12 Dec SPEAK YOUR VUES WITH THE VUES MASTER

THE CHANUKAH GIFT
Dear Vues Master
I just read a great story by Rabbi Ron Yitzchok Eisenman
that I wanted to share with your readers.
It was a cool, crisp, clear day in Washington, DC. I was
joining the largest gathering of Jews in the history of
American Jewry. I joined the throngs of Jews gathered
together in unity to show our support for our Jewish
brethren in Israel. The Passuk danced in my mind
from Yeshaya, “L’chu V’Naaleh…” “Let us go up (to
Capitol Hill).” Suddenly, political, philosophical, and
organizational differences disappeared. There was one
cause and one purpose: support of the Jewish people. There
were Chassidim in full Chassidish Levush. Chabadniks
were carrying Tefillin, finding eager volunteers to don
the precious Mitzvah. There were Bais Yakov girls in
their modest uniforms and many Bnei Torah, keen to
organize Mincha Minyanim. Yet, most of all, there were
those Jews who we had forgotten about. Jews who we
thought were Chas V’Shalom lost to the Mesorah. It was
they who impressed me the most. They came in the tens
of thousands. They arrived in droves from Norfolk and
New England, from Detroit to Denver. They boarded
planes in Los Angeles and buses in Buffalo. They came
for one purpose only: to identify as Jews. As the saintly
Mashgiach Rav Yerucham Levovitz ZT”L writes (Daas
Torah, Parshas VaYigash), “Nothwithstading all of the
Hester Ponim (Hiddeness of Hashem and His ways):
“Am Yisroel Chaim V’Kayam!” The reverberating echo
of Rav Yerucham’s message that no matter how difficult
the situation seems, the Jewish Nation is alive and will
live forever- was heard loud and clear. It was a gathering
like no other. A demonstration through action and words
that proves once again the ultimate truth that much more
than divides us unifies us. I did my best to interact,
mingle, connect, and bond with my brothers and sisters,
especially those not residing in our insular enclaves of
Lakewood, Passaic, Brooklyn, and Monsey. I attempted

to be part of “amcha.” I approached a Jew who was bare-
headed yet tattooed from his torso to his wrists. “Excuse

me. Where do you come from?” He named an out-of-
town city about a nine-hour drive from Washington. I

asked in amazement, “You traveled nine hours just to
be here today?” He told me that he and other Jews had
hired a bus for the rally. Soon, it became clear the bus
company was not willing to transport Jews to a Jewish
rally. He said matter-of-factly, “So we grabbed an Uber

and paid $900 to get here!” “You spent $900 to be here
today?” He looked at me with equal disbelief. “It’s not
worth $900 to save a Jewish child?” I spontaneously
said to him, “Can I hug you?” He said, “You can hug
me, but first, I want something from you.” “What is
that?” “I want you to bless me that I marry a Jewish girl.
I come from a place where there are few Jewish girls. I
am done with the non-Jewish world. I want to marry a
Jewish girl and raise a Jewish family. I want to light the
Chanukah candles with her.” “I am not worthy of giving
Brochus,” I told him. However, he was insistent. “Rabbi,
my great-grandfather who passed away when I was five,
told me that if I ever needed a Blessing, I should look
for a Jew that looks like you, and he will bless you. I
remember he used the word, “He will “Bensch” you.
So, you look like that person, Rabbi, please “Bensch
me”! I could not deny his request. I Bensch him that he
should find a Jewish girl to marry. As he walked ahead,
he turned and asked, “By the way, what’s your name?”
“Eisenman, from Passaic.” I never saw him again at the
rally. This morning, I noticed an email from a name I did
not recognize. I was tempted to press “delete”; however,
something piqued my interest. I opened my email. There
was a picture of my tattooed friend standing beside a
Jewish girl before a Menorah. Under the picture, the
words were written: “Her name is Miriam, and she is
from Tel Aviv. I met her at the rally. She is as Jewish

as they come. Rabbi, you were wrong, and my great-
grandfather was right; you (did) “Bensch me,” and it

came true! “If Not Now Then When?”- Hillel
BST
Vues Master’s Note: What a great story! Thanks for
sharing.

TOO MANY DONUTS
Dear Vues Master
It definitely feels like I gained 10 pounds this week. I
can’t control myself around donuts. I’ve had so many
different types from so many different stores. Every
party I go to over Chanukah, people serve me donuts.
On top of that, my wife makes the best latkes & I finish
every batch she makes. I don’t know what to do. I can’t
control myself. Please help me!!!
Vues Master’s Note: My rebbie always told me that you
don’t gain weight on Shabbos. Who knows? Maybe it
also applies to gaining weight on Chanukah.

