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Did you find the number?
Kol hakavod to all of you for your very noble feelings and acts of nosei be’ol.
Another suggestion is to say at least once a day “asher yatzar” with kavanah – preferably while reading it, rather than by heart – and to have in mind that Hashem Who heals all mankind should heal all who have been injured by terrorism and the war.
And, of course, we should think – and even say – the same in the berachah of refaeinu in Shemoneh Esrei.Now is NOT the time for him or them or you to discuss this.
Can’t you hold it in until after the war beH?In High School they forced us to learn how to dissect sentences and told us that this knowledge would be helpful to us throughout life.
Today I am 76 years old and NOT EVEN ONCE have I had to dissect a single sentence!Very true.
But we small people must abide strictly to the Shulchan Aruch.
(Unless, perhaps, if one is davening In the same minyan, together with the Tzaddik who does differently.)Where in the world is there a reliable heter to skip tachanun entirely?
And why in the world would a sane person want to skip it? There are so many things one wants for and prays for, and the best way to receive them is through tachanun, That is exactly why the yetzer hara does all that he possibly can to prevent us from saying it!Decades ago, that question was disputed between the Liubavicher Rebbe, who was for it, and Agudas Yisrael, which was against it.
The Rebbe was for bringing public schools closer to religion, while Agudah claimed that today it will be the Commandments which we all believe in, but tomorrow it will be strictly Christian beliefs which will return to discrimination against Jews as there was in Europe.Could be that davka in the state the world is today, some people need music to calm their nerves and they want to know if it is permissible or not.
I am writing from Eretz Yisrael where my little grandchildren just ran into a makolet because the sirens sounded in Beit Shemesh just as they were returning home from cheder.AAQ, of course you are right, and I do know the halacha, having seen Reb Moshe at the wedding. There is no greater indication of halacha than ma’aseh rav.
However, the Chofetz Chaim writes in his introduction to the Mishneh Berurah, that, in addition to knowing the halacha, one should try to know the reason behind it. And that is what I said I do not know.Reb Elchanan Wasserman ztvk”l Hy”d explains that one who is suffering obviously deserves to suffer so his tefillos to Hashem may not be effective. But when a tzaddik shares in his suffering, and he surely does not deserve that pain, his tefillos to remove the pain from both of them are more likely to be accepted.
I honestly do not know the answer to your good question, however, I can bear witness to the fact that I met HaGaon HaRav Moshe Feinstein ztvk”l at a wedding the night of Lag B’Omer!
HaRav Volbe zt”l had a group of students he trained to be mashgichim.
He told them, “We are guidance counselors – NOT therapists.
A student who needs professional help should be directed to the proper doctor.”תלמוד בבלי מסכת בבא בתרא דף קטז/א
דרש ר’ פנחס בר חמא כל שיש לו חולה בתוך ביתו ילך אצל חכם ויבקש עליו רחמים שנא’ חמת מלך מלאכי מות ואיש חכם יכפרנהSure.
In E.I. it is quite common.
The entire Zilberman community in the Old City wear them all day from bar mitzvah on (they take them off when playing ball but not when shopping).The Gemara in Moed Katan 9a relates that Rabi Shim’on bar Yochai told his son to go after two Talmidei Chachamim and try to get a berachah from them.
The Me’iri on that Gemara writes: לעולם תהא ברכת תלמיד חכם חביבה לו לאדם וישתדל בכל כחו שיברכוהו
The Chofetz Chaim ztvk”l gave berachos regularly. In his old age, he writes in a letter that it is difficult for him to receive so many people who want berachos. Therefore he asks them to write their requests to him and he will bless them from far, rather than in person, and he assures them that the blessings will have the same effect.
Rav Shach zt”l, who was a talmid muvhak of the Brisker Rav ztvk”l’ gave berachos with mesirus nefesh, even when he was very ill and weak.Someone called me in Israel when it was still Shabbos by him, so I hung up on him.
When his Shabbos was over, he called me again and said that it is a matter of pikuach nefesh which is docheh Shabbos. He claimed to be sick, physically and emotionally and that talking to me made him feel better and would save his life. Since he was not shomer Shabbos in general, I did not take him seriously and insisted that he only call me when it was chol.
After a few weekday calls, he called one night and we spoke for about an hour, during which he repeated that he was very sick. I still did not believe him, since he did not go to a doctor. I thought that he was just lonely since he lived alone.
The next morning I was informed that he had died during the night.
So, we never can really know the other person’s situation.
Surely a frum psych must be consulted for practical advice.Are WE ba’alei teshuvah?
THAT is what should concern us.
We should not be judging others.
