G'Luck
Shmuel
1) David did ashes ish with Batsheva
2) The child might not know who his father was and therefore not know his yichus. He might end up marrying his sister because of this.
3) David murdered Uriah
4) David murdered all those who followed Uriah in battle
5) David took Batsheva immediately afterwards because he still desired her and it was inappropriate for all to see such a great person to succumb to his desires
Malbim
1) David did not do aishet ish because…
· Everyone had to get a Get before their husbands went to war and for sure Batsheva got one because her husband was one of the geborim of David and her grandfather Achitofel, David’s advisor, instituted the whole Get thing. Even if it was a Get Al Tinay, David could have sent Uriah away and he would have never come back.
· They wouldn’t have gotten married if their relationship was asur
· David wouldn’t have davened for the child if it was a mamzer
· Hashem wouldn’t have accepted his Tesuvah, which he did and David found out from Nasan Ha’Navi.
· He wouldn’t have been able to do teshuvah while she was still living with him.
· Hashem would never call Shlomo Yedidya if he came from an asur relationship
· David wouldn’t have been worrying about whether she was a nidah or not if there was a question of aishes ish
2) There would be no problem with the child’s yishus because…
· David would know and he would tell the child when the time was appropriate and the child would know not to marry his sister
· They couldn’t send Bathseva away because she was an Isha Chashuva and and people would notice that she was missing
· David then had to choose whether he would cause a Chilul Hashem by telling everyone what he did or to do the chait of Aishes Ish by sending Uriah back to Batsheva, and he chose to do aishet ish because chilul Hashem is horrible. But Uirah did not want to go back so David was fine.
3) David did not murder Uriah because…
· Uriah was Chayav Misah for three things
A. He didn’t go back to his wife when David told him to go. He said that while the Aron was in a hut at war and his fellow giborim were out in the fields he wouldn’t go and enjoy himself. But it is a mitzvah to go back to your wife after a long trip. Uriah said that you’re not allowed when the Aron is at war. Really, the Halacha only applies when the Luchos are in the Aron and when the king is at war, which neither was.
B. He rejected the meal that David sent him. David knew that Uriah wanted to go back to the war, so he said you cold go back tomorrow, assuming that Uirah would relax once he knew he was going to return. But he didn’t. So David tried to get him drunk, but he refused.
C. He called Yoav his master, not David’s servant.
4) David did not murder those who followed Uriah because…
· David was specific with his words to put Uriah in the front lines. David did not create this war to kill Uriah. He didn’t even put Uriah in an abnormal place. The giborim usually went in the front lines. David didn’t say to put him in a place that he would be specifically hurt.
· David couldn’t kill him by Sanhedrin because he’d then have to take Batsheva right away because she was pregnant and it would look like he killed Uriah in order to marry Bathseva.
· Uriah died a natural war death. Also, he went within the one mile of a city wall limit, where soldiers usually did not go because they were easy targets. Uriah went without Yoav’s permission, so David definitely did not cause his death or those who followed.
5) David did not look bad in the eyes of the people because…
· Bathseva called Uriah her “baalah”, a term of position, not like “isha” a term of relationship. She was not emotionally connected to Uirah.
· After Uriha died it was an appropriate thing for David to marry Bathseva because Uriah was his gibor. This only looked bad in the eyes of Hashem because David caused this whole situation to be mentioned in the list of Elokei Avraham, Yitzchak, v’Yaakov.
2) The child might not know who his father was and therefore not know his yichus. He might end up marrying his sister because of this.
3) David murdered Uriah
4) David murdered all those who followed Uriah in battle
5) David took Batsheva immediately afterwards because he still desired her and it was inappropriate for all to see such a great person to succumb to his desires
Malbim
1) David did not do aishet ish because…
· Everyone had to get a Get before their husbands went to war and for sure Batsheva got one because her husband was one of the geborim of David and her grandfather Achitofel, David’s advisor, instituted the whole Get thing. Even if it was a Get Al Tinay, David could have sent Uriah away and he would have never come back.
· They wouldn’t have gotten married if their relationship was asur
· David wouldn’t have davened for the child if it was a mamzer
· Hashem wouldn’t have accepted his Tesuvah, which he did and David found out from Nasan Ha’Navi.
· He wouldn’t have been able to do teshuvah while she was still living with him.
· Hashem would never call Shlomo Yedidya if he came from an asur relationship
· David wouldn’t have been worrying about whether she was a nidah or not if there was a question of aishes ish
2) There would be no problem with the child’s yishus because…
· David would know and he would tell the child when the time was appropriate and the child would know not to marry his sister
· They couldn’t send Bathseva away because she was an Isha Chashuva and and people would notice that she was missing
· David then had to choose whether he would cause a Chilul Hashem by telling everyone what he did or to do the chait of Aishes Ish by sending Uriah back to Batsheva, and he chose to do aishet ish because chilul Hashem is horrible. But Uirah did not want to go back so David was fine.
3) David did not murder Uriah because…
· Uriah was Chayav Misah for three things
A. He didn’t go back to his wife when David told him to go. He said that while the Aron was in a hut at war and his fellow giborim were out in the fields he wouldn’t go and enjoy himself. But it is a mitzvah to go back to your wife after a long trip. Uriah said that you’re not allowed when the Aron is at war. Really, the Halacha only applies when the Luchos are in the Aron and when the king is at war, which neither was.
B. He rejected the meal that David sent him. David knew that Uriah wanted to go back to the war, so he said you cold go back tomorrow, assuming that Uirah would relax once he knew he was going to return. But he didn’t. So David tried to get him drunk, but he refused.
C. He called Yoav his master, not David’s servant.
4) David did not murder those who followed Uriah because…
· David was specific with his words to put Uriah in the front lines. David did not create this war to kill Uriah. He didn’t even put Uriah in an abnormal place. The giborim usually went in the front lines. David didn’t say to put him in a place that he would be specifically hurt.
· David couldn’t kill him by Sanhedrin because he’d then have to take Batsheva right away because she was pregnant and it would look like he killed Uriah in order to marry Bathseva.