MIRACLE
Dear Vues Master:
Numerous miracles have been told about the
heroic soldiers fighting in Gaza. Every day,
thousands of soldiers endanger themselves
in the most difficult urban warfare, with
the terrorists having the advantage both of
surprise and of knowing the geography of the
area, as well as having a significant presence
underground where they can suddenly emerge
and attack. The soldiers must be vigilant at all
times, moving slowly and warily and using
aerial and surveillance assistance to locate the
explosive devices, booby traps and terrorists
lurking in their path. Over 90 soldiers have
already paid with their lives and hundreds
more have been badly injured. On one recent
occasion, a Hamas terrorist peeped out of a
tunnel and saw a significant army encampment
there. The terrorist photographed the soldiers,
returned to the tunnel and prepared to assault
them. In the meantime the soldiers had
received intelligence information that there
was a tunnel right under their feet. They were
told to move their encampment and to keep
watch on the previous place where they had
been. They also left the tents and items to
conceal the fact that they had moved out. In
the middle of the night a terrorist emerged
from the tunnel. The soldiers shot him and
suddenly there was a huge explosion. The
terrorist had intended to blow up the entire
compound! Fortunately nobody was hurt in
the miraculous event.
YR
Vues Master’s Note: Wow! Hinei Lo Yanum
Shomer Yisroel!

GOOD AND EVIL
Dear Vues Master:
I think by now, most of the civilized world has
figured it out. They see clearly who the forces
of evil are and who the creators of light are.
But to those who don’t have that clarity yet, I
created you a nice guide with some questions
to ask yourself if you care at all about your
integrity… – Which side would Hitler side
with if he was alive? The side that wants Jews
to live in peace in their homeland or the side
that wants to murder Jews wherever they are?
– Which side holds peaceful marches where
they sing, pray, and hope for their innocent
hostages to be freed and which side yells
death chants? – Which side is willing to accept
the other living peacefully with them side by
side and which side doesn’t believe the other
side has a right to exist? – Which side has a
Declaration of Independence that states clearly
that the country is democratic and which side
has a charter (that’s available online it you
wanna read it) calling for genocide of all
infidels? – Which side belongs to a religion
that has been radicalized to commit the vast
majority of global terror and which side prays
for peace several times a day? – Which side
has been caught with their pants down (sorry,
couldn’t help the pun) countless times with
their lies and which side consistently tells

the truth, even when inconvenient? – Which
side was dancing with a Torah scroll when
they were viciously attacked, murdered, and
raped and which side did the attacking and
proudly live streamed it? – Which side states
clearly that they want world domination
and which side has absolutely no interest in
convincing the world that they are right? –
Which side drops pamphlets and sends SMS
to minimize civilian death and which side
uses civilian deaths on both sides as a PR
tool? – Which side has introduced the world
to endless innovation and which side only
invented terror tunnels? – Which side has deep
sadness from the terror inflicted upon them
and which side is only angry they weren’t
able to kill more innocent people? This war,
unlike other wars or conflicts, doesn’t have
two equal sides. There is no equal sign. There
aren’t two legitimate teams here. There is one
side that does everything humanly possible
to minimize civilian deaths on both sides
and there is another side that does everything
humanly possible to maximize civilian deaths
on both sides. If you’re a moral person, you
can’t sit this one out. Choose wisely because
history doesn’t forget. Stand with Israel as it
fights the forces of evil before they make it to
your doorstep. There is only one moral side
here, one side that values life above all, one
side that wants to live in peace, one side that
cries over every innocent life that’s lost; the
Israel side. Israel will win this war, with or
without your support. Israel doesn’t need you.
You need Israel.
Hillel Fuld
Vues Master’s Note: Yet so many people don’t
see it this way! Sinah Mekalkeles Hashurah!

HEAR YA
Dear Vues Master:
Having lost most of his hearing a number of
years ago, an elderly man went to the doctor
to be fitted with hearing aids which promised
to allow him to hear 100%. A month later, he
returned to the doctor for a check up on his
progress. The doctor told him that his hearing
is perfect and asked if his family is pleased.
The old man answered, “Oh, I haven’t told
them about the hearing aids yet. I just sit
around and listen to them talk. I’ve changed
my will three times!”
KL
Vues Master’s Note: I am available if he wants
to leave me some money!

