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©Copyright 2004

May 2004 VOLUME XXXV!llNO. 5

Iyar 5764 • May 2004 U.S.A.$3.50/Foreign $4.50 ·VOL XXXVII/NO. 5

GENERAL STUDIES IN THE YESHIVOS:A NEGLECTED FRONTIER

6 Introduction by Richard Altabe

8 Enhancing General Studies in Yeshivas, Rabbi Ephraim Kletenik

I I A Chance We Should Not Miss, Rabbi Moshe Eisemann

I 8 Response by Mrs. T. Gootblatt

21 Megi/las Rus -An Ode to the "Ordinary" Life,

Rabbi Yisroel Greenwald

3 I

3

My Father, Rav Tuvia Goldstein ., .. ,,,,Mrs. Sarah Mermelstein

A Tallis, A Wedding Dress, and the "Mama Rochel,"

Rabbi Aryeh Z. Ginzberg

SECOND LOOKS

On Missing the Earthquake, Sarah Shapiro

42 Beverage Supervision at Simcha Events, David P. Rose

44 Letters to the Editor

Statement of Policy The Jewish Observer has devoted a great deal of space to the perils of the Internet and to the need for everyone to be extremely vigilant in its use. We have echoed the pleas of our gedolim that it should not be'in us'e, unJess it is an unavoidable necessity, and then only with all suitable safeguards. While its dangers must be recognized and con~

trolled to every possible degree, our gedolim recognize that many people and businesses require its use, and therefore it has not been banned. This is why we_ accept advertisements listing website addrE;?sses~ but in no way does this imply th'e~:;th~ gedolim or The Jew;sh Observer cQ~d_tjJt~ casual use of the Internet.

6

RICHARD ALTABE

GENERAL STUDIES IN THE YEsHIVOs:

A NEGLECTED FRONTIER

Introduction

To be successful, schools must have a clear, internally-crafted set of curricular standards and

objectives, argues Professor Richard Elmore of the Harvard Graduate School of Education: Defining a secular pro­gram for a secular school is difficult enough. School leaders must create a uni­fied set of beliefs about students' needs and learning objectives that fit the diverse needs of their community, but the public school community is not usu­ally committed to a belief system shared by all of its members. Doing this in a yeshiva is even more difficult, for a dif­ferent reason. The primary goals of a yeshiva education are religious in nature. We want to produce bnei and bnos Torah who will carry our revered tradi­tions into the next generation. Often, sec­ular studies conflict with our goals as religious Jews.

Because of this conflict, our yeshiv­os may be ambivalent about their sec­ular programs. Often, menahalim (principals) will acknowledge with res­ignation that secular studies are required by the government, so they readily hand over their curricular decisions to external agenoes like the state Department of, or local Board of, Education. Without an internally agreed upon set of curricular standards, chaos can reign, with a constant clash between educators who wish to remain true to

---~·--··--------Mr.Altabe serves as the principal of General Studies of Yeshiva Darchei Torah, Far Rockaway NY. His article, "Secular Studies: A Crisis Within Our Schools," was featured in JO, Sept. '01.

the state-established curriculum and those who feel that much of the state­sponsored material is unsuitable for our yeshiva students.

Students are often caught in the mid­dle. Those interested in the secular mate­rial may hear disparaging comment from their rabbe'im regarding the secular pro­gram in their schools. (I know of a case in which a rebbe, wishing to have some fun with his class, added the "v" to the teacher's instruction on the blackboard to "omit" a certain question on an exam.)

Students disinterested in working for an entire day may try to discredit their secular program by telling their rabbe' im about the "offensive" material being pre­sented to them in class by their teach­ers. (Too often, this is done on the day before a big exam so that they can avoid studying for the test.)

One solution commonly utilized in many of our Bais Yaakovs and chadorim is the censorship approach: the current public school curriculum is thorough­ly analyzed and assessed for inappropriate content. Improper books are removed, and unacceptable sections in the science and social studies texts are deleted. The curriculum offered still meets state objectives, and children can still be taught to pass state exams. The problem with this approach is that while we may have defined what we do not want taught, it does not mean that we have established a coherent curriculum of material that we do want taught. In the absence of

*J;·~-1999-article published by the Consortium for Policy Research in Education.

The Jewish Observer, May 2004

clearly defined expectations and stan­dards, it is no wonder we find frustrat­ed instructors and principals teaching unruly students.

Wanted: Positive Rationales For Secular Studies

We need positive rationales for teaching secular studies in our schools. In schools with

well-functioning secular departments, you will find a well-defined, clear set of goals and objectives in secular studies that does not infringe upon the over­all goals of the limudei kodesh depart­rnent. Jn the inore successful schools, the secular goals con1plernent the reli­gious goals. For example, co1n1nunica­tion skills, especially in writing, are e1nphasized as a means of proper expression. Connections are readily made, where possible, between the secular curriculum and the Torah cur­riculum. Such schools see their children as whole entities) are vigilant about any conflicts presented, and have no ambivalence regarding the purpose of their secular classroon1s.

Rabbi Ephraim Kletenik, of Yeshiva 'fifcres Tzvi in Chicago writes in the pages that follow of his experiences as General Studies Principal. His approach to applying the standards of middos and derech eretz which are in force during limudei kodesh to that time of the day set aside for secular studies is an essential element in enhancing the secular studies department of a yeshi­va. When our students understand that our behavioral expectations of them is the same regardless of whether it is 9 a.m. or 4 p.m., when they understand that they are expected to strive for excel­lence in all of their limudim, and when this message is clearly articulat­ed by all of the stakeholders in the school from the menahel to the rebbe to the teacher to the parent - then it is more likely that the child will take his secu­lar studies 1nore seriously.

Creating a secular studies curriculum that adheres to state standards, while at the same time promoting Jewish religious values, is a far more ambitious project.

The Jewish Observer, May 2004

If done properly, however, our children can benefit from a complete program free of ambivalence. When the goals of the General Studies complement those of the Religious Studies, we can develop real­istic expectations of our students. In the pages that follow, Rabbi Moshe Eisemann analyzes just such an ambi­tious program presented in 'The Emperor's New Clothes Revisited, by Mrs. T. Gootblatt.

While l do not necessarily endorse all of the proposals in Mrs. Gootblatt's work,

THE VORT

• The Vort celebration is to be discontinued. The L'chaim (held at the time that the engagement is announced) should also not turn into a Vort.

THE WEDDING

• Only 400 invited guests may be seated at the chassuna seuda.

• The kabbolas panim smorgasbord should be limited to basic cakes, fruit plat­ters, a modest buffet, and the caterer's standard chicken or meat hot dishes.

I wholeheartedly appreciate the effort she has made in creating a secular program that fits into the overall religious pro­gram for her fictitious school. She has created a secular curriculum that has defined purpose without ambivalence that can be adapted by many of our schools, as they seek to define their own rationales. If we view this important work as a working 1nodel for our own endeav­ors, then all yeshivos, regardless of community, can hope to create secular programs that work. •

• The menu for the seuda is limited to 3 courses followed by a regular dessert.

• No Viennese table and no bar.

THE MUSIC • A band may consist of a maximum of 5 musicians (one of the musicians may act as a vocalist) or four musicians and one additional vocalist.

• A one-man band is recommended.

FLOWERS & CHUPA DECOR

• The total cost of these items for the entire wedding should not exceed $1,800.

FOR THE FULL VERSION OF THE SIMCHA GUIDELINES AND THE ACCOMPANYING KOL KOREH, .

please email info@simchaguidelines.com or call 212-612-2300

We the rabbinical signatories - barring familial obligations - and unusual and extraordinary circumstances - will not participate in or attend a wedding celebration that disregards these guidelines. (Rabbinical Listing in formation)

Rabbi Shmuel Birnbaum Rosh Hayeshiva, Mrrer Yeshiva

Rabbi Elya Svei Rosh Ha yeshiva, YVihiva G~dola of Phiicdelphia

Rabbi Shmuel Kaminetzky Rosi! Ho yeshiva, Yeshrvo Gedo/a of Philadelphia

Rabbi Yaakov Perlow Novominsker Rebbe

Rabbi Eli Simcha Schustal Rmh Ha yeshiva, Bai;: Bmyomin, Stamford

Rabbi Yisroel Rokowsky Rabbi Yisroel Simcha Schorr Roshei Ha Yeshiva, Yeshiva Ohr SomayiKh

Rabbi Aryeh Malkiel Kotler Rmh Hayeshivil, Beth Medrash Govoha, Lakewood

Rabbi Elya Ber Wachtfogel Rosh Ha Yeshiva, Yeshiva Gedoiah of

South Fallsburg

Rabbi Chaim Boruch Wolpin Rosh Hayeshiva, Yeshiva Karlin Sto/in

Rabbi Zecharia Gelley Rav, Kha/ Adil> Jeshurun

Rabbi Yisroel Tzvi Neuman Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Feigelstock '"" "'~'"'"·'""Me'"'"'°''"'· L;kewooo Roih Hayeihiva, YeihiVil of Long Beach

Rabbi Lipa Margulies Rm!> Hayeffiiva, Y~hlVil & Mesrfta Torah Temimah

Rabbi Dovid Kviat Rabbi Moshe Wolfson Mashgiorh, Ye;:hiva Torah Vodaas

Rabbi Aron Moshe Schechter Rosh Hayeshiva. Yesliivo (liaim Berlin

Rabbi Yosef Rosenblum Rosh Hayeshiva, Yeshiva Shaarei Yosher

Rabbi Dovid Tzvi Schustal Roih Ha yeshiva, Betli Medraih Govoho, Lakewood

Chairman, Conference of Synilgogue Rcbbonim of Agudcth /1rae/

Rabbi Yeruchem Olshin Rabbi Shlomo Mandel Rosh HayNhiva, Beth Medrash Govoha, Lakewood Rosh Haydiivc. Yelhiva of Brooklyn

Rabbi Mattisyahu Salamon Rabbi Ephraim Wachsman Mo>hgiarh, Beth Medraih Govoha, LakeWO{ld Rosh Hayesh1vil, Mesivta Meor Yitzi:hok

7

GENERAL STUDIES IN THE Y'ESHIVOS: A NEGLECTED FRONTIER RABBI EPHRAIM KLETENIK

I. INTRODUCTION TO THE MISSION

0 ne of the major challenges fac­ing yeshivas and day schools across the country today is the

negative attitude that talmidim have towards secular studies. Many of the boys have no interest in learning the materi­al, and their behavior often results in a chillul Hashem. What are the causes of this problem? What are some possihle solutions? These are the questions that I would like to explore in this article.

Let me begin with my own intro­duction to this problem. I had been the 7th grade rebbe at our school for nine years. One sunny day in June I 998, the menahel (principal) approached me with a very serious look on his face. He said to me, "Rabbi Kletenik, how would you like to be the General Studies prin­cipal next year?"

I was almost speechless, as many thoughts came to mind. I told him that I needed time to consider the offer.

For about a week, I kept thinking of reasons not to take the job. I knew that

Rabbi Kle't~nik is a 7th_grad~ Rebbe and princi­pal of General Studies at Yeshiva Tiferes Tzvi in Chicago.

8

Enhancing GENERAL STUDIES in Yeshivos

the boys misbehaved during General Studies, and that teachers were constantly quitting. Like many rebbe'im, I did my job, and pretended not to see what was going on in the afternoon. I was a suc­cessful rebbe, and I didn't want to jeop­ardize my relationship with the talmidim by giving them mussar about their behavior.

My thinking changed during the sec­ond week. As a rebbe, I was supposed to be a father to my talmidim. If my own children were having a problem during General Studies, wouldn't I be concerned? A rebbe cannot just teach material to his students. He n1nst be involved in every aspect of their lives. Just as I worried when I would find a talmid not eating lunch or having social problems with his classmates, it was also incumbent upon me to care about the way he acts dur­ing General Studies. I decided to take the job.

My first priority was to identify all the problems with the secular program. Some problems were obvious, but many oth­ers only became apparent after a while. I scheduled meetings with each of the General Studies teachers to hear what they had to say. I learned a great deal from

these meetings, as well as from my own observations during my first year on the job. Let us review these issues.

II. THE INHERENT PROBLEMS

• The first problem is that secular stud­ies are secondary. Limudei Kodesh (sacred studies) are much more impor­tant than Limudei Chol (General Studies). Our talmidim interpret this to mean that General Studies are not important at all. They therefore feel that there is no reason to take them seriously or to behave.

• A second problem is that the boys have a lack of awareness of many important concepts in Judaism. They do not fully comprehend how terrible the aveira of chillul Hashem is, or what its ramifications are. They do not under­stand "Derech eretz kadma le Torah -Respect and proper character are pre­requisites to Torah." They assume that as long as they are learning well with their Rabbe'im, nothing else matters. They have no knowledge of how Chazalwant us to relate to non-Jews.

•A third problem is that the General Studies teachers are often made to feel

------·----~-- -

The Jewish Observer, May 2004

as if they are second-class citizens. In most yeshivas, they get paid much lower salaries than the Rabbe'im, and they have no benefits. Frequently, they walk into their rooms in the afternoon to find the place a mess. The Rebbe's sefarim arc all over the desk, the board has not been erased, and the floor has n1ore than its share of trash.

1'o make 1natters worse, so1ne Rabbe'im may walk into the room dur­ing General Studies to pass out work­sheets they forgot to hand out in the morning, or to call out individual boys for private discussions. They fail to real­ize how such actions demoralize the General Studies teachers. It also reinforces the opinion of the students that General Studies are unimportant

• A fourth problem is that it is very difficult to find competent teachers who can command the respect of the boys. We are looking for part-time teachers who are willing to work for low wages and receive no benefits. Although it is possible to find n1arried wo1nen who are willing to work for a few hours a day, we only allow men to teach in the upper grades. Yet, as soon as a man comes in for an interview, we becon1e suspicious. Why isn't he looking for a full-time job? Ultimately, we compromise, and hire teachers who are not fully qualified. The taln1idiln notice the inadequacies in their teachers, and respond by being unco­operative.

