Monthly Archive for April, 2010

Weekly Torah Message: Emor – The Tenth Man on the Team

Published on April 29, 2010 in Uncategorized. Closed

Reb Moshe Leib of Sassov used to say: “Come and see how precious of all the priceless items in the world the simple Jew is. If there are nine great Rabbis, who are brilliant, always learning Torah, and all capable, you still can’t make a minyan in order to pray and say Kaddish, kedusha or Borchu”. But if you have ten ignorant men, men who sit idly by and never study Torah and waste their time; they can make up a minyan amongst themselves for every holy prayer requires a quorum of ten adult males.”
The verse in our parsha Chapter 22 verse 32 says “says V’Lo S’Chalilu es Shem Kodshi, V’Nikdashti B’Soch B’Nei Yisrael. You shall not defile my Holy Name, and you shall sanctify me within the midst of the Jewish people.” We have an obligation to sanctify Hashem’s name and not desecrate it. One of the easiest ways to sanctify God’s name is to be part of a minyan that is going to do a mitzvah. Whether that mitzvah is to go daven or be part of a minyan to give up your life.

The Sassover Rebbe would also say that the foundation of a royal palace belonging to the king was not built with gold, silver and jewels, but rather with stones and mortar, lime and bricks. So too with the simple and ordinary Jews, it is the simple whole hearted Jews who are the true foundation of our people. It is those wholesome, pure, humble and pious Jews who are the foundation of the world. It is the ones that come to make up the daily minyanim morning and evening. It is those who always show up to minyan in the rain, snow and ice. These are the true builders and keepers of Jewish society. We only need a few good men, but they should always be at the head of the line.

I believe one of the ways to sanctify God’s name is not only to be among the ten, but to make sure you are one of the first nine! How often it is that when we are looking for a minyan and calling around some people will say “if you have nine and I’m the tenth I will come”. If everyone has that attitude then we will never get a minyan or a quorum. In a certain vain I believe that this is a desecration of Hashem’s name. Rather a person should be inspired, energetic and have the enthusiasm to be a part of the first nine people in trying to make the minyan and not necessarily waiting to come only if they are needed as the tenth. Case in point this past week I officiated at a funeral and was trying to gather ten men in order to recite Kaddish at the grave, mind you, no one knew who the deceased was. I know people are busy at work, school and other obligations and was telling me that if you NEED them to make the minyan they would come, but otherwise, not. Needless to say we got our minyan and said Kaddish but the point struck a cord within me that we should not need to be the tenth man but rather want to be among the first.

A Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avram Bogopulsky

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Weekly Torah Message: Parshas Acharei Mos/Kedoshim

Published on April 22, 2010 in Uncategorized. Closed

We don’t appreciate the symbiotic relationship between the body and the soul. We often think that there is zero connection between the two. In reality, if a person leads a spiritual life they will lead a healthier physical life. We find that the same methods to physical health can be shaped from spiritual health as well.

As soon as a person exercises for the first time, they immediately feel stronger, skinnier, and overall healthier. Despite the fact that the results of the rigorous training or the abstaining from the usual “tastier foods” are miniscule, it nevertheless gives us a push that we should continue. That little bit of exercising and dieting makes us feel better. The same is true when a person is spiritually “out of shape” Even after doing one Mitzva, a chessed or learns a little Torah the person feels spiritually healthier.

In this week’s Torah portion Kedoshim, in chapter 20 verse 7 the Torah states “V’Hiskadishtem V’Hyiem Kedoshim “You shall sanctify yourselves and you shall be holy”. Rav Dovid Moskovits zt”l who wrote a religious text back in 1922 (published in 1929) called *”Galilei Zahav”* comments on this verse and says. “If you make yourselves holy even not for the sake of heaven, but you will act holy, then in the end eventually you WILL become holy. Because the end of the verse says “Ki Ani Hashem Elokeichem, because I am Hashem your God.” I am the G-d who will help you become holy. The Rabbis teach us that if someone goes to purify himself then Hashem will help them. G-d says (so to speak) “Open up for me an opening the size of a needle and I will open up for you the entrance way to a grand ballroom.” If a person helps themselves a little by doing something small in spirituality then Hashem will help them nurture that spirituality and make it blossom into something greater.
Today I witness so many people who are spiritually “out of shape”. The main problem is that they don’t even know it. It is not like a person tries to walk up a flight of stairs and they are out of breath, or they can’t bend down to tie their shoes. In the physical world there are obvious warning signs and signals a person when they are out of shape and need to do something about it. Unlike our spiritual health which does not share those same warning signals, and sometimes they are literally driving themselves to spiritual suicide by default. People need to take stock and look around and see how far they have fallen away. They used to do some Mitzvos or learning but haven’t done so in years. All it takes is a little push in the right direction and you would be amazed at how it will start to come back. Hashem is there to pull that person up as long as they reach out to Hashem. Let us be Holy and……………… get back into shape!

