08 Aug SPEAK YOUR VUES WITH THE VUES MASTER
40TH ANNIVERSARY
Dear Vues Master:
I know that this week’s edition is the 40th
anniversary edition of the Country Vues. I just
want to say a big thank you to your entire staff
& to all your columnists. My family absolutely
loves your paper. Every Shabbos we read it cover
to cover. May you continue to do the good work
you do for the klal and spread Torah & goodness
throughout the world!! Yasher Koach
The Itzkowitz family from Monticello
Vues Master’s Note: Thanks! Ve’Hamevarech
Yisbarech!!
FUN QUESTIONS
Dear Vues Master:
My family loved the fun question edition of
The Country Vues last week. It was funny how
the rav of my shul mentioned Ari Hirsch & the
Country Vues fun questions in his drasha. Please
keep up the good work. We are big fans!
PJ
Vues Master’s Note: I think we will start calling
it drasha questions!
ZMANIM
Dear Vues Master:
I’m a big fan of your paper. I look at the zmanim
each week. I was wondering if you can add the
daily daf & the daily pirkei avos to your zmanim.
Thanks & keep up the good work!
CB
Vues Master’s Note: It’s about time someone
reads the zmanim page!
GAMBLING
Dear Vues Master:
Last week, I noticed that the Catskill Resorts
Casino was advertising on social media that
they are opening a kosher kitchen. I just
want to know why a hashgacha would give
a kitchen or a restaurant a hashgacha to a
casino? Gambling is asur. It is a tremendous
yetzer hara for many people. By making a
kosher kitchen in a casino building you are
inviting and encouraging people to gamble.
Why would a hashgacha do that?
AH
Vues Master’s Note: Gambling assur? Where?
HATZALAH
Dear Vues Master:
This past Sunday a person was killed in a
serious crash on Route 52 near Caston Road,
between Woodbourne and Ellenville. The crash
occurred at around 4:00am and involved one
vehicle which overturned. Catskills Hatzolah
was on the scene in seconds, but were unable
to reach the victim until the fire department
extricated him from the vehicle. Hatzolah
used their drone unit to search the area for a
second vehicle or possible additional victims
who may have been ejected from the vehicle.
The drone has infrared technology and can
spot anything with heat – like human bodies.
Unfortunately, the victim was pronounced
DOA. This is becoming very common upstate.
We must be more careful when driving on the
windy roads upstate. I’m begging the Klal
that they should be more careful driving. No
texting while driving. At night drive extra
slow. We keep losing too many of us.
A Hatzolah member
Vues Master’s Note: What does the drone have to
do with this letter?
SOLDIER
Dear Vues Master:
I had an idea and dream(probably
someone had it before me) to
synchronize the Torah and Tefillah
generated in the yeshivot all over the
world with activities of the Israeli
defense forces and other Israeli security
agencies in real time.. Bachurim and
bachurot on a global scale could opt
to dedicate their sedarim and tefilot
through a cloud database for a specific
soldier for a specific amount of time.
Or, they can have a soldier or agent
assigned to them for learning and
davening. I believe this would generate
achdut in klal yisroel. The source of
power and success of the Israeli security
forces is the “kol yaakov(Torah and
Tefillah.)” However, the dedication of
the security forces in Israel behooves
bachurim and bachurot in Israel and
the Diaspora to dedicate learning and
tefilot for the protection of the Israeli
security forces. This responsibility
would cause feelings of accountability
and seriousness among yeshiva
bochurim and bachurot. Also, since
there are Jews all over the world there
should never be a time not accounted
for by learning and davening.
CZ
Vues Master’s Note: Maybe the soldiers
should have in mind their counterparts
who protect them in Bais Medrash!
FEW WORDS
Dear Vues Master:
Yankel muttered a few words in shul
and was married. A few months later
he muttered a few words in his sleep
and was divorced.
MB
Vues Master’s Note: I guess life is like
a dream.
TORAH
Dear Vues Master:
I just read this on Matzav.com & thought
that your readership would appreciate it.
A couple brought a question to Hagaon
Rav Yitzchok Zilberstein, noted posek
and rov of Ramat Elchonon. The couple
explained that they got married a few
years ago and saved up a substantial
amount of money every month. They
were contemplating using this money
to write and donate a Sefer Torah to
one of the shul in their neighborhood.
However, upon further consideration,
they thought that perhaps it would be
appropriate to use this money to pay off
the mortgage that the wife’s parents took
out to purchase their apartment. Rav
Zilberstein wrote to them, “Perhaps you
want to buy a Sefer Torah, but I am sure
that the Sefer Torah does not want you,
because the Torah abhors such a shailah.
Not only does it contradict the Torah, but
it also contradicts the basic principles
of human decency.” Rav Zilberstein
continued to elaborate that the couple
believes that they did a favor for their
parents by agreeing to get married, and
thus the parents owe them gratitude.