In addition, there are many differences between our values and those of the out­side world. Even the most educated non­Jew or irreligious Jew may discuss topics that we do not approve of or use language that we consider vulgar and offensive. When they do these things, they lose respect in our eyes and in the eyes of the students.

•Also, the differences between our cul­tures make it difficult for them to understand us or our students, and they often mistakenly think that they are being treated disrespectfully. Let me illustrate:

When, as principal, I met with each of the teachers, one session was with a non­frum, middle-aged lady who had been a fourth-grade teacher in our school for n1any years. As she entered my office, I said,

The Jewish Observer, May 2004

"Good n1orning. Please have a scat." She looked at me sternly and said, "Rabbi

Kletenik, vve have been teaching together in this school for the last nine years, and this is the first time you have greeted me prop­erly."

I was astonished. 1"he truth is that every time I passed her in the hall, I would nod politely, and say hello. She obviously did not understand that in our circles, men and ivon1en do not socialize, and therefore all of n1y interactions 1vith her in the past had been brief

Our students encounter the same problem. They are misunderstood. Teachers often co1nplain to me that our boys are argumentative. I thought that they meant that the boys would argue about the amount of work that was being assigned. They explained that when they would state an opinion in class about a certain matter, the boys would disagree. They considered this to be argumenta­tive.

I explained to the teachers that this is not disrespectful. On the contrary, as a rebbe, I encourage my talmidim to dis­agree with me when I am teaching them Gemora. I want my boys to develop their analytical thinking skills, and not accept every opinion that they hear.

•Finally, the truth is that our boys have a very long day, and are tired by the time General Studies begins. Many of them simply lack the patience or energy to

embark on another three hours of learning, especially if it is boring.

III. SOME SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS

Last year, I completed a two-year program given by Torah Umesorah called the Principals

Fellowship. As part of that program, I undertook an independent research project under the guidance of a mentor - Rabbi Dov Leibenstein, a supervisor for the Associated Talmud Torahs of Chicago. Together, we designed a pro­gram to deal with the problems men­tioned above. With the help of my menahel, Rabbi Zev Meisels, we imple­mented many parts of this program in our yeshiva and, Baruch Hashem, we have met with great success. Discipline prob­lems have decreased dramatically. I presented these ideas at last year's Torah Umesorah National Convention, and I would like to share them with the reader.

The R?le of the Menahel

In order to solve any of the problems mentioned above, the General Studies principal must have the full

cooperation and involven1ent of the menahel. The menahel cannot turn a blind eye to what is happening in the afternoon.

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9

Discipline

The school's discipline system must deal with infractions in behavior that occur during General Studies

the same way it does with those that occur during Limudei Kodesh. In our school, a boy who misbehaves during General Studies is not eligible to be on the honor roll or to serve as valedicto­rian at graduation.

Every teacher must have a list of rules that he communicates to the students on the first day of school, including the con­sequences of misbehavior. The discipli­nary consequences should consist of three or four steps. A copy of the rules should be submitted to the principal for approval.

Once a teacher has gone through those steps with a particular student, and the behavior has not improved, the student should be sent to the office with a writ­ten explanation of what has occurred. One should not rely upon the student to explain what he has done. Our school has a detailed Discipline Referral Sheet for this purpose.

There are progressive consequences that result from such referrals. We have nine steps, including speaking to the stu­dent, writing an assignment, meeting with the parents, detentions, suspensions, and finally expulsion. A copy of the refer­ral sheet is sent to the parent, and a copy

10

is put in the student's file. This system is highly effective, if used properly.

Reaching the Talmidim

The Rabbe'im must teach their talmidim maamarei Chazal -statements of Chazal - dealing

with middos (positive character traits), respect for others, kiddush Hashem, derech eretz, and how these relate to prop­er behavior during General Studies.

• Our mission in life is to be mekadesh shem Shamayim. As the Gemora says (Yoma 86a), the way to fulfill the mitz­va of ahavas Hashem is to inspire oth­ers to love Hashem. "A person should learn Torah, serve talmidei chachamim, and conduct his dealings with people in a pleasant manner. What will people say about him? 'Fortunate is his father who taught him Torah. Fortunate is his Rebbe who taught him Torah. See how pleasant are the ways of this person who learned Torah, and how refined are his deeds!"'

The Gemora goes on to say: "If a per­son learns Torah and serves talmidei chachamim, but does not deal pleasantly with people, the reaction will be differ­ent. People will say, 'Woe to his father who taught him Torah. Woe to his Rebbe who taught him Torah. This person who learned Torah, see how corrupt are his ways and how ugly are his deeds:"

• How severe the issur of Chillul Hashem is! As the Gemora says, "Even if a person does teshuva, goes through Yorn Kippur, and endures suffering, he does not receive atonement for chillul Hashem until he dies." This is the only aveira in the Torah for which a person must die before he can be forgiven. Regarding the Mishna in Pirkei Avos, "Im ein derech eretz ein Torah," Rabbeinu Yona says that if a person aspires to become a talmid chacham, he first must improve his character traits; the Torah will never inhere within a person who does not pos­sess good character.

• Gedolim throughout the ages went out of their way to be polite and cour­teous to non-Jews; invariably, Jews derived benefit from such conduct.

• These lessons should be supple­mented by speakers from the commu­nity asked to address these topics. We have invited Kolle/ heads, Roshei Yeshiva and Rabbanim to speak to our talmidim about proper conduct during General Studies.

The Role of the Rebbe'im

The Rabbe'im are responsible- and should demand - that their talmidim conduct themselves

with derech eretz toward the General Studies teachers. Our Rebbe'im hold their talmidim accountable for their behavior during English, and receive daily reports from the English teachers. If a boy mis­behaves, he must answer to his Rebbe. Rabbe'im should see to it that the boys clean up the room and erase the board, and should ensure that the talmidim are sitting quietly when the English teacher enters the room. Additionally, the Rabbe'im should avoid infringing upon the English teacher's time.

Children With Special Needs

The above measures will help improve the behavior of the aver­age student, but those who suffer

severe emotional and/or social problems will need the help of professionals. Many of these students also have academic issues, which, if left unaddressed, will lead

The Jewish Observer, May 2004

to discipline problems, especially dur­ing General Studies.

It is important for schools to have ade­quate funding allocated for remedial and social services to help these students.

Our school engaged a mashgiach this year to deal with these students. He coordinates the services they receive, while n1aintaining constant contact with the psychologists, social workers, and parents.

Curriculum

We must be realistic about our goals in General Studies. In three hours, we are attempt­

ing to teach our students material to which the public schools devote an entire day. It is our task to design a curriculum that is suited to our students. Great emphasis should be put upon math and the development of reading and writing skills, with relatively less time devoted to science and social studies. With the help of a frum educational consultant, we designed such a syllabus.

The books and materials must be interesting and less detailed, and the teachers should conduct many hands­on activities, which will captivate the attention of the boys. Science fairs, spelling bees, and oral presentations help keep the boys focused on their school­work.

The Importance of Secular Studies

In their minds, the boys question why it is important for them to have a basic knowledge of secular studies.

I devote time to explaining to our talmidim how each subject will be of use to them in the future.

•Let us start with English: Those who want to become rabbanim and maggidei shiur need to have effective communi­cation skills to make themselves under­stood. In addition, they will be able to influence others. Witness the revolution that ArtScroll has created in America through its ability to bring Torah to the English-speaking world!

• As for science, the Rambam (Hilchos Yesodei Hatorah ll:2) says

The Jewish Observer, May 2004

that a person comes to ahavas Hashem by comtemplating the wonders of nature. This can be accomplished through study of science.

• The Torah tells us "Zechor yemos olam ... Remember the ancient days, understand the years of generation after generation." According to the Ramban, this calls for examining histo­ry to see how Hashem manages the world in accordance with the needs of the Jewish People. A knowledge of history would then be necessary in order to develop gratitude to Hashem for all the good He has bestowed upon us throughout the ages.

•There are many Gernora discussions that require a knowledge of math, such as in Sukka and Eiruvin.

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Improving the Quality of the Staff

We should try to hire as many frum teachers as possible. They understand our boys much bet­

ter than non-frum and non-Jewish teach­ers do, and the boys respect them much more. In order to attract them, we must pay higher salaries and provide benefits. We should also offer tuition reductions to parents who are qualified and willing to teach in our schools. When I became the General Studies principal six years ago, there were three frum teachers on our staff. Today we have thirteen.

Where it is necessary to hire non-frum and non-Jewish teachers, we must take great care to ensure that they are decent people. Background checks should be

----·-··------------· 11

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done for all applicants. A teacher's handbook should be written to provide information about our beliefs and prac­tices. It should provide details about what may or may not be discussed in class. No teacher should be allowed to bring out-

lar studies faculty by showing them appreciation. Jn our school, every major faculty meeting has a meal. We provide bonuses for Chanuka and give out can­dies. For Pesach, our Jewish teachers are given hand matza. It is important to pub­licize their accomplishments in the school newsletter, and to send them flow­ers after a successful project is completed.

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The Role of the Parents

Parents must be actively involved in this process. They have to demand of their children to take General

Studies seriously, and they should be called when problems occur. They should be kept informed about improvements in the secular studies pro­gram, so that they will know that the administration takes it seriously.

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side materials into the school without prior approval of the principal. Regular in-service sessions should be held where teachers are taught how to deal with stu­dents from our community, and how to meet their needs.

We must act now to solve this terri­ble problem. By doing so, we will produce bnei Torah about whom Hashem will say "Hashem said to me, 'You are My servant, Israel, through whom I am glorified'" (Yeshayahu 49,3). (See Yoma 86a.) •

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GENERAL STUDIES IN THE Y'ESHIVOS: A NEGEECTED FRONTIER

0

0

HEARING THE CALL TO INTEGRITY

Mark Twain is said to have once quipped, "I can't hear what you are saying, your actions are

making too n1uch noise!" He was a con­summate wordsmith who was able to pack loads of profundity into a small, pocket-size, catchy sentence. Eloquence is at its best when it conveys truth, and since truth can occasionally hurt, sim­ple words can so1netimes cause a lot of pain.

As the saying goes, "Tzuvishen zich geredt ... " we are talking an1ong ourselves. In the pages of The Jewish Observer, we arc among friends. We can be honest without causing offense, critical without our motives being suspect. It is no secret that when we provide a secular program in our schools, particularly in our high schools, there is not always an absolute congruence between what we say and what we do. We tend to pay lip service to the need to acquire respectable com-

Rabbi Eisemaon, a Uebbe in Yeshiva Ncr Israel ofBalti1nore, is author of the translation and com-1nentary of the ArtScroll/Mesorah Yechczkel, Divrci Hayan1h11, and lyov, as well as other books under private label, including The Machzor Co1nponion and Lighting Up the Night. He is a frequent con­tributor to these pages.

The Jewish Observer, May 2004

munication skills, to be mathematical­ly proficient and scientifically knowl­edgeable, to have an intelligent appreciation of the subjects that fall under the rubric of social studies. However, we often turn a blind eye to what really goes on in these classes. We do not always demand the seriousness, the discipline, the application and, yes, the integrity which we expect in other walks of life. We act, or rather do not act, in such a way as to convey to our bright youngsters that not all truths are really so very true, that so111e truths are nlore equal than others. They begin to won­der what, in fact, we mean when we utter our usual platitudes. Our non-actions make a lot of noise.

There are good, or at least, under­standable, reasons for this a111bivalence. We would rather not know too much about our secular programs because we are afraid of what we would find. Can we stand squarely behind much of what is being taught in our schools, and therefore, inescapably with our hechsh­er? What is really going on in the books that our students are expected to read? What are the tacit, if not expressed, assumptions in the sciences? What are the values that energize the social stud-

RABBI MOSHE EISEMANN

ies curriculum? More troubling still, what are the philqsophical underpinnings of the entire exercise? Do we have, ought we to have, a coherent idea of how the program contributes to the general educational goal of our institutions? Do we engage in the whole charade ke'ilu kefa'o sheid, so to speak, holding our nose and swallowing it down as though it were so1ne horrid medicine? Or do we see it as a positive, indeed desirable, adjunct to the Limudei Kodesh, a loyal servant who makes his modest contribution and who, as long as he does not become uppi­ty and aspire to a standing which he does not deserve, has the right to expect our gratitude and respect?

None of these ambivalences bothered Rabbi Samson Rafael Hirsch ., .. ,ll. Anyone who reads his lucid essays on education will gasp at the beauty of an integrated, structured and purposeful sys­tem which has no doubts and makes no excuses. He knew just what to teach and how to teach it. He did not apologize for the school that he founded and nurtured, because he was fully persuaded that it was precisely what the Ribbono she[ OUim wanted. Everything was consistent with everything else, no crooked edges, no abrasive surfaces. Would that we could

13

be as sure of ourselves as he was of him­self. The trouble is that we cannot, because - for better or for worse- many in our communities do not share the premises which were the bedrock upon which he erected his magnificent edifice. We cannot do what Rabbi Hirsch did without being Hirschians. We cannot be what we are not. We cannot think anoth­er's thoughts nor dream his dreams. We cannot do what he did without think­ing as he did. Where, then, are we to turn?

SOME VERY SIGNIFICANT ANSWERS

Mrs. Tubeh Gootblatt, an accomplished educator, has some very significant answers.

Her book, The Emperor's New Clothes Revisited, purports to "address our intense disagreements over limudei chol and proposes practical solutions for par­ents and educators to (respectfully) share."

For the purpose of this review, I could

14

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go straight to the ideas that animate her system, describe some of the ways in which she suggests that they be put into practice, and leave it at that. I will get to those points, and happily so, because I am entranced by them. Before I get there, however, I want to spend a moment on the "respectfully" that she included in the blurb that I have just quoted. This word recurs constantly throughout the book, and in conversations which I have had with her, it became obvious to me how much she cared about it.

It is a simple enough concept. If par­ents and teachers are often at loggerheads, nothing much can be accomplished. I am not in the field and have no personal experience that would support this claim, and I must therefore take her word that this is not an uncommon situation. I ask myself why this should be so. How did such a sorry situation develop? It was certainly not so when I went to school.