That is for Hashem Alone to do.
Happy PurimRussia is truly evil but Ukraine is no better. They oppressed our people terribly before, during, and even after WWII. They are finally getting their just punishment.
We only pray for the salvation of the many innocent Jews who, for some strange reason, still live there.Understand please that even the few rabbis who allow going onto Har HaBayis only allow it in certain restricted places and only after being tovel in a mikveh whcih is kosher for women and only after complying with all of the many restrictions women have when they go to the mikveh and only after making a berachah on the mikveh.
NONE OF THESE was practiced by Ben Gvir who risked a chiuv kares R”l for supposed political gains.They tell a story that the Rebbe of Satmar Rav Yoel ztvk”l attended a wedding and the chosson appeared to be very young (and, I suppose, immature).
The Rebbe questioned the matter and they replied that when one is shiminesreh he should go to the chuppah.
The Rebbe, who was known for his quick, sharp, wit, said: True. But if someone davens a shiminesreh too fast, he has to repeat it chas veshalom!Please tell us more about Rabbi Troller and how to get a hold of him.
Levi
I had thought that you would appreciate being back up by an adam gadol.
Shanah tovah.The great tzaddik and phenomenal talmid chacham HaGaon HaRav Shmelke Taubenfeld zt”l of Monsey once told me that he held a criticism of the mashgichim who speak about the greatness of the outstanding personalities of Nach.
No matter on what high level they depict them, he said, they are actually lowering their stature by the very fact that they describe a situation that we can perceive.
In truth, he explained, their madregos were totally beyond our perception.The Chazon Ish said that even on Tish’ah B’Av there is no atzvus chas veshalom.
He proved it by the fact that the Navi Yirmiyahu wrote Megillas Eichah with nevuah.
Yet Chazal say that there is no nevuah to one who is b’atzvus.The Brothers said of Yosef, “Let us kill him…and then we will see what becomes of his dreams” (according to the Ramban – not Rashi).
מדרש רבה קהלת – פרשה ז פסקה יט בשעה שברא הקב”ה את אדם הראשון נטלו והחזירו על כל אילני גן עדן ואמר לו ראה מעשי כמה נאים ומשובחין הן וכל מה שבראתי בשבילך בראתי תן דעתך שלא תקלקל ותחריב את עולמי שאם קלקלת אין מי שיתקן אחריך
Man is able to destroy the beautiful world which Hashem created for him (both through sins and by force).The Gemara says
תלמוד בבלי מסכת מגילה דף ו/א
והיה כאלוף ביהודה ועקרון כיבוסי אלו תראטריות וקרקסיות שבאדום שעתידין שרי יהודה ללמד בהן תורה ברבים
…these are the theaters and circuses in Edom where, in the future, the masters of Yehudah will teach Torah to the masses.I really do not know what he did but in general the inyan of staying up all night is frowned upon in Yeshivos.
HaRav Shach z”l was even against the regular Thursday night mismar which is kept in many yeshivos. He would encourage yeshiva boys to learn well during the regular sedorim and to sleep well at night.
Also the Chofetz Chaim was known to turn off the lights in the Beis Midrash at night and to tell the talmidim: Tomorrow is another day. You can learn then. Now you have to sleep.”My Rebby once said: A fellow sleeps in the afternoon Erev Shavuos, so that he can stay up all night and learn.
He sleeps Shavuos afternoon, because he was up all night.
And during Shavuos night, he also catches a dremel or 2.
In the end, he learned less than if he just would have slept all night and learned by day naturally!Some have an interesting custom to stay up all night learning, as is the preferred custom, and then going to sleep and attending a later minyan and davening like a mentsh.
But be careful. I once tried it and slept until after Mussaf at the latest minyan.ספר בראשית פרק לט
(ג) וירא אדניו כי ה’ אתו וכל אשר הוא עשה ה’ מצליח בידו:
רש”י על בראשית פרק לט פסוק ג
(ג) כי ה’ אתו – שם שמים שגור בפיו (ב”ר):
Yosef HaTzaddik always said ברוך ה’, בעזרת ה’, אם ירצה השם and the like.Kiruvwife: Rav Chatskyl Abromsky in England not Rav Chatskyl Levenstein.
Rabbi EFRAIM Wachsman.Very nice pshat.
Yasher kochachah.
Gemar chasimah tovah.Today’s Daf Hayomi:
תלמוד בבלי מסכת יומא דף מב/א
וההוא יומא נח נפשיה דרביא בר קיסי ואנחו בה סימנא רביא [בר] קיסי מכפר כשעיר המשתלח
That day Ravya the son of Kisi died and they declared it as a sign: Ravya bar Kisi brings forgiveness like the sa’ir of Yom Kippur which is sent away.I would like to clarify something. I am in no way advising anyone how to be Menachem avel. It is a very difficult halachah to observe properly and it surely depends upon the individuals involved (the mourners and the comforters) and the situation and the timing and many other factors.