· Uriah died a natural war death. Also, he went within the one mile of a city wall limit, where soldiers usually did not go because they were easy targets. Uriah went without Yoav’s permission, so David definitely did not cause his death or those who followed.
5) David did not look bad in the eyes of the people because…
· Bathseva called Uriah her “baalah”, a term of position, not like “isha” a term of relationship. She was not emotionally connected to Uirah.
· After Uriha died it was an appropriate thing for David to marry Bathseva because Uriah was his gibor. This only looked bad in the eyes of Hashem because David caused this whole situation to be mentioned in the list of Elokei Avraham, Yitzchak, v’Yaakov.
Halacha Notes for Rabbi Hoffman
Halacha Notes
1) Grifa is removing the olive pit ashes or coals.
2) Ketima is lowering the temperature by putting ashes over the fire. This serves as a reminder of bishul.
3) Ketima is considered a blech.
4) Rav Moshe says that you just have to cover the fire to have a belch and Rav Aharon says you also have to cover the knobs.
5) Sheiyah is leaving food on the fire on Shabbos.
6) Don’t have to know
7) Don’t have to know
8) Don’t have to know
9) Chazarah is returning to the fire on Shabbos because it’s mechzi k’mivashel (looks like cooking).
10) Maachel ben Drusai is food that is partially cooked and is minimally edible. Rashi says it’s 1/3 cooked and ramban says ½ cooked. This is when the isur of cooking begins. It has to be Maachel ben Drusai before shabbos.
11) Hagasa is stirring food on the fire.
12) Scooping food without moving the rest is a machlokes if it is hagasah. Lakewood people say it’s a problem and Rabbi Forst says it’s not.
13) The Kol Bo says even when the food it totally cooked Hagasah is an isur dioreisa.
14) The Mishan brurah says that the kol bo is shocking but we follow it.
15) Scooping from the top
1. Cooks more
2. It’s an act of cooking so it’s isur itself
16) Borer only applies when there is a true mixture. The Taz says that it applies even if there is no true mixture. That would mean it’s asur to chose socks on Friday night for Shabbos morning.
17) WCHIB stands for warm, cooked, hand, intent, blech. Sfardim differ on warm, they say it has to be hot.
18) Hand and intent can be eliminated, one in tzorech kitzas, and both for tzorech gadol.
19) Hatmanah is totally enveloping food to retain heat.
20) Two types of hatmanah are 1. Insulated with something that adds heat (hatmanah badavar shemosif hevel) like a crock-pot or heating pan 2. Covered with somethinhg that just retains heat
21) hatmanah badavar shemosif hevel is assur on Friday afternoon.
22) The three conditions necessary for something not to be borer: biyad (with your hand), miyad (immediately), and good from biyad (good from bad with your hand)
23) The Atlantic City method works because it’s not a mixture- you throw it to spread it out.
24) Two types of pikuach nefesh: time is of the essence and time is not of the essence- minimize halacha.
25) Taking medicine is tochen (grinding).
26) Three types of people could take medicine
1. choleh kol gufo (whole body is sick)
2. nofel u’mishkav (lying down) so much so that you can’t fake being well
3. Aver echad (one limb) is very painful
27) Preventative medicine is allowed.
28) Heterim for amira l’akum on deoreisa: Boro Park Chalah Eez Best:
1. Bain ha’shimashos, (Ahskenazim follow Rav Shlomo Miller who says 30 min after shkiyah; Chasidim hold 72 minutes [Estee Greenbaum and Shira Rothstein]; in Israel they hold 13 minutes)
2. Psik reisha- not actively happening
3. choleh
4. eruv
5. bris
29) Heterim for amira l’akum on derabanan: Her Majestty’s kalah Tzedaak:
1. Hefsed merubah (great loss)
2. Mitzvah
3. kavod habrios
4. tzarchei rabim
30) Two issurim on arimrah:
1. You can’t tell goy to do an isur
2. You can’t benefit from milacha that a goy did, even if he did it on his own- except for eruv and doesn’t refer to the absence of something (like turning off the light)
31) Hinting is allowed when you’re not telling him to do it and when it’s the removal of something.
32) Hakol cholim etzel hatzinah – everyone is considered a choleh when it’s cold. So, you could ask a goy to turn on the heat on a very cold day.
33) A child isn’t a choleh regarding asking a goy to do something for him when he’s: 9 or 10 (dayan weiss), 10 or 11 (tzitz eliezer), 12 (rabi tzion abba shaul and rabbi hoffman)
Eruv
It’s an isur deoreisah.
Four types of areas:
rishus harabim (public)
rishus hayachid (enclosed area)
karmelis (non enclosed area that’s not considered public)- you can only have aneruv in a karmelis with less that 600,000 people
makum patur (an expemted spot) like the top of a fire hydrent
Two types of carrying isurim-
havarah (carrying something) in rishus harabim for four amos (rav chaim naeh 18 inches and rav moshe feinstein 21.25 inches and chazon ish says 24 inches)
Transferring from one domain to another even if it’s less than four amos- you need an akira (uproot from one rishus) hanacha (putting it down in another rishus)- if you’re missing one of those elements then it’s only an isur derebanan. Deoreisa has to have both those elements in a rishus harabim
Karmelis- derabanan to carry here. Far Rockaway and Lawrence are karmelis.
To get out of the isur of carrying you need to mix (make surrounding walls around the area) and share (food)
An eruv has two elements
walls or doorways surrounding the city (tzuras hapesach- series of doorways) a doorway si two posts (lechi) and the top is a mashkof. The mashkof has to be on top of the lechis not in the middle.
2. food kept in an accessible place
Makom patur- stops hanacha (putting it down). If you take something out by accident you put it on something more than ten tefachim above the ground (life a fire hydrant) but less than four by four on top. Then it’s just a derabanan.