Now, of course, I know that much has changed since those long ago days, and that there could be any number of caus­es for this decline; causes upon which this book can have no bearing whatever. Still, I suspect that at least a contributing fac­tor may be the ambivalence with which the schools themselves view their secu­lar programs. Principals can be pulled and pummeled in all directions because they themselves are not fully convinced that those who attack them from both the right and the left do not have a valid point. None of us can be a self-confident and eloquent spokesman for a system that cannot generate much belief in its own merits. If for no other reason than this, although of course there are many other reasons, this book could make a solid contribution.

So what is Mrs. Gootblatt actually telling us in this interesting and, in some ways, provocative book? The name that she gives to the fictional school that she describes gives us an immediate sense of what we are about to learn. It is "Bais Matara:' the school with a goal. That goal is achieved by a holistic approach to edu­cation of which her highly imaginative and carefully planned curricula are only a part. Perhaps because it hits so close to home, I particularly liked the

The Jewish Observer, May 2004

story of a girl who, though in terms of her knowledge was far and away the best in her class, was denied the top spot because of her sloppy handwriting. In Mrs. Gootblatt's school, a person who is not enough of a mentch to be con­siderate of her readers cannot be the best of anything. Kol hakavod!

Mrs. Gootblatt's program is designed for schools that do not expect most of their students to go on with a college­based higher education. She therefore feels free to define her goals without ref­erence to college entry requirements, which often seem to be arbitrary and without any obvious relevance to pro­ducing an educated, self-assured adult. She wants her students to be articulate, capable, and trained to recognize the Ribbono shel Olam in history and nature.

TOUGH AND LEAN, BUT NOT MEAN

Take heart. There are no placebos here, no fooling around here. The courses are tough and lean with­

out being mean. By this, I mean that extreme care is taken to assure that the gifted students achieve the recognition that they deserve and crave, while those who cannot quite make it to the top still have ample opportunity to do well. This is accomplished by a daily quiz that con­sists (consistently) of three questions on that day's lesson, and that day's lesson only. The first is easy for anyone who has listened in class, the second adds a lit­tle mustard, the third is hard. This works itself out in a sixth-grade science class whose principal goal is to "inculcate an intelligent and respectful appreciation of the universe through Science"; whose chapter goal is to "teach an awareness of the digestive process"; and whose goal for the day is to "explain the role of the mouth in digestion." The questions are: 1. What is digestion? 2. How does the mouth play a role in digestion? 3. Name the five parts of the mouth involved in digestion, and describe their functions in detail.

Any of you good readers want to take a little test? Why not jot down what you know about the contributions of the sali­vary glands and the throat muscles to

The Jewish Observer, May 2004

digestion? If you know as much about it as I do, you will all be jealous of the lucky sixth graders in Bais Matara.

There is something in the system for everybody. I should, of course, say that the greatest gainers are the children. Knowing life, however, I suggest that it will be the parents who are most pleased. You know why? No homework! Read my lips! No homework! You will have noted in the science class, which we attended above, that the quiz is given in class and on the day's work. Mrs. Gootblatt has taken a cool and shrewd

look at what goes on in the real world - the harried parents who often find themselves doing most of the work, the cynical children who get by with their Cliff Notes and a little luck, the tensions and the anger generated by overload and under-usefulness - and has the courage to buck the system and make some very significant changes. She simply eliminates the whole sorry mess except in very exceptional cases, in which teachers are allowed to assign some homework if they can justify it because it has a direct and necessary bearing on the subject that is

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The courses are tough and lean without being mean. Extreme care is taken to assure that the

gifted students achieve the recognition that they deserve and crave, while those who cannot quite make it to the top still have ample opportunity to do well.

being taught just then. Otherwise, noth­ing. And this, not because fewer demands are made on the children, but because of a highly structured workday which, with thought and effort, has man­aged to substitute a highly effective class­room technique for the nightly nightmare.

Here is just one example of how this is done. When the children are given vocabulary words to study and assimi­late into their daily usage, these words appear on every work sheet that is hand­ed out, irrespective of the subject to which these sheets belong. The children are encouraged to use these words in their written answers and receive extra cred­it for each word used correctly. Mrs. Gootblatt calls this method "skills inte­gration." The work that the children do in Mathematics, Science and Social Studies is integrated with the Communications studies, and reinforce what is being learned there. The words glide naturally and unobtrusively into a pool from which the children can, and do, draw at will. There is no need to bur­den the students by having them study these words at home, for the very good reason that the school day provides ample opportunity to absorb the vocabulary painlessly.

There is more, much more, but it is not the task of a reviewer to reproduce the entire book. Suffice it to say that the book is a gold mine. Page after page pres­ents common sense improvements over what is being done.

It is a work of high intelligence, sen­sitive understanding, and tough, pro-

fessional know-how. For a principal or teacher who is serious about improving his or her school's secular department, it is a must.

DROSS IN THE GOLD MINE

But even in a goldmine not every­thing is gold, and I cannot fully endorse some of the ideas that are

offered. Here is an example: Mrs. Gootblatt devotes much time to the pros and cons of having the children read the classics. She obviously has grave reser­vations about exposing the tei'ere Yiddishe neshamos that are entrusted to her to the questionable, and often downright wrong or destructive, values which these espouse. Well and good. I think we can all live with this. We can all get to heaven without either King Lear or Silas Marner, books which for some reason attract her special ire. Having made this decision, however, she seems to feel defensive about it. ls she not, she wonders, denying her charges the intel­lectual delight of digging beneath the surface of the stories to learn about the "depths and heights of human conflict"? Her answer: This broadening of the mind can be accomplished just as well during the limudei kodesh (sacred stud­ies) program. She quotes with approval a teacher who "just spent half the last term demanding that her students search, dig, excavate to the deepest depths, all that David went through and all that Shaul lost. ... "

I ask, "Why bother with such a patently defective defense? Why not sim-

ply say that 'Yatza secharo behefseido -the gain to be had is not worth the price that we would pay; and leave it at that?"

I wince at the thought of children, even twelfth graders, being asked to ana­lyze the experiences of David and Shaul, an exercise which inevitably cuts down these larger-than-life personalities to bite­sized chunks of pop psychology. I do not believe that, to the extent that we have a n1esora for learning Tanach, such ruminations on the part of uncut youngsters is acceptable. Many years ago, when I was a beginning tenth-grade rebbi in Philadelphia, I tried something sim­ilar with my students. I received a sharp rap on my knuckles from the Rosh Ha Yeshiva, Rabbi El ya Svei. The trick is to get youngsters to listen to what Ghazal and the great commentators have to say. Originality may be great in many fields. In Tanach, our job is to listen.

Moreover, the classics do a great deal more than simply provide case studies in human behavior. Great and profound ideas couched in me1norable, 1nagnif­icent and finely honed phrases, speak­ing to the reader in his own language, have a value that we would be foolish to denigrate. To use a little psychology of my own, I believe that Mrs. Gootblatt is attempting to make her sug­gested program do all things for all peo­ple. There is no need for that. Nothing will ever be perfect. Why not just pres­ent your case with integrity, de1nonstrate the successes that you have had, and let the critics pick holes in it if they want? If they can demonstrably improve on it, all power to them. Mrs. Gootblatt has some wonderful ideas; weak links in her arguments are no favor to her or to the program upon which she has worked so hard and long.

I feel even more ambivalent towards her approach to history. In fact, I believe that it should be fundamental­ly revisited and, probably, revised. This review is not the place to deal with the issues in detail. However, here is my gripe in general terms: The concepts that she presents as integral to the program have, in my opinion, no business in a school setting in which youngsters simply lack the sophistication to sort out the "is-es"

--- -------- -16 The Jewish Observer, May 2004

from the "maybes." She presents theo­ries that, in themselves, are not without interest, but which withal, arc no more than theories. She postulates forces that the Ribbano she/ Olam uses to ener­gize the ebb and flow of world history, but those assu111ptions can never be more than sheer conjecture unless and until they are authenticated through Chazal.

I leave aside the astounding contention that the art of meditation, which makes the East so attractive to many among our benighted youth, was actually the gift that Avraham gave to the children of the pilagshim when he sent them off to the (Far?) East. I am told that this idea is stan­dard fare in some of the seminars that are so blessedly successful in bringing people back to Yiddishkeit. I believe, how­ever, that to transport this beguiling guess into a school setting is disallowed.

Here is a pivotal paragraph taken from the chapter on history:

It is important to note that the time period of an explosion of spiritual searching [in the Orient] corre­sponds to the darkest last days of the spiritual decline of the first Beis

Hamikdash .... Our own spiritual downfall transfers the energy of emmes or Truth to others so that they can confuse us with a veneer and a dis­tortion of the truth. Simply put, if we don't use emmes then it is used against us. This is not offered as a, "Wow, isn't

that interesting!" idea, but as fact. Thus, in her Chronological Framework for World History, the second stage is headed: "Early Empires: Mesopotamia .... " The time period is described as "a time in which: Decline in Jewish spiritual excellence parallels sudden rise in Oriental philosophies ... :'

Later we have a summary which reads: "Historical trends and the rise and fall of civilizations correspond to the Jewish situation. This demands a constant accounting on our part as a peop1e."

It seems to me that there is a vast dif­ference between micro and macro 1nan­agement. To point out tentatively that this or that event which, at the time, seemed pure tragedy, in fact augured a great sal­vation, is fine. Blithely cutting huge swaths through world history is not.

ADMIRATION UNBOUNDED

I take no pleasure in writing these criticisms. I am afraid that they may be seen as attenuating my

unbounded admiration for this book. This, I do not want to happen. I am convinced that the problems with our secular programs, as they are current­ly being run, are huge, deadly serious, and spiritually dangerous to our chil­dren. I believe that Mrs. Gootblatt has hit upon a system that promises real, perhaps the only, hope that things can become better. Measured against the whole picture, my carping is really not that significant.

I believe that this book should become required reading for every prin­cipal. Since you care for the children who have been placed in your trust, you owe it to them to consider these ideas. We all owe Mrs. Gootblatt a great debt of gratitude. I am not going to spoil Mrs. Gootblatt's fun with her title. Read the book and find out why it is really another visit to The Emperor's New Clothes. •

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The Jewish Observer, May 2004 17

GENERAL STUDIES IN THE YESHIVOS: A NEGLECTED FRONTIER

Mrs. Gootblatt's Reponse: The Wule-Ranged Parent Body of "Ba is Matara"

Kbbi Eisemann N"'""1 gave so nuch of his limited time to eview this work, and for that, as

well as for his kind words, I shall always be indebted. I hope that the clarifications (written with his permission) which fol­low - and which are all taken directly from the book -will help the reader put every­thing into perspective. In order to keep the attention of the many different types of readers the book addresses, I had to spread these explanations throughout the chapters of the book, which undoubt­edly obscured these answers.

Let us first examine why "Mrs. Freylich," dauntless General Studies Principal of"Bais Matara;' has to be "all things to all people": she knows that she won't get a second chance to make a first impression on all the conflicting factions that exert so much pressure on our chil­dren and on our schools. There are frus­trated parents, disrespectful parents, and teachers who forget that the world was created for the sake of"Reishis"' and that everything we teach must thus be a vehicle for striving towards kedusha. So, first and foremost, Mrs. Freylich must be a peacemaker if she seeks a climate for productive change. She must enable all types of readers to feel genuinely includ­ed in the discussions. She is aiming for a most difficult, but worthwhile, goal: that we all should actually feel united in our focus on our children's good by the time we reach the last page of the book.

That is why it is Mrs. Mutterpearl and other argumentative characters, not Mrs. Freylich, who agonize over the possible "loss" to our students of the benefits in linguistic usage that the classics have to offer (p. 86). But, in the public school sys­tem, where everyone studies Shakespeare

Mrs. Tubeh Gootblatt lives in Lakewood, NJ. This is her first appearance in these pages.

18

for his elegant dissection of the "heights and depths of the human dilemma;' mil­lions of angry parents feel that something is dreadfully wrong. Except for a dimin­ishing minority, Johnny can't read. Bais Matara, on the other hand, with standards of"achievable accountability;' focuses in on the skills of reading that can be achieved with a variety of short, well-written pieces (either Judaica or not, depending on the Vaad). The students are taught to write by constantly writing in-class (without Mommy's or Best Friend's help) with benchmark, exquisitely-crafted selec­tions for role models.After all, must our children read the whole, morally-corrupt Odyssey to retrieve the beautiful phrase, "rosy-fingered dawn"?

Recognized Limitations

Bais Matara suffuses Science and Social Studies with hashkafa, but insists that "understanding the

heights and depths of the human dilem­ma" can only come from Limudei Kodesh for our own Mendys and Miriams. Nevertheless, the students are NEVER invited or allowed to train a puny, human-microscope on the actions of Chazal. The wonderful, Chassidishe Navi teacher (p. 85 ), who spent such a long time with her students on the deep les­sons of David and Shaul, never permit­ted the students to comment on that relationship. And when one character asks, "Why can't we just hear what Naomi Eishes Elimelech would say to Silas Marner?" Mrs. Freylich answers (p. 21), "We cannot presume to put words into Chazal's mouth. What we can do is ask our children to learn from Chazal [in Limudei Kodesh] and utilize their lessons for the proper words to put into their own mouths."

The great lessons of Chazal are to mold

~ A r;ference to Torah a~d to Bnei Yisroel - see first Rashi in Chuniash.

the Jewish character; why use infinitely inferior, secular materials to try to accomplish this when there is really no point of contiguity between the Yiddishe neshama and the gentile mind, for whom Shakespeare's version of human nature is definitive? This is why Mrs. Freylich says so resolutely (p. 224) that the students who have truly been taught in Limudei Kodesh the extraordinary, mil­lennia-long tension of the millisecond of "ani Yosef'have no need to read King Lear or Silas Marner (examples chosen only because so many schools seem to require them).