PUBLIC
Dear Vues Master:
On Saturday night, December 10th, the third
night of Chanukah, Gabrielle Boxer, (“Kosher
Guru”) hosted a first-of-its-kind Chanukah
party at Green Acres Mall in Valley Stream.
The event started with the lighting of an
electrical menorah in the common area on the
first floor followed by an awards ceremony.
Fresh jelly doughnuts from Sterns and
blue light up sticks were handed out. Aryeh
Kunstler performed for the audience, singing

Chanukah songs, Jewish pop favorites and the
classics. The display of Jews coming together
during this time in a festival of unity, and the
holiday was truly inspiring. People danced
and sang along; passersby joined in as well.
Mall security and the Nassau County police
were present. The program showed that the
Jewish people can and should celebrate in
public spaces. Hopefully, this will be the first
of many such ceremonies.
CYM
Vues Master’s Note:I disagree as Chazal
stopped us from lighting outside for a reason
we do not need to reitz un the akum!!!

PARENTS
Dear Vues Master:
Now Yakov lived in the land where his father
lived, in the land of Canaan. – Berashis 37:1
It would be more proper to first mention
the location than to describe it ;therefore,
it should write, “Now Yakov lived in the
land of Canaan, the land where his father
lived. The reason is to teach that honoring
your parents come before settling the land.
The Baal HaTurim states: “B’eretz megurei
aviv” (the land where his father lived) – the
gematriah (numerical equivalent) is the same
as that of the words: “Shav lekayeim mitzvas
kibbud av” (He returned to fulfill the mitzvah
of honoring his father). Therefore, be careful
not to evade honoring your parents with the
pretext of settling in the Holy Land. The Torah
spells this out in Shemos 20:12, “Honor your
father and your mother, that your days may
be long in the land that the Lord your G-d
is giving you.” When you let your parents
welcome you into their house then G-d will
welcome you into His house.
DG
Vues Master’s Note: You are persistent and
consistent!!!

CHOICES
Dear Vues Master:
“She sent word to her father-in-law”
Berashis- 38:25 Rashi says, “She did not
wish to make his [Yehudah’s] face pale.”
Rabbi Yitzchok Zilberstein writes in his first
book of “What If”: In conclusion, “To expose
Yehudah, in such a way (and tell him direct
and cause him shame) would perhaps not be
permitted; therefore, even to compel a thief
to return stolen items by shaming him might
be prohibited. However, this applies only
when there is another way to retrieve the
object (e.g., going to beis din). If the only
way to have the object returned is though
public humiliation, it would be permitted.”
Some people question how I can humiliate
people over the internet even thought I made
it clear that I tried to be diplomatic. Rabbi
Dovid Harris wouldn’t go with me to see Rav
Shmuel Kamenetsky or Rav Dovid Cohen. He
won’t even let my son go with me. I recently
bumped into my son’s Rav at a wedding. I
spoke to Rav Welcher about my son and his
not coming over for Shabbos in over five

years. The only comforting words he said was,
“That is strange!?” Other than that, there was
no ohev shalom v’rodef shalom (loving peace
and pursuing it). He said my son has to speak
with the Rosh Yeshiva. I begged him to tell
my son that or at least tell him what you think,
that it is strange. After speaking with him I
surely left no stone unturned so what choice
do I have?
DG
Vues Master’s Note: Do you really think you
will get anywhere like this?!

CHIZUK
Dear Vues Master:
My name is Limor Zusman. 23 years ago,
when I was 6, my parents were on the third
floor of the Versailles Wedding Hall in
Jerusalem when it collapsed and they fell to
their death along with 21 others. I woke up the
next morning all alone in the world. When I
hear about Avigail Idan, the girl who lost both
parents and was just released from captivity, I
am familiar with the darkness that envelopes
her. I remember people sitting Shiva and
crying. I walked outside and no one noticed. I
went into the yard, pointed at three stars in the
sky, and announced: ‘Mother, father, and G-d
are watching over me together.’ At that same
moment, I gathered otherworldly strength to
cling to life. Over the years, I learned this verse
from the Book of Psalms: ‘For my mother and
father have forsaken me, but the Lord gathers
me in.’ I learned about the strength of widows
and widowers, and of orphans. They have
special protection. I don’t want to promise
empty promises: What happened never goes
away. I am the same 6-year-old girl waiting
for her parents to return from the wedding. I
am still the 12-year-old girl alone at her Bat
Mitzvah ceremony when all my friends stood
with their mothers and fathers. To everyone
who cares about the children who have lost
their parents, I say: Be with them in their pain.
Give to them, hug them, and ask nothing from
them. Be sensitive and cautious. Give them
time. And most important of all: Do not pity
them! Leave your pity outside. Enlighten
them about the strength within them. Don’t
focus on their scars but on their resilience.
Don’t make them dependent on the kindness
of others for the rest of their lives. Focus on
their courage instead. Today I am married,
a mother, and studying to work as a family
guidance counselor (perhaps because I lost
my family). It’s possible to choose life. All
night long, I could not sleep and wrote this for
myself, for the grieving families, for everyone,
and especially for one little girl. May you be
blessed, Avigail, in your return to us.”
LZ
Vues Master’s Note: May Hashem protect us
all!