Rishus harabim- Rav Moshe and Chasidim had a machlokes over what is rishus harabim. “im yaish b’richov” so what’s a rchov. Rav Moshe said that broolyn and the city are rishus harabim because there are more than 600,000 people in the city, and rechov is the city. Chasidim say echov is the actual block so they have eruvs in the city and in Brooklyn.
Machlokes: Rishus harabim without 600,000 people? If the street is 16 amos wide and 6000,00 or only one. Some say yes and some say no.
Mishna brurah says to be careful
1) Grifa is removing the olive pit ashes or coals.
2) Ketima is lowering the temperature by putting ashes over the fire. This serves as a reminder of bishul.
3) Ketima is considered a blech.
4) Rav Moshe says that you just have to cover the fire to have a belch and Rav Aharon says you also have to cover the knobs.
5) Sheiyah is leaving food on the fire on Shabbos.
6) Don’t have to know
7) Don’t have to know
8) Don’t have to know
9) Chazarah is returning to the fire on Shabbos because it’s mechzi k’mivashel (looks like cooking).
10) Maachel ben Drusai is food that is partially cooked and is minimally edible. Rashi says it’s 1/3 cooked and ramban says ½ cooked. This is when the isur of cooking begins. It has to be Maachel ben Drusai before shabbos.
11) Hagasa is stirring food on the fire.
12) Scooping food without moving the rest is a machlokes if it is hagasah. Lakewood people say it’s a problem and Rabbi Forst says it’s not.
13) The Kol Bo says even when the food it totally cooked Hagasah is an isur dioreisa.
14) The Mishan brurah says that the kol bo is shocking but we follow it.
15) Scooping from the top
1. Cooks more
2. It’s an act of cooking so it’s isur itself
16) Borer only applies when there is a true mixture. The Taz says that it applies even if there is no true mixture. That would mean it’s asur to chose socks on Friday night for Shabbos morning.
17) WCHIB stands for warm, cooked, hand, intent, blech. Sfardim differ on warm, they say it has to be hot.
18) Hand and intent can be eliminated, one in tzorech kitzas, and both for tzorech gadol.
19) Hatmanah is totally enveloping food to retain heat.
20) Two types of hatmanah are 1. Insulated with something that adds heat (hatmanah badavar shemosif hevel) like a crock-pot or heating pan 2. Covered with somethinhg that just retains heat
21) hatmanah badavar shemosif hevel is assur on Friday afternoon.
22) The three conditions necessary for something not to be borer: biyad (with your hand), miyad (immediately), and good from biyad (good from bad with your hand)
23) The Atlantic City method works because it’s not a mixture- you throw it to spread it out.
24) Two types of pikuach nefesh: time is of the essence and time is not of the essence- minimize halacha.
25) Taking medicine is tochen (grinding).
26) Three types of people could take medicine
1. choleh kol gufo (whole body is sick)
2. nofel u’mishkav (lying down) so much so that you can’t fake being well
3. Aver echad (one limb) is very painful
27) Preventative medicine is allowed.
28) Heterim for amira l’akum on deoreisa: Boro Park Chalah Eez Best:
1. Bain ha’shimashos, (Ahskenazim follow Rav Shlomo Miller who says 30 min after shkiyah; Chasidim hold 72 minutes [Estee Greenbaum and Shira Rothstein]; in Israel they hold 13 minutes)
2. Psik reisha- not actively happening
3. choleh
4. eruv
5. bris
29) Heterim for amira l’akum on derabanan: Her Majestty’s kalah Tzedaak:
1. Hefsed merubah (great loss)
2. Mitzvah
3. kavod habrios
4. tzarchei rabim
30) Two issurim on arimrah:
1. You can’t tell goy to do an isur
2. You can’t benefit from milacha that a goy did, even if he did it on his own- except for eruv and doesn’t refer to the absence of something (like turning off the light)
31) Hinting is allowed when you’re not telling him to do it and when it’s the removal of something.
32) Hakol cholim etzel hatzinah – everyone is considered a choleh when it’s cold. So, you could ask a goy to turn on the heat on a very cold day.
33) A child isn’t a choleh regarding asking a goy to do something for him when he’s: 9 or 10 (dayan weiss), 10 or 11 (tzitz eliezer), 12 (rabi tzion abba shaul and rabbi hoffman)
Eruv
It’s an isur deoreisah.
Four types of areas:
rishus harabim (public)
rishus hayachid (enclosed area)
karmelis (non enclosed area that’s not considered public)- you can only have aneruv in a karmelis with less that 600,000 people
makum patur (an expemted spot) like the top of a fire hydrent
Two types of carrying isurim-
havarah (carrying something) in rishus harabim for four amos (rav chaim naeh 18 inches and rav moshe feinstein 21.25 inches and chazon ish says 24 inches)
Transferring from one domain to another even if it’s less than four amos- you need an akira (uproot from one rishus) hanacha (putting it down in another rishus)- if you’re missing one of those elements then it’s only an isur derebanan. Deoreisa has to have both those elements in a rishus harabim
Karmelis- derabanan to carry here. Far Rockaway and Lawrence are karmelis.
To get out of the isur of carrying you need to mix (make surrounding walls around the area) and share (food)
An eruv has two elements
walls or doorways surrounding the city (tzuras hapesach- series of doorways) a doorway si two posts (lechi) and the top is a mashkof. The mashkof has to be on top of the lechis not in the middle.
2. food kept in an accessible place
Makom patur- stops hanacha (putting it down). If you take something out by accident you put it on something more than ten tefachim above the ground (life a fire hydrant) but less than four by four on top. Then it’s just a derabanan.
Rishus harabim- Rav Moshe and Chasidim had a machlokes over what is rishus harabim. “im yaish b’richov” so what’s a rchov. Rav Moshe said that broolyn and the city are rishus harabim because there are more than 600,000 people in the city, and rechov is the city. Chasidim say echov is the actual block so they have eruvs in the city and in Brooklyn.
Machlokes: Rishus harabim without 600,000 people? If the street is 16 amos wide and 6000,00 or only one. Some say yes and some say no.
