Geshmake Question & Readers Answers
Last week’s Geshmake Question:
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Geshmake Chanukah Question:
Rav Boruch Ber Leibowitz came to America and was only comfortable eating food prepared by Rav Yaakov Yosef Herman, who was very careful that his food was 100 percent kosher. (A book was written about him, “All for the Boss.”)
When Rav Herman went to visit Europe, he also went to Kaminetz and stayed at the home of the Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Boruch Ber, who was so excited to have Rav Yaakov Yosef Herman as a guest and started preparing his bed.
Rav Herman felt bad and said he was able to prepare the bed himself; “the Rosh Yeshiva doesn’t have to do it.”
Rav Boruch Ber said, “Just like you can’t put in tefillin for me because it’s a mitzvah I must do. So too, I have the mitzvah of being grateful, hakaras hatov, and I want to show my appreciation to you for what you did for me in America, so I need to do it myself.”
What’s the lesson? Once someone has done something good for you, one must show appreciation. How much good has Hashem given us? We must show endless gratefulness.
This connects to Chanukah:
Chanukah is all about being thankful. For some people, it may seem they have nothing to be grateful for, but they must take a minute to recognize the good they do have. They may have challenges, but everyone has something good in their life; they just have to search and recognize it.
R’ Zechariah Wallerstein once shared how he started helping teens at risk. He was asked to meet and speak with a few struggling teens, a few boys and girls, who were deeply angry at Hashem, Yiddishkeit, and people. The leader of the group, a girl, started yelling and cursing Hashem. R’ Wallerstein said he never heard anyone cursing Hashem like that. He had done kiruv, but never yet with kids who went off… R’ Wallerstein said he wasn’t sure what to say. In his mind, he asked Hashem to help him say the right words.
He told her, “I was going to prove to you girls that there is Hashem, but after hearing what you had to say, it seems you already believe in Hashem. I feel bad that you may be angry and not like how He runs the world, but you can only be angry at Hashem if you believe in Him!”
“You are a rebbetzin! I think you should give the shiur. Can you tell everyone how you know Hashem exists?”
She was so shocked, and R’ Wallerstein continued speaking with them till 1:30 am. This girl even became part of the Wallerstein family. But she had a piercing, not only in the ear, but on her tongue. After a few months, R’ Wallerstein was good with her and comfortable asking her to remove it, even offering $100, but she said “no. This is what makes me different and unique. If I take this out, I don’t exist!”
R’ Wallerstein said, “I will put it on my tallis bag!” She didn’t believe him, but he said, “I really will!” She thought for a moment and then handed it to him.
R’ Wallerstein said, “She didn’t have a penny and needed the money, but didn’t want to do it for $100, but did it when I told her I would put it in and on my tallis bag. What is that?”
Because what all these kids (and everyone) really need is to feel recognized and important. And I showed her that!”
R’ Wallerstein said, “This was many years ago, and since then, I have plenty more piercings—from different ‘kids in pain’ like this girl—in and on my tallis bag.”
(Side note – R’ Wallerstein ztl asked to be buried with that special tallis bag…)
What’s the lesson? R’ Wallerstein said people ask me how I don’t get depressed since I’m dealing with so many struggling kids. I tell them just the opposite. I see so many people reach rock bottom, but when they get the love, warmth, and feel understood, cared for, and respected, they come back stronger than ever. I have seen so many come back.
Never give up on anyone.
This connects to this Chanukah:
We celebrate on Chanukah that we found a small container of pure kosher oil. In every Yid there is a part of them that will always stay pure, no matter what happens.
Kids In Risk – Kids In Pain
Showing Thanks
The only time the Rambam calls a mitzvah “a great beloved mitzvah” is the mitzvah of Chanukah.
What is that?
Answers:
Sifsei Chachamim explains that he didn’t want to kill innocent people who Esav might have forced to fight alongside him.
Yaakov Avinu was afraid for two reasons when he heard his brother is coming to kill him. 1) that he and his family would be killed by his brother, 2) but he was also afraid that he might need to kill others in self-defense.
Question? Should Yaakov be afraid to do self-defense? Is it a mitzvah to defend oneself?
Yona Miller from Fallsburg answers: He may have been scared that he’s going to kill other people in the process (innocent women and children).
Shulem Rosenbaum answers: Because Yaakov was such an “Ish tam” he didn’t want to have to kill anybody even if he has to.
R.L. answers: Rivka Imeinu said that she would lose both her kids in one day, so that’s why Yaakov was scared to kill Esav because that means that he’ll leave this world on that day as well.
L.F. answers: Chazal say that a person’s emotions follow his actions. Perhaps that’s why Yaakov was afraid, he didn’t want to get used to killing.