The History Teacher

As for History, Mrs. Mutterpearl wonders (p. 150) how to persuade unconvinced History teachers to

agree with us, and not subtly sabotage all our efforts. If we just tell such teach­ers to "do it our way or else,') we risk set­ting up a dangerous classroom situation where antagonism to our point of view can easily be hidden inside the 50-minute period during which the teacher is Empress. We want to provide informa­tion on the essential centrality of our role in world history for a parent to humbly discuss with her daughter's teacher or for a General Studies principal to credibly explain to her staff. We can then ask teach­ers to walk through history with us and examine reasonable hypotheses that log­ically and with intellectual integrity show our own point of view: that all of history- and, in fact, the entire world -has an unusual and fascinating rela­tionship with the Jewish people.

How Far to the East?

The section on the Far East was included after much deliberation ONLY to help teachers put

things 111 perspective m their own

The Jewish Observer, May 2004

minds. Mrs. Freylich states explicitly that this information is not to be taught to the students (p. 153 ). This discussion concerns the possible far-reaching effects on the Orient by Avraham Avinu's non-inheriting children and grandchildren through Ketura. It never attempts to be conclusive, but, rather, is indeed presented as intriguing, since secular historians still debate the iden­tity of the unusual people who entered India at that time - and it makes a case worth thinking about for potentially hostile teachers. Although we all know that Avraham Avinu presented the b'nei Ketura with special "gifts" to help them survive and even flourish among the peoples they would eventually encounter, nowhere is it suggested that the matanos in Parshas Chayei Sarah are themselves "meditations."

About I 000 years after this period, the parallel historical occurrence of a rise in new Oriental philosophies - all of which modified, but still preserved much of the entrenched Brahmanism or Hinduism at the time of the "decline of Jewish spiritual excel­lence" - seems to be historical fact. Then, during the tragic period of rejec­tion against Torah authority in Bretz Yisroel about 2000 years ago, it also seems indisputable that a new, pow­erful religion arose. These points have been highlighted by Rabbi Mendel Kessin N""'"""'' who provided the inspi­ration for the founding of the Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation. The con­cept, which he repeated at last year's Chofetz Chaim Tisha B'Av shiur with many haskamos, was that a Jew's choice to distance himself from Hashem rn, and specifically when to speak lashon hara rn, nourishes the Accuser rn, who then transfers the power of kedusha to the umos ha'olam to be used against us 7"1 in an inescapable see-saw relationship. Rabbi Kessin N"P'l'7'V was gracious enough to clarify these concepts, and invites anyone who would like further information to call him. When frum History teachers infuse "World" History with this incredibly powerful idea, then our children, our students,

-----The Jewish Observer, May 2004

and even we ourselves begin to under­stand the world-shaking importance of our every act - and especially of our every word. Although today, without nevua (prophecy), no one can say exact­ly which event or action caused exact­ly which outcome, we still learn from "history's wake-up calls."

However, I was grateful when I real­ized (thanks to Rabbi Eisemann's l-l"1"71!1 pointed finger) that 1 had inadvertent­ly left out the word "perhaps" in the mid­dle of page 154, and I have already added it to the second printing.

W en we look into what we real­y want to accomplish for our hildren and students, we usu­

ally find that the simple process of"goal­defining" helps most battles just disappear. We each come to these dialogues with our own unique perspectives that -with open ears, open hearts, and erased negius(bias)-can enrich us all ... and per­haps this sense of internalized respect is more important for siyatta diShmaya with our children than all these changes to our English curriculum. •

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Me£! as Rus . An Ode to the "Ordinary" Lif~

THE HUMBLE GARB OF GREATNESS

Other works of the Prophets describe 1niracles, prophecies, and great historical events.

Megillas Rus, however, is a celebration of the ordinary. The emotions and pathos of the story- lost love, isolation, obstinate pursuit of an ideal, and resilience - are universal. On its pages unfold a familiar life: one of turmoil and tranquility, degradation and triumph. But to fully appreciate the true beauty of Rus, one must be attuned to its del­icate nuances. There is a gentle theme that runs through it: an ordinary life can be sublimated and become extraordi­nary by absorbing the spirit of G-dli­ness and Torah.

The heroes of this saga are not only the nation's leaders and scholars, but also Rabbi Greenwald, a mc111ber of the Kolle! Bais Hatahnud in Melbourne, Australia, is author of Reh Mendel (ArtScroll), a biographical appreci­ation of Rabbi Mendel Kaplan 7"~l. His article, "The Chanuka Menora And The King's Crown;' appeared in j() Dec. '03.

The Jewish Observer, May 2004

its people of no particular status going about their daily business. Yet, the sages found basis for proper conduct and legal procedures from their actions.

We read of laborers toiling in the fields, harvesting the crops. But instead of coarse language, they greet each other with the name of Hashem on their lips'. The book bursts forth with acts of kind­ness: a mutually loving and loyal rela­tionship between mother and daughter-in-law; the dignified manner in which Boaz dispenses charity to his poor relatives; and the kindness ofRus to her mother-in-law and later to Boaz, by choosing him over much younger suitors.

The townsfolk did not merely mum­ble "Mazel Tov" by rote at the simcha. Upon Boaz's betrothal to Rus, the townsfolk recited a lengthy, original ren­dition.

All the people at the gate and the elders answered, "We are witness! May G-d make the woman who is entering your house be like Rachel and Leah,

both of whom built up the house of Israel. May you prosper in Ephras and establish a name [for yourself] in Bethlehem. And may your house be like the house of Peretz, whom Tamar bore to Yehuda- through the offspring which G-d will grant you by this young woman?'2

Similarly, after Rus bore a son, women said to Naomi:

"Blessed is G-d, Who has not denied you a redeemer today! May his name be established in Israel. He will revive your soul and sustain your old age, for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, gave birth to him."3

These acts of kindness may not seem to be of earth-shattering import, but they are not described in the Megilla just to confer a warm feeling upon the read­er. More importantly, the M egilla seeks to impart an important lesson by the very fact that these minute acts of co1n­passion were deemed worthy of inclu­sion in the Divine script.

21

This itself is one of the lessons of Rus. Imagine having lived in the time of Rus in Boaz's neighborhood. And a relative of yours from Yerushalayim drops in for a visit. He asks you) "\Nhat's new in town?" Would you reply, "You know what! Boaz invited a poor woman to eat together with him, and he gave her some toasted grain!" To us, this is a Jewish behavioral norm: neither extraordinary nor newsworthy. Yet the Megilla describes this and other acts in detail to demonstrate that if we live our day-to-day, mundane lives according to the Torah, it is of monumental impor­tance. Shmuel Hanavi penned this seem­ingly minor detail in the Book of Rus to impress upon us that every small act of kindness and decency is worthy of inclu­sion in the eternal Torah, and is definitely precious before Hashem.

Rabbi Yitzchak said, "The Torah teaches us [by detailing the kindness of Boaz to Rus] that when a person does a mitzva [such as an act of kind­ness and charity to one's fellow man], he should do it with a fully joyous heart. For if Boaz had known that Hashem would write about him, 'He handed her parched grain, and she ate and was satisfied and there was left over' (Rus2,14), he would have fed her fattened calves."

Rabbi Levi said, "In the past, a per­son would do a mitzva, and the prophet would write it. Now that there

are no prophets, when a person per­forms a mitzva, who writes it? Now, Eliyahu the Prophet and Moshiach chronicle l the deeds of men of all gen­erations] and Hashem signs it."4

THE PROFOUND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SEEMINGLY ORDINARY

At times, we may feel that our uneventful lives do not amount to much. But just as Boaz's and

Rus's seemingly insignificant acts of kindness planted the seeds which later heralded the birth of King David and, ultimately, the arrival of Moshiach, so too, each of us in our small way, in our private lives, are rectifying the world and bringing it closer to the ultimate redemption.

Naomi's life clearly illustrates this point. Naomi, bereaved of both her hus­band and children, expresses the pain and anguish of her tormented soul. "Do not call me 'Naomi - pleasant one', call me 'Mara - the embittered one,' for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me5 ." A portion of Torah therefore deserving of study, it teaches us that one is permitted to cry out in pain. The Torah allows for the expression of human emotion, and does not demand that we transform ourselves into mitz­va automatons. Then, her next sentence demonstrates her noble Jewish spirit,

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when she accepts her decree as being from Hashem. 6

Even though Naomi viewed herself as utterly useless and empty7

, her name means pleasant, and she fully lived up to her name. Naomi's character was so attractive, that Rus was drawn to her like a magnet. The verses make clear that Rus's willingness to convert to Judaism was not based on her intellectual assessment of the truths of Judaism alone. Rather, it was Naomi's persona that Rus found so compellingly appeal­mg.

When Naomi attempted to dis­suade Rus from following her, Rus adamantly replied,

"Do not urge me to leave you, to turn back from following you. For where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people are my people; and your G-d is my G-d Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May G-d do this to me - and more! - if anything but death sepa­rates me from you!''8

It was not merely the Jewish G-d and the Jewish people that Rus wished to embrace. Rus wanted to bond with Naomi's G-d and Naomi's people. So while Naomi lamented, "Hashem has sent me empty," her life was far from it. The fact is, it was Naomi who orches­trated Rus's conversion and marriage, which directly led to the birth of the ancestor of Moshiach.

After the birth of Rus's son, Oveid, Naomi took the child, held it to her bosom and became his nurse, inspiring the neighborhood women to joyously proclaim, "A son is born to Naomi!"9

Rabbi Tzaddok Hakohein states a principle: whatever is written in the Torah is true, not only in the narrative sense, in that those comments were actually made, but also that it is intrinsically true. The cunning remarks of Lavan and the crude scoffing of Pharaoh could not have been recorded by the holy Torah had their statements not been inherently true. Therefore, if the Torah writes that the people said that Naomi was the moth­er of Oveid, then that is the truth. The Torah deemed Naomi also to be his true mother.

---···------·-----------------------22 The Jewish Observer, May 2004

CHILDREN OF A SPIRITUAL KIND

While Naomi's motherhood can be attributed to her raising the young Oveid, it

can be understood on a deeper level as well. A childless person lives on a different plane, a more spiritual dimension, than n1ost. VVhile everyone knows the fruit of one's spiritual labor is reserved for the World-to­Come, many are blessed with a fore­taste of those sweet fruits even in this life. And those fruits are one's children. The Torah likens offspring to the fruits of the vine and of the olive tree 10•

Those precious fruits link us to our sense of eternity, and provide a tangible inti1nation of the rewards awaiting us in the next world. One who lacks chil­dren lacks the physical support system that was designed to make the Divine service a naturally joyous experi­ence11. On the contrary, it is not sur­prising to find Naomi's bitter, self-deprecating sentiments echoed by anyone faced with similar life cir­cumstances:

Rabbi Yehuda said, "When a per­son leaves this world without children, he cries from pain and anguish." But the Midrash continues:

Hashem comforts him and says, "My child, why do you cryl Is it because you did not bear fruit in this world~ Your fruit is greater than chil­dren." He asks, "Ribbono shel Olan1, what fruit did I bearl"

Hashem replies, ((Your good deeds are your offspring." 12

Because the physically childless per­for1n their life mission under super­hu1nan conditions, their reward likewise transcends the physical world. Precisely because this thought is so dif­ficult to internalize, it is a recurring theme in the words of the prophet Yeshayahu:

Let not the barren one say, «Behold I am a shriveled tree." For thus says Hashem to the barren ones ... who choose what I desire and grasp My covenant tightly. "In My house and within My walls I will give them a place of honor and renown, which is better

The Jewish Observer, May 2004

than sons and daughters; eternal renown I will give them, which will never be ended." 13

"Sing out, 0 barren one who has not given birth; break out into glad song and be jubilant, 0 one who had no labor pains, for the children of the desolate wife outnumber the children of the populated wife," says Hashem. 14

The Chasam Sofer explains that these verses demonstrate that there are two distinct types of children: phys­ical and spiritual". Whereas the bar­ren may not have children in the

physical sense, they are by no means childless. Parents who are physically childless bring down souls from heaven just as their friends who push strollers do. These spiritual children are created through their parents' steadfast service to Hashem, despite their constant indescribable pain and humiliation. Such souls are so lofty, they cannot be contained in a cor­poreal form, which is why the prophet says they are "better than sons and daughters" - they are greater than their physical counterparts. Each

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such spiritual child, says the Chasam Sofer, "equals tens of thousands of physical children born with flesh and blood."

In yet another vision, the prophet Yeshayahu depicts a scene from the time of the future redemption, which at first glance defies comprehension:

And you will say in your heart, "Who has begotten these? For I have been bereaved and alone1 an exile and a wanderer - so who has reared these? Behold, I have been left by myself; where are these from?"

For thus says Hashem: "Behold, I will raise My hand towards nations, and will hoist My banner towards peo­ples, and they will bring your children in their arms, and your daughters will be carried on their shoulders .... Then you will know that I am Hashem, and those who put their hope in Me shall not be ashamed." 16

Is it possible that a mother be unaware that she bore children?

The Shomeir Emunim writes that these verses deal with the spiritual chil­dren discussed above:

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When, unfortunately, one is a companion to pain and misfortune - owing to childlessness or any other trying circumstance - this is often accompanied by feelings of inadequacy and a sense of lacking any constructive accomplishments in life. One many feel hopeless, bro­ken, unnecessary and useless. Even one's prayers, Torah study, and good deeds begin to feel hollow and appear pitifully meager.

But one may fail to see [,explains the Shomeir Emunim,] that for every pain that assaults a Jewish soul, especially at times when one feels disconnected from Hashem, as if He were neglecting him, and yet one accepts this without complaint or anger against Hashem - and all the more so if it is accepted with a meas­ure of love and joy - this engenders a glory to Hashem of the highest magnitude. In fact, the simplest person at the lowest spiritual level can accomplish more under such cir­cumstances than can a great tzaddik in a normal situation. Many "lost souls" that have not found rectifi­cation since the beginning of cre­ation, are now rectified through this supreme level of faith.

When Moshiach comes, Hashem will reveal to them the myriad chil­dren they created. They will stream to such a person from all sides of the earth, just as children come to embrace their beloved parents after a long separation. He will stand agape with wonder looking at these beautiful creations, and marvel, "Who has begotten me these? I was bereaved and alone. They certainly cannot be mine." But he or she will be considered the true parents of these thousands of souls. 17

Megillas Rus describes a natural world, as perceived through the lim­ited vision of mortal men. In that world, Naomi thought she lived a bit­ter and wasted life. But little did she know that from the vantage point of Heaven, a dimension that transcends all physical laws, she actually was the grandmother of the King of Israel.