Mishna brurah says to be careful
The following seniors do not have funny face pictures:
Estee Drillman Welliey Edery
Sarah Tova Gelfand Ariella Goldman
Shaindy Mernick Tziporah Pollack
Malkie Rosenblatt Rachel Safier
Mimi Borowski Devorah Einhorn
Perrie Knobel Rena Mishkowitz
Elisheva Paley Yaffa Sosonova
Tali Ruzorsky Penina Vogel
Dena Wollman
Please come in tomorrow prepared to take a funny face picture. Also, when I ask you to take one, please just make a funny face and let me take it. I have been running after you guys for most of the year trying to get a funny face out of you. If you do not, I will put this picture by your face in the yearbook:
This senior REFUSED to have her funny face picture taken because she thought she’d look bad. She didn’t care that everyone else looks ad too. Oh well. Her loss.
Thank You!
Estee Drillman Welliey Edery
Sarah Tova Gelfand Ariella Goldman
Shaindy Mernick Tziporah Pollack
Malkie Rosenblatt Rachel Safier
Mimi Borowski Devorah Einhorn
Perrie Knobel Rena Mishkowitz
Elisheva Paley Yaffa Sosonova
Tali Ruzorsky Penina Vogel
Dena Wollman
Please come in tomorrow prepared to take a funny face picture. Also, when I ask you to take one, please just make a funny face and let me take it. I have been running after you guys for most of the year trying to get a funny face out of you. If you do not, I will put this picture by your face in the yearbook:
This senior REFUSED to have her funny face picture taken because she thought she’d look bad. She didn’t care that everyone else looks ad too. Oh well. Her loss.
This senior REFUSED to have her funny face picture taken because she thought she’d look bad. She didn’t care that everyone else looks ad too. Oh well. Her loss. |
Thank You!
Thnx
THANK YOU SHIRA G 4 PUTTING UP YOUR REVIEW SHEET. WE REALLY REALLY REALLY APPRECIATE IT! UR THE BEST!
LOVE,
ALL OF MORAH NISSAN'S CLASS
WE LOVE SHIRA G! WE LOVE SHIRA G !
LOVE,
ALL OF MORAH NISSAN'S CLASS
WE LOVE SHIRA G! WE LOVE SHIRA G !
Shmuel Review
Does anyone want to split the Shmuel perakim and do the mi amar el mi and al mi ne'emar questions and then put it on the blog. If a lot of people want to do it, then everyone will only have to do a perek or two.
Call me (516) 374-3284.
~Shira
Call me (516) 374-3284.
~Shira
Doros Review
asked who should get clergy visas Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky
born in Uzda, Russia on the 7th of Adar Rav Moshe Feinstein
Chinuch Atzmai Rav Aharon Kutler
Chofetz Chaim used to ask him questions Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky
died in 1936 Rogatchover Gaon
died in 1941 Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky
died in 1962 Rav Aharon Kutler
died in 1982 Rav Moshe Feinstein
founder of Agudas Yisroel Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky
gaon goral Rav Aharon Kutler
gave mashal with farmer Rav Elchonon Wasserman
had “simple” resolutions Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky
had sick daughter who died Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky
hid in the Friedman house Rav Elchonon Wasserman
Igeres Moshe Rav Moshe Feinstein
Ivye, near Vilna Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky
Lakewood Yeshiva Rav Aharon Kutler
learned in Slabodka Yeshiva Rav Yaakov Kamintesky
made a yeshiva called Ohr Elchanan Rav Simcha Wasserman
main student of the Chofetz Chaim Rav Elchonon Wasserman
Rav Chaim Soleveichik’s student Rav Baruch Ber
Rav in Luban Rav Moshe Feinstein
Rosh Yeshiva in Beranovitch Rav Elchonon Wasserman
Rosh Yeshiva in Kletzk Rav Aharon Kutler
Rosh Yeshiva of Torah Vodas Rav Yaakov Kamintesky
roshei yeshiva of Velozhin Rav Chaim Soleveichik and the Nitziv
said to move thekaminetz yeshiva to Vilna Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky
set up a yeshiva in Kaminetz Rav Baruch Ber
story with couldn’t be mesader kedushin Rav Yaakov Kamintesky
spoken out against Jewish Communists Rav Reuven Grozovsky
story with agunah after WWII Rav Moshe Feinstein
story with baby not nursing Rogatchover Gaon
story with giving change Rav Yaakov Kamintesky
story with recommendation letter Rav Moshe Feinstein
story with stuttering man Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky
story with tzedaka book Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky
story with woman cooking for him Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky
translated Russian letters for woman Rav Moshe Feinstein
Vaad Hatzalah Rav Aharon Kutler
wanted to die first then chanegd mind Rebetzin Faige Wasserman
was rav in vilna starting in his mid 20’s Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky
went back to Europe for his students Rav Elchonon Wasserman
wrote Achiezer Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky
wrote Kovetz Mamarim Rav Elchonon Wassermanyears Velozhin opened 1802 to 1892
born in Uzda, Russia on the 7th of Adar Rav Moshe Feinstein
Chinuch Atzmai Rav Aharon Kutler
Chofetz Chaim used to ask him questions Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky
died in 1936 Rogatchover Gaon
died in 1941 Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky
died in 1962 Rav Aharon Kutler
died in 1982 Rav Moshe Feinstein
founder of Agudas Yisroel Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky
gaon goral Rav Aharon Kutler
gave mashal with farmer Rav Elchonon Wasserman
had “simple” resolutions Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky
had sick daughter who died Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky
hid in the Friedman house Rav Elchonon Wasserman
Igeres Moshe Rav Moshe Feinstein
Ivye, near Vilna Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky
Lakewood Yeshiva Rav Aharon Kutler
learned in Slabodka Yeshiva Rav Yaakov Kamintesky
made a yeshiva called Ohr Elchanan Rav Simcha Wasserman
main student of the Chofetz Chaim Rav Elchonon Wasserman
Rav Chaim Soleveichik’s student Rav Baruch Ber
Rav in Luban Rav Moshe Feinstein
Rosh Yeshiva in Beranovitch Rav Elchonon Wasserman
Rosh Yeshiva in Kletzk Rav Aharon Kutler
Rosh Yeshiva of Torah Vodas Rav Yaakov Kamintesky
roshei yeshiva of Velozhin Rav Chaim Soleveichik and the Nitziv