I joined this conversation because someone complained about the usage of the term korbanos by anyone, and, since I am aware of the fact that Gedolim do use that terminology, I objected to our opinionating ourselves.
As the conversation developed, I realized that some participants do not understand the concept at all and so I tried (apparently unsuccessfully) to explain it.
G-d willing, may we never have to console anyone again.
Shabbat shalom and Chag sameiach.I don’t understand how you do not see in the Chasam Sofer’s words exactly what I wrote.
He said:
כשרוב עונות גורם חלילה הקב”ה נוטל הרב שבהם ר”ל לכפר על הכלל וכעין כפרת פרה אדומה
Which means: When the many sins cause [a tragedy] chalilah, Hashem takes the greatest one amongst them Rl, to forgive the community, just as the Parah Adumah does.WHY DON’T YOU POST THIS? I HAVE SENT IT MANY TIMES?
I don’t understand how you do not see in the Chasam Sofer’s words exactly what I wrote.
He said:
כשרוב עונות גורם חלילה הקב”ה נוטל הרב שבהם ר”ל לכפר על הכלל וכעין כפרת פרה אדומה
Which means: When the many sins cause [a tragedy] chalilah, Hashem takes the greatest one amongst them Rl, to forgive the community, just as the Parah Adumah does.Following is a Kabbalistic explanation of how this works:
ספר אמרי מנחם – פרשת אחרי
אולי יש לפרש הענין כי לפעמים יש קטרוג גדול על ישראל, ואי אפשר להשתיק אותו, אזי הצדיקים שבדור מעלים את הכלל ישראל לבחינת כתר, ששם אין הקטרוג שולט, כי הכתר הוא בחי’ אין, ובאין לא שייך שום קטרוג, וע”י ההתעלות אל בחינת כתר מדת אין מתבטלים שם הצדיקים ונפטרים מן העולם, וזהו הפי’ ‘מיתת צדיקים מכפרת כיום הכיפורים’, כי זו היא מדריגת יום הכיפורים, דביה אתגלי עתיקא קדישא לכפרא על חוביהון דכולא כדאיתא בזוה”ק (ח”ג סח ע”ב), היינו שע”י התגלות הכתר שהוא בחי’ אין מתבטלים כל החטאים והקטרוגים הבאים מחמתם:
However, I would like to clarify something. I am in no way advising anyone how to be Menachem avel. It is a very difficult halachah to observe properly and it surely depends upon the individuals involved (the mourners and the comforters) and the situation and the timing and many other factors.
I joined this conversation because someone complained about the usage of the term korbanos by anyone, and, since I am aware of the fact that Gedolim do use that terminology, I objected to our opinionating ourselves.
As the conversation developed, I realized that some participants do not understand the concept at all and so I tried (apparently unsuccessfully) to explain it.
G-d willing, may we never have to console anyone again.
Shabbat shalom and Chag sameiach.I don’t understand how you do not see in the Chasam Sofer’s words exactly what I wrote.
He said:
כשרוב עונות גורם חלילה הקב”ה נוטל הרב שבהם ר”ל לכפר על הכלל וכעין כפרת פרה אדומה
Which means: When the many sins cause [a tragedy] chalilah, Hashem takes the greatest one amongst them Rl, to forgive the community, just as the Parah Adumah does.Following is a Kabbalistic explanation of how this works:
ספר אמרי מנחם – פרשת אחרי
אולי יש לפרש הענין כי לפעמים יש קטרוג גדול על ישראל, ואי אפשר להשתיק אותו, אזי הצדיקים שבדור מעלים את הכלל ישראל לבחינת כתר, ששם אין הקטרוג שולט, כי הכתר הוא בחי’ אין, ובאין לא שייך שום קטרוג, וע”י ההתעלות אל בחינת כתר מדת אין מתבטלים שם הצדיקים ונפטרים מן העולם, וזהו הפי’ ‘מיתת צדיקים מכפרת כיום הכיפורים’, כי זו היא מדריגת יום הכיפורים, דביה אתגלי עתיקא קדישא לכפרא על חוביהון דכולא כדאיתא בזוה”ק (ח”ג סח ע”ב), היינו שע”י התגלות הכתר שהוא בחי’ אין מתבטלים כל החטאים והקטרוגים הבאים מחמתם:
However, I would like to clarify something. I am in no way advising anyone how to be Menachem avel. It is a very difficult halachah to observe properly and it surely depends upon the individuals involved (the mourners and the comforters) and the situation and the timing and many other factors.