However, “this is a cruel and inhumane
approach, because the parents do not
owe anything to their children. While
there is an obligation to marry off one’s
daughters, as explained in the Gemara,
it does not mean that they should spend
more than a fifth of their assets doing
so, and certainly not to take loans from
lenders to fulfill this obligation.” Rav
Zilberstein further pointed out that
“some parents are constantly running
from one lender to another to fund what
they have given to their children, such
as an apartment. They find themselves
with suffocating mortgages, and they
are always in pursuit of debt settlements.
When they hear that their children are
donating tzedakah to mosdos, they go
bonkers, wondering how that is possible
while they themselves are crushed by
debts. Moreover, besides contradicting
halacha, which requires giving tzedakah
to one’s father and mother before
everyone else, they go even further
here by not only giving tzedakah, but
also volunteering to purchase a Sefer
Torah! Many poskim agree that there
is no such mitzvah b’zeman hazeh.”
Therefore, Rav Zilberstein concluded,
the children would be better off paying
off their parents’ mortgage first and not
ask for anything in return. If they have
money, it is their obligation to do so, and
Hakadosh Boruch Hu would certainly
be more pleased with them helping
their parents than buying a Sefer Torah.
The remarkable conclusion of this true
story, as reported by Rav Zilberstein’s
grandson, Reb Chaim Maline, is that
the couple did indeed accept the psak
of Rav Zilberstein and paid up their
parents’ debts. In that same month, they
received a salary increase of one and a
half times what their parents had been
paying each month.
RBT
Vues Master’s Note: That is why we
need to ask our Gedolim questions!
DIGGING
Dear Vues Master:
A cemetery supervisor was watching as
his men were digging a very deep hole
for a wealthy man’s matzevah, which
was highly complimentary. A man
approached him and asked why they
were digging so deep. The supervisor
responded: “They’re digging so deep
because they can’t find any foundation
for this matzevah.”
YH
Vues Master’s Note: I guess the person
was stoned!
TZORAAS
Dear Vues Master:
One man said to his friend, “I always
had difficulty understanding the
pasuk of בבית צרעת נגע. I, of course,
understood what a נגע in the skin of
a human was, but a נגע in the house
was hard to understand. However, now
that I’m married to my ‘dear’ wife, it’s
become very clear to me.”
BJ
Vues Master’s Note: I guess you could
do two stones by going to the Kohen
Tzoraas and Sotah!
CHAYALIM
Dear Vues Master:
I had an idea that each yeshiva bachur
should adopt an Israeli soldier in Torah
and Tefillah. The bachurim would feel
more responsible and accountable. I
believe, if implemented, this would
cause more achdus between the secular
and chareidi.
CS
Vues Master’s Note: I think the opposite
is true: the soldiers need to be more
accountable to those who protect them!
SHOCKER
Dear Vues Master:
A young Jewish couple got married and
went on their honeymoon. When they
got back, the kallah immediately called
her mother. “Well”, asked her mother,
“so how was the honeymoon?” “Oh
mama”, she replied, “The honeymoon
was wonderful! So romantic”…
Suddenly, she burst out crying. “But,
mama, as soon as we returned, Sam
started using the most horrible language
— Things I’d never heard before! I
mean all these awful four – letter words!
You’ve got to take me home!! PLEASE
MAMA” “Sarah, Sarah”, her mother
said, “calm down! You need to stay with
your husband and work this out. Now,
tell me, what could be so awful? WHAT
four-letter words?” “Please don’t
make me tell you, mama,” wept the
daughter. “I’m so embarrassed, they’re
just too awful! JUST COME GET ME,
PLEASE” “Darling, baby, you must
tell me what has you so upset. Tell your
mother these horrible four-letter words.”
Sobbing, the bride said, “Oh, Mama…,
he used words like: “DUST, WASH,
IRON, and COOK.” “I’ll pick you up in
twenty minutes,” said her mother.
DW
Vues Master’s Note: Where is the Goyta
you promised her?
SON
Dear Vues Master:
Honor your father and your mother, as
Hashem commanded you [in Marah
(see Shemos 15:25)], so that your days
be prolonged and so that it be good
for you (in this world and the next)
on the land which the Lord your G-d
gives to you. – Devarim 5:16 If there
chance before you a bird’s nest on the
way on any tree or on the ground,
fledglings or eggs, the mother bird
lying upon the fledglings or upon the
eggs — you shall not take the mother
bird while she is yet on the young.
Send shall you send away the mother
bird and the young shall you take for
yourself, so that it shall be good for
you and you prolong days. – Devorim
22:6,7 The Rambam, in his Moreh
Nevuchim 3,48, offers the following
rationale for this commandment: The
Torah does not want the mother bird
to experience the anguish of watching
to see herself being deprived of her
chicks. The love of a mother animal
for its young is not determined by
intellectually rationalized feelings
but by something more profound in
the psyche of the animal. It reflects
its power of imagination. If the Torah
is so concerned with the feelings of
birds and four-legged domesticated
animals, how much more is it
concerned with the feelings of human
beings! The legislation therefore is
designed to teach us not to practice
cruelty even when such cruelty
is only of an emotional nature. In
Tehillim 145,9 it says, “Extending
His mercy to all His works” means
He extends his mercy to all creatures
experiencing anguish. Fulfilling
this commandment triggers mercy
for all the inhabitants of this world.