said to move thekaminetz yeshiva to Vilna Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky
set up a yeshiva in Kaminetz Rav Baruch Ber
story with couldn’t be mesader kedushin Rav Yaakov Kamintesky
spoken out against Jewish Communists Rav Reuven Grozovsky
story with agunah after WWII Rav Moshe Feinstein
story with baby not nursing Rogatchover Gaon
story with giving change Rav Yaakov Kamintesky
story with recommendation letter Rav Moshe Feinstein
story with stuttering man Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky
story with tzedaka book Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky
story with woman cooking for him Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky
translated Russian letters for woman Rav Moshe Feinstein
Vaad Hatzalah Rav Aharon Kutler
wanted to die first then chanegd mind Rebetzin Faige Wasserman
was rav in vilna starting in his mid 20’s Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky
went back to Europe for his students Rav Elchonon Wasserman
wrote Achiezer Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky
wrote Kovetz Mamarim Rav Elchonon Wassermanyears Velozhin opened 1802 to 1892
Shira Greenberg's Doros Acharonim Notes
Rav Elchonon Wasserman
Rav Elchonon Wasserman was the mean student of the Chofetz Chaim. He became the Rosh Yeshiva in Beranovitch. He tried to give as much as he could to his students. He was in America collecting money for his yeshiva when the war broke out and when he heard what was going on, he felt he couldn’t leave his students so he went back to be with them. His family was safe for a while. He had gotten visas for his family to leave the country, but right before they left one of his sons broke his leg and therefore they couldn’t leave. He was caught and when he was, he accepted it as the decree of Hashem. He wrote Kovetz Mamarim, which was a compilation of different essays, including Ikvisei D’Mashicha. He was the first to put his time where they were in respect to the world and the time of Mashiach. The gave the people of the time strength. ‘Let Mashiach come, but I’m scared to be there when it happens.’ The Chofetz Chaim said that save yourself from pain of Mashiach by learning Torah and doing chesed. If we deserve it Hashem will make Mashiach come closer and if not he’ll come at the set time. Yaakov wanted to tell his children when Mashiach would come but Hashem didn’t let him because either people will be discouraged or they’ll kick back because he’s going to come anyway.
Rav Elchonon Wasserman hid in the Friedman house, but was captured and murdered . When he was asked why the Holocaust happened, he gave this Mashal: A farmer had a guest at his house. The guest saw the farmer plow the ground, and the guest thought he was ruining the land. Then he planted, ruining the ground even more. Then the plants grew, so the guest thought now he understood what he had to ruin the ground, for the beautiful plants. But then the farmer cut them down, ruining the plants. Then he grinded them, ruining them even more. Then he baked them, ruining the plants even more. But then the farmer brought his guest a loaf of delicious looking bread and finally the guest understood. The Nimshal is that Hashem does what may seem bad to us but it is really for our benefit.
Rav Elchonon Wasserman’s son, Rav Simcha Wasserman, lived in France and then America. In LA, he made a yeshiva called Ohr Elchanan, a kiruv school. He then moved to Israel and continued to do kiruv there. Rav Simcha Wasserman didn’t have any children. His home was open to all and everyone felt comfortable there. Rebetzin Faige Wasserman (booklet) was someone that everyone could relate to. She was very smart and warm. She accomplished so much, but was first and foremost an tzinuah. She wanted to die first as not to feel the pain of losing her husband. Then she decided that it wasn’t honor for her husband, such a gadol, to have no one sit shivah for him, so she decided that she wanted to die second. Her wish was fulfilled and Rav Simcha Wasserman died in her lifetime, but a week after he died, she died.
Velozhin
Velozhin was open from 1802 to 1892. It was in Russia during the time of the
Enlightenment. yeshivos in general were a place where boys learned with the Rav of their
town or a neighboring one. If they learned in a different town, they had to worry about
where they’d sleep and what they’d eat and other such concerns. The towns made
rotations, called Essen Teg, where each night someone else would feed the boys. They
usually slept in the shul. Rav Chaim Velozhin, a student of the Vilna Gaon, decided to
make a yeshiva with a dorm so they boys wouldn’t have to worry about anything besides
their learning. It was the mother of all yeshivos because many other yeshivos did the
same thing afterwards. Rav Chaim Soleveichik and the Nitziv were Roshei Yeshiva in
the yeshiva. Rav Baruch Ber was Rav Chaim Soleveichik’s student.
The yeshiva closed because at the time, the Russian government wanted the yeshiva to learn Russian subjects with Russian teachers. Russia was not the best place for Jews to begin with, with Conscription Laws, where young boys were drafted into the army for a very long time. The problem with teaching Russian subjects was that since the yeshiva was supposed to be a protection for the boys against the outside world so that when they left yeshiva they would be fortified with Torah to fight the bad ideas. If those ideas were taught in the yeshiva itself, there protection would be diluted. Mashal: A poor man has a lot of sick people in his family so he gets antibiotics but dilutes it so he only has to buy enough for one instead of many. However, the diluted antibiotics doesn’t help. Nimshal: Teaching secular subjects was diluting the fortification against such beliefs. Self-hating Jews went to the government and told them that Velozhin wasn’t good for Russia and should be closed down. The government gave a date and Russian officials came and announced that everyone had to leave the school immediately and had to leave the city within three days. They locked up the yeshiva and it was closed. The students left and opened new yeshivos all over Europe.
