huge smile and hug,

and always with patience, kindness, and a niggun on
his lips. I once came upon the Nikolsberger while he
was restocking the fridge and carrying seltzer bottles
to refresh the masses and I offered a hand: “Rebbe,

please don’t strain yourself, I’ll get it,” I said, mov-
ing toward the cases of bottles. “Ah, but this is my

zechus and my pleasure,” he smiled, “What’s better
than to give a thirsty Yid something to drink?” May
the culmination of Sefer Bamidbar this week mark
the end of our journey through exile on our way to
the Promised Land. And until then, may Am Yisrael
be blessed with an abundance of beverages, refreshed
with a good drink, enlivened with a hot coffee—and

a glimpse of the chasadim that Hashem is perform-
ing for us through the humble tzadikim all around us.

And thus, may we be revived, and blessed with the
strength, to continue onward to our destination: the
full and true Redemption!
MJ
Vues Master’s Note: What a great person!

ACAPELLA MUSIC DURING
THE THREE WEEKS
Dear Vues Master

I know that it is discussed every year but it still both-
ers me. During the three weeks the acapella music is

so good these days that it doesn’t sound any different

than the non acapella music. How do our rabbis al-
low people to listen to acapella music during the three

weeks?
DW
Vues Master’s Note: Although some of the acapella
music that is coming out these days is pretty good, I
think most of them are actually pretty bad. Please ask
your local rabbi this question.

EXPENSIVE SLEEP AWAY CAMPS
Dear Vues Master
The amount of money sleep away camps charge these
days is absurd. With all the other expenses throughout
the year, why do camps have to charge these insane
amounts ?
AG
Vues Master’s Note: I know everyone needs to make a
parnassah. Everything is expensive these days. BUT
it’s still crazy!

ACCIDENTS
Dear Vues Master
It seems that there are more car accidents
upstate than ever before. People should

be careful not to speed on the roads up-
state & not text while driving. Hatzolah

is busier than ever this summer & we all
must be more careful on the roads!
PK
Vues Master’s Note: We can’t stress it
enough! People be careful when you
drive. No speeding or texting while on
the road. And yes, a big THANK YOU to
Hatzolah for all the great work they do.

PARNASSAH
Dear Vues Master:
I would like to raise awareness about an

important issue. I was checking out a Jew-
ish business on google maps and I noticed

the reviews. There were many reviews
from yidden, a lot positive, but some
really negative ones as well. I decided

to check out some more Yiddishe busi-
nesses and once again saw a whole bunch

of negative reviews written by obviously
frum people. Some of the reviews were
extremely biting and can really harm the
frumme owners parnassah . One sharp
review written in frustration about how

the waitress was extremely rude, the ser-
vice inexcusably slow, the portions way

too small and the prices way too high,

or the food being soggy and tasting ter-
rible and you will never come back and

would not recommend this restaurant to
anyone can totally negate a whole bunch
of positive reviews in a consumer’s mind
and send him somewhere else. I asked
a prominent Rav if it’s muttar to leave
a bad review and he responded that it’s
the worst form of lashon horah .I think

that it’s generally just a lack of aware-
ness about the issur, and the irreparable

damage that the business incurs that al-
lows ppl to leave these reviews. To put

it into context, I would say imagine you
had a bad experience in a store and were
so upset that you decided to stand right
outside the store every day with a big
sign proclaiming to the world that this is
the worst store ever and everyone should
stay away. Everyone understands that no
matter how right you are and how wrong
the store is that such behavior would
be beyond the pale. A review online is
pretty much the same thing. It is there to

stay and is extremely harmful. ( Please

be advised that one can remove his nega-
tive reviews from google maps.) All are

asked to spread this message and save the
store owners from tremendous harm, and

just as importantly,save ppl from the ter-
rible issur of lashon harah.

Raising awareness
Vues Master’s Note: Could not agree with
you more! What is even worse is when
you have groups where people criticize
new singers’ compositions!