The dispatch of the mother bird will
be good for you in that it results in
your life span being extended. An
extension of one’s life span is always
due to the attribute of mercy having
been invoked. Devorim Rabbah
6,3: “The reward for fulfilling the
commandment of dispatching the
mother bird are children. If you
presently do not have children, I will
grant you children as the Torah states,
“so that you will benefit (acquire
children for yourself) and you will
live long.” We find that Shlomo
Hamelech drew a comparison
between these two commandments,
treating them as one as he says in
Proverbs 30,17: “The eye that mocks
a father and disdains homage due a
mother, the ravens of the brook will
gouge it out, young eagles will devour
it.” Jerusalem Talmud Peah, chapter
1 declares, “The eye that mocks the
father” refers to the commandment to
honor father and mother. The words
“and disdains the homage due a
mother” refers to the commandment
of dispatching the mother bird. The
Torah gives the reward for observing
these commandments while Shlomo
Hamelech informs us about the
punishment for violating it. The two
mitzvos are comparable because
both of them have the same rewards,
a good and long life. I think both
mitzvos and their rewards are a natural
consequence of a healthy family.
Furthermore, a tree is a metaphor for
longevity and goodness as used to
describe the Tree of Life (Torah) and
a family tree. There is also symbiosis
between honoring parents and
shiluach Hakan, a tree and a bird’s
nest respectively. Hashem is giving
us the recipe for a good long life.
The directive to children is to respect
their parents and this will trigger the
parents to act mercifully. While the
directive to the parents is hinted at
in the esoteric mitzvah of shiluach
hakan. G-d is hinting to the father,
before you discipline your children
be sure to send the mother away. This
explains why Avraham Avinu didn’t
inform Sara, when he took their son
to be sacrificed. This is another reason
why it is called Akedas Yitzchak to
highlight the test of Yitzchak and not
his father because it is the nature of
the father to discipline but not the
nature of the son to be disciplined.
This is spelled out in Mishley 10:1
“A wise son makes a father glad,
but a foolish son is the grief of his
mother.” The Malbim comments: A
father is seen by his son as the source
of discipline and moral instruction;
if the son lives virtuously, then the
credit goes to the father; that is the
“gladness.” The mother, on the other
hand, expresses the grief of feeling
personal responsibility and blame
if the son chooses a life of vice, for
evidently her loving relationship with
him has served to protect her son
from the discipline and wholesome
rigors of the father’s education.
DG
Vues Master’s Note: You never cease
to amaze me! You have a one track
mind!
POLITICS
Dear Vues Master:
A Russian prisoner was asked why
he was sentenced to fifteen years
in prison. “Because I called the
President an idiot,” he said. “Such
a long sentence for that?” he was
asked. “Yes,” he said. “Five years
for insulting a public official and ten
years for revealing a state secret.”
MK
Vues Master’s Note: I feel we can
make the same jokes against the
Democratic Party!
JOKES
Dear Vues Master:
BENTCHING FOR DRINKING
WATER
All he did was drink one glass of
plain water & therefore he needs to
Bentch Birchas Hamazon? According
to Harav Hagaon R.Ch. Kanievsky
Zt”l, If someone was thirsty at the
end of his meal, and waited to drink
water till after המזון ברכת, he must
Bentch again Birchas Hamazon *
(דאורייתא (Based on the Mordechai
who holds that if you are thirsty at the
end of the meal and Bentch then your
Benching was only mederabanan.
Therefore, Reb Chaim holds, after
you Bentched if you drink a glass of
water you are now התורה מן מחויב
to Bentch(again) The first Bentching
doesn’t count since it was only a
דרבנן Bentching. Harav Hagaon R.
Shlomo Miller Shlita argues on Reb
Chaim and holds there is no need to
repeat the Birchas Hamazon after
drinking the water.
MF
Vues Master’s Note: I guess you
should drink first so you won’t have
a shailah!
COLOR WAR
Dear Vues Master:
I remember being in Camp Ohr
Shraga when my Rebbe Rav
Nachman Segal told me over a
shaylah that he was handling between
a famous camp and Rav Yaakov
Kaminetzky ztl. A camp wanted to
know if they could make a famous
staff member stay in Color War and
not go back early for Elul Zman in a
yeshiva that was already starting. It
would mean him & the camp missing
out on his participation in Color War?
Rav Yaakov, the Pikeach Hador in
Chinuch, answered to the point;” a
camp that’s dependent only on Color
War (for their Hatzlocha) is not a
camp and should close”!
RMS
Vues Master’s Note: Ha! Who does
color war these days?
MDY SHIUR IN THE
CATSKILLS
Dear Vues Master
Why can’t R’ Eli Stefansky come
to the Catskills & have the MDY
siyum this summer in Woodbourne?
He made a last minute shiur this past
Tuesday night in Brooklyn. Imagine
if he had his shiur at the Woodbourne
shul…..The shul would be insanely
packed. They would have to close
down Woodbourne. I’m sure Rabbi
Jungreis would welcome him & give
a bracha & cholent too!
CB
Vues Master’s Note: You never know!
It might happen one day!