Rav Baruch Ber
Rav Baruch Ber set up a yeshiva in Kaminetz, Poland which closed because of WWII. The Nazis took over Poland on erev Rosh Hashana. The Nazi’s gave Kaminetz to the Russians, who the Jews feared more than the Nazis. The Russians didn’t let the yeshiva remain opened. Rav Reuven Grozovsky, a leader in America after WWII, was very upset that the land was given to the Russians. The Bolsheviks (Russians) knew who Rav Reuven Grozovsky was because he had spoken out against Jewish Communists. Rav Reuven Grozovsky wanted to move the yeshiva to Vilna, but some people in the community not in the yeshiva didn’t want to be left behind, so Rav Reuven Grozovsky decided to stay. Then Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky sent a message from Vilna to move the yeshiva to Vilna immediately, even if that meant that they had to travel on Shabbos. But Vilna was under the Russians too! Slowly the students slipped out of town, but the Bolsheviks kept close watch on Rav Reuven Grozovsky’s house. One night his family and he escaped. A little while later Vilna was given to free Lithuania which meant that they were free for a while.
The Rogatchover Gaon
The Rogatchover Gaon died in 1936. He came from Rogatchove, Lithuania. He was a genius. He learned many things from the Torah. For example, he had never been to Israel but he knew the distances between different places and how to get from one to the next just from learning gemara. He also knew about time and the Jewish calendar from learning. Story: A couple had a premature baby who refused to nurse on Shabbos and yom tov. The Rogathcover Gaon told her that when she nursed her baby she should wear her weekday clothing because obviously the baby thought she as a different woman on and yom tov. The Rogathcover Gaon figured this out based on a situation in the gemara where an ox hit his owner on Shabbos because it didn’t recognize him.
He had cancer and went to Vienna for surgery but it wasn’t successful. Whenever he learned Torah, he didn’t feel the pain as much so his wife kept on inviting people to learn with him until he died.
Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky
Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky came from Lithuania. He was the leader of leaders.
He died in 1941. He lived at the same time as the Chofetz Chaim, but was 30 years
younger. However, he was so great that the Chofetz Chaim used to ask Rav Chaim Ozer
Grodzonsky questions. He was born in Ivye, near Vilna. His father was a Rav and his
grandfather was one before that. He learned in Volozhin. He got married and settled in
vilna and became the unofficial Rav of Vilna (because no one could replace the Vilna
Gaon) starting in his mid 20’s. He had an amazing memory. Story: People trusted him so
they gave him vesm money and he gave it out. He kept a book of all the money he gave.
There was a fire in his house and they couldn’t find the book. He got another book and
rewrote the entire thing and then they found the old one and it was almost exactly the
same.
Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky wrote Achiezer and was the founder of Agudas Yisroel. Many people came to ask his for advice. He was kind to everyone, but he took special care of widows and orphans. Story: Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky was walking and someone asked for directions. A student walking with Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky told him the directions. Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky said they’d walk the man. Afterwards his students asked why and he said that because the man stuttered and it could be difficult for him to ask again if he gets lost. Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky vacationed in Druskenik because of its dry air. When he came the people there were very excited and prepared him one of the best apartments. Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky realized that the kitchen was far from his apartment and since his wife died he had a woman cooking meals for him, so he had to make sure that it was okay with her before he accepted the apartment.
During the war, a limited number of clergy visas were given and they asked Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky who should get the visas, the younger Rabanim or the older ones. No one could really answer that because it meant guaranteed survival for some and a much greater chance at death for others. Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky said that the older Rabanim should get the visas because they would feel the responsibility to work tirelessly to save the younger Rabanim. Also, since they were going to America, which would be the last Torah center before Mashiach, it needed to see what real Chachamim were to bring the geulah closer.
Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky had one daughter who was sick and died at 20. Right before his daughter died, he left for a few minutes and came back. After she died people asked where he went. He said that he went to answer any urgent letters that had been written to him because during shivah he wouldn’t be able to answer them.
When Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky died people went through his papers and they saw a list of resolutions that seemed relatively simple, such as to conquer his anger, to have more concentration, to stop doing work with extra time to spare before Shabbos started, and to strengthen learning and certain circles.
Gedolim After WWII
Rav Aharon Kutler died in 1962. He was very involved in the Lakewood Yeshiva,
Vaad Hatzalah, and Chinuch Atzmai. He was a Rosh Yeshiva in Kletzk. He came to
America in the middle of the war. He did a krud iutd to see if he should go to America or
Israel and he opened up to "And Hashem told Aharon to go to the desert to meet Moshe"
meaning to go to the spiritual desert of America with Rav Moshe Feinstein. He had two
goals: to save European Jewry and to replant Torah in America like it was in Europe.
Many thought that learning Torah wasn’t for the American masses, just for Rabanim.
Rav Moshe Feinstein died in 1982. He was born in Uzda, Russia on the 7th of Adar and was named after Moshe Rabenu. He was a Rav in Luban. He was the Posek of the generation. His decisions are in Igeres Moshe. Story: Someone came to him for a recommendation letter for his safer and this person had openly disagreed with a decision of Rav Moshe Feinstein’s. His students asked how he could give such a man a letter and Rav Moshe Feinstein said that Yom Kippur had passed and he had forgiven the man. In general, Rav Moshe Feinstein forgave his own honor but not the Torah’s honor. Story: An agunah remarried after WWII and after she had children, she found out that her first husband was alive. She blamed the Rav who had given her permission to remarry . Rav Moshe Feinstein asked her to repeat the story, and she did. He asked her to repeat it again, and she did. He said the story was impossible. Eventurally it came out that the woman was lying. That Rav hadn’t given her permission to remmary, she just assumed her first husband had died in the war. When she found out he was alive she blamed it on a prominent Rav who had died so he could not defend himself. Rav Moshe Feinstein defended the honor of a Rav. He was also very humble. Story: A woman came to ask Rav Moshe Feinstein a question, but was told Rav Moshe Feinstein was busy. She said she’d wait for him. The man asked if there was something he could help her with and she said that she had a letter in Russian from her relatives and she needed it translated. The man said that there were many people there who spoke Russian. She replied taht Rav Moshe Feinstein had been doing it for ten years.