*The Sefer Galilei Zahav was a commentary about the parsha, but also about the Jews of his day. Rabbi Moskovits wrote of how frustrated he was at the leaders of the Jewish people “in that cursed place (Germany)” who not only refused to tell their people to get out of Germany and go to Israel while they still could. But these leaders went so far as to poison the minds of the German Jews against Israel. This is related to his commentary in parshas Shelach, saying “The gedolim of this generation will one day be called before the heavenly court and be held accountable for the destruction that they have caused”. Again, this was published in 1929, and it was a short number of years later that his fears came to be realized (he lived out his remaining years in Tel Aviv where he became the Av Beis Din).

Weekly Torah Message: Parshas Tazria/Metzora

Published on April 16, 2010 in Uncategorized. Closed

One of the main focuses of this week’s Torah portion is the law of Tzaraas/leprosy and its cause the sin of Lashon Hara/evil speech. The Medrash in Vayikra Rabbah 33:1 relates that Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel sent his servant Tevi to the market to buy “The best thing you can find”. Tevi the servant came back with a tongue. Another time, Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel sent his servant Tevi to the market to buy “The worst thing you can find”. Tevi the servant came back with a tongue. Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel was perplexed and asked Tevi his servant, “How is it that you brought me a tongue as the best and the worst things you could find?” Tevi answered “ There is nothing better than a tongue that speaks good and nothing worse than a tongue that speaks evil.”

The Torah describes the leprosy displayed in three different places: a person’s house, clothing and body. The Rabbis tell us that Hashem is kind and merciful and does not rush to punish us immediately on our bodies but sends a subtle message by the affliction appearing on the walls of our house. If we don’t listen and correct our ways then the leprosy reaches our clothing. If we have completely denied Hashem’s message then the leprosy afflicts our skin, and we literally wear the sin on our bodies for everyone to see.

I believe that even in today’s day and age Hashem uses the same method of sending a message to individuals and to the Jewish people on a whole. Lashon Hara, evil speech has become the downfall of the Jewish people throughout our history. There are two emerging situations that face the Jewish people, that we cannot be silent about. We need to use our tongues for good and not bad. Let us take up the cause for an individual and our homeland, Eretz Yisrael. The first is an article written by Rabbi Kelsen for us to take action on behalf of Sholom Rubashkin, and the second is to contact our government officials at our displeasure in President Obama’s treatment of Israel.
“Rabbinical Leaders Shocked At Life Sentence Request for Rubashkin

April 13, 2010

American Jewish leaders are expressing shock and outrage at the federal government’s recommendation that Sholom Rubashkin be sentenced to life in prison for his role as an executive with the Agriprocessors kosher meatpacking plant in Postville, Iowa. It is the latest example of a prosecution that has repeatedly targeted Rubashkin for unfair treatment compared to others who have been accused of employing illegal immigrants or compromising the security of a bank loan.

Supporters of Sholom Rubashkin are being urged to sign an online petition at the “Justice for Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin” Web page at http://justiceforsholom.org and call or e-mail Department of Justice Office of Intergovernmental and Public Liaison (202-514-3465 ; oipl@usdoj.gov and cc pr@justiceforsholom.org), to protest the recommendations of life in prison for Sholom Rubashkin.

Those interested in assisting the “Equal Justice for Sholom Rubashkin” campaign, or in receiving call to action alerts should e-mail their contact info to info@justiceforsholom.org, or text message ICARE to 347-948-JUST (5878).