I joined this conversation because someone complained about the usage of the term korbanos by anyone, and, since I am aware of the fact that Gedolim do use that terminology, I objected to our opinionating ourselves.
As the conversation developed, I realized that some participants do not understand the concept at all and so I tried (apparently unsuccessfully) to explain it.
G-d willing, may we never have to console anyone again.
Shabbat shalom and Chag sameiach.Why don’t you post my last submission from many hours ago?
I don’t understand how you do not see in the Chasam Sofer’s words exactly what I wrote.
He said:
כשרוב עונות גורם חלילה הקב”ה נוטל הרב שבהם ר”ל לכפר על הכלל וכעין כפרת פרה אדומה
Which means: When the many sins cause [a tragedy] chalilah, Hashem takes the greatest one amongst them Rl, to forgive the community, just as the Parah Adumah does.Following is a Kabbalistic explanation of how this works:
ספר אמרי מנחם – פרשת אחרי
אולי יש לפרש הענין כי לפעמים יש קטרוג גדול על ישראל, ואי אפשר להשתיק אותו, אזי הצדיקים שבדור מעלים את הכלל ישראל לבחינת כתר, ששם אין הקטרוג שולט, כי הכתר הוא בחי’ אין, ובאין לא שייך שום קטרוג, וע”י ההתעלות אל בחינת כתר מדת אין מתבטלים שם הצדיקים ונפטרים מן העולם, וזהו הפי’ ‘מיתת צדיקים מכפרת כיום הכיפורים’, כי זו היא מדריגת יום הכיפורים, דביה אתגלי עתיקא קדישא לכפרא על חוביהון דכולא כדאיתא בזוה”ק (ח”ג סח ע”ב), היינו שע”י התגלות הכתר שהוא בחי’ אין מתבטלים כל החטאים והקטרוגים הבאים מחמתם:
However, I would like to clarify something. I am in no way advising anyone how to be menachem avel. It is a very difficult halachah to observe properly and it surely depends upon the individuals involved (the mourners and the comforters) and the situation and the timing and many other factors.
I joined this conversation because someone complained about the usage of the term korbanos by anyone, and, since I am aware of the fact that Gedolim do use that terminology, I objected to our opinionating ourselves.
As the conversation developed, I realized that some participants do not understand the concept at all and so I tried (apparently unsuccessfully) to explain it.
G-d willing, may we never have to console anyone again.
Shabbat shalom and Chag sameiach.“To me, calling the departed a korbon, focuses on their last moments, instead of their life. ”
Quite the contrary. A person does not become worthy of being considered a korban tzibbur overnight.
It takes a lifetime of sincere devotion to come to that level.
Saying that the deceased was a korban, indicates that his entire life was extremely admirable.But, in any event, as I wrote in my very first entry, once we see that the Gedolim (Harav Cohen and HaRav Edelstein) used that term for consolation, we have no option to doubt that what they do or say is correct and proper. Although one may argue that it is ok for them to say, but perhaps not for us to.
ספר אמרי מנחם – פרשת אחרי
[ט] בפסיקתא זוטרתא (פרשה זו) למה נסמכה מיתת שני בני אהרן לפרשת יום הכיפורים, ללמדך שמיתת הצדיקים מכפרת כיום הכיפורים:
אולי יש לפרש הענין כי לפעמים יש קטרוג גדול על ישראל, ואי אפשר להשתיק אותו, אזי הצדיקים שבדור מעלים את הכלל ישראל לבחינת כתר, ששם אין הקטרוג שולט, כי הכתר הוא בחי’ אין, ובאין לא שייך שום קטרוג, וע”י ההתעלות אל בחינת כתר מדת אין מתבטלים שם הצדיקים ונפטרים מן העולם, וזהו הפי’ ‘מיתת צדיקים מכפרת כיום הכיפורים’, כי זו היא מדריגת יום הכיפורים, דביה אתגלי עתיקא קדישא לכפרא על חוביהון דכולא כדאיתא בזוה”ק (ח”ג סח ע”ב), היינו שע”י התגלות הכתר שהוא בחי’ אין מתבטלים כל החטאים והקטרוגים הבאים מחמתם:I don’t understand how you do not see what I wrote, in the words of the Chasam Sofer.
He said: כשרוב עונות גורם
חלילה, הקב”ה נוטל הרב שבהם ר”ל לכפר על הכלל וכעין כפרת פרה אדומה
“When there are a multitude of sins chalilah, Hashem takes the greatest of them Rl, in order to forgive the community like the redemption of the Parah Adumah.”Yes, of course. Bereaved. Thank you.
