09 Apr SPEAK YOUR VUES WITH THE VUES MASTER
EARTHQUAKE MEMES
Dear Vues Master
I was amazed at how many memes reached my
phone within the first hour of the earthquake this
past Friday. Some of them were really funny!
Vues Master’s Note: Apparently people have a lot
of time to do useless things.
BRACHA ON ECLIPSE
Dear Vues Master
Why was there no bracha said on the eclipse this
past Monday? I was told to make a “Oseh Ma’aseh
Breishis” on the earthquake that happened last
Friday.
JK
Vues Master’s Note: The Shulchan Aruch (OC
227:1) lists many natural events for which the
bracha of ‘Oseh Ma’aseh Breishis’ (‘He performs
the acts of creation’) is recited, such as lightning,
thunder and great winds. However, an eclipse
is not included in this list. It therefore may be
presumed that a bracha is not recited. Ask your
local Rabbi.
EYE SOAR
Dear Vues Master
My eyes are still hurting me. I looked at the eclipse
for two hours straight. What should I do?
Vues Master’s Note: My eyes would soar if I
looked at you for two hours straight also.
OFF THE DERECH
Dear Vues Master
When kind words are accompanied with a shining
countenance, the benefits are even greater, as
the following true story from Rabbi Elimelech
Biderman Shlit”a illustrates: There was this
child, who unfortunately went off the derech.
His distraught parents invested a lot of money
— hiring tutors and role models — to bring their
child back. After many tears, prayers, and efforts,
the child returned to Yiddishkeit. The father asked
him, “Which dollar brought you back?” The father
meant, “I paid a lot of money for mechanchim and
tutors. Which one had the greatest influence on
you; which one brought you back?” The bachur
replied, “It wasn’t because of the mechanchim.
Once, a certain rav greeted me with a happy
countenance. I said to him, ‘Do you know who
you just greeted?’ and I told him about my sins.
The rav replied, ‘It doesn’t make a difference.
Hashem loves you regardless and He is waiting
for your return.’ I told him about some graver sins
that I was committing, and the rav replied, ‘Even
so, Hashem is still your Father, awaiting your
return.’ Then the rav kissed me on my forehead
and left. This occurred just as I was about to do a
very severe sin. This episode turned me around. I
returned to my Father in heaven…”
PD
Vues Master’s Note: I love Rav Elimelech
Biderman stories.
LOUD MUSIC AT CHASUNAS
Dear Vues Master
Is it just me or is the music at chasunas very loud
these days? I know that some of the chasunas I’ve
been going to lately have been giving out airplugs.
NJ
Vues Master’s Note: My ears are still ringing from
a chasuna I went to two weeks ago.
SHEITEL SHOPPING
Dear Vues Master
Is it wrong for me to tell my wife that I can spend
the same amount on my suit for Yom Tov as she
spends on her sheitel?
LD
Vues Master’s Note: Only if you can afford both.
Otherwise let your wife get the nice sheitel.
Chances are she did a lot more this erev Yom Tov
than you did.
PIG KIDNEYS
Dear Vues Master
I just read that pigs will be replacing
kidney transplants in humans in
the near future. Is that allowed
halachically?
RTK
Vues Master’s Note: What will the
organization Renewal do?
EGG PRICES ARE
SOARING. AGAIN.
Dear Vues Master
Why does it feel like for the last
five years around Pesach time, the
bird flu keeps coming back? Experts
have issued a warning that a bird
flu pandemic with a potentially
catastrophic impact, surpassing
the severity of COVID-19, may be
imminent following the discovery
of a rare human case in Texas.
According to Dr. Suresh Kuchipudi,
a bird flu researcher, “This virus has
been on the top of the pandemic list
for many, many years and probably
decades… we’re getting dangerously
close to this virus potentially causing
a pandemic.” The H5N1 avian flu has
spread rapidly since the emergence
of a new strain in 2020, affecting
wild birds across the country and
commercial poultry and backyard
flocks. Its detection in mammals,
including cattle herds in four states
and a dairy worker in Texas, has raised
concerns about its potential mutation
and increased transmissibility to
humans. This is scary stuff.
RIJ
Vues Master’s Note: I smell collusion
and a way to hike up prices!