----- ··---·-.. -··-----------------

26 The Jewish Observer, May 2004

LIFE BEHIND THE IRON CURTAIN

In Megillas Rus, no angels inform Naomi that her actions shake the very heavens. No prophets reveal to

Boaz and Rus the royal destiny of their future offspring. The heavenly curtains descend and veil any inkling as to the goings-on in the heavenly realms. Instead, the backdrop of Megillas Rus presents familiar episodes of Jewish life. It details seemingly ordinary daily activities, from the laborer's greeting to the townsfolk's blessings. It is this limited vantage point of man, not the infinite view of G-d, in which the per­spective of Megillas Rus is based. From a human point of view, life is often dry and ordinary or - as was the case with Naomi - sometimes even dark.

Perhaps it is precisely for this reason that Megillas Rus is read on Shavuos. On this day, we merited to receive the Torah on Mount Sinai through a miraculous revelation, amidst thunder and light­ning. But from that moment on, we could no longer seek Hashem amidst the fire of miracles, the thunderous sounds of prophecy, or the whirlwind of momentous historical events. For the most part, it is in the quiet, day-to-day life that we can find our personal path­ways to Hashem. 18

When Hashem spoke directly to the Jewish nation on Mount Sinai, they felt a rapture so intense that it caused their souls to momentarily depart from their bodies 19

• They epitomized a state known as deveikus- the ultimate bliss­ful experience of connecting with the Divine. Achieving deveikus is one oflife's primary goals; as the Mesi/las Yesharim writes, "All of one's actions should be directed to being drawn near to the Blessed One, until he is pulled to Him as is metal to a inagnet." 20

If so, should not the thrust of our efforts be spent to seek those activities that provide immediate spiritual satis­faction? Isn't spending hours upon hours in sublime meditation more inspiring of deveikus than spending hours debating the halachic legalities surrounding whether the handker­chief used in a 1nonetary transaction

The Jewish Observer, May 2004

belongs to the buyer or seller? Why sweat the small stuff - say, looking for tiny thrips in my salad - when I can use that time expressing my love for Hashem by performing a spontaneous dance inter­pretation of ma'amad Har Sinai? Paradoxically, humbly serving Hashem in an ordinary fashion in an ordinary world, through the voluminous minu­tiae of halacha, is what breaks the bar­riers that stand between ourselves and our Creator. This is what leads to deveikus. 2 1

THE ORPA SYNDROME: FOCUSING ON DEVEIKUS

D cveikus is one of the most lofty aims of Divine service. But as Megillas Rus points out, it can

also be a potentially dangerous weapon. The ecstatic experience of deveikus can also take the form of shochad - bribery - against our Divine obligations. For example, one immersed in 'forah study may find it so pleasurable, that he is tempted to look into a sefer during kriyas haTorah (communal reading of the Torah), something prohibited by halacha. In such a case, the deveikus gen­erated from the love of Torah results in its own defection.22

At times, performing Hash em's will requires foregoing the act most con­ducive to deveikus:

When Rabbi Reuvain Grozovsky traveled with his father-in-law, Rabbi Baruch Ber Leibowitz, to raise funds for the Kamenitz Yeshiva, they stopped in a Paris hotel for Shabbos. Shabbos morning, Reb Reuvein entered one of the men's rooms, and to his great con­sternation, the electric bulb went on automatically. He understood that by his walking out of the room, the elec­tric bulb would be turned off. Reh Reuvain spent the entire Shabbos locked in.23

The risk of focusing on deveikus was realized in one of the most tragic fig­ures in the story of Rus: Orpa. After the death of her husband, she too began accompanying Naomi to the Land of Israel, presumably contemplating embracing Judaism. At that historic

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moment, she stood at the threshold of eternity. But while Rus remained adamant in remaining with Naomi, Orpa returned home.

The prophet concludes her life story here. One would imagine that this pre­cious soul, who came so close to Judaism, would devote the remainder of her life to goodness, serving Hashem faithfully as a righteous Gentile. But the sages relate the sad end of her life story; on the day she parted with Naomi, she plunged from the heights of spiritual greatness to the depths of moral depravity.

Perhaps her erratic behavior can be understood in the following light. As anyone who has merited the experience can testify, being in the close presence of a spiritually elevated person can be one of life's greatest pleasures. Upon entering his proximity, one can feel like one has stepped into an elevator, within moments feeling oneself being lifted effortlessly to dizzying heights24•

But therein lurks a hidden danger, which can be termed the Geichazi Syndrome". Being in constant contact with a holy person can become an intoxicating experience. The vicarious spiritual stimulation of living through one's rebbe can sometimes b1anket any feelings of inadequacy for one's per­sonal failings.

Orpa experienced the joys of a Jewish life. She enjoyed the true love of a Jewish husband, the pleasantness of a Shabbos table, and felt irresistibly drawn to her mother-in-law's holy per­sonality. She did fall short of com­mitting herself to the responsibilities that Judaism entails. But her brief encounter with Judaism gave her a taste of deveikus. Merely subscribing to the seven Noahide laws now appeared to her dry and spiritually unfulfilling. She craved the spiritual "high" that only Judaism can provide. As she could no longer get it through holiness, she attempted to duplicate the ecstasy through a quick fix by throwing her­self into the excesses of depravity26•

In the secular world, the search for spirituality has become a popular trend. But "spirituality" does not nee-

28

essarily mean to then1 what it means to us. To them, it may represent the nadir of hedonistic pleasure seeking. The Hollywood pop star who goes to Kabbala classes wants the best of both worlds: to enjoy all the pleasures this world has to offer, together with the ecstasy that only spirituality can pro­vide. "Kabbala" is the perfect forum for connecting with G-d on your own terms: no commitment, no responsi­bility- just an exhilarating, soul-soar­ing thrill ride.

THE MEANING OF "RUS"

What is the significance of the name "Rus"? Rabbi Yochanan said: "For she merited that David descended from her, who 'sated' the Holy One, Blessed be He, with songs and praises."27

1 Rus 2,4 2 Jbid, 4,l l-12 3 /bfri, 4,14-15 4 Midrash Rabba, Vayikra 34,8 5 Rus 1,20 6 Ibid, 4,7; Bava Metzia 47a 7 See Rus, l,21 8 Rus 1,16-17 9 Rus 4,17 10 Tehillim 128,3 I! See Devarim 14,26; 16,14 12 Midrash Tanchuma, Noach 2 13 Yeshayahu 56,3-5 14 Ibid 54,l 15 Nidda 13b 16 Yeshayahu49,2I-23 17 Shomeir Emunim p.79 18 See Melachim 1,19, l l-12 19 Shiur Hashirim Rabba 5,6 20 The Torah was given to us so we can experi­ence the deveikus of Sinai in our daily lives. In a certain respect, the Torah gives one the abili­ty to recreate the Sinai experience on an even higher level. On Mount Sinai, "my soul depart­ed when He spoke" (Shir Hashirim 5,6 ). The Torah enjoins us to achieve deveikus and still be con­nected to one's physical body! It is told that cer­tain great tzaddikinz had no difficulty in attaining a state of deveikusthat made their souls soar back to heaven. The Torah's obligation of "vechai bah em - and you shall live by them" dic­tated otherwise; one must live the precepts of the Torah, not die as a result of them. They there­fore had the difficult task of reining in their souls from leaving their bodies. 21 See Nefesh Hachaim 4,1 22 The Beis Haleivi attributed the success of sec­ular Jews to the merit of their strict adherence to the law of not studying Torah in places where

Rabbi Dan Segal asked, What did Rus do in particular to be deserving of bearing a descendant

who was capable of satiating Hashem? He answered that it was in merit of her determination to cling to Hashenz, despite all the obstacles that stood in her path. Naomi had attempted to dis­suade her from accompanying her; she had no marriage prospects awaiting her; no promising future to look forward to. But she stood steadfast despite all dif­ficulties28. Serving Hashem in the face of insurmountable hardships is the greatest human quality, and in that merit, Rus bore David. Her act of devo­tion, without the aid of deveikus, brought into the world the sweet singer of Israel, who satiated his Creator with sublime songs of deveikus to Hashem. •

one is prohibited fro1n doing so. Needless to say, this is not intended as cause to disdain some­one guilty of this relatively minor flaw. If one pos­sesses love of Torah to the extent that he has such a temptation - that in itself attests to his spiri­tual state. If only this author merited having such evil inclinations .... 23 All for the Boss, p. 65 24 Naturally, only a sensitive soul would be attuned to this sensation. Someone once brought the sec­ular author, Franz Kafka, to a tisch of the Belzer Rebbe?"::rt. Widely recognized as one of the great­est Chassidic Rabbis in pre-War Europe, even the Nazis referred to him as the Wunder Rabbiner, the "wonder rabbi." When Kafka left the tisch, he remarked to his companion that it was no more inspirational to him than if he had wit­nessed a tribal ceremony. 25 Geichazi was the disciple and shamash of the prophet Eliyahu. Though he merited a closer rela­tionship to his master than Eliyahu's other dis­ciples, his behavior was tnost contemptible. 26 I once encountered a former chavrusa of mine, who later became hooked on drugs 7"1. Jn the course of our conversation, he confided to me, "The high I got from drugs was no greater than the thrills I experienced during the time we spent together engrossed in a Gemora. But I no longer had the time and patience to break my head and delve so deeply into a sugya. So I took the easy way out to escape the pain of my life's difficul­ties, and turned to drugs. I envy you that you are still able to learn Gen1ora. You are still able to get a high from Torah, without the debilitating effects I get from drugs." 27 Berachos, 7b. The name "Rus" is related to the Hebrew word for sated, ravah. 28 Rus 1,18

The Jewish Observer, May 2004

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The Jewish Observer, May 2004

Mrs. Sarah Mermelstein

It is now one year since Hagaon Rabbi Tuvia Goldstein '::>"~, Rosh Hayeshiva of Emek Halacha in Boro Park, Brooklyn, was niftar on 15 lyar, at age 86. A ta/mid of Baranovitch and Kamenitz, he absorbed the derech (outlook and methodology) of their Roshei Yeshiva, especially the Geonim, Rabbi Baruch Ber Leibowitz and Rabbi Elchonon Wasserman '::>"'.llT. After spend­ing the war years in Siberia, he came to America where he developed a close relationship with Hagaon Rabbi

Moshe Feinstein 7"'.llT. He said shiurim in Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yaakov Yoseif (RJJ) for many years, and then eventually founded his own yeshiva. At the time of his passing, we noted that he was recognized as a classic poseik, respected lamdan, and teacher to generations of talmidim. In the pages that follow, his daughter, Mrs. Sarah Mermelstein, shares with the readers the experience of growing up in the home of a gadol baTorah.

My Father, Rav Tuvia Goldstein 7"~t

ABBA'S LOYALTY TO HIS "BEST FRIEND"

As a little girl, growing up on Manhattan's Lower East Side, l often questioned my father with

childish simplicity, "Abba, who is your best friend?)' His invariable answer was always: "the Ribbono shel Olam:' Only years later did I understand that this bewildering answer was the unabashed truth.

His dedication in the service of Hashem was so focused, it manifested itself in every facet and stage of his life. Whether he was a young yeshiva bachur held captive in Siberia, searching to min­imize a Rabbinical desecration of Shabbos, or an elderly poseik, deliberat­ing about a life-threatening situation, the only determining factor was: How does it fit into the arena of Hashem's service?

I was once in my parents' home when the phone rang well after midnight. A lady called, sobbing that she had an urgent question, and must speak to my father. Seeing that his door

--·--··---~~----·-------

Mrs. Mermelstein lives in Brooklyn. She was rep~ resented in these pages by"Shabbos in Siberia" (Mar. '85), about her father's experiences during the war, and "Last Farewell to the Rebbetzin [Sima Feinstein]" (Dec. '93).

was closed, I was afraid he might be sleep­ing. Back and forth I went, between door and phone, unable to decide what to do. My father tvas a light sleeper and awoke in a few ntin­utes. He ran out of his room, rushed to the phone, spent some time calming her down, and then gave his p'sak. After that, he admon­ished me severely: ')\ woman calls up so late crying on the phone. It's obviously urgent and you kept her waiting?"

I excused myself by saying that I told the wo1nan that he was unavailable. "Not avail­able," he replied, "is an American expres­sion. When a question is asked, a response is necessary and should be immediate."

What I managed to accomplish for the

future was that my father now took the phone to his bed to ensure his accessibility!

A DISCIPLE OF GIANTS

My father was a lifetime ta/mid of his two giant rebbe'im, Rabbi Elchonon Wasserman

and Rabbi Baruch Ber Leibowitz ?";non. A day did not go by that their names were not mentioned. His basis of comparison for matters mundane and significant were these European Roshei Yeshiva and the legacy he inherited .... When he saw a talmid drinking from a soda can through a straw, he remarked that such a scene was unimaginable in Baranowitz.

A ta/mid saw my father reading a post­card written by Reb Elchonon, fifty years after his demise, and his hands were shiv­ering from the lifetime impact. When he described Reb Elchonon's awesome and serious demeanor to us, he vividly rec­ollected the two occasions that he saw his rebbi smile during his four-year stay at the yeshiva; a glimpse of the past and its colossal greatness was unveiled daily to young RJ) talmidim.

To portray how vastly removed his rebbe, Reb Baruch Ber, was from any-

------·-----------··-· ... ---· ---··--·---·-·· ---The Jewish Observer, May 2004 31

thing materialistic, he would repeat episodes that came alive with picturesque detail:

A group ofbachurim had entered the Kamenitzer Rosh Yeshiva's office to describe their hunger and their inabil­ity to completely comprehend the depth of learning while suffering from phys­ical deprivation. Reb Boruch Ber found it difficult to understand how hunger could be an impediment to a talmid's learning. One intuitive bachur, who understood how to reach the tzaddik in his own frame of reference, explained, "We are sufficiently nourished for Gemora and Rashi, but for Tosafos we need additional food!"