PARNASSAH II
Dear Vues Master:

Why is it that at every major Kosher su-
permarket in Brooklyn you never see any

Yidden working at the checkout stand? I

see Jews begging for money almost ev-
eryday on the street, but why won’t they

work at these supermarkets? Aren’t we
supposed to employ our own first? I hear
the argument that it’s expensive to live in
Brooklyn, yet all the Mexicans working
at the checkout stand someone survive in
the city and lots of them also have big
families! What’s going on?
BD
Vues Master’s Note: These days no one
wants to work. Big difference between a

large Jewish and Mexican family is tu-
ition and the price of kosher food!!

LEAVING OVER
Dear Vues Master:
A poor person was invited for a Shabbos
meal. The table was set with delicious

foods. Being hungry, the עני helped him-
self to a heaping plate of food and then

took seconds, leaving very little for his
host. The host turned to his guest and

said: “Now I understand why we sepa-
rate from the מלאכים who accompany

us home on שבת ליל and say to them
לשלום צאתכם before we sit down to the
סעודה. Apparently, there is concern that
if the מלאכים see the fine foods prepared
for Shabbos, they’ll eat them all and not
leave anything for their host.”
MB
Vues Master’s Note: This letter made me
hungry!!

RAIN
Dear Vues Master:

Why does it rain every Sunday this sum-
mer? My guess is that it will be beauti-
ful on Sunday during the Nine days. It’s

been a very rainy summer so far.
WL
Vues Master’s Note: It must be global
warming! My grass has never been
greener!

DOCTOR
Dear Vues Master:

A man runs into the vet’s office carry-
ing his dog, screaming for help. The vet

rushes him back to an examination room

and has him put his dog down on the ex-
amination table. The vet examines the still,

limp body and after a few moments, tells
the man that his dog, regrettably, is dead.
The man, clearly agitated and not willing
to accept this, demands a second opinion.
The vet goes into the back room and comes
out with a cat and puts the cat down next
to the dog’s body. The cat sniffs the body,

walks from head to tail, poking and sniff-
ing the dog’s body and finally looks at the

vet and meows. The vet looks at the man
and says, “I’m sorry, but the cat thinks that

your dog is dead, too,” The man is still un-
willing to accept that his dog is dead. So

the vet brings in a black Labrador retriever.
The lab sniffs the body, walks from head to
tail, and finally looks at the vet and barks.
The vet looks at the man and says, “I’m
sorry, but the lab thinks your dog is dead

too.” The man, finally resigned to the diag-
nosis, thanks the vet and asks how much he

owes. The vet answers, “$650.” “$650 to
tell me my dog is dead?” exclaims the man.
“Well,” the vet replies, “I would only have
charged you $50 for my initial diagnosis.
The additional $600 was for the cat scan
and lab tests.
EW
Vues Master’s Note: We need an urgent
care for this joke!

DAVENING TIMES
Dear Vues Master:
Thanks so much for the great paper. It
would be an incredible service if you
could post davening times for the various
minyanim in the mountains. Thanks!
YR
Vues Master’s Note: If you collect the
times we will publish it!

SON IN LAW
Dear Vues Master:
What is the son-in-law of a משולח called

in Yiddish? A collector’s eidem.
CE

Vues Master’s Note: Only if you pro-
nounce it in Chassidishe Yiddish!

ON TOP OF EACH OTHER
Dear Vues Master:

A rav and a גביר were once traveling to-
gether in a coach when it hit a sharp turn

and flipped over, with the two of them

falling on top of each other. The rav com-
mented: “We were just מקיים the expres-
sion אחד במקום וגדולה תורה.“

KU
Vues Master’s Note: I won’t fall for this
joke!!