EXPENSES
Dear Vues Master:
It is absolutely insane. I went through
the Jewish Vues very carefully last
week & went with my wife shopping
this past weekend in three different
local supermarkets. The price of
kosher food is insane. It is definitely
up more than 20% than last year. How
does a family of 8 survive? BH there
are organizations out there that are
helping out, but still this is crazy.
FR
Vues Master’s Note: What about gas?
FRIENDS
Dear Vues Master
Is America still Israel’s friend? It
doesn’t seem that way. The Biden
administration is preparing to
label goods produced in Yehuda &
Shomron. While it is undecided as
to when the move will take place,
it comes amid increasing tensions
between Israel and Washington over
the prosecution of the six-month
war in Gaza and disputes over the
extent of Israeli violence directed at
Palestinians in Judea and Samaria,
including U.S. sanctions on Jews
living in the area. Such labeling
would reverse a Trump administration
policy implemented in 2020 that
required products originating in
the Israeli region, called the Israeli-
administered Area C under the Oslo
Accords, to be labeled as “Made in
Israel.”
PF
Vues Master’s Note: We can only
rely on Hakadosh Baruch Hu. We
can not forget that.
DATING FUN
Dear Vues Master
A friend of mine this past weekend
told me how he used to decide
whether he would go out with
a woman on a second shidduch
date. He would ask the woman the
following question. If we went to
a casino and I gave you $1 to put
in one of the slot machines and it
won the big prize of $10 million,
what would you do? He said there
were 5 answers that women would
typically give him. 1- She said you
gave me the $1 so it’s my money. 2-
She said I was just your messenger
so it’s your money. 3- We should
split the winnings. $5 million for
you and $5 million for me. 4-The
woman said I’ll give you the $1
back but it’s my money. & the 5th
answer was that it’s assur to gamble.
Why would we ever go to a casino?
So I asked my friend which answer
he was looking for. He said that if the
same thing happened to him & the
woman gave him the $1 that won the
$10 million. He would give her the $1
and take the winnings for himself, so
that’s what he wanted to hear from the
woman.
AW
Vues Master’s Note: You wonder why
this guy never not married……….
KUDOS TO THE WOMEN
Dear Vues Master:
I just want to publicly say THANK
YOU to all the wives out there that
are working very hard this month
getting ready for Pesach. Every
Shabbos it’s hard work in itself, but
Pesach is REALLY hard. Between
cleaning & cooking especially for the
people that stay home it’s exhausting.
Kol Hakavod!!!
BH
Vues Master’s Note: And please do
not forget the men who get up from
the couch so their wives can clean
behind it without having to shlep both
the husband and the couch!
CHASDEI LEV
Dear Vues Master:
WOW! I had such a great time this
past Sunday. I can’t thank Chasdei
Lev enough! I blasted the music and
danced with the volunteers, and while
they packed my car with all the items
that my wife ordered, I sang, danced,
& and clapped while thanking them
profusely. I felt like I was at a concert
like the old times when I used to dance
in the aisles! It was very organized
and professionally done. My wife and
I are so appreciative of everything.
Thanks. (I even took a photo of my
Chasdei Lev volunteers and sent it
to the Jewish Vues). Chag Kosher
V’sameach.
Vues Master’s Note: Tremendous
local chesed organization.
RABBI ELEFANT
Dear Vues Master
Just wanted to let you know how
much my family has been enjoying
the Rabbi Elefant Pesach Q & A’s
in the Jewish Vues. We have been
reading them at the Shabbos table
every week and find them very
informative.
SR
Vues Master’s Note: We would like to
thank Rabbi Elefant and all other JV
columnists. Good Yom Tov.
PESACH
Dear Vues Master:
It’s amazing how many Kosher
L’Pesach items are out there. I
have a hard time believing that this
is the way we are supposed to be
celebrating the Yom Tov of Pesach.
There is very little that you can’t get
these days.
MS
Vues Master’s Note: One thing is
missing, the Geulah Sheleima!
PRETZELS
Dear Vues Master:
We always knew that the reason
we do not eat kitniyos on Pesach
is because its flour can be mistaken
Chas v’sholom for chometz. I
recently saw an ad for pesachdike
pretzels, with a good hashgacha,
that made my blood boil. I am sure
that if those pretzels were available
at the time the Chachomim issued
the issur on kitniyos, they too
would have been banned. With
all due respect to the chosshuve
machshirim, if you want to certify
gluten free pretzels, by all means
do so. There is a great demand
for gluten free food, but it does
not have to be kosher for Pesach.