This description had its expected impact; it also became a matter of urgency. The Rosh Yeshiva turned to his son-in-law and began to make plans to travel to America to raise funds for the study of Tosafos! When he wanted to express the piety

and purity of his rebbi, he would regale his talmidim with story after story emphasizing just those characteristics. No longer was there a gap of time or dis­tance or language, because they saw in my father the trans1nission of those same ideals.

In Kamenitz, there were 45 Jewish families besides those in the yeshiva. In my father's two-year stay in the yeshi­va, prior to the outbreak of WWII,

Communism and secularism had made inroads among the fews. Once, some free-thinking young men invited some­one from Brisk to show a movie in Kamenitz on Shabbos. The Kamenitzer baalebattim went to the rav, who tried to dissuade them, but to no avail. They then proceeded to Reb Boruch Ber's home, where they sorrowfully told him what might take place. Reb Boruch Ber, who was in the middle of his meal, stopped immediately, and began sobbing hysterically. The talmidim ran to the sec­ular crowd and described the Rosh Hayeshiva's reaction, telling them, "If you want Reh Baruch to continue cry­ing, go on with the movie."

As soon as they heard this, they can­celled their plans. In America, my father transferred his

source of spiritual nourishment to Reb Moshe Feinstein 7"Yl) our upstairs neigh­bor for over a decade. He would often point out the Heavenly assistance accorded to him in forming their close relationship. His colleagues in Europe fled the Nazi clutches and joined the Mir contingent in Shanghai. In a structured format, they con­tinued intensive learning under auspices of their Rebbe'im. My father was sent to Siberia and lost 5 1/2 years of the yeshi­va environ1nent. "When he arrived in New York, he had no parent, no sibling and no protektzia. He had to start anew, while his peers had advanced. With such apparent

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hashgacha, Hashem placed him in close proximity with someone of Reb Moshe's stature. Halachic issues with wide-rang­ing ramifications were discussed on a daily basis, which helped my father develop con­fidence as he entered the world of p'sak in his young years. Whenever my father spoke about Reb Moshe's greatness in learning, he accompanied it with descrip­tions of Reb Moshe's piety and humility.

My father once went upstairs to talk to Reb Moshe. Upon entering the apart­ment, a certain Rav was just at the point of departing from Reb Moshe's home. My father recognized this individual to be a very vocal critic of a certain halachic decision Reb Moshe had writ­ten. This person had printed posters and written letters viciously attacking the p'sak and the poseik. My father asked Reb Moshe if he had come to ask for­giveness. Reh Moshe declined to answer. When my father pressed, Reb Moshe said that this Rav had just lost his position and needed a letter of approbation for a new position.

When my father asked if his request for a letter was prefaced by a request for forgiveness, Reb Moshe replied in the negative. My father insisted, with uncharacteristic boldness, that he wanted to organize a protest of the des­ecration of the honor of Torah. Reb Moshe then took my father's hand and gently replied with a response that bespoke volumes on his nobility of character: "Reh Tuvya, Chazal tell us that 'One can achieve a position in the Next World through the actions of an hour on this world.' I gave him the let­ter because he is a yodei'a sefer (schol­ar), without considering his past insults. Maybe this is my hour." When my father recounted this

episode after Reb Moshe's passing, he observed in amazement) "Reb Moshe) the leader of the generation, world­renowned authority, whose days and nights were steeped in Torah, is con­sidering ifhe could attribute his portion in the Next World to this story!"

Once at 1:00 a.m. Rebbetzin Feinstein 7~t knocked at our door and asked my father to go upstairs to discuss a halacha issue. Reb Moshe had to ren-

The Jewish Observer, May 2004

der a decision regarding a kidney transplant and the ramifications to the donor. Reb Moshe spoke it over at length and then rendered his p'sak. My father came downstairs, and only a few min­utes later, the phone rang. Reb Moshe was calling to request of my father to begin saying Tehillim. ''Once we paskened on a question of sakanas nefashos (a life-threatening situation), let it be accompanied by prayer."

THE BROAD SPECTRUM OF TALMIDIM

Throughout the fifty years my father's intense study and dis­se1nination of Torah in America,

our family was privileged to sec a very broad spectrum of devoted and loyal talmidim. Men of varied backgrounds and levels of learning felt privileged because of their association with their "rcbbi:'

But I feel that my father's supreme tal­ent in the world of chinuch is based on the commentary of the Tosafos Yam ]ov to the Mishna in Babba Metzia on the word "n1uvhak,"* which he explains as, "to cause to shine, to ignite." Rebbi muvhak is then defined as a rebbi who so impacts on his students as to cause them to excel. He not only saw a talmid in the most glowing light, he caused the talmid to glow. This, despite the language barrier and the cultural gap of two con­tinents.

Each she'eila brought to him, no mat­ter how insignificant, was treated roy­ally. Once his Mesivta students in RJ) showed him a very small shaver that had cost $!, and asked him to check its kashrus. During recess, he took the group of boys to Reb Moshe in Mesivta Tiferes Yerushalayim to talk over the matter. Each boy was left with a life-long lesson on the significance of halacha and its application to items big or small.

His love of talmidim was boundless. It was not judgmental nor critical, but it was also not compro1nising.

My father first taught in 6'" grade, later moved up to 9'" and 10"' grades, and then was a rebbi in Beis Midrash. His 1 O'" grade *-"-R;bbe--;,;-1~vh~k,;--desc;ii1es ~-"p-~;--·rebb~~"-;-;

"tahnid tnuvhak" denotes a prime disciple.

The Jewish Observer, May 2004

Rab/1i Tuvia Goldstein's !evaya.

class one year in the 1960s left much to be desired in terms of interest and con­duct. My father taught the first term with fiery enthusiasm, as if he were address­ing budding 'lorah leaders. At the con­clusion of the term, all the students expected very low grades. Much to their surprise, the entire class received an-Non their report cards. The boys were thrilled and the parents were so proud. One stu­dent - Shloimie - was too honest to placidly receive this n1atnas chinam) this free handout. He approached his Rebbi the next day and asked for an explana­tion for the unearned grade. My father, with characteristic gentleness, and pro­viding guidance for the future, explained: "First you receive it and then you deserve it:' Shlomie, as well as the entire grade, worked very hard the next term to deserve the mark already given. Shloimie later told me how often he has used this maxim in his own personal life as a form of discipline when raising his children.

The love for talmidim by their rebbe was a tangible emotion. He himself had experienced it as a reality in Ka1nenitz under Reb Boruch Ber. When the bachurim went home bein hazemani1n (intersession), Reb Boruch Ber took hold

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of each one, kissed him, and repeatedly called them mevakshei Hashem - seek­ers of closeness to Hashem. No less of a love did I see on a daily basis from my father to his students - the mevakshei Hashem.

His sense of humor was legendary. He used to explain his tradition of stand­ing while speaking even though his knees and feet gave him substantial pain with the comment that standing while speak­ing is a segula for a short drasha.

Once, he honored us by coming to Lakewood for the entire Pesach. During Chol Hamo' ed, he was asked to speak in the Yeshiva. When he returned home, I asked him how it went. With his characteristic twinkle, he replied, "When 1 came to Lakewood, I saw lit­tle boys selling my pictures in the yeshiva for 35 cents. Now, after the speech, they doubled the price. It was probably a fine drasha!"

WALKING IN HIS WAYS

At my father's levaya (funeral) in Brooklyn, my brother-in-law, Reb Usher David, expounded on

the first verse of Parshas Bechukosai "Im

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bechukosai teileichu- If you will adhere to (literally: go in) My decrees" (Vayikra 26,3). He explained this phrase in a way that defines my father's life's work: the application of Torah to every facet of one's journey through life, and the study of halacha within the framework of a yeshiva, not just as a personal pursuit.

My father did not just render a halacha decision; he researched it, he ago­nized over it, and he lived it. When he had to give a p'sakthatwas painful to the par­ties involved, he would ensure that they left comforted. He stated his decision,

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Rabbi Tuvia Goldstein and Rabbi Moshe Feinstein at the author's wedding

accompanied with guidance for a lifetime. A yungerman left for Florida a few

weeks before Pesach to serve as a mash­giach in a hotel. His wife and five chil­dren were to fly from New York to join him the afternoon before Erev Yam Tov. All five children became sick with strep throat a few days before they were to travel With much tumult and stress, they arrived at the airport a few minutes late and missed their flight. The only alter­native flight was early the next morn­ing, Erev Yorn Tov, from Newark airport, with a stopover in Chicago, landing in Florida that afternoon, a few hours before Pesach.

By this time, the young woman was so exhausted, she decided to stay home with her children and join relatives for the sedarim. Her husband called from Florida and just asked her to phone my father for his advice; they would both agree to abide by his decision. Hearing all the details, with the young woman clearly advocating remaining at home, my father answered her with one line that rendered a p'sak and gave guidance, as well. He said, "Simchas Yam Tov for a husband is when heis together with his wife." The young woman got on the plane with five recovering children, on a roundabout, stopover flight; her whole perspective had shifted to a positive gear. My father would discreetly check up

on talmidim, and when they came to the house to ask a she'eila, he would on occa­sion shuffle on his weak legs to the back room to fetch a brown, crumpled paper

bag with several thousand dollars in it to hand over to them.

He was meticulous regarding the injunction of baa/ tashchis - "Do not waste (literally: destroy) .... " In our home, he saved paper clips, rubber bands and tiny bits of food. I always thought that as a survivor of World War II, he would have a heightened sensitivity to wastefulness. It was only a few years ago that I heard from a talmid that my father had made a vow in Siberia that if he would be released from captivity, he would be fastidious regarding any form of waste.

When a ta/mid moved into an apart­ment in Flatbush and called him with a question regarding the need and position of a mezuza in a certain door­way, he felt he could not picture it prop­erly over the phone. Unhesitatingly, he found a car ride and traveled to their home to determine the requirements of a mezuza with clarity.

The prohibition of not causing pain or even imagined discomfort to a fellow Jew was not taken lightly. As a young girl, I was upset that I couldn't show off some­thing new, but in his typical intuitive style, he explained to me, "You never know how much this other person wants to buy something new and cannot, and how it will pain her to see something new on someone else."

When we married off our first child, my father called me with only one request. The wedding invitation should not contain any verses from Tanach, par-

The Jewish Observer, May 2004

tial verses, or the Name of Hashem- not even the very customary "T"P~. When I explained how difficult it was not to con­nect Heaven in any way to our simcha, he replied that it would suit Heaven much more if there would be no dese­cration of His name, as all invitations eventually end up in trash cans. I reluctantly printed invitations in con­formance with my father's instruc­tions, realizing how much discomfort it was causing our mechutanim, as very few people printed such bland invitations. Only years later did I realize how much research and how much effort he had invested to avoid desecration of Hashem's Name. In 1938, Reb Elchonon had traveled to America and was the guest of a Yid on the Lower East Side. When my father had asked him for details of the Rosh Yeshiva's stay in his home, the host had mentioned that Reb Elchonon would remove all coins from his pockets before going to the restroom because of the phrase "In G-d We Trust" printed on all currency.

Many years later, Yeshiva Emek Halacha, had bought 4 cent postcards that had the same phrase printed on them. My father went to Reb Moshe to discuss the issue. Reb Moshe held that one could be lenient because those who design coins and postage stamps do not share our con­cepts of sacred references. My father heard this leniency but remembered Reb Ekhonon's stringency and continued upholding the more stringent view. Only then did I realize the depth of his com­mitment. He did not just learn halah­ca, he lived it.

My husband eulogized my father

at the levaya quoting the passuk from Mishlei (8,21):

"N71:1N on~nl1Y'IN nN'I V" ~:tiilN 7nlit7 - I have what to bequeath to those who love me, and I shall fill all their storehouses." What need was there for Shlomo Hamelech to state the obvious? Surely we understand that Hashem has sufficient bounty for His beloved beneficiaries. But an alternative interpretation can be offered. The Torah is stating in the verse that it is a live entity that can establish a relationship with those who immerse themselves in its study, and it has an abundance of reward for them in return. Imagine the joy Torah "experienced" when it was clarified from its Mishnaic roots and developed as halacha lema'aseh.

How my father loved Torah and took responsibility for its clarification! My hus­band does not recall ever having had a conversation with him in the thirty years that he knew him, that did not involve Torah thoughts, clarification of a mitz­va, or stories of his Rebbe'im.

My father's level of hasmada was leg­endary. His regular schedule included being up for two full nights weekly - a regimen that he maintained throughout his lifetime. When he was a young Rav on the East Side, Rabbi Henkin ?"'lll was recognized as a world-famous gadol. Someone once came to hi1n with a ques­tion before Shabbos, and Rabbi Henkin told him that he did not have the time and yishuv hadaas (serenity of mind) to answer him before Shabbos. But if he would go around the corner, he would surely find young Reb Tuvia in shu/, despite the approaching Shabbos, sitting and ]earn­ing; he would answer him properly.

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917-930-5793 Brooklyn, New York New Office in Philadelphia, PA Limited Evening Hours

The Jewish Observer, May 2004

Rabbi Yosef Rosenblum N"""'1!> eulo­gized him so movingly, giving him a most befitting accolade: "':>N"w> ?:> "l'"T'l '11 "!'"!'­

Beloved to Hashem and beloved to Kial Yisroel." He loved the Ribbono Shel Olam so mucb- as a young orphan, as a Siberian prisoner) as an immigrant Rebb~ and as a renowned poseik. This love was only paralleled by his remarkable love and concern for every individual Yid.

Y'hei zichro baruch. •

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0 n Taanis Esther, a new beautiful paroches (curtain) was placed on the front of the aron hakodesh

in the sanctuary of Kever Rachel, where the Matriarch Rachel is buried. There were over four hundred people in atten­dance and there wasn't a dry eye amongst them. What caused this great outpouring of emotion at what is usu­ally a joyous event? It was not the cere­mony of hanging the paroches that brought with it a flood of tears, but what the paroches was made of.