TRUE SIMCHA
Dear Vues Master:
Chaim and Hinda Heckelman run a catering
business. They were invited to cater a

wedding of a Jewish couple from abroad,
but because of the war the couple and their
relatives had decided, in the end, to hold
their wedding on their home turf. But here’s
where the story gets interesting: “We were
sure the event had been canceled,” Hinda
related. “But then at the last minute the
couple surprised us and announced that they
did not want to cancel. To the contrary, they
wanted to increase the number of portions
originally ordered to include women affected
by the war. And so the event was held last
night at the International Convention Center
in Jerusalem. The women invited numbered
550, some of them single mothers, some of
them displaced from their homes and living
in hotels, some of them arriving in buses
from Sderot, Ofakim, Netivot, and small
communities near the Gaza periphery. In
addition to the guests’ enjoyment of a lavish
wedding feast, they were honored with a
special entertainment program and lots of
love and caring from the newly married
couple and their entourage.” Mazal tov to the
couple who wish to remain anonymous. Your
home, from the very beginning, is being built
on extraordinary loving kindness.
SRM
Vues Master’s Note: Beautiful story thanks
for sharing and inspiring!

MIRACLE
Dear Vues Master:
Chanuka is a time that we are supposed to
be especially grateful to Hashem for all that
He gives us, so I am writing about a small
but much appreciated “Chanuka miracle” I
recently experienced. I had just removed a
tuna pie from the freezer when the container
slipped out of my hands and onto the floor,
causing the cover to fly off and the pie to fall
out. Since I had spent a lot of time making
the pie and had planned to serve it during
the Chag, I let out a cry. However, on closer
look, I saw that the entire dish had landed
neatly and squarely onto the container’s
upturned lid, completely unharmed by the
fall. It may not have lasted 8 days, but it was
a big miracle to me and I am very thankful
for it.
DZ
Vues Master’s Note: As long as you are not
left with pie on your face!

BLAME GAME
Dear Vues Master:
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, a
retired general, says Israel is “driving”
Gazans “into the arms of the enemy.” A few
weeks ago, another general, Joint Chiefs of
Staff chairman Charles Q. Brown, charged
that Israel’s anti-terror actions in Gaza
are turning the average person there into
“someone who now wants to be the next
member of Hamas.” Generals deserve our
deepest respect for their service and sacrifice.
But that doesn’t mean they are always right.
General George Patton used Nazi Party

members in the postwar U.S. administration
in Germany, resulting in his dismissal.
General Douglas MacArthur was fired for
defying President Harry Truman’s orders
in the Korean War. General Curtis LeMay
wanted to use nuclear weapons in Vietnam.
When it comes to understanding what causes
young Palestinian Arabs to become Hamas
terrorists, President Biden’s generals are
getting it all wrong. It is not Israel that
drove Gazans into the arms of Hamas or
turned young Gazans into terrorists. It is
the Gazans themselves who long ago chose
Hamas as their leaders. Democratic elections
were held there in 2006, and Hamas was
allowed to participate, at the insistence of
Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice. Hamas
won 76 out of the 132 seats in parliament.
Afterwards, Secretary Rice acknowledged
she was “caught off guard” by the outcome;
the result “does say something about us not
having a good enough pulse,” she conceded.
At the same time, Rice defended the inclusion
of Hamas, on the grounds that “You ask
yourself, ‘Are you going to support a policy
of denying the Palestinians elections that
had been promised to them at a certain point
in time because people were fearful of the
outcome?’” For the Truman administration
and the U.S. military governors of postwar
Germany, the answer to an earlier version
of Rice’s question was a resounding “yes.”
They denied the right of the Nazi Party to run
in postwar elections, regardless of how many
Germans wanted to vote for it. Defense
Secretary Austin and General Brown might
want to ask themselves why it is that children
in postwar Germany did not grow up to be
Nazis. The American military’s devastation
of much of Germany did not cause those
children to embrace antisemitism or
terrorism. Yet tens of thousands of Gazan
children, who grew up in a region from
which Israel completely withdrew in 2005,
embraced antisemitism and terrorism; they
are the ones who fill the ranks of Hamas
today. A crucial difference between
postwar Germany and Gaza today concerns
their respective educational systems. Under
the Allies’ deNazification program in
postwar Germany, school curricula were
purged of Nazi racial ideology, militarism,
and antisemitism. Similar methods were
used in postwar Japanese schools. The
Hamas-controlled schools in Gaza, by
contrast, glorify Jew-hatred and terrorism.
Young Gazans are not being “driven into
the arms of Hamas” by Israel; they have
been indoctrinated by Hamas for nearly
two decades. Where there is substantial
domestic opposition to a totalitarian regime,
those kinds of indoctrination efforts will be
only partially successful. In Iran and Syria,
where the governments have used schools to
spread extremist beliefs similar to those of
Hamas, there has been significant evidence
of opposition. Large numbers of Iranians
have risked their lives to protest against