Jewish rabbinical leaders have signed a proclamation, urging their Jewish brethren to contact the Justice Department on Rubashkin’s behalf, calling it a “sacred obligation of every individual to participate in this mitzvah.”

The sentencing recommendation submitted by prosecutors to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa is inconsistent with sentencing of other corporate executives convicted in comparable cases. For example, Mark Turkcan, an official First Bank, was recently convicted of bank fraud involving a loss of approximately $35 million, and was sentenced to one year and one day in prison. And Cathy Gieseker was sentenced to nine years in prison for bilking 179 farmers out of more than $27 million. Her motive, unlike Rubashkin and Turkcan, was greed.

Rubashkin was originally indicted for employing illegal immigrants, an offense that has been punished with probation or a short prison term. After seven superseding indictments, prosecutors chose to proceed to trial on alleged bank fraud charges in an effort to increase Rubashkin’s punishment, even though interest was paid on all of the money drawn by the loan and the bank has acknowledged it received approximately $21 million in profit from the interest payments.

The bank loan was not paid in full because of the government’s raid on Agriprocessors, which caused the company to declare bankruptcy. The bank “called” the loan when Agriprocessors could not continue to make its payments. The May 2008 raid included a military style raid and more than 600 federal agents. It was widely criticized for the extreme tactics utilized by prosecutors and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The raid destroyed the company and had disastrous lasting effects on the community of Postville and the kosher meat industry.

Prosecutors and the U.S. Probation Office have calculated the total offense committed by Rubashkin at level 45 under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Because the federal Sentencing Table caps at level 43, the Probation Office has calculated the total offense at level 43. An offense level of 43 is punished with a life sentence under the sentencing guidelines, which the Supreme Court held as no longer mandatory.

Rubashkin’s attorneys have asked the court to impose a sentence no greater than 72 months, noting his positive history and character, his extraordinary family circumstances, and the arbitrary nature of the now-advisory guidelines used by prosecutors. They emphasize that Rubashkin’s conduct was not done for personal gain, that he did not intend any loss to the bank, and that a 72-month sentence would allow the Bureau of Prisons to place Rubashkin in a facility with experience in effectively and humanely incarcerating observant Jewish inmates.

In Rubashkin’s bank-fraud trial, prosecutors were allowed to present inflammatory evidence regarding the employment of illegal workers, even though the judge had previously ruled that such evidence would prejudice the jury and had severed the immigration and bank fraud charges for that reason. The charges regarding harboring illegal immigrants were eventually dropped.

Rubashkin supporters argue That prosecutors have subjected Rubashkin to more severe restrictions and potential punishment than other employers whose work premises were raided by ICE and who were found to have hired larger numbers of illegal workers. The country’s largest meatpacker, Swift & Company, was raided in six different states in December 2006, and almost 1,300 illegal immigrants were arrested. No corporate official of Swift & Company has been prosecuted. RCI, International, a restaurant janitorial service operating in 17 states, was raided in 63 locations in February 2007. Its owners, who paid their employees (all illegal immigrants) in cash, were found to have defrauded the United States of more than $18 million in taxes. Its chief operating officer was sentenced to 10 years in prison. The owner of a Massachusetts manufacturer of leather goods and handbags raided by ICE in March 2007, when 326 illegal immigrants were arrested, was sentenced to one year and one day in prison.”
The Second is the current identity crisis that the United States administration is having with it’s best friend and ally, Israel. Our community needs to contact American political leaders and urge them not to push Israel to accede to calls for the creation of a Palestinian state.

The following are several outstanding issues that must be addressed and resolved before the commencement of any peace talks:

The fact that the Palestinian Authority issues a death sentence to people who sell land to Jews.
The fact that Israeli MIA Gilad Shalit is still being held captive by Islamic militants.
The fact that the U.S. has rejected Prime Minister Netanyahu’s demand that the Palestinians acknowledge Israel as a Jewish state before renewing peace talks.
The fact that Prime Minister Netanyahu’s concerns that ceding control of Israeli land to the Palestinians would exacerbate the situation need to be taken seriously by the U.S. (the Gaza experience proves that the land for peace concept does not work!)
The fact that Jerusalem, the eternal capital of the Jewish people, cannot be divided.
The fact that that control of Jewish holy sites, and for that matter, the Christian holy sites, cannot and should not be relinquished to the Palestinians.
The fact that the U.S. has not discussed what would happen in the event that the two-state solution, which it is advocating, eventually fails, nor has it spoken about what role the U.S. is prepared to play in that event to restore a sense of stability to the region.
The National Council of Young Israel urges you to call and email these key American policymakers and urge them not to advocate for an independent Palestinian state:

… thank you for your support.. please email us at info@youngisrael.org

White House- President Barack Obama

1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20500
(202) 456-1111

Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461

http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

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Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton click here to email Secretary Clinton or here for a full letter to the Secretary

U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520

Main Switchboard:
202-647-4000 or

202-647-5291

Fax- 202.647.1579, or 202.647.3340

secretary@state.gov

Senator John Kerry click here to email Senator Kerry or here for a full letter to the Senator

Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee-

http://kerry.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm

john_kerry@kerry.senate.gov

Office Locations Washington D.C.
218 Russell Bldg.
Second Floor
Washington D.C. 20510
(202) 224-2742 – Phone
(202) 224-8525 – Fax

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Congressman Howard Berman click here to email Congressman Berman or here for a full letter to the Congressman

Chairman of the Congressional Committee on Foreign Affairs

Washington Office

Congressman Howard L. Berman
2221 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-4695
Fax: (202) 225-3196

howard.berman@mail.house.gov

District Office

Congressman Howard L. Berman
14546 Hamlin Street, Suite 202
Van Nuys, CA 91411
Phone: (818) 994-7200
Fax: (818) 994-1050

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Congressman Gary Ackerman click here to email Congressman Ackerman or here for a full letter to the Congressman
Chairman of the Congressional Subcommittee of the Middle East and South Asia)

Washington, DC
2243 Rayburn House Office Building
House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2601
Fax: (202) 225-1589

Bayside Office
218-14 Northern Boulevard
Bayside, NY 11361
Phone: (718) 423-2154
Fax: (718) 423-5053

gary_ackerman@mail.house.gov

Weekly Torah Message: Parshas Shemini

Published on April 10, 2010 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

One of the most prominent Jewish families in the past generation was the Shwabs. There were five great Torah giants and leaders of the Jewish people spread out across the globe. They had many children who continued in their footsteps building Torah in many communities throughout the world including San Diego. I once heard how so much greatness had from one family. The father of these five Rabbis (of which are the likes of Rav Shimon, Mordechai and Avraham Schwab) was a plain ordinary Jew not a Rabbinical figure in any way shape or form. In Europe such a person was referred to as a “Pushete Yid” a simple Jew. Whenever he was in Shul he never spoke ordinary and unholy words, only the prayers and words of Torah study. He attributed the fact that he never spoke unnecessary words in Shul did he merit to have five sons who would become Jewish leaders and Torah scholars.

In this week’s Torah portion Shemini, we read of the death of Aharon’s two sons, Nadav and Avihu. Aharon’s famous reaction and non response was “Vayidom Aharon” and Aaron was silent. Silence is golden on many different levels, but especially when a person does not have a right to say something or nothing good to say, and then their silence has more meaning. When we are in Shul there really is no need to talk or to say anything other than the prayers and words of Torah.

Talking in Shul has been a problem for many years; this is not a new problem. I would like to share an insight as to why this problem persists. There is a law in the Shulchan Aruch that during the repetition of the Amida everyone should be listening to the Chazzan and answering Amen to each Bracha. One is not permitted to learn Torah during the repetition even if they think they will be able to answer Amen to the brachos of the reader. Unfortunately, many Rabbis and leaders (including myself from time to time) do learn during the repetition. This leaves the individuals who are not learning to perhaps be bored and just start talking. Now if everyone would be learning it would end up being okay as far as the talking is concerned, but it is still far better for EVERYONE Rabbis and lay people to just listen to the repetition and not talk nor learn.

It behooves everyone to be the role model of just paying attention to the reader and not to do anything else during this time. Being quiet in most cases can only help a person, just like Aharon did in Shemini. Of course there are times when one must speak out at something but that is for another time. For now being quiet in Shul and particularly during the reader’s repetition is of the utmost importance. You never know, maybe we can also merit to have children as great the as the Schwab’s of the previous generation.
A Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avram Bogopulsky