KASHRUS
Dear Vues Master:
I just finished reading the article in which
Rabbi Elefant stated “The environment
is an inappropriate environment”.The
Rabbi is explaining why the ou does not

give hashgacha to casinos as the envi-
ronment is “inappropriate.” With all due

respect.. Does this also apply to a restau-
rant in which the OU gives hashgacha on

and when you are seated at your table it
is done with an “inappropriate” dressed
waitress? I feel it is in the same category.
Imagine a yeshiva boy taking a date there
or anyone dining there in that matter. I
was very taken aback when I walked into
this restaurant with my husband. I asked
a gadol this question and he assured me
that when hashgacha is given on the

food it encompasses the whole “environ-
ment”. Please let me know what steps

will be taken to make sure our KOSHER
establishments are KOSHER all around.
Thank you so much
MW
Vues Master’s Note: I would call the
hashgacha agency and ask them directly.

LEIN
Dear Vues Master:
It is common in Sephardic shuls for a
person honored with an aliyah to read
his portion if he knows how to do so.
One day, a prominent Ashkenaz Rabbi

who was a kohen was visiting out-of-
town and went to the local Sephardic

shul to daven. When asked, he respond-
ed that yes, he is a kohen and he was

given the aliyah. After the kohen made
the bracha, the baal koreh pointed to

the פרשה and told him to read. Un-
prepared but embarrassed to decline,

the Rabbi read but needed to be cor-
rected several times. Several weeks

later, knowing that he would need to
again be in that town and that he might
again be asked to read, indeed hoping

that he would be given the opportuni-
ty to redeem himself, the Rabbi care-
fully reviewed the kohen portion. Sure

enough, he was again honored with
kohen and he read beautifully. The
smile on his face quickly disappeared,
however, when they called
.כהן במקום לוי
SW
Vues Master’s Note: Time to do Shnayim
Mikra!!

HONESTY
Dear Vues Master:
According והייתם נקיים -מה‘ ומישראל
to the Chasam Sofer, the most difficult
mitzvah in the Torah is,
next s’It .”והייתם נקיים – מישראל”
to impossible to fulfill this command.
The Chasam Sofer (Shut 6 : 59) writes.
“There are two obligations 1) To come

clean from Hashem 2) from Bnei Yis-
roel. It is much easier to fulfill the first

obligation than the second one. The
punishment for the second obligation
is also much greater. (Chillul Hashem).
You can have a person doing something
which is Halachicly correct, but isn’t
careful, and some “שכר שותי) “beer
drinkers) mistakenly accuse him of

wrongdoing, such a person has not ful-
filled his obligation of

מישראל נקיים והייתם. It is almost impos-
sible to fulfill this obligation. It is very

likely המלך שלמה had this in mind when
he wrote בארץ צדיק אין We find the Bnei
Gad etc. followed Moishe Rabbeinu’s
advice and fought along with the other
שבטים for 14 years. They were punished
to be sent to Galus before the rest of Klal
Yisrael, because they haven’t fulfilled
100% of the obligation of נקיים והייתם .“
MF
Vues Master’s Note: To be honest with
you, I don’t know how to respond to this
letter!

PARENTS
Dear Vues Master:
There are many who use the term PAS

(Parental Alienation Syndrome) syn-
onymous with parental “brainwash-
ing” or “programming.” No reference

is made to the child’s own contribution

to the victimization of the targeted par-
ent. Those who do this have missed an

extremely important point regarding the
etiology, manifestation, and even the
treatment of PAS. The term PAS refers

only to the situation in which the pa-
rental programming is combined with

the child’s own scenarios of disparage-
ment of the vilified parent. Were we to

be dealing here simply with parental

indoctrination, I would have simply re-
tained and utilized the term brainwash-
ing and/or programming. Because the

campaign of denigration involves the
aforementioned combination, I decided
a new term was warranted, a term that
would encompass both contributory
factors. Furthermore, it was the child’s
contribution that led me to the concept
of this etymology and pathogens of
this disorder. The understanding of the
child’s contribution is of importance in
implementing the therapeutic guidelines
I set forth. There are some who use the
term parental alienation (PA) instead

of PAS. Generally, these are individu-
als who know of the existence of the

PAS but want to avoid using it because
it may be considered in some circles to
be “politically incorrect.” However, PA
is a more general term, whereas PAS
is a very specific subtype of parental
alienation. PA has many causes, e.g.,