their regime, and Syrian opponents of their
dictator have been waging a civil war for
years. Not so in Gaza. Moreover, the advice
that Secretary Austin and General Brown are
now giving Israel feels like a case of “Do as
I say, not as I do.” On November 9, the day
that Gen. Brown made his statement, U.S.
bombers carried out an airstrike on a target in
Syria. And a week before that, they bombed
two other sites in eastern Syria. Yet Austin
and Brown do not appear to believe that
those military operations will turn Syrians
into anti-American terrorists. American
or British leaders in World War II apparently
didn’t fear they would cause German or

Japanese children to grow up to become anti-
American terrorists, even though the Allies

leveled Hamburg (40,000 dead), destroyed
Dresden (many tens of thousands killed),
firebombed Tokyo (over 100,000 civilian
fatalities), and used nuclear bombs against
Hiroshima and Nagasaki (approximately
135,000 and 64,000 killed, respectively).
In fact, even though the Allies deliberately
attacked those civilian targets (unlike Israel,
which takes great pains to avoid civilian
casualties), Germany and Japan became
close allies of the United States after the war.
If Secretary Austin and General Brown want
Gazans to one day relate to Israel the way
Germans and Japanese today relate to the
United States, they need to recognize that
Israel is not to blame for Gazans’ attitudes,
and they need to support a postwar policy in
Gaza similar to the ones the Allies imposed
in Germany and Japan after World War II.
Rafael Medoff
Vues Master’s Note: As usual history repeats
itself, especially the fact that we don’t learn
from history!
ALL I WANT FOR CHANUKAH
IS MY DADDY
by COUNTRY YOSSI TOIV
Dear HASHEM,
It’s been so long
I hardly can remember
The last time that he
held me in his arms
I hear his voice, his eyes aglow
Sweet lullabies of long ago
Now all I hear’s the sound
of guns and bombs
CHORUS:
All I want for Chanukah is my daddy
Safe and sound and
standing next to me
You can give the toys
To all the other girls and boys
Just bring my loving Daddy
home to me
Sometimes in my dreams
I hear him calling
And I run to him
and hug him very tight
But though I hope and pray
He just slowly fades away
And leaves me crying,

lonely in the night
All I want for Chanukah is my daddy
Safe and sound and
Standing next to me
I promise to be good
And do all the things I should
Just bring my loving daddy
home to me
Chanukah night, I’m about to light
The candles
When suddenly
Mom cries out joyfully
And there to my surprise
I just can’t believe my eyes

It’s my daddy-
HASHEM brought him home to me

All I ever wanted was my daddy
I missed him more than
He would ever know
On this very special night
We both hug each other tight
And all I know is I’m not
Letting go
Vues Master’s Note: What a sad song!
SPEECHLESS
Dear Vues Master:
A rabbi took his congregation on a safari in
Africa. As they were snapping pictures in the
jungle, a ferocious lion appeared and began
charging towards them. The congregants
fled for their lives, but the rabbi approached
the lion and whispered into his ear. He
immediately turned around and left with his
tail wagging between his legs. The stunned
congregants gathered around the rabbi and
asked him, “Rabbi what did you say to the
lion? What did you tell him?” The rabbi
answered, “I told him ‘If there is going to be
a meal, there are going to be speeches.’”
MK
Vues Master’s Note: That is my kind of
Rabbi!!

NEVER HAPPENED
Dear Vues Master:
the ר‘ בחיי פ‘ מקץ the to According
מלכות הרוגי עשרה were sentenced to a
torturous death. However, none of them
ended up being killed. Somehow there was a
mixup with ten Goyim who ended up getting
killed instead of the holy Tannaim.
MF
Vues Master’s Note: That is amazing coming
from a Rishon no less!