But somehow I left out the most important part.
Chacham Shalom Cohen shlita wrote the following: “the 45 kedoshim utehorim, KORBANOS TZIBBUR, who ascended in a storm to Shamayim…”
Also, HaRav Edelstein shlita related a story about the Chofetz Chaim: he had a son-in-law, a young man, Rav Tzvi Hirsch Levinson, and he died young. His daughter asked her father, why did he die, wasn’t he a tzaddik? The Chofetz Chaim told her: “There was a gezeirah on the dor and he atoned for the dor through his death! This is his zechus, he was mezakeh the dor through his death.”Yes, of course. Thank you.
Somehow, I left out the most important part.
Chacham Shalom Cohen wrote, ““the 45 kedoshim utehorim, KORBANOS TZIBBUR, who ascended in a storm to Shamayim…”Also, HaRav Edelstein shlita told the following story: The Chofetz Chaim had a son-in-law, a young man, Rav Tzvi Hirsch Levinson, and he died young. His daughter asked her father, why did he die, wasn’t he a tzaddik? The Chofetz Chaim told her: “There was a gezeirah on the dor and he atoned for the dor through his death! This is his zechus, he was mezakeh the dor through his death.”
Today, Chacham Shalom Cohen shlita sent a letter of condolence to the believed families.
He referred to “the 45 kedoshim utehorim who ascended in a storm to Shamayim…”
sorry no outside linksDid you read the Chasam Sofer I cited (I am assuming that you can read Hebrew)?
He clearly explains that it does not only apply to a Tzaddik’s natural death, but especially to taking him away before his time.מרן ראש הישיבה חכם שלום כהן, שלח אף הוא אגרות תנחומים לבתי האבלים שיחי’, האגרת במלואה לפניכם:
“על אלה אני בוכיה עיני עיני יורדה מים כי רחק ממני מנחם משיב נפשי…”
בלב דואב וכואב על האסון הנורא אשר פקד את כל בית ישראל ביומא קדישא דהילולתא התנא האלוקי רבי שמעון בר יוחאי זיע”א על מ”ה קדושים וטהורים קרבנות ציבור אשר עלו בסערה השמימה בבואם לשפוך שיח ותחינה לפני קודשא ב”ה על הציון הק’ במירון.I apologize.
I know you asked me not to fill you in, but since I am trying to explain the inyan to you, and you seem to really want to understand it, I felt that I must back up my words with the letter HaRav Shalom Cohen shlita wrote to all of the bereaved families.מרן ראש הישיבה חכם שלום כהן, שלח אף הוא אגרות תנחומים לבתי האבלים שיחי’, האגרת במלואה לפניכם
“על אלה אני בוכיה עיני עיני יורדה מים כי רחק ממני מנחם משיב נפשי…”בלב דואב וכואב על האסון הנורא אשר פקד את כל בית ישראל ביומא קדישא דהילולתא התנא האלוקי רבי שמעון בר יוחאי זיע”א על מ”ה קדושים וטהורים קרבנות ציבור אשר עלו בסערה השמימה בבואם לשפוך שיח ותחינה לפני קודשא ב”ה על הציון הק’ במירון.
First of all, Rashi in Chumash says it. On the pasuk (Bemidbar 20:1) …And Miriam died there… Rashi quotes the Gemara (Moed Katan 28a) and writes: Why is the demise of Miriam written aside the parasha of the red heifer (the parah adumah)? To teach us that just as korbanos bring forgiveness, so too does the demise of the righteous.
If you want more sources I will be happy to write them, however, the Maharal in Gur Aryeh, on that Rashi writes: אמנם עיקר דבר זה מה שמיתת צדיקים מכפרת הוא ידוע
Also, the Chasam Sofer writes (in Vayikra 16:1) – כי מיתת צדיקים בעצמו מכפרת מקופיא על הציבור כשרוב עונות גורם חלילה הקב”ה נוטל הרב שבהם ר”ל לכפר על הכלל וכעין כפרת פרה אדומהCertainly we never know exactly why Hashem does specific things, unless a Navi informs us, and we can never know if this specific tzaddik was taken away in order to be a korban or for other reasons.
It is just an expression of consolation to the mourner that possibly the deceased was a great tzaddik and was taken away in order to be a kapparah for Klal Yisroel.
The mourners who undoubtedly believe that the deceased was a worthy person, is given the feeling that he or she was even loftier than they had thought and is meant to make them feel proud and diminish their pain somewhat.