parental neglect, abuse (physical, emo-
tional, and sexual), abandonment, and

other alienating parental behavior. All

of these behaviors on the part of a par-
ent can produce alienation in the chil-
dren. The PAS is a specific subcategory

of PA that results from a combination of
parental programming and the child’s

own contributions, and it is almost ex-
clusively seen in the context of child-
custody disputes. Changing the name of

an entity because of political and other
unreasonable considerations generally

does more harm than good. – Dr. Rich-
ard A. Gardner Since this was written,

twenty years ago, PA has become the
default name; however, I would like

to reintroduce PAS and avoid the “po-
litical correctness” issue by giving it a

double meaning, a double entendre. The

new PAS means Parental Alienation Se-
browed. Which means not only the child

‘s contribution but also the contribution
of the extended alienating family and

their constellations like teachers, thera-
pists and theologians. Sebrowed comes

from the Sebrow clan who turned my
son against me with the help of the CCY
and individual rabbis. Will they yet turn
my son from a Sebrow to a Si(tt)ner?
G-d forbid.
DG
Vues Master’s Note: It is a shame how
you are trying to fight city hall and all
you do is lose more and more respect!

POLITICS
Dear Vues Master
Debate is a way to argue out ideas
between two or more sides who have
opposite views. When a capitalist and
a socialist debate, for example, the
sides of free-market economics versus
state-controlled economics are clearly
delineated. However, there are times
when one of the two sides in essence
concedes the debate before it begins.
This happens when the other side, the
“loser”, argues within the world of his
opponent. The above capitalist might
believe in free-market economics,
but while expressing his own point,
he uses phrases like “the proletariat”

or “oppressed laborers”, which un-
dermines the integrity of his support

for free-market policies. It’s self-de-
grading if the capitalist freely chose

those words; it’s defeating when the
socialist “chose” it for him. In recent
years, speech has taken a new role in
society. Words used in speech were
once subjected to objective meaning,
however, in recent years, language has
been redefined based on subjective
political goals. In the political world,
the Left has taken over narratives by
hijacking language associated with
political issues. Examples include;

validating people’s “pronouns”, la-
beling people with an anti-war stance

as “Putin sympathizers”, re-wording

child mutilation as “gender-affirm-
ing healthcare”, equating a vaccine

“skeptic” to an “anti-vaxxer”, equat-
ing those that have questions on elec-
tions to “election deniers”, etc. Just

recently, Politico released guidelines

to their staff to avoid using “offen-
sive terms” like; mankind, manmade,

biological women, illegal aliens, etc.
The Left succeeds in this because
of them constantly creating culture,

which includes; creating constitution-
al amendments on abortion, claiming

systematic racism exists, or allow-
ing millions of illegal aliens into the

country, etc. Once their “culture uto-
pia” is created, the language and sub-
sequent narratives in the media must

conform. Therefore, the above hijack
of language is essential; any dissent
to the accepted narrative is viewed as
a threat. The Left’s stunning success

in recreating reality puts them on con-
stant offense. Republican politicians,

on the other hand, are constantly ver-
bally responding to the “radical left”,

instead of playing the same game.
Republicans fought to overrule Roe
V. Wade for decades, and while they
eventually succeeded, the effort was a
defensive victory, not an offensive one

furthering the Right’s own values. In-
stead of the Right talking about “fam-
ily values” or “morality”, Republicans

simply responded to the Left-created

“abortion/illegal immigration/gender-
language” culture. Everything in life

is not black and white except objec-
tive truth, society though, has to func-
tion. Therefore, using language that

leans more toward truth is important
as words in conversation can bring out
a point to improve society. The Right
needs to start creating a “language
culture” to not only defend against the
Left but to also advance their causes.

The Left’s constant aggressive offen-
sive approach will lead to a complete

victory for them if all the Right’s dis-
sent is simply dissent.

DSG

Vues Master’s Note: Thank you for sub-
mitting another interesting perspective.