The heart-rending story of this paroches took place several months ago, when a remarkable young woman so full oflife and anticipation took an evening stroll to a cafe with her farl1er to share a special few moments together only hours before he was to have escorted her down the aisle to her chupa. As that renowned baal chessed, Dr. David Applebaum ~n. joined his daughter Nava ., .. t on that fateful evening, a pereh Ra.bbi G·i~;;zberg~ fo~~ding R:iv of"Ohr M~she Torah Institute in Hillcrest, NY, is currently Rav of the Chofetz Chaim Torah Center of Cedarhurst (Long Island), New York. He is a fre­quent contributor to JO, most recently with "Journalism and Accountability" (Mar. '04).

The Jewish Observer, May 2004

A Tallis, AWeddin

adam (savage) blew himself up in Cafe Hillel, and the kalla, her father, and sev­eral other kedoshim joined a long list of Jews who were killed al kiddush Hashem.

The Dilemma

As the Applebaum family, with remarkable strength and bitachon, began to rebuild their lives, they

were faced with a dilemma: What should they do wirl1 Nava's beautiful wed­ding dress that was faithfully waiting on its hanger for its owner to claim it?

Nava's family could not remove it; they could not even bring themselves to touch it. It was not just a dress; it represented kedusha and tahara, sanctity and puri­ty. It was to grace a kalla at her chupa, the holiest moment in a person's life. Yet, for reasons that we are not privileged to understand, she was instead selected to reach a level of kedusha that transcends the kedusha of the chupa a thousand fold.

(Reb Chaim Volozhin ?··:.r explains that there is a designated place in Shamayim for those that die al kiddush Hashem that no other person can reach, even if he/she lived for a thousand years.

For this reason, the Belzer Rebbe, Reb Ahron ':r'1!, used to tell his Chassidim who had lost relatives in the Holocaust that they need not observe a Yahrzeitfor them. A Yahrzeit is to give an aliyas neshama to the deceased. Since those who perished al kiddush Hashem cannot possibly reach any higher in Shamayim, there is no need for a Yahrzeit observance.)

And so their dilemma was, What should be done with her wedding gown? An idea was presented to create a paroches for an aron hakodesh with a por­tion of Nava's wedding dress as its cen­terpiece. Not just any paroches, but the paroches on the aron kodesh in Kever Rachel. When it came to installing this paroches, this normally joyous event filled the room with kedusha, with tefillos and with tears. Tears that flowed for a dress that did not merit to be stained with her kalla's tears under the chupa. Instead, it will be stained with the tears of count­less Jews who pour out their hearts to Mama Rachel each and every day.

To many people who heard this brief news items, it was little more than a good story. In truth, it is an event that resonates with great depth and

37

meaning which have been the source of our people's strength throughout our history.

Permit me to explain.

A Source of Strength

Chazal point out a key difference between Moshe Rabbeinu and Shmuel Hanavi. When Moshe

wanted to speak to Hashem, he had to go to Hashem (to the Ohel Mo' eid). By contrast, when Shmuel Hanavi had need to speak to Hashem, Hashem came to him. Ghazal explain that the rea-

son for this was Shmuel Hanavts extraordinary love for Kial

Yisroel that went beyond con­ventional guidelines: When

Moshewanted to speak to 1Jt;fei;Yisroel, they came

(),him, as befits the "'aef'erence due him.

'.therefore, when he wanted to

§~~ak to ;.Hashem,

he in turn had to go to Hashem. Shmuel Hanavi, however, went to Bnei Yisroel, and, in turn, Hashem came to him.

The source of Shmuel Hanavts abun­dance of love for Bnei Yisroel is found in a fascinating Midrash. His mother, Chana, had made a special begged (gar­ment) for him. This garment was filled with so much love from mother to son, that as he wore it every day, he felt enveloped in his mother's great love for him, even long after she had departed this world. Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz ?·-;,n explains that Shmuel Hanavi could not help but be filled with that love, which manifested itself in his going to Kial Yisroel to speak to them, rather than hav­ing them come to him.

In our growing-up years, my siblings and I merited having a wonderful grandmoth­er, "Bubbie Goldie." She was not a learned person, and, like so many of her generation, had to leave everything behind when she fled Vienna, just one step ahead of Hitler ~'"t. She struggled every day to provide for her­self and for her family. She especially ded­icated her skills as a seamstress to her grandchildren. She would spend every day off from work sewing new clothes, or mend­ing old ones for us. We took it for granted.

Whatever tore, Bubbie Goldie could fix. Only later, after seeing this

Midrash, did I truly under­stand her. She wasn't

just sewingfor her family; in the

spirit of

Chana, she was putting all her love and ded­ication to her family into her every stitch. This commitment was her legacy.

This is akin to what took place at Kever Rachel on Taanis Esther. It wasn't just a paroches that was dedicated. And it's not just that a dress was used to make it. It was a gathering together of so much emotion and so much pain that was invested into one white dress, and then transmitting it to the Mama Rachel

It was taking the excitement and antic­ipation of a kalla named Nava as she went for her fitting; the kedusha of a dress to be worn under the chupa and under the stars; the tears and the pain of a dress longing for its owner; and taking all of that and wrapping Mama Rachel with it.

It's in keeping with the ancient tra­dition in Bretz Yisroel where kallas come to Kever Rachel during the week before their wedding to invite Mama Rachel to participate in their chupa. Except here, Nava, in a sense, has come to Mama Rachel and has joined her le'net­zach netzachim, for eternity. The love of Chana in the begged for her son, and the kedusha of Nava in her wedding dress, will be spread to all who come greet her.

And Then There Was a Tallis

Abrief story about another begged; this one not a wedding dress, but rather a tallis. During a recent trip

to Bretz Yisroel, I made every attempt to daven vasikin, at sunrise each morning at the Kosel Hamaaravi. As someone once remarked, "Going to the Kosel anytime is kodesh. Going to vasikin is kodesh kadashim."

There are many different minyan­im to choose from. I chose one that many Americans select. It is referred to as "Lieutenant Birnbaum's Minyan;' because he carefully holds and monitors the neitz clock, which ti)atks the moment of service, on his

, s~,tender. As I tried to daven properly on the first

o<Ly, I eould not help but be drawn to a aunting yet powerful voice coming from other minyan. My eyes followed my

to the source of that inspiring heart -ing davening at the rear wall.

The Jewish Observer, May 2004

I noticed a short man with long hair and a long beard leading the davening, which I later learned, he does each and every morning. My eyes rested on his tallis. It was yellowed, wrinkled and held together by threads.

His tefilla was so powerful that l could only concentrate on him and his depth of tefilla. After several inquiries, I was told that he is a brilliant talmid chacham, well versed in nigleh and nistar (both revealed and esoteric lore), and the author of several sefarim. He is the son of one of the Sephardic gedolim of our time and a son-in-law of another.

Several years ago, after numerous bar­baric terrorist bus attacks, he vowed to spend his days in complete prayer to bring an end to the suffering of Acheinu Bnei Yisroel. He arrives at the Kosel each night before Chatzos (midnight), recites Tikkun Chatzos while sitting on the ground, and says Tehillim until Shacharis. He lead the neitz minyan each morning, then goes to Kever Rachel to continue his studies and tefillos.

I wondered "How many tears, tefil-

los, and taanios (fasts) did this tallisplay a role in?"

At that moment, I felt that I needed that tallis for myself. I approached him one morning after another Ne'ila-type Shacharis davening, and respectfully asked if! could purchase him a new tall is. He shook his head "No." Not giving up, I explained that it was not for him that I wanted to purchase a new tallis; it was for the kavod of his tefilla. He again quick­ly motioned with his hand: "No:' Not giv­ing up, I tried a third approach, to which he finally said, "Adoni, ha'im atta rotzeh letza'erot1?" (Sir, do you want to cause me great pain by taking away my personal tallis?) I then realized: this is not only a tallis, it is a paroches on an aron kodesh. It's a begged to wrap all those tears of Tikkun Chatzos, of Yidden suffering, of his majestic tefillos, and to preserve them to present to Moshiach. For the remainder of the trip, I watched him closely with great awe and respect for that weathered tallis.

The Navi tells us that" Rachel mevacha al baneha (Rachel cries for her children)" and that Hashem responds to those cries.

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Mama Rachel, where are your tears? And why haven't they ended our suf­fering? Why is there no "return of your children to their borders"?... Maybe Mama Rachel is waiting for us to cry along with her.

And so, Mama Rachel, wrap yourself in the new paroches at your side, made from Nava's wedding dress; warm your wailing with the torn tallis of this tzad­dik who sits each and every day at your feet.

Let your tears mingle with theirs. Feel their pain and let them feel yours. Help them - and us - bring an end to our pain and suffering. And, Nava, together with your saintly father from your special place above, tnrn to our Great Matriarch and beseech her, "Cry, Mama Rachel, please cry:' •

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··----------·------------The Jewish Observer, May 2004 39

~ $l~8:t1jiii ----------------M•r•s .• s.a~.ah•S•h-ap-iro

Thunder irons out the wrinkles in a man's mind (Berachos 59a).

I was in the back seat of a taxi trying to figure out one of the functions of my new cellular phone when the driv­

er suddenly put on the brakes. "Did you feel that?" he said.

"What? "An earthquake!" "An earthquake? Are you sure? I did­

n't feel anyth-" "Yes! An earthquake!" Come to think of it, a bump bump

bump bump - which had registered to some very slight degree on my con­sciousness as a speed bump a few moments before, and which would otherwise never have been recalled- was retrieved now from my sense memory. Could that have been ... an earthquake? So totally absorbed had I been in the petty task at hand - trying to set a dif­ferent ring-tone - that whatever mes­sage I could have derived from the vast, turbulent shifting of the earth beneath our feet had, in my case, not arrived at

Mrs. Shapiro of Jerusalem is a frequent contributor to these pages, including "The Bicycle at the Beginning of Time" (Feb. '04). Her most recent book is A Gift Passed Along. A Woman Looks at the World Around Her, published by ArtScroll.

40

its destination: my heart. My heart, at the time, had been fast asleep.

It had reached its destination else­where, though, as I would later learn. Cabinets in Israel had swung open, floors rolled, walls trembled, windows cracked, and people recounted how they'd grasped in an instant (or, were grasped by) some of the basic truths we must nor­mally work years to acquire: that we are not in control; the permanence of the physical world is an illusion; the only real­ity is Hashem .... Ideas that slip easily off the tongue until something happens that actually brings them terrifyingly to life. It has been said that not to believe that all things are for the good is equivalent to apikorsus, since all things come from G-d. On this occasion, the kindness was bestowed with the utmost gentleness, for people got the awakening without the pain. I envied them. The truths were delivered free of charge - no one was hurt - with just enough power to jolt us tem­porarily from the slumber which human beings love.

The taxi driver was turning up the radio. "You see? They're already talking about it. It was an earthquake. And look over there, see? They're letting the chil­dren out of school."

Sure enough, a flood of excited ched­er boys was spilling out onto the side­walks, their young faces altered by fear and uncertainty.

***

It's nine a.m. the following Sunday. Around 8:30, I was in the middle of composing a sentence about the

irony, and foolhardiness, and danger, of imagining I want a wake-up call in this land where there's no dearth of wake­up calls, where wake-up calls are a dime a dozen, and are issued in abundance, unceasingly - when I realized that for several seconds, like an insistent mos­quito's whine in the back of my thoughts, there had been growing in the distance a familiar loathsome sound. Just as those speed-bumps had come to my attention only with hindsight, so did the noise of ambulance sirens not immedi­ately gain entry into my consciousness, so thick is the cocoon that guards me.

I turned on the radio. The futile hope: that there would be

no news. The suicide bombing was carried out

on the bus line that one of my daugh­ters takes to work each morning, and the

The Jewish Observer, May 2004

only reason I wasn't hysterical right now is that although by this hour she has usu­ally left the house, today she's still here. A while ago (glad for an excuse to keep her off the bus), I had asked her to please wait. I, too, had to go downtown this morning; we could share a taxi.

Upon hearing the news, I went fren­ziedly down a mental checklist, as usual, and called everyone in iny fami­ly, and all my friends who would be out­side at this hour, simultaneously chastising myself for the growing relief that permeated me. Shame! How dare I feel relief?

But that's the way it goes. No soon­er is the cocoon torn open than it instant­ly starts spinning itself back into being again. Cocoon upon cocoon upon cocoon .... When one Motza'ei Shabbos, the #2 bus, on its return trip from the Kosel, was bombed right down the street from us and several of our neigh­bors died, my densely-wrapped mind was soon reassuring me that I take that bus in the morning, not at night. On anoth­er occasion, a suicide bomber walked into the midst of a group of children in an adjoining neighborhood, and sooner or later, my thoughts about this, too, were falling into place in their normal, crazy line-up, assuring methat it had happened three blocks away. In other words, my brain - poor, frightened creature- stub­bornly and dumbly insists, each and every time, on missing the point.

But who would say it is not Hashem

Who designed our minds in this fash­ion? Could we lead our daily lives oth­erwise?

What is this dream we're dreaming? How can we awaken ourselves, so as not to need these unrelenting blasts?

***

The day after the quake, snow fell. White quietness ... Howwe in the Middle East crave its soft beauty.

Actually, it was a hard-driving icy sort of snow, but still .. .it did have some still­ness to offer, and a day off from school, and work.

While everyone in the house was still asleep, I went merrily out into the pale, freezing air before dawn and waited, and waited, for the #2 ... until I remembered, of course, that the buses wouldn't be run­ning today. Good riddance! How won­derful!

But then, upon arrival by foot at the Kase~ the normal entrance was sealed off like a crime scene! Peering over the block­ade, I saw in the murky half-light that the whole expanse in front of the women's section was strewn randomly with some sort of big black concrete blocks. I instantly assumed that Arabs must have thrown them down at the Jewish worshippers from the Temple Mount area overlooking the Wall, as once, a few years ago, they had hurled stones!