Rav Yaakov Kamintesky was the Rosh Yeshiva of Torah Vodas. He was the .guh
rsv. He was very practical and down to earth and was able to answer day-to-day
questions with Torah answers. He was like the ladder in yaakov’s dream that had its
bottom on the ground but its head in the sky. He learned in Slabodka Yeshiva which was
destroyed in WWII. They stressed greatness of a human, know your talents and see your
responsibility to use them for good and to see other peoples greatness and treat them with
respect. He was very truthful. Story: It was very cold out and he realized on the way back
from the post office that he was given extra change so he walked back. The post master
was very impressed and he ended up saving many Jews in WWII because of it. Story:
Rav Moshe Feinstein said that he couldn’t be mesader kedushin at someone’s wedding
because he’d be out of town. That morning he left town as not to lie.
Rav Elchonon Wasserman was the mean student of the Chofetz Chaim. He became the Rosh Yeshiva in Beranovitch. He tried to give as much as he could to his students. He was in America collecting money for his yeshiva when the war broke out and when he heard what was going on, he felt he couldn’t leave his students so he went back to be with them. His family was safe for a while. He had gotten visas for his family to leave the country, but right before they left one of his sons broke his leg and therefore they couldn’t leave. He was caught and when he was, he accepted it as the decree of Hashem. He wrote Kovetz Mamarim, which was a compilation of different essays, including Ikvisei D’Mashicha. He was the first to put his time where they were in respect to the world and the time of Mashiach. The gave the people of the time strength. ‘Let Mashiach come, but I’m scared to be there when it happens.’ The Chofetz Chaim said that save yourself from pain of Mashiach by learning Torah and doing chesed. If we deserve it Hashem will make Mashiach come closer and if not he’ll come at the set time. Yaakov wanted to tell his children when Mashiach would come but Hashem didn’t let him because either people will be discouraged or they’ll kick back because he’s going to come anyway.
Rav Elchonon Wasserman hid in the Friedman house, but was captured and murdered . When he was asked why the Holocaust happened, he gave this Mashal: A farmer had a guest at his house. The guest saw the farmer plow the ground, and the guest thought he was ruining the land. Then he planted, ruining the ground even more. Then the plants grew, so the guest thought now he understood what he had to ruin the ground, for the beautiful plants. But then the farmer cut them down, ruining the plants. Then he grinded them, ruining them even more. Then he baked them, ruining the plants even more. But then the farmer brought his guest a loaf of delicious looking bread and finally the guest understood. The Nimshal is that Hashem does what may seem bad to us but it is really for our benefit.
Rav Elchonon Wasserman’s son, Rav Simcha Wasserman, lived in France and then America. In LA, he made a yeshiva called Ohr Elchanan, a kiruv school. He then moved to Israel and continued to do kiruv there. Rav Simcha Wasserman didn’t have any children. His home was open to all and everyone felt comfortable there. Rebetzin Faige Wasserman (booklet) was someone that everyone could relate to. She was very smart and warm. She accomplished so much, but was first and foremost an tzinuah. She wanted to die first as not to feel the pain of losing her husband. Then she decided that it wasn’t honor for her husband, such a gadol, to have no one sit shivah for him, so she decided that she wanted to die second. Her wish was fulfilled and Rav Simcha Wasserman died in her lifetime, but a week after he died, she died.
Velozhin
Velozhin was open from 1802 to 1892. It was in Russia during the time of the
Enlightenment. yeshivos in general were a place where boys learned with the Rav of their
town or a neighboring one. If they learned in a different town, they had to worry about
where they’d sleep and what they’d eat and other such concerns. The towns made
rotations, called Essen Teg, where each night someone else would feed the boys. They
usually slept in the shul. Rav Chaim Velozhin, a student of the Vilna Gaon, decided to
make a yeshiva with a dorm so they boys wouldn’t have to worry about anything besides
their learning. It was the mother of all yeshivos because many other yeshivos did the
same thing afterwards. Rav Chaim Soleveichik and the Nitziv were Roshei Yeshiva in
the yeshiva. Rav Baruch Ber was Rav Chaim Soleveichik’s student.
The yeshiva closed because at the time, the Russian government wanted the yeshiva to learn Russian subjects with Russian teachers. Russia was not the best place for Jews to begin with, with Conscription Laws, where young boys were drafted into the army for a very long time. The problem with teaching Russian subjects was that since the yeshiva was supposed to be a protection for the boys against the outside world so that when they left yeshiva they would be fortified with Torah to fight the bad ideas. If those ideas were taught in the yeshiva itself, there protection would be diluted. Mashal: A poor man has a lot of sick people in his family so he gets antibiotics but dilutes it so he only has to buy enough for one instead of many. However, the diluted antibiotics doesn’t help. Nimshal: Teaching secular subjects was diluting the fortification against such beliefs. Self-hating Jews went to the government and told them that Velozhin wasn’t good for Russia and should be closed down. The government gave a date and Russian officials came and announced that everyone had to leave the school immediately and had to leave the city within three days. They locked up the yeshiva and it was closed. The students left and opened new yeshivos all over Europe.
Rav Baruch Ber
Rav Baruch Ber set up a yeshiva in Kaminetz, Poland which closed because of WWII. The Nazis took over Poland on erev Rosh Hashana. The Nazi’s gave Kaminetz to the Russians, who the Jews feared more than the Nazis. The Russians didn’t let the yeshiva remain opened. Rav Reuven Grozovsky, a leader in America after WWII, was very upset that the land was given to the Russians. The Bolsheviks (Russians) knew who Rav Reuven Grozovsky was because he had spoken out against Jewish Communists. Rav Reuven Grozovsky wanted to move the yeshiva to Vilna, but some people in the community not in the yeshiva didn’t want to be left behind, so Rav Reuven Grozovsky decided to stay. Then Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky sent a message from Vilna to move the yeshiva to Vilna immediately, even if that meant that they had to travel on Shabbos. But Vilna was under the Russians too! Slowly the students slipped out of town, but the Bolsheviks kept close watch on Rav Reuven Grozovsky’s house. One night his family and he escaped. A little while later Vilna was given to free Lithuania which meant that they were free for a while.