Even people who can’t eat gluten
have enough of a variety available
without pretzels, and anyone could
survive eight days without them. In
past generations, one did not buy
ready food for Pesach because of
the almost forgotten minhag of not
“mishing”. For the chinuch of our
children. let us teach them that we
do not HAVE to buy EVERYTHING
that is in the kosher L’Pesach aisle
in the supermarket. Chag Kosher
V’sameach
S W
Vues Master’s Note: There is a rule
in halacha we generally do not make
our own gezeiros!
THANKS
Dear Vues Master:
My family absolutely loves the
Jewish Vues!! You are definitely
the best newspaper for Klal Yisrael.
I have friends that are modern,
yeshivish, syrian & chassidish & we
all love the paper. You are really the
newspaper of Klal Yisrael!!! I just
want to say THANK YOU to the
entire staff at the Jewish Vues for
all the great work you guys do every
week!!!
TY
Vues Master’s Note: We here at the
Jewish Vues would like to thank our
readership. Without you we would
not be able to be a great newspaper!
DRASHA
Dear Vues Master:
What do a good drasha and baking
matzah have in common? They both
should last less than 18 minutes.
HU
Vues Master’s Note: No That took
too long to say!
HAPPY
Dear Vues Master
I’m so excited for Pesach. It’s my
favorite Yom Tov of the year! I’m
just worried that I’m not going to be
able to fulfill the mitzvah of feeling
like I left Mitzrayim at the seder. I
also have a very hard time being
mesameach all 8 days. Do you have
any suggestions for me?
RS
Vues Master’s Note: Appreciate what
you have, look at how much worse
off others are. Enjoy your Yom Tov!
NO SHOW
Dear Vues Master
Is it true that the “Shomer Yisroel “
didn’t show up this past Sunday to
the COJO breakfast because he was
scared of Dov Hikind?
Vues Master’s Note: He was probably
writing another speech criticizing
Israel.
OPEN INVITATION
Dear Vues Master
How can a local Jewish organization
have a breakfast this past Sunday and
invite the anti-semite Councilwoman
Rita Joseph?
Vues Master’s Note: Apparently
some “askanim” don’t care. As long
as they get their money.
SAYING TEHILLIM
Dear Vues Master
Are all the Tehillim we’ve been
saying helping? Since the start of
the war, Jews from all over the
world have been saying Tehillim
as a response to the Hamas attacks
and our soldiers’ subsequent attack
on the Palestinian terror forces.
I’ve seen an interesting question
asked – have our Tehillim helped?
What does help really mean? Has
our recital of Tehillim caused
Hashem to change the course of
the war to be in Israel’s favor?
Have less soldiers fallen in battle
because of our Tehillim? Is this
what we mean when we ask have
our Tehillim helped? A little known
Halacha is that it’s forbidden
to use pesukim from Tanach as
prayers to ask Hashem for help.
While the verses of Tehillim can
be used to praise Hashem, as we
do every morning and afternoon in
our teffilah, they can’t be used to
request help, even for something
as important as our soldier’s
wellbeing. The verses of Tanach
are words of wisdom which we are
to be used to study, not pray. How
did the practice of reciting Tehillim
as a means for help become so
widespread if it is forbidden? Rav
Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zt”l
explained that in a time of trouble
the original practice was to daven
for relief from the trouble. Rabbis
taught that prayer is more effective
with merit, and nothing provides
more merit than Torah study. The
practice began where a small Dvar
Torah would be studied before the
prayer was recited. With its double
punch of wisdom and inspirational
messages, a chapter of Tehillim
quickly became the preferred choice
of Torah to study before praying
for relief. As time went on, people
forgot why the Tehillim were there
and made the Tehillim the prayer –
they even began reciting the verses
responsively – like a prayer. Back
to our original question – have our
Tehillim helped? It’s helped our
nation’s unity for sure, and while I
don’t know Hashem’s calculations,
it’s hard to imagine a world where
millions of Jews praying for help
from Hashem, studying millions of
chapters of Tehillim, hasn’t helped.
Rabbi Uri Pilichowski
Vues Master’s Note: Hashem Ya’azor.