But no ... That's not how it was. It was probably the earthquake, and perhaps the

snow, and perhaps, too, the long-unsu­pervised and illegal renovations under­taken by the Palestinian Wakf - who knows? - that had finally loosened the structure of the old ramp leading up to the mosque, and caused its collapse. Had there not been such an icy snowfall on the night it happened, could someone have been there when the horde oflethal rocks tumbled down, scattering in all directions~

No one was hurt. I entered the portion of the men's sec­

tion, which had been redesigned and sealed off to accommodate the now-dis­placed women, and was seized by a child­ish glee at trespassing on this territory where in thirty years I had never once set foot. How silly, I told myself. Why are you so happy?

I turned to go. At that moment, someone tapped me

on the shoulder. It was Udel, one of the women who's been davening Shacharis at the Kosel for years. "If you walk across the men's section," she said in an under­tone, ('you can get a new daled amos in Bretz Yisroel."

Back I went into the newly opened area, and walked back and forth and back and forth, and back and forth and back and forth - as delighted with myself, and the world, and G-d, as a child who's just taken her very first step.

Please awaken us, our Father in Heaven, with gentleness, far beyond what we deserve. •

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~Sl~8f] ...... ----------------D-av.id•P.•R-ose

}Ja wedding in Brooklyn last Elul, hservance of the sacred laws of osher wine' suffered a setback

when a serious breach of good kashrus practice took place: non-mevushal wine was served to Torah-observant guests by non-Jewish personnel. The hall, cater­er and hechsher were all solidly main­stream. It is important to analyze the factors underlying this deplorable inci­dent in order to raise awareness of the issues and to prevent a recurrence of the problem. We hope to show that the pit­fall can be traced - directly or indirect­ly - to a defective kashrus policy issne, which should be rectified.

Lately, one has become accustomed to finding small bilingual" hechsher' cards on wedding meal tables in halls, hear­ing a somber message from the Rav Hamachshir (supervising rabbi), stating his policy: he assumes responsibility for all items served at the meal, hut not the wines and beverages. In other words, he vouches for the kashrus of everything at the event, with the exception of one major component - the drinks!

This position is untenable. A hechsher with integrity must be comprehensive. It must encompass all components of kosher food service. Imagine the

Mr. Rose is an independent observer of the kashrus scene from the policy, consumerist and admin­istrative perspectives. This is his first appearance in these pages. He lives in Baro Park, Brooklyn.

42

WHERE DOES

THE BUCK STO;Pz?'

absurdity were the Rav to state that "everything is under my supervision here except the cucumber salad:' No one would

1 These laws, found in Shulchan Aruch Yoreli Dei'a 124, aim to prevent inappropriate socializing benveen Jews and gentiles by requiring that 'vine must be pasteurized ( mevusha[) before being han­dled and served by non-Jews.

take such a hechsher seriously. How then can it be justified to exclude wines and beverages, if salads, condiments and everything else in the kitchen are included in the supervision?

Even fro1n a consumerist point of view, the policy of exclusion is prob­le1natic. A conscientious guest at a sim­cha has a right to enjoy his meal without the burden of concern that some components need special attention. The Rav cannot reasonably deflect his underlying supervisory burden onto the consumer. The guest may not be famil­iar with the local kashrus landscape -labels, hechsheirim, product alerts or sta­tus - or he may he a newcomer to the kashrus scene. He wants to enjoy the meal - including the beverages - but sees that they are not "covered." With consterna­tion, he may well ask: "Is there a prob­lem with the wine and the soda? If so, why are they here at the hall? Can I drink them? What's going on here?" A guest has a right to rely on the Rav Hamachshir across the board, without compunction. Only those ingredients and products which the Rav endorses should be in circulation at a kosher event.

At the wedding, the beverage exclu­sion was a direct, underlying cause of the michshol (pitfall) that occurred, to widespread chagrin. How so? Non­mevushal wine was served by the gen­tile staff. When the caterer was

The Jewish Observer, Moy 2004

confronted with the mishap, he shrugged off all responsibility: "Don't blame me. The mechutan (groom's father) supplied the wine. I just uncorked it and sent it out to the tables:' If a lax beverage policy had not prevailed, he would not have been able to make such a statement with impunity. Clearly, the defective policy created an enabling environment for abdication of respon­sibility by an important link in the chain of kashrus responsibility.

The exclusion of beverages - the root cause of the problem incident under review - can be traced to

three elements: scotch whisky, liqueurs, and cola sodas. There is a degree of con­troversy about these classes of products on what can be called "extra-kashrus" grounds. Despite solid halachic basis for admitting a wide range of scotches and the most popular brand of cola, some Rabbanim Machshirim, in the author's opinion, are unwilling to ('stick their necks out" and either accept them or reject them - or to be selective, admit­ting some colas, scotches and liqueurs, and barring others, as is done with all other ingredients in the kitchen. They prefer to dodge the issue by throwing the baby out with the bathwater and exclud­ing ALL beverages from their hechsher. They "pass the buck" to the consumer, where it does not belong.

In order to preserve the full integri­ty of the hechsher, a Rav Hamachshir should adopt this three-pronged policy:

If the Rav cannot positively endorse a given wine or beverage, for whatev­er reason, he must actively exclude it from the simcha.

If scotch, liqueurs, and cola/soda products are desired on the menu, he must admit to the hall only those that bear an explicit hechsher of which he personally approves (thus allowing them to be served freely, on the same basis as any other product or ingredi­ent).

2Nor is it sufficie~t to say, "Alli~-under 111y super­vision, except the beverages, which are approved by the ABC Kosher Lab." Saying this is an abdi­cation of the Rav's underlying responsibility to enforce standards of which he approves.

The Jewish Observer, Moy 2004

He must proactively verify the mevushal status of ALL wine products. In practical terms, this means taking active, defined steps to exclude non­mevushal wines from the hall, at the pol­icy level, because the chance of error is so great, given the preponderance of non-Jewish waiters.

the widest drinkability of products by the widest c!ientele, while providing an ironclad integrity to the hechsher. 2 These steps, taken together, should mark the passing of the beverage disclaimer from the kashrus scene at weddings and other simchos. •

Given the fact that broad communi­ty consensus on scotch, liqueurs, and cola products is unlikely to be reached, this threefold matrix of steps would ensure

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43

CLARIFICATION

In my review of Noah Efron's book Real Jews: Secular vs. Ultra-Orthodox and the Struggle for Jewish Identity in Israel (JO Oct. '03), I quoted his description of the lovely chareidi ideal of" Torah-iiber­alles:' Though I was quoting Efron, who himself expressed his own admiration for this ideal, the association of Torah with words best known as part of the nation­al anthem of the Nazis, V"", was pro­foundly offensive to at least one reader. I regret the lack of sufficient sensitivity.

I would also like to make clear that my review was not intended as a rec­ommendation of Professor Efron's book for reading by the general chareidi public or an endorsement of everything

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44

he writes. While I believe that Efron's the­sis is an important one, and the book contains much that is useful, it is nev­ertheless, as I wrote, a virtual com­pendium of everything negative written about chareidim, and in addition, con­tains drawings that are highly offensive.

YONOSON ROSENBLUM

Jerusalem

PROLONGING LIFE: NOT ALWAYS A MITZVA

To the Editor: In the Shevat/February issue of The

Jewish Observer, Rabbi Mordechai Biser presented a picture in his article, "The New Ideology in Health Care ... and How to Survive It;' which I feel was unhal­anced, to say the least. He painted a pic­ture in which doctors are out to give up on elderly patients and to "pull the plug" on perfectly viable individuals. He start­ed his article by quoting Rabbi Reuven Drucker, who related horror stories about patients who were given up for dead by their doctors and ended up walking out of the hospital. What he fails to mention is all of the patients who are exposed to unnecessary and often painful treatments in the misguided assumption that it will prolong their lives.

I don)t mean to suggest for a moment

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that there are not doctors with agendas that counter the halachic views on end­of life issues. However) we are at a stage in medical history where we have an unprecedented array of therapies to offer patients. Now that we have the ability to do so many things, we must take a step hack and ask where and when these ther­apies are appropriate. Consider that many of the therapies available to patients at the end of life are not innocuous, but rather are risky and often very painful. Does uvacharta bachayim require us to submit to each and every procedure and therapy, no matter how painful and no matter how dubious the benefit? Honestly, I don't know the answer. However, I feel that instead of sound­ing the alarmist bells about doctors killing patients, we should be grappling with substantive issues of which therapies are halachically appropriate and when.

DR. DANIEL ROSENBLATT

Highland Park, NJ

NEED FOR CAUTION AND CONCERN IN SUPERVISING PATIENT CARE

To the Editor: As one who has worked in the health

care field for over 25 years, both as a Jewish chaplain and as director of a Jewish Hospice Program - I found the article, "The New Ideology in Health Care;' by Rabbi Mordechai Biser (Feb. '04), to be unfortunately, right on tar­get.

As Director of Chaplaincy in a Wisconsin hospital, I was made aware of an incident where the life-support sys­tem, specifically, the mechanical venti­lator) was removed from a patient after the EEG showed no brain activity. The physician, without the family's being aware, ordered the patient removed from the ventilator, despite knowing of the family's wishes that the ventilator not be removed. The nurses refused to dis­connect the machine. So the physician himself, who happens to have been a non-observant Jew, unplugged the res­pirator) waited a few minutes until the patient passed away, reattached the res­pirator, told the nurse to call the fami­ly in, and told them that their loved one

The Jewish Observer, May 2004

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had just passed away. There was another incident involving

an elderly Jewish patient with advanced dementia who had not signed any advance directives. Her niece, who was her legal guardian, requested that her aunt's gastric feeding tube be removed, "as her aunt would not want to be kept alive this way." This was brought before the ethics committee of this specific Jewish nursing home, and it was decid­ed against removing this life-giving gastric tube. She was transferred by her niece to another facility where, in fact, the gastric tube was removed. Efforts were then made to feed this patient orally. To my great pleasure and to the niece's dis­may, this patient ate the soft food fed to her for three additional months before her neshama was returned to her Maker.

As chaplain, I counseled an elderly woman in her 70s who was challenged with diabetes. She did not want her leg amputated because she felt she had lived long enough and did not want to go through this procedure. As we began talk­ing about her family, I listened as she described a specific granddaughter. I and asked her, didn't she want to be able to see nachas and simchos from this grand­child? With constant encouragement, I got this woman through her grand­daughter's high school and college graduations. I then focused on looking forward to her granddaughter's marriage. After the birth of her first great grand­child, she told me that now it was enough, and she refused further treatment for kid­neys that no longer functioned.

With proper encouragement, this wonderful lady lived seven additional years from the time she had wanted to give up. Unfortunately, overlooked is the fact that many patients express their frus­trations and want to give up living because of depression and a lack of rea­son to live, rather than because of the challenge of their illness.

While in Wisconsin, I was a teacher of medical ethics in a Catholic med­ical school. I found that many of these religious students were aghast as to what they were being taught by the sec­ular medical community.

It was important that the article men-

46

tioned the fact that there "are situations where a poseik may determine that if a particular course of medical treatment is not required or not advisable, such as where the risks of the procedure are high or in some cases where the patient is in intractable pain,'' then treatment may be withheld.

While, of course, a poseik must be con­sulted in individual cases, there are many reliable opinions that there are certain situations where the patient is in intractable pain (which today, with medical advances, should not have to be), and is totally aware of what is going on, that he/she has the right to refuse fur­ther treatment. In fact, it is my feeling that a halachically sensitive hospice may well be a proper alternative for these patients. In a hospice, comfort care is accented, meaning that pain control is a priority, infections are treated, and rev­erence for life is paramount.

There are two additional important points that I would like to make. (I) When a halachic living will is filled out, besides the family having a copy of this will, an attorney, the physician, and the family rav should have a copy, as well. I, in fact, have had patients tape­record their wishes to their family as to whom to contact in case of a life-threat­ening situation. At the same time, I've had several cases where patients who signed advance directives, i.e., living wills, did so while they were healthy, and yet, when they faced serious illness, pan­icked. They feared that because they signed a living will, the physicians weren't going to do enough to save their lives. It is easy to sign a living will when one is well, but one has to truly under­stand what one is signing. (2) At times, when a loved one has to be placed in a medical facility, proximity should not always be the criterion for placement. The fact that this hospice "was far from her daughter's home," as mentioned in your article, does not detract from the possibility that the hospice may have been a more sensitive and outstanding facility. Too many adult children have placed their loved ones in nursing homes that, I hesitate to say, are substandard, because of convenience. Distance,

sometimes, can be to the patient's advantage.

Finally, it is rewarding to see that many bnei Torah-young talmidei chachamim - are entering into the field of medicine and making a tremendous kiddush Hashem in the work they are doing. May the Ribbono shel Olam give them the abil­ity to become the new leaders in a field that hungers for more sensitivity and value for every moment of human life.

It is imperative for all to realize that how we treat our fellow human beings in sickness and in health is a reflection on us, as creations of Hakadosh Baruch Hu. If we forget that we are created bet­zellem Elokim, we open our doors to the travesty that is happening in the med­ical world today.

RABBI DR. TSVI G. SCHUR

Director of Jewish Community Chaplaincy Jewish Family Services of Baltimore, MD

Author of Illness and Crises: Coping

the Jewish Way

THE AUTHOR RESPONDS:

Rabbi Dr. Schur's experiences and observations are a most eloquent response to Dr. Rosenblatt's implicit charge that my article overstated the grow­ing danger facing Orthodox Jewish patients in health care facilities. Certainly, the choice of which "end oflife" therapies to pursue is a serious question that requires consultation with medical experts and an experienced poseik. But I am sure that in the current medical cli­mate, there are many more patients whose lives are being prematurely ended as com­pared to patients who are needlessly suf­fering from unnecessary treatments. While my article did not (and did not intend to) malign the majority of doc­tors, it was indeed meant to be a suitable alarm to awaken our community to the threat posed by the new medical ideol­ogy. The many requests pouring into our office for Halachic Living Wills, togeth­er with the fact that dedicated volunteers throughout the country have offered to help publicize and distribute Halachic Living Wills in their communities, show that the alarm was heard.

RABBI MORDECHAI BISER

The Jewish Observer, May 2004

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