The Rogatchover Gaon
The Rogatchover Gaon died in 1936. He came from Rogatchove, Lithuania. He was a genius. He learned many things from the Torah. For example, he had never been to Israel but he knew the distances between different places and how to get from one to the next just from learning gemara. He also knew about time and the Jewish calendar from learning. Story: A couple had a premature baby who refused to nurse on Shabbos and yom tov. The Rogathcover Gaon told her that when she nursed her baby she should wear her weekday clothing because obviously the baby thought she as a different woman on and yom tov. The Rogathcover Gaon figured this out based on a situation in the gemara where an ox hit his owner on Shabbos because it didn’t recognize him.
He had cancer and went to Vienna for surgery but it wasn’t successful. Whenever he learned Torah, he didn’t feel the pain as much so his wife kept on inviting people to learn with him until he died.
Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky
Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky came from Lithuania. He was the leader of leaders.
He died in 1941. He lived at the same time as the Chofetz Chaim, but was 30 years
younger. However, he was so great that the Chofetz Chaim used to ask Rav Chaim Ozer
Grodzonsky questions. He was born in Ivye, near Vilna. His father was a Rav and his
grandfather was one before that. He learned in Volozhin. He got married and settled in
vilna and became the unofficial Rav of Vilna (because no one could replace the Vilna
Gaon) starting in his mid 20’s. He had an amazing memory. Story: People trusted him so
they gave him vesm money and he gave it out. He kept a book of all the money he gave.
There was a fire in his house and they couldn’t find the book. He got another book and
rewrote the entire thing and then they found the old one and it was almost exactly the
same.
Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky wrote Achiezer and was the founder of Agudas Yisroel. Many people came to ask his for advice. He was kind to everyone, but he took special care of widows and orphans. Story: Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky was walking and someone asked for directions. A student walking with Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky told him the directions. Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky said they’d walk the man. Afterwards his students asked why and he said that because the man stuttered and it could be difficult for him to ask again if he gets lost. Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky vacationed in Druskenik because of its dry air. When he came the people there were very excited and prepared him one of the best apartments. Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky realized that the kitchen was far from his apartment and since his wife died he had a woman cooking meals for him, so he had to make sure that it was okay with her before he accepted the apartment.
During the war, a limited number of clergy visas were given and they asked Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky who should get the visas, the younger Rabanim or the older ones. No one could really answer that because it meant guaranteed survival for some and a much greater chance at death for others. Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky said that the older Rabanim should get the visas because they would feel the responsibility to work tirelessly to save the younger Rabanim. Also, since they were going to America, which would be the last Torah center before Mashiach, it needed to see what real Chachamim were to bring the geulah closer.
Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky had one daughter who was sick and died at 20. Right before his daughter died, he left for a few minutes and came back. After she died people asked where he went. He said that he went to answer any urgent letters that had been written to him because during shivah he wouldn’t be able to answer them.
When Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzonsky died people went through his papers and they saw a list of resolutions that seemed relatively simple, such as to conquer his anger, to have more concentration, to stop doing work with extra time to spare before Shabbos started, and to strengthen learning and certain circles.
Gedolim After WWII
Rav Aharon Kutler died in 1962. He was very involved in the Lakewood Yeshiva,
Vaad Hatzalah, and Chinuch Atzmai. He was a Rosh Yeshiva in Kletzk. He came to
America in the middle of the war. He did a krud iutd to see if he should go to America or
Israel and he opened up to "And Hashem told Aharon to go to the desert to meet Moshe"
meaning to go to the spiritual desert of America with Rav Moshe Feinstein. He had two
goals: to save European Jewry and to replant Torah in America like it was in Europe.
Many thought that learning Torah wasn’t for the American masses, just for Rabanim.
Rav Moshe Feinstein died in 1982. He was born in Uzda, Russia on the 7th of Adar and was named after Moshe Rabenu. He was a Rav in Luban. He was the Posek of the generation. His decisions are in Igeres Moshe. Story: Someone came to him for a recommendation letter for his safer and this person had openly disagreed with a decision of Rav Moshe Feinstein’s. His students asked how he could give such a man a letter and Rav Moshe Feinstein said that Yom Kippur had passed and he had forgiven the man. In general, Rav Moshe Feinstein forgave his own honor but not the Torah’s honor. Story: An agunah remarried after WWII and after she had children, she found out that her first husband was alive. She blamed the Rav who had given her permission to remarry . Rav Moshe Feinstein asked her to repeat the story, and she did. He asked her to repeat it again, and she did. He said the story was impossible. Eventurally it came out that the woman was lying. That Rav hadn’t given her permission to remmary, she just assumed her first husband had died in the war. When she found out he was alive she blamed it on a prominent Rav who had died so he could not defend himself. Rav Moshe Feinstein defended the honor of a Rav. He was also very humble. Story: A woman came to ask Rav Moshe Feinstein a question, but was told Rav Moshe Feinstein was busy. She said she’d wait for him. The man asked if there was something he could help her with and she said that she had a letter in Russian from her relatives and she needed it translated. The man said that there were many people there who spoke Russian. She replied taht Rav Moshe Feinstein had been doing it for ten years.
Rav Yaakov Kamintesky was the Rosh Yeshiva of Torah Vodas. He was the .guh
rsv. He was very practical and down to earth and was able to answer day-to-day
questions with Torah answers. He was like the ladder in yaakov’s dream that had its
bottom on the ground but its head in the sky. He learned in Slabodka Yeshiva which was
destroyed in WWII. They stressed greatness of a human, know your talents and see your
responsibility to use them for good and to see other peoples greatness and treat them with
respect. He was very truthful. Story: It was very cold out and he realized on the way back
from the post office that he was given extra change so he walked back. The post master
was very impressed and he ended up saving many Jews in WWII because of it. Story:
Rav Moshe Feinstein said that he couldn’t be mesader kedushin at someone’s wedding
because he’d be out of town. That morning he left town as not to lie.
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